Dear Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($17),
How I dig thee. Your priming powers imbue eyeshadows with hours of extra staying power, and you’re easy to apply, never settling into fine lines. I’m crushing on you hard…
Sincerely,
Primed to Party
If you’re new to makeup, you might be thinking, “Uh, what’s an eye primer?”
Fair enough. Eyeshadow primers create a smooth layer on top of your skin to which powder and cream shadows can better affix themselves. It translates into longer-lasting eyeshadow.
There are lots of different eye primers on the market. Urban Decay Potion Primer is one of the more (in)famous ones. Much loved by many, Urban Decay Potion Primer doesn’t really do it for me. Yes, it makes eyeshadow last longer, but I find it also makes colors more difficult to blend. I end up with (long-lasting) harsh lines at the edges of the colors on my lids. Note to file: this is not cute.
Too Faced says that Shadow Insurance’s silicone-based formula smooths lines while intensifying shadow colors, and it does so without making shadows more difficult to blend.
I put it to the test.
For one week I used Shadow Insurance beneath Clinique, Dior and MAC eyeshadows and had much better luck with it than I had with Urban Decay’s primer. I had no problem blending eyeshadows layered on top of Shadow Insurance.
I’d kept my trusty MAC 217 ready just in case I needed it to blend away any harsh lines, but I never did. Shadow Insurance did exactly what a good shadow primer should do, keeping my eyeshadows from settling into the fine lines on my lids and ensuring that my shadow stayed strong, all day long (even through workouts at the gym). I must say, WOOT!
Product: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
Price: $17
Use: As a base for powder or cream eyeshadow
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
Shadow Insurance’s lightly tinted gel texture was also a lot easier to work with than Urban Decay’s cream-to-powder formula. UDPP had a tendency to apply unevenly and would cake on my lids.
Although I dig Shadow Insurance, I’m not sure about Too Faced’s claim that it intensifies color. Unlike MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl, which dramatically improves the vibrancy of colors, Shadow Insurance didn’t produce a significant color difference at all.
Snag Too Faced Shadow Insurance at your nearest Sephora store or shop online.
Happy Thursday, ladies! I woke up with this Mary J. Blige song playing in my head. Does that ever happen to you?
We’re just hours away from another Friday. I can’t wait! What’s that song about living for the weekend?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Dao says
April 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pmI tried out “pearl” at MAC counter before and the shade is very similar to Bare Study. You may not need that paint pot after all 😀 I like the pearlized colors as a base than the concealer-type primers. They feel thick and cakey on me.
sarahPUFFY says
April 17th, 2008 at 3:40 pmthis primer hasn’t gotten very much credit at all in the industry, so its nice to see that someone is giving it props – finally. good review.
sarahPUFFY’s last blog post..Cargo Alert!
Shiny says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:16 pmI bought the Lise Watier base a while back and its proved to be useless to me. Doesn’t do squat in terms of making color not crease. I live a ways away from Sephora so until I get a new base I’ve been using CG Squease in Champagne (gross I know) or sticking with long lasting shadows like UD or even Revlon 12hr. I’m so going to look into this rather that UD Potion.. I think this is cheaper too.
cheeeezie says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pmi have yet to try the TF primer but your entry has convinced me to get it after i’m done with my UDPP 🙂
have a good friday 😀
cheeeezie’s last blog post..Smartpoppy haul 🙂
Megan says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:24 pmThanks for the review Karen, I think I might have to pick this one up. I had heard a couple good things, but not any personal reviews from non-salespeople.
Joanna says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:27 pmI love love love this primer. It’s better than any primer I’ve used (even paint pots) it for me it takes a while to crease 🙂
*Note, I dislike Urban Decay Primer Potion. Not because it doesn’t do its job but because it’s bottle is horribly made. There is enough primer in there to last you for YEARS (not that you should even be using that long, lol). Fellow Beauty Blogger Clumps of Mascara discovered this fact and posted on her blog: http://www.clumpsofmascara.com/2008/01/udpp-has-been-holdin-out.html
Glosslizard says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:34 pmWoot! I’d heard good things about this and was hoping it would pan out!
Ha! I wake up with songs in my head all the time! I’m just pathetically grateful whenever it’s not a song I hate! 😀
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pmHi Dao,
Oh cool! I think I still might snag it anyway, just because I hoard Paint Pots like that! But thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi SarahPUFFY,
Thanks! I am really glad I gave this one a try. It’s one of those undiscovered gems, methinks.
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi Shiny,
If you have issues with creasing then I’m guessing this will work for you. Shadows settling into fine lines is one of my issues and this works great to stop color migration. 🙂
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi Cheeeeezie,
Oh great! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. You have a good one, too!
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi Megan,
Thank you for recommending that I check this out, girl. I was pretty impressed by it! I can now throw away my dreaded tube of UDPP (blah).
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi Joanna,
I saw that post a while back! Dang, what a rip off!
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pmHi Glosslizard,
It’s great. I think it might even be fab underneath les Paint Pots as well. I have some time tomorrow to play so I can’t wait to experiment.
