What is a base?
A base is something you apply under your eye shadow. Basically you apply your base/primer first and then your shadow over the top. A base is often referred to as an 'eye primer' and you can find them everywhere for any amount of money imaginable. There are so many I could not possibly cover them all in one entry. (There are as many primers as there are eye shadows!)
What does a base do?
A base will make your shadow's colour show up better and make your shadow stay on longer. Without a base even the most expensive shadow won't show up that great and will probably wear away much quicker. If you use loose 'powdered' eye shadow in particular without a base it will most definitely fall off quickly and in some cases hardly show up at all.
What kind of base should I buy?
The most important thing to remember when applying a base is if you use a coloured one it may show up in your shadow. So use either a matching colour (to enhance the shade of your eye shadow) or a neutral shade (cream, beige, tope, most pastels etc). You can also buy primers that do not show up at all. Just look for 'eye primer' products as these will be less pigmented or even clear in some cases.
Here's a few bases/eye primers you can buy:
(Expensive)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Primer/Paint Pots
(Cheaper Alternatives)
L'oreal Decrease Primer
Barry M Shimmering Eye/Lip Pencils
Any ordinary cream based shadow
Water (Yes, I said water - though this is more of a way to enhance the colour than anything else)
You can also use foundation or concealer but to be completely honest I tried using my MAC Studio Fix foundation one night and my eye shadow was barely there after just an hour. And MAC foundation costs £19.50 so that said a lot for me personally.
I now regularly use the Barry M Shimmering Eye/Lip pencils and they work brilliantly. They cost me barely £4 and they make my shadows not only show up but last all day.
Creamy textured bases work best because they trap the colour particles closer together and this results in a stronger looking colour. They also make the shadow 'stick' to your lid much better.
Below is a photo of two shadows I swatched on the back of my hand. On the left you can see swatches used with a base and on the right you can see the shadows applied without a base. In this instance I used my Barry M #1 Eye/Lip Shimmer Pencil. As you can see, using a base helped bring the colour out much better. You can hardly see the colour of both shadows when applied without a base and trust me, I really tried to get them to show.
What about using water?
I mentioned water in my above list and I would like to now elaborate on that point. Honestly, water works very well. This technique is known as 'foiling' as it gives your shadow a metallic appearance. It also enhances the colour of your shadow. As far as making your shadow last I'd say it's not bad but it depends on how oily your complexion is as to how long shadow stays on you in general. Also it's pretty obvious that using an actual primer/base is your best option. This is just a little trick you can try :)
What you do is dampen your brush with water and then apply the shadow to your lid with your damp brush.
It is best to pick up your eye shadow on your dry brush first before dampening with water as dipping a wet brush into a shadow can sometimes ruin it and make it lumpy. It is also vital not to wet your brush too much for the same reason. It is best to just dampen it.
A good way of dampening your brush is by spraying it with water. I bought a fairly large cheap empty travel spray bottle from Boots (they can be found in any drugstore) and I can't live without it. By spraying it rather than dipping it in water you avoid soaking your brush and making a mess.
Then simply dab over the lid. I tend to use this method when I buy a shadow that doesn't show up well even with a base because it usually makes it show up well :)
