MUA Review Series #4 Eye Primer

I'm really enjoying writing this mini series reviewing MUA products and if judged purely on views and comments people seem to be happy to read the posts, which is lovely – so on I go!

MUA fit in with my belief that make-up of a decent quality needn't cost the earth, and every budget product that I genuinely like feels like a proverbial slap in the face for the more expensive brands and their slick marketing teams who stick their label on a mediocre product and we all baa our way down to Boots to buy it - of which I have been frequently guilty.
That's not to say that I've loved every MUA product I've tried, however.

This week I thought I'd talk about a product I use most days: Pro Base Eye Primer. Since starting to wear eyeshadow pretty much every day, within the last year or so, I frequently experienced the nasty creasing and uneven wear that comes with the application of make up at 6.30am and my return home around 12 hours later. So I decided it was time for a primer. Because my morning routine didn't have enough stages already..!



I was quite surprised to have this one recommended to me by my high-end-makeup-loving colleague, as I've never seen her use anything lower on the food chain than Clinique. She in turn had had it recommended to her by the make-up artist she frequently uses for weddings and events, so the signs were promising.


As with most MUA products the packaging is no-frills, but it's functional and after around 4 months it still looks the same as the day of purchase. The primer has a doe-foot applicator, which needs to be wiped before use because it's a bit keen-bean with the amount of product it brings out, especially as a little goes a long way. It doesn't look dissimilar to liquid concealer; beige with perhaps a slightly more pink-tone. Unlike other primers this doesn't dry clear, or soak in - it leaves a subtle creamy colour on the eyelid. I know some people prefer primer to be undetectable but I like that it corrects the colour of my eyelids because I have quite obvious veins on them (or arteries.. I should have listened in GCSE science), and they are quite red, so I like the coverage it gives as it shows the colour of the eyeshadow more accurately. 


I pat the primer in using my ring finger, and give it around 30 seconds before applying eyeshadow. Happily it isn't sticky or tacky once dry and I feel like it gives a smoother base for my eyeshadow, which stops it sitting in lines. Without this primer I'm conscious that most eyeshadows  just don’t have the longevity for a full day at work, whereas when I pop some primer underneath it does last until 5pm-ish without too much difficulty. My eyeshadow certainly doesn't wear any worse than my foundation, which I can live with. This primer also performed remarkably well during the ridiculous heatwave in June/July, which was disastrous for the rest of my make up. Argh the memories...foundation dripping away..!



I don't doubt that there are several superior primers out there, and the Urban Decay Primer Potion is extremely popular, but at £15 for something that isn't a 'star' of your make up, it’s a pretty big purchase – although one I intend to make at some point. If you have a limited budget then i'd rather be spending more on mascara and foundation than on eye primer. MUA Pro Base Eye Primer is £2.50 from MUA or Superdrug, which is quite a bargain really.

 

I’ll be repurchasing this when it eventually runs out and if you’re on the hunt for a budget eye primer I’d definitely recommend it.

 

Which is your favourite primer? Is primer something you’re happy to spend a lot on?

 

Suzy

xx