Eye primer is one of those things I hate spending money on. I know its important but my goodness, it's a hard product to get excited about.
The only way I'll truly look forward to buying it is if the primer is from the drugstore. I love a good deal on anything but especially boring cosmetics like primer.
I bought mine for $7.99 in the Prime & Matte formula. The other two finishes are: Prime & smooth, and Prime & Illuminate.
If you're familiar to my blog, you already know I love Milani's primer and it's affordable just like Maybellines. Now let's see how the Maybelline version performs!
My first test for the primer is color enhancement and payoff. The first day I received it I swatched it on my arm and applied sheer shadow over the swatch. As you can see in the picture above, the primer does provide a nice tacky base for eye shadow. I honestly don't feel the tackiness to the touch much but I can tell its there by how the shadow clings to the primer. It really helps with making shadows a lot more prominent in color. Just keep in mind the base will need to be set if you're going to do any blending. This primer, just like other primers, can make the crease area look patchy if product is applied directly on top of the primer for blending.
Now does it help eye makeup last longer? Mostly, but it is average at tackling longevity. It's not necessarily bad but it's certainly not the best I have tried. It's truly just average. If you're on the hunt for a better oil control eye primer, try Milani's. For my semi-oily eyes, Maybelline's Master Primer provides a crease-less wear for 6-8 hours.
Does it neutralize darkness on my eye lids? Not really. I actually thought my eye lids looked darker on my pale skintone. The tone to this primer is warm and semi-pigmented. It has just enough pigment to add color but not eough to conceal color. Its sheerness actually makes my skin look more uneven. However, that personally doesn't bother me too much because I'm going to cover it with eye shadow anyways. One thing I do like about the primer is for adding extra warmth in my crease. It adds a little extra something in the crease to help fade out my eye shadow. But because of this, keep in mind it may look terrible with cool-toned looks, unless you completely cover the warmth.
The packaging for the Maybelline Master Primer is super nice. It reminds me a lot of the new Vivid Matte Lips they just released. It comes in a square, clear plastic tube with a doe-foot applicator. The wand is really flexible and comfortable to use. Maybelline nailed the packaging.
Overall, I guess this primer is pretty good but I still feel like it's just average. I cant say if the other two formulas perform like the matte but I'm sure they work about the same. It does provide a decent wear time, and help enhance color payoff. However, my favorite is still the Milani primer. I will continue using this one, and who knows, maybe I'll try the other formulas if I come across a promising sale. For the price I say try it if you're curious but don't purchase it if your solely searching for a holy-grail.
Have you tired the other two formulas? What is your opinion on this primer? Let everyone know in the comments below!
Pros
- Smooth
- Creamy
- Packaging
- Price
- Blends easily
- Enhanced color payoff
- Smooth finish
- Different finishes
- Adds some extra longevity
Cons
- Just average
- A little too warm
- Can be uneven
