While I’m a bona fide nail-polish addict with a collection of over 200 bottles (and counting!), there’s a soft shopaholic spot in my heart for eye shadow. As long as it doesn’t contain bismuth oxychloride (which I’m allergic to in products that touch my eyes or face), I’m game to give it a go.
But it blows when a wild turquoise I put on in the morning becomes a tame sheer come the evening. And who likes creased eye shadow on oily lids? Not me!
Instead of tossing my shadows in search of new ones, I decided to invest in a good eye-shadow primer to help me work with what I already have. Many beauty gurus on YouTube rave about Urban Decay eye-shadow primers. so I decided to pick up the newest one (Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Eden) to see if it lived up to the hype.
Urban Decay Primer Potion Eden Pictures:
Left-Right: Travel size (0.13 oz.), Regular size (0.34 oz.) & XL size (0.55 oz.)
On NC20 skin
Top Row (Left-Right): NYX Kiwi & NYX Mermaid
Bottom Row (Left-Right): NYX Ocean & NYX Hunter Green
(Click here to see my NYX Single Eye Shadows review)
Claims: TRUSTED
√ Makes eye shadows last longer & more vibrant
√ Prevents creasing
√ Has a matte finish & conceals eyelid imperfections
Key Notes
- Name: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Eden
- Sizes Available: Travel (0.13 oz.), Regular (0.34 oz.) & XL (0.55 oz.)
- What I Paid: $22 CAD (Regular) & $28 CAD (XL)
- Colors Available: Eden, Original, Sin & Greed
- Where to Buy: Sephora, Urban Decay & select Shoppers Drug Marts
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Eden Review
I like to dot a little primer on each eyelid and then use a synthetic brush to spread it out evenly. It’s vital to use a synthetic brush rather than natural so the bristles won’t absorb the product. Immediately after, I apply my shadow.
The consistency reminds me of a thick concealer, but it doesn’t feel super heavy on my lids at all. My eyelids are naturally a little darker than the rest of my face, and this did a good job at brightening them. However, I would not recommend wearing this primer alone as a concealer – tried this and it actually creased! I think it needs the shadow to set it.
Blending is slightly harder with the primer than without, but it’s not annoyingly so. And I found that I didn’t have to use as much shadow with the primer than I had without it. Eye shadows didn’t fade throughout the day, and even when I used a smudge-lovin’ pencil eyeliner on top, it didn’t budge.
My naked eyelids are bipolar. In the morning, they’re dry (making it challenging to get shadows to ‘stick’), but by the evening, they’re oily (hello, Crease City!).
This primer kept my lids matte all morning, evening, and night. Shadows adhered better, didn’t crease, remained true to color, and were somewhat mattified. (It doesn’t completely get rid of all shimmer from a shimmery eye shadow.)
The price at first scared me when I saw how small the bottle is, but considering how little you need to use, I think it’s a worthwhile makeup investment. It literally brings new life to those eye shadows you neglected and makes the ones you already love even better!
Pros
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Cons
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Ingredients:
Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyethylene, Triethylhexanoin, Trihydroxystearin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Talc, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Beeswax, Propylene Carbonate
May Contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides).
Final Verdict: 9/10
It’s too bad that I couldn’t try the Original or Sin formulas (they both contain bismuth oxychloride), but if you’ve tried those or Eden, let me know about your experience.
Did it work for you? Are there any other eye-shadow primers you use and love?
This product was Mary’s winner for the 2010 Best Supporting Role Award.
