MAKEUP | MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye & Lip Primer

I was not expecting MAKE UP FOR EVER to come out with this. When I first saw this slender tube, I honestly thought it was a deluxe sample of the Step 1 Skin Equalizer Face Primer, but it was in fact the new Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye & Lip Primer* (10mL/$29.00 CDN)! Yes, it is intended as BOTH a lip and eye primer! I mean, I have had separate primers for these parts of my face, but definitely not a product that works as a 2 in 1! This latest innovation promises to "smooth and fill and intensify colour for creaseless 24 hour wear" so let's see how it held up this week!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye and Lip Primer Review

This launch of this new primer is also aptly timed with the release of MUFE's new Artist Color Shadows which I will also be talking about because they are reeeaaal nice! At first, I thought 10mL for $29 was kind of expensive, but then I looked at the pricing for the iconic Urban Decay Primer Potion and it is $28 for 10mL so think of it like 10 cents more per mL! It is not a huge difference in the end, but it may be worth it for some just for the dual purpose.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye and Lip Primer Review

I much prefer the squeeze out mechanism instead of the wand because I can control how much is going on my lids. I don't have a lot of lid space and even after wiping, I still find that wands give me way more product than I need!

Unlike any eye primer I have tried, this comes out clear and has a texture similar to lip balm, but not quite as sticky. As with most primers, a little goes a long way. It has dimethicone in it so after one or two swipes, you can feel the product smoothing out the skin. I cannot imagine using my existing eye primers on my lips, but this one is very comfortable. Even with exfoliation, I still do not have the smoothest lips (I blame being in my mid-30s) so having a primer like this that fills in my lines AND gives a smooth surface is fantastic.

After the initial dry down, you do still FEEL the primer on your lips almost like you are wearing a lip mask, but every crack and crevice is no more! Once I apply my lip colour, whether it'd be matte, creme or liquid lipstick, my lips feel normal.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye and Lip Primer Review

I didn't actually think I would see much of a difference when it came to seeing eyeshadow colours intensify with primer, but here it is in plain sight - the eyeshadow on the right looks way more shimmery and intense! (Also, isn't this shade so pretty???)

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye and Lip Primer Review

MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye and Lip Primer Review

Final verdict: While I have been relatively happy with my eyeshadow primers in the past, lip primers have been a struggle since they can't be quite as sticky as those for the eyes. I have used some that were hard as rocks and had to be dragged across the lips or ones that were just too balmy. This one is somewhere in the middle AND the biggest thing for me was that even if I didn't exfoliate, my matte lipsticks still looked smooth and applied easily. As for the claim of 24 hour wear? On the eyes, no questions about it, this stuff lasted 11 hours no problem! On the lips, I put them through a test of eating kebab and though there was some colour movement, it definitely wasn't as bad as without any primer at all. Without anything greasy and basic drinking and snacking, my lips had colour for hours! All in all I was quite impressed with how comfortable this primer was on both eyes and lips and would totally recommend this!

You can find the MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Skin Equalizer Eye & Lip Primer online and in-store at Sephora.

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