Ha! That happens to me all the time. Four out of five times it’s some corny hip hop song that I can’t stand (OMG, the other day is was Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison”, SO WRONG) so I’m happy on days when I can enjoy the tune. 🙂
Amanda says
April 17th, 2008 at 6:09 pmgreat review Karen. But I’m one of those people who love UDPP (I’ve repurchased several tubes), so I wonder if I’ll like this.
kia says
April 17th, 2008 at 6:10 pmkaren, you haven’t seen brit’s ‘almost too famous for her blog’ post about udpp???
i didn’t realize the uneasiness that udpp created until you pointed it out to me. now no one else understands what i mean hahaha
whenever i get done with udpp, i’ll try this. i think this is the primer that pursebuzz uses… i think!
kia’s last blog post..Yummy411: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Loose Foundation, Updates
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 9:00 pmHi Amanda,
Hmm, even though I’m not a fan of UDPP, I figure if you dig something and it works for you then stick with it! Do you do lots of layering and blending and stuff? Maybe I’m just missing the the UDPP gene or something!
Karen says
April 17th, 2008 at 9:02 pmHi Kia,
I have seen her post! After I read it I though, dang, I wanna saw through my tube too! 🙂
I think you might really like this. It’s very blendable!
BeautyTalk says
April 18th, 2008 at 6:35 amMy UDPP is running out, so I might try this next. I like the fact that it’s a gel formula.
BeautyTalk’s last blog post..Drugstore Haulin’
Ping. says
April 18th, 2008 at 6:47 amhahaha i know how you feel bout waking up with the song playing in my head. once i dream bout this song and it can’t sstop playing in my head shessh… aand when i was drunk i can recite that song ahah mad i know!
Amanda says
April 18th, 2008 at 8:47 amKaren, so true about sticking with something if it works. But, on the flipside, I know I can always *go back* to it—and no, I usually do really simple eyes! a wash with some liner, and wash and crease color, or just a wash. Or darker color on the lid and a little highlight. sometimes I get adventurous and do a smokey eye, but generally I like ’em quick and simple, LOL.
Karen says
April 18th, 2008 at 10:35 amHi BeautyTalk,
Yah, it’s kinda fluffy and easily spreadable (sounds like something one would put on a sandwich, ha!). I think you’ll like it!
Karen says
April 18th, 2008 at 10:36 amHi Ping,
I *love* that song. Every time I hear it, it makes my heart sing!
Karen says
April 18th, 2008 at 10:38 amHi Amanda,
That’s true! This is definitely worth a go for days when you want to do more adventurous looks then.
I’ve been asking people this lately: What’s your favorite crease color?
Chantal says
April 18th, 2008 at 11:13 pmWow!i never used an eye primer before cuz’ i rarely use eyeshadows(n i never heard of eye primer,EVER.)but i’ll totally use eyeshadows at parties,and guess wat? INVITATION PILE,dig?Anyway dat eye primer sounds really convincing(hmmmm…..),maybe i should use those often.Hey,Karen in ur opinion,wats nicer?-Too Faced/M.A.C??? XOXO.luh-v ur blog!
P.S.tnx 4 introducing eye primer 2 me!*BONUS*
Karen says
April 20th, 2008 at 9:55 amHi Chantal,
Thanks girl! I’ve never used the MAC eye primer before…I have used MAC Paint Pots and MAC Paint (in the tube) as bases and they’re both great options for primer. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Lily says
May 4th, 2008 at 1:58 amaahh i would totally buy this but i have a vendetta against things that come in tubes!! POOOTS! POTS! i suppose i could just put it into a sample jar.
Lilys last blog post..Violet+Copper Sparkle
Shoez says
February 26th, 2009 at 5:51 amTFSI is my savior. My eyeshadow always creased and just felt oily and sticky (this is powder shadow by the way). Then I used MAC Cream Colour Base…still creasing, then I used a little liquid foundation…still creasing, then I used MAC powder foundation…still creasing, AND THEN I did some research about shadow base/primer. Every site on the net mentioned either Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay Primer. I went with TFSI because of the packing. IT has saved my lids. I tried it for the first time yesterday. I put my makeup on around 7:30am and by the time I washed my face (around 8pm) My shadow still looked as fresh as it did when I first put it on!
Amanda says
April 28th, 2009 at 7:28 pmI bought this based upon your review and I love it!
Amanda´s last blog post..This is Pure Luck
Karen says
April 29th, 2009 at 8:11 amHi Amanda,
I’m glad you like it! They have some new ones with color called Lock Down. Have you heard about ’em?
DeniseBoo says
May 21st, 2010 at 1:57 pmI was heartbroken when Benefit stopped making FY Eye and looked for another replacement as I have super oily lids. I had read on several beauty blogs that Too Faced Eye Primer was just as good as the Benefit product. Well, I wholly concur with you! It’s a FANTASTIC product. I couldn’t be more pleased. What is amazing about it is that it goes on invisible. FY Eye tended to harden over time, making it hard to spread across your lid. I havn’t had neery a crease and I’ve had shadow on for up to 12 hours….great product!