little white truths

I've been using this primer every day for around six months and I've been meaning to review it for ages, it's just that other posts have come first so this one has sat around for a while.

But we're here now and I'm pleased to say that I really enjoy it and it's one of the better primers I've used, although I've just had a look at the online reviews (see eg Sephora's website) and not everyone agrees so I would test this before purchase if possible because it's not cheap.

Marc Jacobs claims/product details:

• A crease-proof eyeshadow primer that’s formulated with coconut extracts to lock in colour for up to 12 hours
• Inspired by Marc Jacobs's love of coconut water, this primer is formulated with coconut and velvet flower extracts to deliver a smooth, even canvas for makeup application
• Glides on effortlessly with a creamy, lightweight texture, and helps even skintone, intensifying eyeshadow for gorgeous payoff in every stroke
• Silica spheres and bark extract help absorb oil to fight creasing, for a perfecting effect that feels cushiony and comfortable, and an innovative gel polymer with lilac stem cell helps looks last all day
• This smoothing, nourishing eye primer feels like skincare, but delivers on wear, maximising your makeup
• RRP $37 AUD for 11ml, but do shop around

Verdict

I really enjoy this primer and I would absolutely buy it again, although I would wait for one of Sephora's 20 percent off sales as I did last time because it's not cheap and it's better to buy it on discount.

It's a standard eye primer that comes in a tube and is designed to intensify your eyeshadow and make it last longer. Where it's different from other primers - or at least the ones I've tried - is that it's a little creamier and more hydrating, and it also doesn't dry down as quickly so it leaves you with more time to work with it, which I personally appreciate.

I also find that some of it sinks into the skin and nourishes it, which is a good thing for my dry skin but others mightn't like this aspect - especially if you have oily eyelids - and this could be why it creases on some people (it doesn't do that for me). 

Because some of it sinks in, I think that's why I need to apply a little more of this per application than I do other primers, which doesn't bother me at all because I struggle to get through 6ml of primer within a 12-month expiry date, let alone 11ml, but I thought I'd mention it all the same.

What I find is that this product holds on to my eyeshadow well throughout the day and it also doesn't crease so it does what it's meant to do. Others have complained of creasing, though, so I would test this before purchase.

Note also that while it does intensify my shadows, it doesn't do this quite as well as other primers I've tried - but I personally don't want this because I prefer a more natural look anyway. Plus the trade-off here is that it's not a drying, grippy formula that ages my eyelids (some primers do that) and I can also blend my shadows very easily over this, while some primers grip too hard so blending is an issue and I need to apply far too much base shadow over them to manage that issue, which in turn makes me look older because powders can be ageing - especially if you apply too much of them. So this trade-off suits me personally but it mightn't suit others.

The one thing I don't like about this primer is that it started to separate a couple of weeks ago (there's some oil that's coming out of the tube now that wasn't there before), and that's not a good thing because the formula should hold its own for the 12-month expiry period noted on the tube, as a bare minimum. While I haven't noticed any change in efficacy yet, I'm worried I'll see that soon and it's now more of a hassle to use because I have to mix the oil with the cream before I apply it. Something to be aware of.

Overall I love this primer and it's probably the best eye primer I've found to date because it suits my personal needs. While it mightn't be everyone's favourite (a lot of people won't want the hydrating aspect and many will want something more grippy), it works beautifully for me and I recommend it.

Worth testing.