Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base Review & Swatches

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base is a new eyeshadow primer available in three finishes which are Prime + Smooth, Prime + Matte, and Prime + Illuminate. These eyeshadow primers are meant to use either under eyeshadow to intensify shades and provide longer wear or you can use them along as a cream eyeshadow.

I love a good multitasking eyeshadow primer. Like Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials, Laura Mercier Eye Basics, and even Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion all work great without the need of eyeshadow as they brighten, lift eyes, and create a nice, nude look. Sometimes basic, simple, and no nonsense is all you need for running around doing weekend errands when you don’t want a full eyeshadow look but you sure as heck don’t want to leave the house without a LITTLE something on your lids to keep them looking fresh and lovely.

Let’s take a look at Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base and see how it performs.

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base ($7.99) comes housed in a 0.23 square tube with an attached sponge applicator for application. The sponge applicator saturates very well with color so you won’t have a drier application. I tend to blame dry application on dense sponges but this sponge is great! It picks up a ton of primer and saturates well with the product.

I have to admit that I’ve never really understood the need for shimmer, mica, or metallic bits and bobs in a primer. It’s been done a plenty with Urban Decay Sin, Minor Sin, and others eyeshadow primers so this isn’t necessarily a new idea. I just don’t always feel I need it in my primer. I’m cool with a basic, transparent primer in all honesty or one that might match the natural skin of my eyelid to just brighten the area up a bit. But metallic and shimmery finishes? Totally not interest in either. So both Prime + Smooth and Prime + Illuminate are kinda out for me. These shades which I’m not really in love with. Prime + Smooth is a shimmery slightly frosty shade of beige bone and Prime + Illuminate is a light metallic pink that almost reflects rose gold and reminds me a bit of Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion. I wouldn’t say either shade is really intense. They swatch quite nicely with decent pigment but once applied and blended they sheer out considerably so color isn’t really detectable if you’re wearing them as a cream eyeshadow nor did I feel they added intensity to my powder shadows. I didn’t feel either shade worked great as a primer either as I saw creasing within a five hour period when used with a powder eyeshadow on top.

The exception to the rule here is Prime + Matte which I thought applied, blended, and held powder shadows in place quite nicely without issues of fading or creasing for a solid eight hour period. I liked this formula a lot even if I don’t love matte finishes. All three of these are formulated with a creamy almost whipped consistency and this applies to the matte formula as well. It blends very easily with a soft, easy to work with texture that gives you plenty of time to blend before setting to a soft, matte, but not dry finish. The color is a dark dune which reminds me of my favorite Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Sand Dune. I can’t tell you how sad I was that I couldn’t use it as an eyeshadow. I wish it was more pigmented but it sheers out considerably once blended and sets transparent. Le sigh! A little more pigmented and I’d be stocking up on this to use in nude, natural looks. Oh well! At least it succeeds nicely as an eyeshadow base.

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Matte)

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Matte) Swatches

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Illuminate)

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Iluminate) Swatches

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Smooth)

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base (Prime + Smooth) Swatches

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base isn’t necessarily a new idea but it is new at the drugstore. I wouldn’t run out to purchase these unless you find them on sale as you likely own an eyeshadow primer already that you’re loving but if you happen to get them on sale do try out Prime + Matte as I thought out of the three that performed the best. As for the others? Eh…didn’t impress me!

Maybelline Master Prime Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base is available now at drugstores or online at Ulta.com and drugstore.com.

Tried them?

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