Beauty Tips: Preventing Eyeshadow creasing

Have you ever applied your eyeshadow and a couple of hours later when you checked in the mirror it looks like this ==>

(photo belongs to http://confessionsofahairstylist2009.blogspot.com/ )

I know I have had this problem happen to me many times in the past, not anymore though, I found the solution for it and it's as simple as using an eye primer!
So, what is an eye primer?? I tried googling that question to come up with a better answer but found nothing, so here is my own definition: An eye primer is a product that you apply onto your lids before applying your eyeshadow. Eye primers usually come in very neutral colors and in a cream-liquidly form. A primer will prevent your eyeshadow from creasing and make your eyeshadow color pop!
How's that for an answer! LOL! There is a huge variety of eye primers in the market right now, they go from reasonable prices to the high end ones that are not easily affordable. But, is it worth spending the money on one of these? YES!! Absolutely YES!! If you are anything like me and love wearing tons of eyeshadow and want it to stay put all day and all night long, than you definitely need one of these babies!
A good way of getting introduced to eye primers is by using Mary Kay Eye Primer. This is one of the least expensive ones out there and it does do a good job.
I won't get into the ones that I have tested, that's a different post, but here are some examples of some really popular high end eye primers that will give you great results, the prices vary from $16.00 to $24.00.

From Left to Right: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Bare Escentuals Prime time for eyes, Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer.

Another alternative for keeping your shadow on all day long is a shadow base. Just as with eye primers, there is a huge variety out there for you to choose from. But what is the difference between an eye primer and an shadow base? Once again, here is my own definition: Both, eye primers and Shadow bases, will keep your shadow from creasing. A shadow base, however, comes in a range of different color to choose from. They can be used by themselves or under your eyeshadow. So for instance, if you would like to wear a blue eyeshadow, then by applying a blue eyeshadow base prior to it, your shadow color will pop a lot more than if you used an eye primer underneath it, and it won't crease either (I really hope that made sense).
I personally use an eyeshadow base underneath my eyeshadow all the time, it doesn't make it the right or wrong way of keeping your eyeshadow from creasing, that is just my personal preference.
Here are a few examples of eye shadow bases that I would recommend you try, some are better than others, or more affordable, or come with more product in the jar, but again, I won't get into that right now:

From left to right: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme, Mac Paint Pots, Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow, Clinique Shadow base.
If you would like to try a drugstore eye primer, Loreal came out with their De-Crease Shadow base. This eye primer is supposed to keep your shadow on for 8 eight hours.

And finally, I haven't tried this method myself but I have heard that some people like it, is using a concealer underneath your shadow, I honestly don't know how well this works but I will give it a try soon and let you all know.
Ladies, now you know the trick to keeping your eyeshadow intact for hours and hours!

Review Time: Estee Lauder Moisture Binding Mascara

Price: $21.00

Where to buy: Estee Lauder counters, Esteelauder.com
What it claims to do: Defines, conditions lashes. More Black impact. Defines each lash from end to end with a continuous stroke of color.
Here’s what I think:
I wasn’t planning on writing a review on this mascara for a while longer since I just did one for the Bareminerals Flawless definition Mascara, but the “deal breaker” happened today, so here it is: Up until this morning I absolutely adored this product. I applied it early today when I was getting ready for church and while I was putting it on my lashes I kept thinking “this mascara is awesome, I can’t even clump my lashes even if I wanted to” And I was really trying to, I wanted to see how much it would take for me to mess it up. The truth is that I wasn’t able to. The application was so incredibly smooth, the wand that it comes with is perfect, you get just the right amount of product on your wand, no need to wipe it off and after applying just one coat my lashes looked next to perfect. They were defined, I achieved exactly what this mascara promised I would.
So what happened? Well, for all of you that don’t know this yet, I am 33 weeks pregnant and on the way to church my “hormones” got to me (it was a long morning getting ready, I was pretty grumpy) and I started crying. I was really self conscious about it because I didn’t want my makeup to get ruined, but the little crying I did was enough. Let me tell y’all, this mascara is perfect up until any kind of moisture gets near your eyes. As I was carefully wiping away my tears I noticed TONS of this black liquid all over my fingers. I know this is not a waterproof mascara but I honestly expected it to last a little longer than a few seconds after my tears touched it. I have used drugstore brands that last longer when wet or if they do come off, is not as much as this one did (hope that made sense).  I think this would be a perfect product if it came in a waterproof form as well, but it doesn't and for that I give it a 8 out of 10.
So, this is my bottom line: Do I recommend it? Well, if you are completely sure that you won’t be crying when wearing it or that it won’t rain that day either, then YES. This mascara is perfect if dry. But if you are not sure about being able to keep it dry, or if you have oily eyelids, or you are going to be sweating, than NO. You be the judge of that yourself.
Would I buy this product again? Yes, I would. I will be more careful though on choosing the days when I will wear it. I don’t have oily eyelids and I don’t cry often either so I think this mascara will work fine most of the time.
However, this is not a mascara I would recommend if you are looking for volume or length (i.e. if you are going for a dramatic smokey eye look). This mascara defines your eyelashes, but it doesn’t give them volume or length.

