
Let me begin this by saying that I’ve been skipping eyeshadow primer for months.
I just haven’t been using it.
It was just another step, ya know? And I felt like I could forgo it because it was incompatible with my quest for extreme makeup minimalism (as defined by a person who carries at least five nude lipsticks in her purse at all times).
Basically, it wasn’t like I needed my eye makeup to impress anyone for hella hours anyway. It’s not like Tabs and Connor point out when my crease color is fading into oblivion (thankfully), but with the Coywolf in preschool now, I want to start doing different things with my makeup again.
Mostly, I wanna wear brown smoky eyes and red lips again. 🙂 But I refuse to subject you to patchy lids, so I’d like an eye primer, but I want one that has all the bells and whistles.
Like this one from Chanel.
$32 Chanel La Base Ombre À Paupière Longwear Eyeshadow Primer
This untinted eyeshadow primer swept me off my feet cat Vans!
Granted, it’s not like applying eye primer is difficult, but it’s definitely easier than usual with this one because of its smooth consistency.

La Base is “wetter” than primers from NARS and Urban Decay, but it lasts just as long. Using it is like applying an eye cream, and I think it’s just easier and faster for me to use than other primers from the big dawgs.
TIP: If you wear a lot of bright eye makeup, or if you like your eyeshadow to look super saturated, go for NARS Pro Prime instead. I think it’s THE BEST primer for ramping up intensity. Chanel and Urban Decay, meanwhile, do alright in that department, but they’ve got nothing on NARS.
La Base is also featherweight, which is super important to me right now because I’ve gotten used to not feeling like I’m wearing layers of eye makeup, yet despite how light it feels, it still hangs on to powders and creams for dear life.
Added bonus: it also adds a wee bit of moisture to my lids, and when your skin is dry in parts like mine, every microliter of moisture counts.
I can’t say enough good things about this! If I could, the only thing I’d change is the price…but that’s Chanel.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
karen
GFY! 🙂 I just went through three expensive eye primers that sucked, and just got a wet n wild photofocus primer again, and it was like coming home. The ones that sucked were Nars smudgeproof (smudged after a few hours), benefit air patrol (creased after half an hour) and YSL ($39 in Denmark! – creased after one hour).
I agree! The Wet N Wild primer is so good!
I don´t reach for a dedicated eye primer either these days, I use a cream color or a Clinque Chubby Stick as base. That way I can alter the color if I want to and don´t feel like I use an extra step.
I use Pro Prime every day but I’m a sucker for Chanel. I wanted to know the fl oz in the tube, but couldn’t find it quickly. As you know, NARS is .26 fl oz and it always seems like the tube is empty. 🙂 Maybe there is more in Chanel? (desperately trying to justify that extra $6). HAHA!
So, I never use eye primer because my lids are dry. I have been curious to check out the new NARS tinted eye primers mostly because my eyes are deep-set and have a darknes to them. I thought the tinted primer might brighten them up. It sounds like the Chanel primer might be more hydrating. BTW, I have the Clair Obscur palette on pre-sale at L & T (15% off is 15% off!). My only problem is that I AM IMPATIENT!
Anyway, hope all is well.
You realize, of course, that I couldn’t make it past the post title without singing it…. ?
What is this magic that allows people to wear eye makeup without primer? I just can’t do it. It doesn’t blend right, then it ends up everywhere but on my lids within an hour. This one sounds a lot like my favorite Laura Mercier primer, except that mine is slightly tinted.
I’m testing out the Fenty eyeshadow primer right now, no strong opinion yet. I’m normally a Nars girl.