A few weeks back I finally ticked off one of the things on my Christmas wish list. I know it's really late but I was just so undecided about purchasing the NARS eyeshadow base! The reviews were all positive and awesome but I simply couldn't decide if I need yet another eyeshadow primer. I already have some favorites - why explore? How many primers could I possibly need?

But then I got some Rustan's GCs and thought what the heck, it's practically "free". Lol. It's not really free because the GCs were from a job but yeah, I didn't have to put out any cash for it which makes it easy to buy. Anyway. I'm glad I did, because this is everything everybody on the Internet promised it would be!

The NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (P1,350 from Rustan's) is a clear primer for the lids. It's super effective in keeping eyeshadow solid and in place all day, with minimal to barely any creasing. It's also a great product under eyeliner as it keeps such waxy formulas from smudging!

The texture is kinda watery, more fluid than the Urban Decay Shadow Primer and TFSI. It's white off the doe foot applicator but it dries completely clear. Some people hate that they can't see where the primer has dried, but it's not so difficult if you work fast and cover the lid area ASAP! I see how it can be a tad difficult if you're applying makeup on someone else but you can always use a brush with this like Lisa Eldridge. 

There is an unfortunate scarcity of good, locally-available eyeshadow bases in the country. I talked to a couple of people who works with local beauty brands, and you know what they said? They don't make eyeshadow bases simply because there is no demand for it. Filipinas aren't really that advanced when it comes to makeup application, so they don't have a need for an eyeshadow base.

In other words, only people who know makeup know why they need a proper eyeshadow base. And not a lot of people really know makeup, so let's pat ourselves in the back! :P

Anyway! Good thing that ArtDeco is back here. Why? Because the brand has one of the most popular eyeshadow bases out there: the ArtDeco Eyeshadow Base (P450 at Beauty Bar). I tried getting this three, two years ago, but it was always out of stock! Swear. There's a lot of rave reviews about it online, even getting a solid 4.3/5 at Makeupalley (98 reviews). 

So is it worth all the attention? Well yes, but I am not going to give it a mega rave review. Here's why!

What I love about the product

• It intensifies eyeshadows extremely well - perhaps even better than UDPP. This ArtDeco base doesn't dry up immediately, so a coated lid grabs more pigment compared to the cult classic. 
• Eyeshadows are easier to blend on top of this compared to UDPP.

I've been on the lookout for a new eyeshadow base for a while now, but I didn't actually get a new one because I wanted to use up my MAC Prep + Prime Eye Base. I didn't want to put an ok primer to waste! But the summer is pretty harsh this year. My eyeshadows crease and fade too much because of the heat, and that's just not acceptable. So I turned back to the best eyeshadow primer I've tried: the Urban Decay Primer Potion (P1,200 at Digital Traincase).

It's been two years since I first met the UDPP. After all that time, I still think it's one of the best - if not the best - product for making your eyeshadows stay put.

Last month, I ran out of my favorite eyeshadow primers (UDPP and TFSI) at the same time so I decided to hunt for a new one. I'm foolish like that. I have holy grail products sure, but I also like to explore other options. It makes for good blog fodder, and who knows, the new one might actually work better!

Anyway, I came across the MAC Prep + Prime Eye (P1,000+) last August. I normally look for online reviews before buying a product in this price range, but I got this one on impulse plus I was in a hurry at that time. I didn't like it at first but I suppose it's just one of those things that grow on you, you know?

What I love about the product

• Intensifies eyeshadows, like a good eye primer should. It makes pigments and shimmers adhere better on skin.
• It feels like a very thin, lightweight, liquidy concealer, so it evens out your lid and can act as a base for your undereye concealer as well. If you don't have super dark bags, this can actually double as a concealer by itself.

I'm low on eyeshadow primer so I went on a swatching spree a couple of weeks back to decide on a new one. I LOVE the  Urban Decay Primer Potion and the  Too Faced Shadow Insurance - two cult favorites in their own right - but I still want to check out other locally available eyeshadow primers. Laura Mercier's primer looks promising, but I didn't want to spend P1,000 at that time.

I ended up buying the E.l.f. Eyelid Primer Collection (P249)

The E.l.f Eyelid Primers aren't comparable to UDPP or TFSI, but hey do the job of intensifying eyeshadows and keeping them more or less intact during the day. That's not too bad considering the friendly price tag they come with. 

The set has three shades of the primer: Champagne, Sheer, and Pearl. Champagne is a dirty, shimmery beige-brown that looks weird on my lids as a primer. It definitely doesn't look like the usual champagne shade! Sheer is, well, sheer, although it leaves a whitish cast on my medium skintone that I still need to blend out afterwards. Pearl is white with big, gritty glitters that really look off on skin. 

I love the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so when I "ran out", I made sure to follow the advice of the makeup gurus. I prepared a clean jar and cut the violet tube up to get the last remaining drops of the stuff. I knew that the packaging wasn't practical since the curves made it difficult to maximize the product, but I was surprised when I found out that there was still so much left! I estimated around 50%!

Now I know that the UDPP now comes in a squeeze tube, and the later genie tubes had a bent doe foot applicator, but I wanted to dry something new. Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog swears by the Too Faced Shadow Insurance so I got it to see what the hoopla was about.

It contains more product than the normal-sized UDPP, and it only cost P1,100 at Get Sophisticated. Good thing it's available here at a nice price!

What I love about the product

• Easier to spread and blend in than UDPP. UDPP dries up quickly so sometimes there are beige streaks left that I can't remove anymore. UDPP dries and hardens, while TFSI simply dries. The texture is like creamy liquid concealer.
• Colorless when blended properly.