Eye-shadow primer changed my makeup life!
In the morning, my eyelids tend to be normal to dry, but as the day progresses, they get oilier, so shadows tend to crease very easily by 3 in the afternoon.
When I discovered primers, I was disappointed that most of them contain bismuth oxychloride. You see, I’m allergic to it. If I wear stuff with that ingredient on my eyelids, they turn scaly, red, and itchy. Plus they swell. Yeah, it makes me look like a million bucks! 😛
So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed!
Not only does it not contain that allergen, but it has a pretty shimmery gold colour and makes sure my eye shadow doesn’t crease!
Layering this over shimmery shadows really makes them look more brilliant, and it looks pretty as a brow highlight.
Have you tried this and/or other primers from Urban Decay? Or do you like a primer from another brand better?
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed Pictures
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed Swatches
Flash - not blended
Natural Light - not blended
The pretty blue eye shadow swatched below is called Ocean. It’s from the NYX Eyeshadow Trio Sweet Lagoon, Aqua & Ocean palette I’ve previously swatched and reviewed.
Natural Light
Flash
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed Ingredients
Claims: TRUSTED
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- Provides a shimmery golden sheen
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- Makes shadows more vibrant
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- Makes shadows last longer without creasing
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- Can be used as a brow-bone highlighter
Key Notes
- Name: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potions Colours Available: Original, Eden, Greed & Sin
- Amount: 10 mL (0.34 US oz.)
- What I Paid: $19 USD
- Where to Buy: Urban Decay website (new squeeze-tube packaging), Sephora website (new squeeze-tube packaging) & Sephora stores
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Greed Review
Colour
Greed is a light shimmery gold. When you first swipe it on, it’s really flashy, but if you use your finger or a brush to blend it out, it sheers out a bit for a very soft ‘glow’. At least that’s what it looks like on my skin tone. If you have a richer skin tone or have less of a yellow undertone than I do, it may look more dramatic on you.
It’s especially great for using underneath shimmery shadows that maybe aren’t as pigmented as you’d like. This really ramps up the pigmentation and the shimmer!
Also, because it has shimmer by itself, I find that it looks pretty good even as a brow highlight.
Application
I swipe just a little bit onto each eyelid and then use either a brush or my clean fingertips to blend it out. It’s pretty smooth and doesn’t feel heavy or thick on you lids at all. The shimmer doesn’t feel gritty.
Lasting Power
This has never creased on me when I wore it under powder eye shadows. Even when I wore it for well over 8 hours straight, it never creased. However, it’s funny but one time I tried wearing it alone and it did crease in just 5 or so hours…but just on my eyelid. When I apply it solo on my brow bone, it stays perfect until I remove it.
So maybe on oily eyelids like mine, it needs to be set with a powder. If you have drier eyelids, you may be able to get away with using it solo.
Packaging
As you can see, I have the old genie-bottle packaging that most people hate because it prevents you from using all of the product. Mine has a slanted doe-foot sponge applicator on a long wand. (There are YouTube videos and blog posts about how to cut open the tube and get all your money’s worth, though, in case you’re interested.)
The new and limited-edition packaging for this product now comes in a squeeze tube with a cap you twist to open. I recommend that if you have a choice between the two, you get the squeeze tube instead.
Price
I realize that $19 USD may seem like a lot for some to spend on a primer. After all, it’s way more fun to spend money on colourful makeup, right? But think of it as a small investment. With this product, you’ll get more bang out of every single shadow you already own. Those wimpy shadows that never show up on your eyelids will now be useable! And you won’t have to touch up your shadow or complain about creasing again! I think it’s worth it.
Animal-Friendliness
Urban Decay doesn’t test on animals, so animal lovers, you can wear this with a clean conscience!
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 9.5/10
Greed by Urban Decay is a staple in my makeup wardrobe because it breathes new life into shadows I may have written off as crap…haha! I, did, however, take off half a point only because the high price tag isn’t budget-friendly for everyone’s wallet.
Which eye-shadow primer do you swear by? Do you have any cosmetic allergies that you know of?
I have the original, but I definitely would give this a try! It might be expensive, but one tube of this stuff lasts me forever, honestly. So combined with how MUCH it’s helped me give life to shadows, it’s worth it! I’m with you on this product – it completely changed how I viewed e/s. It never would last for me before I heard about UDPP!
