Skipping eye primer always seems like a good idea when I’m in a hurry, but yeah, sometimes it’s not.
Like when I’m taking some much-needed “meow time” to unwind at Sephora, decide to do some swatches, and what starts out as a 15-minute trip turns into two hours.
Or when a coffee break with Channing Tatum starts out as a brief 15-minute chat about the bulging biceps and hair/accessories/shirtless-ness in his upcoming tour de force, Magic Mike, but inevitably turns into a detailed six-hour discussion on the pros and cons of soft and crunchy hair gels (I like soft; crunchy gel seems so early ’90s to me) and the stylishness, or lack thereof, of camo capris (careful) and button-down shirts (yea!).
Okay, so maybe that second example happened, to quote ’80s teen chanteuse Debbie Gibson, “only in my dreams.” 🙂
As real as it may seem!
One thing’s for sure — my days usually last longer than I expect them to, hence my love for long-wearing eye primers that help keep my shadow, liner and concealer in place.
Tarte’s new Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19) promises to do just that. A smudge-proof base designed to make eye makeup stay on task, it’s supposed to prevent fallout and postpone eye makeup migration for a full 12 hours, so you can say, “g’bye!” to disappearing eyeshadow and creasing color.
A recent study involving my butt in a pool chair and an issue of US Weekly concluded that the waterproof eyeshadow and liner I layered on top of Clean Slate, which is also water-resistant, did sparkle and shimmer for a very long time. The subjects also exhibited no adverse effects after taking a quick dip.
No fussing over finding a base color that matches your skin tone, either, as Clean Slate’s colorless universal shade should work for most everyone.
Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19)
- Came out with the summer 2012 collection and was added to Tarte’s permanent line
- Made with beeswax (used as a natural waterproofing agent), mineral pigments (as opposed to artificial colors and dyes) and vitamin E (a natural preservative with anti-inflammatory properties)
- Made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMO’s or triclosan
- Has a thin consistency, like a light lotion, and it absorbs quickly into my skin
- It layers well beneath eyeshadows (powders and creams) and liners (pencils, liquids, gels and cakes)
- Being from Tarte, it’s also eco-friendly, cruelty-free and
veganvegetarian (it does contain beeswax, which many do not consider vegan) - Sure does last a very long time for me; I get between 12-13 hours, with very minor fading starting around hour eight
To see how it would do alongside my favorite eyeshadow primer, the epic NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24), I wore Clean Slate on one eye and Pro-Prime on the other a few times over the past few weeks.
Against fierce competition, Clean Slate did…alright, coming in a close second place. Not bad at all, and it even costs $5 less ($19 vs. $24).
Products do appear to fade a little more/quickly when used with Clean Slate than they do with Pro-Prime and don’t seem quite as vibrant or intense, but that’s just me picking nits.
Tarte did a great job here here. If you’re on the market for a new eye primer, I think you should give Clean Slate a try.
PRICE: $19
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora and tartecosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-
Yesterday, I took a Napa
We did end up driving up to wine country yesterday to one of the cute, quaint towns there called Yountville.
I’d been craving Italian food, so we tried a place we hadn’t been to before called Bottega Napa.
One word: YUM!
Carbs, in all their glorious splendor, await you at Bottega Napa in Yountville.
Have a seat. Can I get you a drink?
I prefer reds. How about you?
The bread came with this BOMB-@SS dip made with parmesan, asiago, garlic, basil and olive oil… So good it should have been illegal.
We started with an appetizer, this potato pancake with heirloom tomatoes in an asparagus puree.
My dish: the black garlic spaghetti grande with gulf prawns, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, Calabrian chili and citrus essence…
El Hub happily devoured the forno roasted chicken breast “marsala” with sautéed forest mushrooms, marinated grilled onions, truffle honey and sherry vinaigrette.
I can never say no to tiramisu…
…or to cookies, for that matter.
After lunch, we just walked around Yountville’s little downtown area, which has some little country home-style shops, art galleries, bakeries, and a few small wineries like Hope & Grace, where we stopped for a wine tasting.
That’s one thing I like about living out here, being so close to Napa Valley. Even though we’re up in the hills and a little farther from San Francisco than I’d like, I also like being able to run away to wine country every once in a while.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
My favorite eyeshadow primer is Nars as well but I decided to give this one a try of course (hello, its new…) lol, it’s really good but Nars wins again.
…and that shrimp looks juicy!
Well, damn. I was really hoping this one would be on par with NARS Pro-Prime, but I guess I’ll just have to give the NARS a try! I like that this one’s a cheaper option (and squeeze-tube packaging’s always a plus), but for a $5 difference – I think I’d go with the better one, y’know? Even if it’s just a little bit better.
That said, though, I still have yet to get around to trying the Smudge Proof! >.
If it’s got beeswax in it’s not vegan…beeswax is an animal byproduct. It might be vegetarian though.
Hi Claire,
That’s interesting. I looked around, and it seems that quite a few Tarte products contain beeswax. It also looks like some people feel that beeswax is vegan, while others don’t. But I would probably lean toward the majority feeling that it isn’t. I updated the post to reflect vegetarian, as opposed to vegan, as the product does appear to be that. Thanks for letting me know.
You wouldn’t happen to know of a similar 100% product, would you? I’d like to give readers the choice if they’re interested.
I haven’t tried NARS Smudgeproof, but I’m really happy with UDPP and I don’t really see the need to change!
Looks like you had a fantastic day in Napa! I’m more taken with white wine, but the food looks SUPER delicious!
The presentation of the dessert is so pretty, and the bread/dip combo sounds yummy!
Tarte has this primer sample thats seling for 10 bucks at Sephora — thats in my shopping cart right now with some other staples, but I havent checked out yet. Seems like a great way to try 3 new primers – since im in the market for a new face/eye primer atm!
I have been using this for a few weeks now and definitely think it performs better than Urban Decay’s primer potion. I have not yet tried NARS’ version, but I’m already very satisfied with how this works on me that I’m not sure I need to try something else at the moment. I can’t believe how long it makes my eye makeup last- even in humidity.
Loving all the beautiful wine pics! 😉
I love how unimpressed Tab’s looks in your swatch photo! lol
Hi Karen, I love when you post about your HG products. I figure, of all people, you really have an opportunity to try all sorts of products so can narrow down the selection for us. For the price difference, I would rather go for the Nars- these products last for so many months so you may as well go for the best if you are going to commit to it for so long.
Am still trying to remember your HG mascara combo (as I am a lash drama queen too), I seem to remember you layer UD with something else, right?
You know how excited I get about Tarte, but I almost completely forgot about it as I scrolled down through your Napa pics. 🙂 It looks like it was a beautiful day and you had a lot of delicious things to eat and drink! If I lived that close, I’d be tasting every weekend. So, I guess it’s a good thing I’m across the country. HAHA!
Hi Kim,
Do you like the chicken pic? I added that in just for you!
Certainly seems like a solid product. But I’d probably pay $5 more for better results.