Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

I have been buying Urban Decay's primer potion for about 4 years now. Back in the day, it cost $18 CDN for a 10 mL bottle - today it costs $22 CDN. I purchase this product from Canadian Sephora stores, but it's also available from www.sephora.com as well as www.urbandecay.com.

The product USED to come packaged in a purple 'genie' bottle, with a doe-foot applicator. In 2011, however, Urban Decay repackaged their beloved primer into a more functional and practical squeeze tube. The product is a thin cream-like consistency, it is 'flesh-colored,' but dries invisible on the eyelids - so it is perfect for anyone of any skin color. The primer is available in colored formats too (Sin and Eden), but I prefer the original.

Using the primer once a day, every day, it lasts me approximately 4 months, before I need to purchase a new bottle.

This is an absolute miracle for eyeshadow wearers. Using this product underneath your eyeshadows not only makes your eyeshadows appear brighter on the eye, but it prevents creasing on the eyelid and fading of eyeshadow colors. It also helps with the blending process, making it easier to create flawless makeup looks. If applied close to the lash lines, it prolongs the wear of your eyeliner, whether liquid, gel, or pencil. It also provides a base for eyeshadows (loose or pressed) to stick to, and prevents excessive fallout.

In my opinion, the only downside to this product WAS its packaging. While the genie bottle was absolutely adorable, it was a pain in the butt. When you start pulling out the wand, and you aren't getting any more product, you would assume that means it's time to throw it out and buy a new bottle. Not so. Because of the shape of the bottle, LOTS of product gets trapped around the bulges, where the wand cannot reach, and so you must 'depot' your primer potion. There are many videos on YouTube for how to do this. Simply put, you cut open your bottle in two places, and scoop out the leftover product and place it in a small container for your use. Over time, the potion dries out and becomes more of a paste-like consistency, and when it becomes too dry and thick to use anymore, I go out and buy myself a new bottle.

However, this is no longer a problem - so it is definitely worth the $22.

By splurging on this product, I would argue that you can purchase cheap, drugstore makeup and use it as opposed to buying more high-quality, expensive makeup, such as MAC, Stila, Urban Decay, etc. This primer potion makes the most of even the cheapest eyeshadow (NYC, Maybelline, CoverGirl, NYX, Annabelle, etc.) and really takes a low-end eyeshadow above and beyond expectations.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in starting to explore and experiment with makeup. You don't need to purchase expensive makeup to get high-quality results. I would argue that you only need UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) and you can use anything and make it look like a million bucks.

Definitely a must-have in everyone's makeup kit.

I can now proudly award it 5 out of 5 sparkling stars.
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Have you found a cheaper alternative to the infamous Urban Decay Primer Potion?

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer SPF 15

I purchased this foundation primer in the teeny, tiny 0.33 oz bottle, however, it is also available in a 1 oz bottle. I paid $23 CDN for it. WHAT?!?!?!?!!?

It is described as "a mineral-based, water-resistant primer with SPF 15 that neutralizes the skin, minimizes shine, and creates a smooth, uniform canvas for flawless makeup application." It's supposed to "keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin imperfections and fine lines."

The great: it is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, and phthalates. It is also formulated with naturally derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sun-blocking agents - thus giving broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection from sun damage. Finally, it is 100% free of fragrance, oil, and gluten.

WHOOT! It sounds absolutely funtabulous, doesn't it!?

I bought this on recommendation of the associates at Sephora, because I was in need of a primer that would help keep my foundation on all day long for my summer wedding. I had been previously using the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Light, but it wasn't giving me the results I wanted.

The packaging is very sleek. It comes in a frosted glass bottle with a black pump for dispensing. I don't know if it was just my bottle, or if most bottles have the same problem, but my pump was very sticky. I'd press down on the top, slowly because of the runny-ness of the primer, but it would catch, and upon applying more pressure the primer would shoot out - sometimes missing my hand and getting on the wall or splattering all over my palm. I just wish the pump was better quality - especially for the crazy price you pay for a 0.33 oz bottle.

This primer is incredibly different from any other primer I've tried - high or low end. It is very watery in consistency, if you're applying this with your fingers, you have to work quickly to get it smoothed into your skin before it slips right out of your hands. It is a slightly translucent blue-white liquid. When you rub it onto your skin, it glides smoothly and seamlessly into your skin. It does not leave a thick silicone layer on the top of your skin as many primers do. It leaves a very slight tacky resistance on the top of the skin which helps your foundation stick and stay-on.

I find that the blue-ish tinge of the primer brightens the skin slightly, upon applying. Also, this primer definitely minimizes the appearance of my pores, especially around the nose area.

This primer DEFINITELY enhances the life and staying power of my foundation. It creates a smooth, yet slightly tacky base for my foundation to adhere to. It keeps my oils at bay throughout the day (not perfectly, some shine still comes through, but better than using no primer at all...), and my foundation looks nearly as good as it did when I first applied it.

This was definitely a lifesaver for my wedding. My foundation stayed on ALL day, despite the warm temperatures and the sweat from dancing, and carrying the weight of my heavy dress around. It looked flawless in every single picture. Keep in mind, however, that I did use an extra-strong hairspray as my setting spray on top, so this also may have prolonged the wearing time of my foundation. Yet, in more previous (daily) escapades with my Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, I have noticed a significant improvement in the lasting power of my foundation with this underneath, than without.

The Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer is a wonderful product, and definitely enhances and prolongs the life of your foundation, minimizes the look of pores, and brightens the skin. HOWEVER, this is definitely not a cost-effective choice. There are many other primers out there that will give you similar effects for significantly less dinero. Because of the steep cost of this primer, I will definitely not be re-purchasing unless I have another big event coming up that requires my skin looking absolutely flawless and my foundation lasting all day. The price is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Finally, I have only had my bottle of primer for five-ish months, and while I am reaching the end of my bottle, I have noticed that the product has almost congealed in the bottom of the bottle, into a thick jelly paste. I am no longer able to use the pump to extract product from the bottle, and have to twist out the pump and use the little tube to reach the remaining product in the bottom. This is very unfortunate, because there was still a third of the product left to use, and since the consistency has changed, I'm wondering what caused this change of state in the product - perhaps temperature changes, or maybe it has a really short shelf life - I don't know... The smell of the product hasn't changed in addition to the consistency, but I am keeping my eye on it. Just be wary that this could happen to you also :)

All in all, this is really fantastic primer; however, despite all the goodness in this bottle, I definitely cannot justify the price. If you have the money to drop - I would highly recommend it; but before you go dropping crazy amounts of money on it, ask your Sephora associate to make you a sample of the product to try at home before you invest in it. It's a very costly mistake to make if you have a bad reaction to the primer, or even if you don't enjoy the texture or consistency of it.

4 out of 5 stars.
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xoxo