Review Time: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup with Spf 10.

I bought this foundation a while ago, I am always on the look for the “perfect” foundation (I haven’t found it yet, still looking). I was walking by the makeup counters at Nordstrom in Anchorage and for the first time decided to walk by the Estee Lauder counter. They were having a “gift with purchase” event and if I spent $39.50 in any products from this brand I would get a bunch of free stuff, so I gave it a go. I explained to this French lady that I wanted a Full Coverage Foundation, that I wanted it to last all day, not make me breakout, look natural on my skin and match my skin color perfectly, so, without even thinking about it she told me to buy this Double wear foundation, she swore by it and even dared to tell me that it was the best foundation from ALL of the brands that Nordstrom has, which is a HUGE statement, considering that you can find brands like Mac, Lancome, Chanel and others in there… so I fell for it.
Let me start by telling you this was NOT a cheap product to buy, it costs $33.50 and the bottle has 1.0 oz! The bottle does not come with a pump, so you have to get all messy when applying it, which is another turn off for me, but still, I thought to myself “if this is the perfect foundation, I am willing to pay for it and even get a little messy with it, who cares!”… So I took it home, along with all of my free stuff (haha!) and gave it a try that whole week.
Out of all of the requirements that I was expecting this foundation to do, only two of them were “ok”: Color match was a “ok”, better on my skin than some other foundations I’ve tried; and it’s long lasting ability was definitely there… believe me, once you put this thing on you, it won’t come off until you wash it off with a cleanser hours and hours later! So, what went wrong? Let me tell you all about it:
First of all, it broke me out and that is the biggest NO-NO for me. I can probably take anything else but if a product starts giving me pimples there is just nothing that will make me like it.
Second: When you just put it on it feels fine, but an hour or two later it feels like you have a mask on, literally! The only thing I can compare that feeling to is as if you put paint, a thick layer of paint on your face. That made me really uncomfortable and it felt weird to smile or even talk.
Third: Besides it breaking me out, it also made me itchy in some areas on my face. I would find myself scratching my jaw line a lot all day long, and this will make the foundation peel off of my face and then it looked horrible.
I really, really wanted this foundation to work for me, I was impressed by the staying power it has, I was able to take naps when using it and wake up looking like I just did my makeup. But it didn’t work, I don’t know if I just didn’t know how to apply it, or what, but what I do take with me is that I tried everything I could to try to make it work, I used different brushes when applying it, put a TON of moisturizer on before, used different primers under it, applied finishing powder or use it without it… nothing worked.
When I went back to the Estee Lauder counter to return it I talked to a different lady and she told me that all of this things happened because whatever it is that makes this foundation stay on all day makes it feel like paint on you, and they didn’t tell me this, but I am thinking that’s also what made me break out.
So, do I recommend it? NO, I don’t. I think this foundation with a lot more issues than benefits for you. If you are going to pay that much for something, you better get something you are going to use and be happy with.