Saturday 10 May 2014

Doing Without Primer or What to Use as Eyeshadow Bases

Do you need eyeshadow primer, what to use as eyeshadow primer bases

In an attempt to use up what I have, I forwent  (yes, actually a word) the Sephora 15% off sale. Though I was running out of my NARS eyeshadow primer, I wanted to find other bases to help my powder shadows last the day and stay true to color. Thankfully I have more than a few cream shadow products available for this purpose. Here are some tips for picking colors for bases for your shadows.

I've seen people use cream shadows as bases. I've also seen jumbo eyepencils (which are basically cream shadows in stick form) as bases. I've also seen people use eyeliners as bases. The choice of formula will really depend on how oily your lids are and what the crease factor on your shadows are. Thankfully my lids don't get too oily so creams and liners work well.

Having two color categories of bases is useful: neutrals and colors. Eyehadow primers tend to be either nude or non-colored but colored bases work well for certain eye looks . Color bases really help intensify the predominate shade of your shadows or add nuance to the colors.

eyeshadow base mac soft ochre maybelline barely branded make up for ever aqua cream 13

For neutral shades try, MAC Soft Ochre. This would be the most basic of basic, a matte yellow-toned light nude color. If you want a shimmery formula, Maybelline's Barely Branded offers a shimmery pearly white or Make Up For Ever's Aqua Cream #13 gives just a slightly yellow leaning champaigne beige. 

eyeshadow base mac soft ochre maybelline barely branded make up for ever aqua cream 13

eyeshadow base maybelline gel eyeliner eggplant edgy emerald inked in pink

Putting down a colored base really amplify your shadow's look. Using a dark (even black, yes black) primer bring smokey eyes to a whole new level of smolder. Even lighter base colors will help add intensity to more netural or lighter eye looks. If you really want a nice dark base but don't want to go with black (I've used MAC's gel liner in Blacktrack before), use a dark purple or blue, Maybelline's gel eyeliner in Eggplant is GREAT for purple smokey eyes. Sometimes I'll use Maybelline's Edgy Emerald to really amp up green or blue shadow looks and Maybelline's Inked in Pink makes for a base for "natural+" looks using your neutral shadows. I've gotten some crazy irrediscent sunset eyes using this as a base. 

eyeshadow base maybelline gel eyeliner eggplant edgy emerald inked in pink

Shopping List: to cover most of your base needs, pick up your preferred formula (cream or liner or gel) in two mattes (one light, one dark) and two shimmers (one light, one in a color that you use most often that isn't neutral) for a total of 4. You can go crazy with more colors later but that will cover most of your needs.

What primers/bases do you use? Do you experiment with layering different finishes?

Daily Zen: I forget if I posted this already but the BF and I made this awesome dish from Smitten Kitchen while I was home. Frick...so tasty.

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