This $6 Eyeshadow Primer Is So Damn Amazing

After a 10-year search, my prayers have been answered!

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

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Hello and welcome! I am Kayla, and I can't make it four simple hours without my eyeshadow clumping up on my eyelids. Because I love eyeshadow too damn much to allow it to crease and smear any longer, I set out on a mission to find the perfect primer.

Academy Awards

Unfortunately, the natural elements (wind, rain, simply living on planet Earth) combined with my face sweat made that dream nearly impossible — I think all makeup wearers can relate to this to some degree. Most primers can't combat what the day throws at you for hours on end, especially not the New York City humidity combined with gusty subway tunnels. (There's nothing quite like that burst of hot air as a train blows right past you.)

I shopped my way through Sephora, dropping some major $$$ on different products. My search only lasted about a decade — aka since I started wearing makeup — and concluded this summer when I discovered Milani's $6 eyeshadow primer at my local drugstore. And you guys, MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.

Kayla Suazo

This lovely thing keeps my eyeshadow from turning into nasty goop on my eyelid crease from sunrise to sunset (and probably until the next sunrise — it's THAT good). I've actually fallen asleep with my makeup on before (yes, I know it's bad, blame the margs), and I've woken up with my makeup looking fine. I don't know how, but this stuff works.

Here's proof of the magic I am talking about. The pic on the left is me in the morning, right after getting to work and feeling fabulous. (I'd put my makeup on probably an hour before.) The one on the right is at the end of the workday and I...still feel fabulous!

Kayla Suazo

Just to prove that I am not a liar, I timestamped the photos using that handy Instagram app. And look, no smudges! No faded eyeliner! No horrendous eyeshadow clumps! Nine hours later, and I still feel great. The only slight difference is the lack of vibrance, but I'll take that over a clumpy crease any day.

To apply, I just squeeze out a small dab onto my finger and gently massage over my eyelids before applying any eyeshadow or eyeliner.

Kayla Suazo

It looks like the consistency of concealer, but it turns transparent after it's worked into the skin. One note: It feels very oily. This freaked me out a bit at first, but I quickly learned that it dries smooth and leaves no residue behind. It also makes my eyelids feel very silky, which, as I typed that out, I realized sounds weird. But it's true, and I enjoy the feeling. Anyway, I let it dry for about 30 seconds and then I'm ready to apply my eyeshadow.

The only downside is that I've found it works best with higher-quality eyeshadow.

Anastasia Beverly Hill

I am the proud owner of Anastasia Beverly Hill's Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette ($42). I love all the colors and I always apply a bit of the Burnt Orange and blend it with Buon Fresco. The eyeshadow glides over my primed eyelids, the colors perfectly blending together, and because of some sort of makeup black magic, it stays on ALL. DAY. LONG.

However! I've noticed that when I use some of my drugstore palettes, the eyeshadow doesn't spread evenly like the softer eyeshadows from the Modern Renaissance palette; it takes some extra time to blend. This isn't to say that this primer will not work with these eyeshadows, but personally, I've had the best results using higher-quality palettes.

Aside from that, this primer seems to have no other cons to date. It's my makeup bag's favorite product — and because the heavens have blessed us, it's only $6.

CW

Get it from Amazon for $5.67 or Jet for $6.21.