GREAT review. 🙂
Nicole recently posted: Zoya Yara
Hey Nicole!
Thanks! Glad that you liked my review on this! 😀
Lucky you can wear the original. I’ve always been so curious about it, but can’t try it because of bismuth oxychloride. Some people have said that the NYX HD High Definition Eye Shadow Base is very similar to the original UDPP. Have you tried both? If so, do you (dis)agree? (I’ve had amazing results with the NYX one.)
I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance (I like how it’s in a tube–I can’t recommend it to you though as it unfortunately does contain bismuth oxychloride). However, now that this one is available in a tube as well I may try it. I really like the shimmer in this one and how it shows through the eyeshadow! I used to think primer was unnecessary but constantly got irritated with how my eyeshadow would crease and fade. So I started using shadow primer and now I can’t imagine wearing eyeshadow without that great stuff!
Hey Jessica!
Oh! That’s another primer I’ve wanted to try for a long time, too! Haha, but, yeah, I wouldn’t go near it because of my allergy. I’m happy to hear that it works well for you and that you get good use out of it. 🙂
I wonder which was the first company to invent a good eye-shadow primer. They deserve some sort of award or something! Great invention!
I’ve tried every color/finish in this brand and the only one that worked for me was the Eden (I bought the mini pack that came with a mini size of all of them). The other ones did not work as advertised for me. I still got creased eyeshadow in my crease. However, I wear the Eden everyday and it works great!
imfeelingnailventurous recently posted: Major Haul + Giveaway Winnings
Hey imfeelnignailventurous!
Hmm…guess I’m one of the lucky ones. So far every eye primer I’ve tried has worked for me.
Eden’s great and a lot thicker than other primers I’ve tried. It’s really heavy duty!
I’ve used the Urban Decay primer potion for about 2 years now and I understand what you mean when you say it is a god-send. Before UD Primer Potion my make up would ALWAYS crease and when I tried this stuff first I was blown away! ZERO creasing.
Ive also started putting a bit more than is usually required because I find that if I use a bit more on the eye lid RIGHT before I apply eye shadow (especially with glitter in it) it helps control fallout. I know I tap by brushes every time before applying eye shadow to AVOID fallout but sometimes it just happens. And what I love about the primer potion is that it acts like a glue almost so fallout doesn’t happen!!
You can also get it at any ULTA that sells Urban Decay products, which is where I get mine. 🙂
Thanks for letting everyone know! Makes it easier for them to track it down.
Oh…I really wish there was an ULTA in Canada. I would go crazy in there! 😛
Hey Cassondra!
Good tip about applying more to minimize/reduce fallout! 😀 I haven’t tried wearing too many glittery shadows, but when I do, I’m going to remember what you said. Thanks!
I’ve heard so much great reviews on UDPP but I’ve never felt the need to spring for one yet. I’ve been using the cheapo elf mineral ones and while they’re nothing to write home about, they do what they’re intended for and that keeps me happy. I’m really interested about Greed and Sin tho because apparently they can change the finish of your eyeshadow while intensifying colors and locking them in. I’m a sucker for multipurpose anything. 😛 I’m wondering tho, since it’s gold based and not sheer, does it actually change the color of certain shadows?
Hey Carmela!
Definitely use what works best for you. And if it costs a fraction of the price, even better! When Elf Cosmetics had a crazy 70% off sale, I bought a few of their primers because I hadn’t tried them yet. Excited to see how they work on me – the price is unbeatable!
I’ve used Greed under a lot of different eye shadows and I haven’t noticed it making colours look more golden. (If any readers have noticed a change in an eye shadow colour, please let Carmela know.) 🙂 I’d say that it just changes the finish or accentuates the colour if the shadow is already shimmery.
I love this new one. I have the original and love it. Then I got sin which was a little too shimmery. Skipped over eden too. This is the perfect one right in the middle. I could even see myself wearing this alone when I’m too lazy to so shadow and everything.
Krissy recently posted: Comparison – OPI Teenage Dream vs. Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Strobe Light
Hey Krissy!
Yes, the shimmery gold is so pretty even on its own. 🙂 Really catches the light nicely.