Eyeshadow Primer Comparison, Review, Swatches

Purchases & Press Sample Affiliate Links

I realized that I’ve managed to accumulated nine eyeshadow primers / bases, so I thought it would be interesting to compare how they perform.  I’ve worn each one enough to test wear time, so you’ll have to take my word for it on that, and I have swatches with a not-very-pigmented matte & shimmery eyeshadow so you can see how well each primer intensifies eyeshadow. Please do click to enlarge these so you can see the detail better.

Eyeshadow Primer Comparison Swatches

click to enlarge

Eyeshadow Primer Comparison Swatches

click to enlarge

The primers / bases are:

1. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: This does an excellent job intensifying matte & shimmery shadows, and makes my eyeshadow last all day. It tends to separate in the tube, which is why I no longer use it regularly.

2. NYX HD Eye Shadow Base: This was my favorite primer for a long time; it does an excellent job with shimmery eyeshadow, but matte eyeshadow sometimes looks uneven over it — it does make my shadow last all day. Review here!

3. LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer: Very nice & smooth; I got this as part of the Lorac Pro eyeshadow palette, which I love!

4. Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy: Not a primer; it goes over primer to help loose shadow and glitter stick! Works very well!

5. Wet n Wild / Fergie Take On The Day Primer: This separates in the tube a little, but does a really excellent job intensifying color and making shadow last all day. Review here!

6. ELF Studio $1 Primer: So bad, a waste of a dollar – makes my eyeshadow crease faster than using nothing. Scathing review here.

7. Lunasol Eyelid Base: Recommended for my dry eyelids by the lovely Kate of Drivel About Frivol as a moisturizing eyeshadow primer, I am really liking this lately.  No creasing, intensifies color, and never leads to the too-dry texture I sometimes get with other, too-drying primers.

8. Senna Totally Transforming Eye Primer: I just opened this one (and I’m planning to do a full review soon), and I have mixed feelings. It’s very thick, opaque, and a bit difficult to spread, but it covers eyelid discoloration very well, and it does a fantastic job intensifying color – take a look at the swatches!

9. MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot:  This is another base with some color; I wear it alone or under eyeshadow. I’ve heard that it doesn’t prevent creasing alone for those with oilier lids, but it works for me. I love the texture and it’s a great neutral color for me.

I would really like to try NARS’s primer – I’ve heard excellent things about it – but given the price and given that I have so many primers that work well for me, I just can’t justify the purchase.

What’s your favorite eyeshadow primer?

*The Senna primer was received as a press sample. I purchased all other products mentioned in this post.  This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information .

Related posts:

  1. ELF $1 Eyeshadow Primer Review, Swatches, Photos
  2. NYX HD Eyeshadow Primer Review, Swatches, Photos and Comparison
  3. Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Primer Review, Swatches, Photos
  4. Project Swatch #16: Black Eyeshadow Swatches, Review, and Comparison
  • Icequeen81

    I love the wet and wild primer

  • waymire

    My favorites are WnW, MUA, NYX, and UDPP… in that order. I have the same results with TFSS as you do with ELF.. worse than nothing, creases in an hour. I have gotten a few bonus tubes with pallets and I will use them under the eye to help my concealer perform better, ELF is good for that too, or any creamy primer. I like a more tacky finish on the eyelid. I will say I have extremely oily lids, and live in a very hot and humid area, and nothing is 100% on me.. but with Milk of Magnesia on first I can use any of them and be crease/fade free all day in any weather. Just tap a tiny bit on with your finger, let it dry, then apply primer and proceed as normal.

  • Lyn Cheapasf

    That’s so funny – I’ve had great luck with the $1 e.l.f. stuff. I have oily lids, and it definitely keeps things in place and prevents creasing well for me. Not as good as, say, Urban Decay, but miles better than using nothing at all. I basically can’t wear eyeshadow without primer for more than an hour.

  • citygirl907

    Thanks so much, I have been thinking about buying an eye primer so this post was very useful!!!! I think I only have access to the mac one and the too faced primer here in Australia. Out of those two which one do like the most?
    Cheers

    • Hiya, I’m sorry about the late reply! The MAC & Too Faced are very different primers. I would definitely recommend the TF as an everyday primer; that’s what it is, and it works really well at that. The MAC is more of a cream shade that works for some people as a primer / base, but it doesn’t work for those with oilier lids. It evens out the color of eyelids though, if that’s what you’re looking for. You can also layer both of those specific products if you want the lasting power of the Too Faced plus the color of the MAC.

  • spooki C

    I recently dumped TFSI for the Lorac one. It’s sooooo much better. My eye shadows (especially my crappy ones) just apply so much easier and last so much better.

  • I haven’t tried any of these, amazingly, except for the Paint Pot (which was just the WRONG color for me all around and I couldn’t deal). I’ve used previously the UDPP, which I really liked, and more recently the NARS one, which I prefer over UDPP. Comparable to NARS is the newer MUFE one, but I haven’t used it much as I’m still working through the NARS. I only wear shadow primer if I’m headed out for an evening, or wearing a particularly fade-prone shadow or liner, or if I’m going to be out all day/night, so I go through them very slowly. You’ve got quite the stash here Emi! 🙂

    • Oh, I forgot about the MUFE one – that’s on my to-try list too! You must have dry-ish lids if you don’t need to wear primer all the time. I don’t wear it every time I wear shadow, but I like how it intensifies eyeshadow, so I almost always do 🙂

  • Dee

    Prestige eyeshadow primer and Jessie’s Girl eyeshadow primer!

  • I love the new Milani one! It works better than Too faced, UD, etc. Paint pots crease on me, pooh. 8(

  • It’s very hard to say! I don’t usually wear complex eye looks, so I don’t do much blending; I have hooded eyes, so I tend to wear either a smokey (gradient) eye or a wash of one shade, so I don’t really notice when it’s harder to blend.

    That said, I think the Senna grabs color so well that it may be harder to blend on. Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy works best with shadow patted on, so there’s a learning curve with learning to blend when using it, but some people are really good at using it and have amazing looks using it (& well blended). I don’t think anything else stands out to me.