Okay so I think I’ve probably said this before.

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But I really mean it this time.

This is the best eye primer I’ve ever used.

I’ve been hearing about this for a while but I’ve been burying my head in the sand convinced that my Etude House primer was good enough. And for brands such as Tarte and Too Faced, it is good enough. Basically, if the formula of the eyeshadow is good then you’re fine with this primer. But if you try and use something drug store,

Smoothed in

you don’t get a whole day of wear out of it.

So I finally caved and bought the Nars.

Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

At £21* this is one of the most expensive single items in my collection.

When I opened it I was shocked at how tall and thin the package was. The fact that the lid is half the size of the whole tube was concerning. The weight confirmed that this was smaller than the Urban Decay Eye Primer.* That is 10g but the Nars is only 8g. If you’re going to use this daily you may notice the fact that you only get 80% of what you get from UD. However, if you’re like me and only use it a couple of times a week, eye primer probably goes off before you can use it all anyway.

If you can get past the price per gram (£2.60 vs £1.70 for UD) then this is absolutely worth it if you need that extra help with your lids.

I have super oily lids and watery eyes which aren’t a great combination when it comes to eyeshadow use. So for a product that will take any eyeshadow from day to night it’s worth the investment to me. This really does last the distance. I can have a long sweaty day at work (my office is like a sauna, even in Winter) and still have perfect eyes when I get home.

Application

This is very easy to use. It comes with a doe foot applicator and I find two dabs on each lid is all I need. Smoothing it into the skin is easy though if you opt for the white version, you’ll probably get a bit of a shock the first time you use it.

Application before smoothed in

For the colours I use, the white base isn’t too much of an issue for me. However, if you’re using lighter colours or less pigmented products you will find that you need a few more layers than normal. If this might be an issue for you, there is a tinted version at the same price.*

Once smoothed in

Once smoothed into the skin, you can feel it if you touch it, but it’s not sticky or damp. Application of eyeshadow over the top is probably a little easier as you’re applying to a smoother surface.

There’s no strong scent to this. It kind of reminds me of a subtle moisturiser scent. Like a thick moisturiser smell. However you can only smell this if you sniff the tube. It doesn’t linger on your face at all so if you have any fragrance issues, you should be fine with this.

Longeivity

This won’t come as a surprise given the above but this stuff really does last all day. I can be taking my make up off at 10pm after applying it at 7am and be marveling at how good my eyeshadow still looks. Despite the high price point I can’t imagine ever looking for another primer again.

If you have normal lids then this may not be worth the investment for you. However, if you have oily lids or issues with watery eyes, I can highly recommend this. Paired with either Estee Lauder Double Wear Eyeliner* or Chanel Gel Eyeliner my eye make up looks last all day (and night!)