Friday’s Eye of the Day, plus BH Cosmetics Eye and Lip Primer Review!

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Was testing out BH Cosmetics’ eye and lip primer ($7.77) and did a subtle eye with a colored twist, using MAC’s Tan pigment and Sable, with a dark navy Motorhead as liner of sorts. The shadows went on with pretty good intensity and stayed on with minimal fading over a 12 hour day. 

Texture:

This reminds me of Lime Crime’s famous Candy Eye Shadow Primer, but is more pigmented.

I personally think this works better on those who need a primer to prep slightly oily lids and make shadow last, and not so well for those who are looking for a base to intensify shadows. It doesn’t dull your shadow the way some primers can; it just doesn’t really enhance it in particular either.

(Strangely enough, BH does have another primer which is designed to hold on to shadows and neutralize discolorations as well. I’m not sure how that would compare to this, but I would guess this is better for normal/combi lids and the other is better for oilier skins.)

Appearance:

As mentioned, this has quite a lot of pigments - more than any other primer I’ve tried - so it’s like a sheer concealer almost. You will need to blend it out quickly and try not to over-apply or you could end up with slight patchiness. It will cover discolorations and veined lids better than clear primers like Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Coastal Scents Shadow Worx.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Nice, creamy/silky texture that goes on easily
  • Sets quickly and doesn’t budget easily
  • Holds on to shadow pretty well
  • Pigmented, which means you can use it to conceal discolorations on lips and lids
  • Portable size.

Cons:

  • Very tiny. This comes in a 3g jar (which on the flip-side makes it portable). That said, I’ve found often with pot primers like Lime Crime’s as well as BH’s, a teeny tiny bit goes a very long way, so a small jar like this can last for months. You’re NOT supposed to over-apply.
  • Dries and sets quite quickly, so make sure you apply a minimal amount or it can look patchy on the lids.
  • If you have darker skin, this might look ashy on you. It might work ok on the lids, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a lip primer if you have tanned or deep skin.

Verdict: 

Overall, a good primer that is definitely worth the price tag! It isn’t quite as bullet-proof as the Lime Crime Shadow Helper, but it does very well at a fraction of the cost. 

On the other hand, I do prefer it to Too Faced Shadow Insurance (surprise!); I like the slight creaminess of this primer more. If you work fast, this will bring out your shadows better than the Too Faced, which tends to be too slippery/silicone-y.

This WILL work better on fair to medium skins, but might be too deep for the porcelain-skinned. For darker skins, lighter shades like these do tend to bring out bright colors better so it would work on the eyes, but I’d definitely avoid this as a lip primer.