I do this thing, and I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but whatevs, but whenever I think of the word “base,” like eyeshadow base, as in Urban Decay’s new Eyeshadow Primer Potion eyeshadow base, I think of Ace of Base from the ’90s, ya know? I saw the sign? I can hear the first few bars in my head. Clearly TMI. Whatever, I know you secretly love that song and know all the words. 🙂
Yeah, Urban Decay released a bunch of new eyeshadow bases, a.k.a eye primers. There are four, and they’re $20 each.
How do you feel about eyeshadow bases? Are they a must have? Or a waste of time? I’m a fan. The one I use daily is NARS Pro-Prime, and it’s my fave, but I like UD’s a lot, too.
I like how it intensifies and holds on to color, but I think the NARS one is slightly easier to do more complicated blending with, which is why I tend to use it (not that I’ve been doing a ton of complicated blending lately, but hey).
But Urban Decay’s works great, too, and it’s a good option if you’re into cruelty-free. Shadows that I wear on top last just as long as they do with NARS Pro-Prime.
There are now four new colors — well, “new” in quotes because one is a re-promote, and that one is champagne shimmer Sin. The new shades are Sin, Fix (which is a matte beige and part of the Ultraviolet Edge program, which is UD’s charitable wing) and Freebase. It’s an opaque white matte, which seems kind of scary, I know, putting a white matte all over lids, but shades like it are kind of neat because anything you layer on top looks lighter and brighter, and I also like that it’s matte because most of the time when you see white eyeshadow bases, they have some shimmer. And this one is shimmer free.
Also new is Caffeine, a rich matte brown, which is basically a skin-toned shade for deeper complexions and something I’ve wanted to see for a long time.
Fix is limited edition, but the other shades (Sin, Freebase and Caffeine) are being added to the permanent line.
Since these are tinted bases, the colors will affect whatever you layer on top of them, which is another difference between these bases and the NARS one I mostly use (that one is colorless).
I really like the fluffy mousse texture (similar to NARS). I like that it isn’t a runny liquid, because you can tell it who’s boss and get it exactly where you need it to go. I’d suggest using as little as possible, though, because I’ve got some fine line action, and my skin also tends to be dry. If I apply too much, my lids look textured and heavy.
Anywho, all four are available now.
Since we’re talking about them already, how do you feel about eyeshadow primers, BTW? Do you use ’em? If you do, which one’s your fave?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Chelsea says
May 15th, 2017 at 9:02 pmMy sweaty eyelids need primer, and a lot of them don’t work well on me. My go-to is also Nars, which is the one that works best for me. I’m also a fan of it being colorless – a lot of “nude” ones look funky on me. I am glad to see a dark option with Caffeine here though! Brands don’t offer nearly enough options for those with darker skin tones. It’s 2017 FFS!
Karen says
May 16th, 2017 at 7:44 amRight!? I hope Caffeine sets off a frenzy of copycats. 🙂
How’s your stay-cation going? I hope you slept in this morning!
Chelsea says
May 16th, 2017 at 9:13 amI definitely slept in! Hettie’s happy to have me home during the day, and the kitties were with me when I woke up.
Now I’m going to take a nice bath and I’ll probably paint my toenails later and read.
LindaLibraLoca says
May 16th, 2017 at 12:43 amI just started using the original one, beforw that I was faithful to the MAC paint pots as base, and I like it. It is amazing to see that they have a few other color options.
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Rachel says
May 16th, 2017 at 6:02 amRemember when urban decay had that annoying potion bottle packaging and there would be tons of product left that you couldn’t get to? I had my dad saw my bottle in half so I could use every last bit, lol!
Karen says
May 16th, 2017 at 7:42 amYes! It was in that curvy genie-shaped bottle with the funky angled applicator! I wish I saved my old bottle just for old time’s sake.
Jane says
May 16th, 2017 at 10:26 amSo, I had to laugh, Ace Of Base is your generation’s ABBA! Anyway, I rarely use an eyeshadow base because my lids are dry, like the rest of my skin. I do sometimes use s cream shadow if I want my shadow to last longer than my working hours, which is not that often. I have used the UD original formula and was curious about the NARS one. I have to admit, I get a kick out of some of the product names. Anyway, I hear Dancing Queen in the background, gotta run.
Be well!
Rachel R. says
May 16th, 2017 at 11:21 amI want Freebase. White primers are so useful for making brights “pop.”
Yelena says
May 16th, 2017 at 12:31 pmcaffeine is going to be my jam 😀 !!!
and if anyone wants a good laugh, I’m notorious for getting lyrics of popular songs wrong…I used to always sing “I saw the sun…”
LOL. you’re welcome!
Tatiana says
May 16th, 2017 at 1:42 pmFreebase? Really UD? All I can think about is epidemic and rampant drug addiction from the late 80’s and 90’s. Sigh. I like Ace of Base much better. All that she wants is another baby…
Yeah, I need a shadow base. My go-to’s are NARS and Smashbox. I often use the UD anti-aging one on the bridge of my nose to keep my foundation in place when I’m wearing my glasses.
Erin says
May 16th, 2017 at 2:45 pmSin is pretty!
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breyerchic04 says
May 16th, 2017 at 5:30 pmI’m excited about the white one! I’ve tried to use a mac chromaline in white and nyx milk stick but they just don’t dry like a paintpot or primer potion, and make it horrible to blend shadows on, even if the effect of white is gorgeous.
Eleni says
May 17th, 2017 at 5:41 amI’m like you Karen, I prefer the Nars primer but the UD ones are good too. I love their packaging tbh! I always wear a primer, otherwise everything would crease on my lids… I also take it towards the eyebrow so that mascara doesn’t transfer. Hence, I don’t use a coloured primer normally… x
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Kim says
May 17th, 2017 at 11:04 amI may be misremembering but I thought I’d used UD’s primer in the past and found it much drier than my fave (and yours) NARS. I def need the lid primer and I love everything about NARS. Colorless and has the lovely silicone-slip that I adore. Btw, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t hum or (do-do-do) the opening of Ace of Base when it comes on. HAHA!