I don't use eyeshadow primer, I never even knew anything about it. I do have a primer for my foundation, which I sometimes do use.
I do try to use a light base, especially under my brow on the bone to lighten things up, then darker on the lid and darkest on the upper corners and "winged out" to the sides of my head and up.
you can actually use your face primer and dab it on your eyelids.
eye primers are used as a base for eyeshadow because it's
suppose to extend the wear and help curb the eye shadow
from creasing: that's when the colours move off your lids
and get bunched up into the crease due to the oils on your lids.
oily lids and creased eyeshadow.
the urban decay primers are popular because it does
just that, your eyeshadow doesn't move. when you
apply it, it's very easy to spread on your lids and it
just disappears onto your lids and feels 'light'
([MENTION=6561]OrangeAppled[/MENTION] how do you like the urban
decay primer potion on your lids? do you find it
easy to apply? did you use any other
kinds of primers before?)
in the beauty blogs, a lot of people talk about the
elf eye primer to be just as good for staying power.
the main difference is that, it's a bit thicker to spread
on your eyelids, and just doesn't feel as light as the
UD. i've personally never used it, but i know it's popular
because it's only $3 (versus the $17? $18? UD primer)
and said to be as effective
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/eye_primer_and_liner_sealer
3 dolla!
I typically use an eyeshadow brush (sephora) + my fingertips to blend.
i use fingertips to dab on the colour, but a brush to blend.
when i blend, i will blend where the different colours meet
so that it's not a harsh line but instead bleeds into one another.
i also always dust my base colour on my brush when i'm softening
the colours on the crease line. for this i use a stila #9. the brush
type is called an 'all over blend brush' elf has one called 'Blending Eye Brush'
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~45.htm
vs
stila vs elf
for blending on the lid itself i use a smaller brush.
i actually really love the dual ended brush that came
with my bobbi brown nude on nude palette
the left brush is the eyeshadow brush.
the right brush is the eyeliner brush.
so you can see, the brush head is very small.
i took these with my iphone so it's not as clear
as i like them to me, but it'll do for size comparison.
bobbi brown dual ended eyeshadow/eyeliner brush vs stila #9.
bobbi brown eyeshadow brush vs stila #9
bobbi brown eyeliner brush vs stila #9
the bobbi brown dual brush heads are the same size as the
standalone bobbi brown brushes. the brushes alone are
eyeliner brush ($25) eyeshadow brush ($28). bobbi brown
single eyeshadow pans are $20 each. so this is why i really
don't mind splurging on higher end palettes because it really
is more cost efficient and higher quality..
i don't think they have the nude on nude palette anymore, but
just to illustrate: the smoky eye palette is $45: brush + 4 colours
shadow options palette is $60: brush +8 colours
i can go off on tangents forever <3 <3
I think I need to go lighter on the brow color. My hair is darker and my brows ARE brown and a mix of darker and lighter hairs, but they're kind of sparse and just don't shape easily. They seem to be flatter, and/or have more of a point rather than curve in the middle. (Yes, I'm a pumpkin.

) Even plucking to shape, I have trouble getting a good arc in them. Sometimes I just want to shave them off and then paste on fake ones, lol...
i don't like waxing my eyebrows at all.
if i need them professionally shaped,
i'll get them threaded. i think they do
a more thorough job. and honestly?
i get my brows done professionally
like only once a year.
but getting shaped is all based on personal
preference. it's the upkeep. that's the pain
in the ass. i'm severely lazy. so i like minimal
effort in grooming my eyebrows. i use an
eyebrow razor. (ulta sells them)
i tried googling for a close up on the razor
blade but my search terms skills must suck.
because i can't find one. but if you look closely,
the razor is smooth and flat. it has little teeth.
which acts as little 'stoppers' so you can have
a very precise uh.. shave? you can literally do
one hair at a time. and it's easy, you just run
the blade over anything that pokes out.
these razors last on me for a long time. i'm
really lazy so sometimes i'll be like oh! see
a stray hair after i already have my make up
on and i'll just shave right onto the make up.
the makeup does gather on the blades and
i just wipe it off with a tissue (sometimes
not, lazy mmhmm). and they last me for
3 months before i throw them out?
i imagine if you used it on a clean face, it'd
last longer.
I agree about the light powder--I use an Anastasia eyebrow kit in blonde, even though my eyebrows are naturally darker than my hair. I also have the Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil in Light Brown. It's supposed to be similar to a MAC product that everyone loves, but I can't remember the name of it.
mac 'eye brows' ?
i really like their 'brow set' since
my eyebrows grow upwards and
downwards so they're pointing in
different directions. i use this
to make them behave. you can
use the maybelline clear great
lash mascara to make them
behave also, but it just takes
longer to dry. (use the clear
mascara first on brows, let
dry, then apply brow makeup)
if you do it after, it may shift
the colours.