Secret Weapon: Sleeper Edition -- E.L.F. Eyelid Primer

I read about affordable eyeshadow primers in a beauty article that I can't recall at the moment, but suffice to say this $1.00 (YES, you read right -- one dollar) eyeshadow primer caught my eye! It sounded too good to be true. Despite having my own doubts and predispositions toward extremely bargain-priced cosmetics, I decided to test it out on my own and share my astonishing results with you! Not that it would set you back to go out and try it for yourself, which I hope you all end up doing. Here is E.L.F.'s product description for its "Essential Eyelid Primer":

Preps your eyelid for smoother, longer-lasting and crease-proof eyeshadow. The ultra sheer nude color works to increase eye color longevity. The lightweight liquid formula quickly absorbs into the skin for comfortable wear.

I tested the Nude shade, but it is now available in Champagne, Pearl, and Golden. To my surprise, it worked just as well as my current go-to eyeshadow primer from Nars. It performs wonderfully and my only notes are that it caused the shadow I used to test (MAC Brown Script, a matte brown shadow) to show up a wee bit darker which may be due to its pre-existing pigmentation. Secondly, your shadow may not show up consistently well once applied over the primer -- there may be some darker and some lighter spots. NARS primer is sheerer and colorless (maybe a bit white) and more readily disappears once rubbed onto skin. Other than that, it receives high marks from me for adherence as well as for its matte texture. If you wanted to add shimmer to your shadows, try the other three new shades.


	Score out of 10	Reason
Formula	9	Not too thick; not too thin
Durability	9	Enhances shadow adherence
Wearability	10	Will stay true to shadow color whether matte/shimmery
Affordability	10	It doesn’t get much cheaper than this
Safety	2	No EWG rating available; no animal testing
	Overall	80% or B

NARS (left); E.L.F. (right)

no primer - NARS - E.L.F. (MAC Brown Script)

top (bare), middle (NARS), bottom (E.L.F.)