urban decay

Looking to step up your makeup game this fall, girls? Consider a few of Urban Decay’s new primers for face, lips and lashes:

1. Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion ($30)
2. Brightening Complexion Primer Potion ($30)
3. Eyelash Primer Potion ($20)
4. Lip Primer Potion ($20)

These bad boys deliver an almost airbrushed application for smooth skin, luscious lips and longer, thicker lashes.

To get the most bang for your buck, Urban Decay International Makeup Artist Eric Jimenez suggests a few insider tricks.

Smile, Eric!

Flawless makeup in t-minus three, two, one…

Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion — Pore Perfecting

What it is:
An oil-free, velvety foundation primer with a texture like medium-weight lotion.

What it does:
Minimizes the size of pores, gets oil under control (great for areas like the t-zone) and helps foundation look smooth and flawless.

How to apply:
Begin by cleansing and moisturizing your skin. Cleansing encourages better absorption of moisturizer. Blot away any excess with a tissue.

Next, with your favorite foundation brush (interestingly, Eric prefers stiffer synthetic brushes made from Taklon or nylon), apply Pore Perfecting Primer to forehead, nose, the apples of the cheeks and chin. Blend in an outward direction.

While the primer is wet, apply your foundation with the same brush. Eric suggests blending both together, rather than layering one on top of the other, because “You get more of an airbrushed effect.”

Breaking it down

• Eric likes synthetic Taklon or nylon brushes precisely because the man-made fibers don’t absorb as much product as natural fibers do. With that, he says, you can really make your foundation last, as one is apt to use and waste less.
• If you have very oily skin, avoid applying primers and foundation with your fingers. Being warm, they can stimulate the pores on the face to up their oil output.
• Live where it’s hot and humid? Pore Perfecting keeps makeup in place even in the stickiest, steamiest locales.

Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion — Brightening

What it is:
A lavender-tinted, oil-free primer to brighten, smooth and extend the wear time of foundation.

What it does:
Brightening’s color-correcting lavender tint adds a reflective, but not necessarily shimmery, look to foundation. Eric applies it wherever there are fine lines, like the fine lines around the eyes, nostrils, mouth, and in the hollows of the cheeks. Opt for this formulation if you have combination skin.

How to apply:
Apply in the same manner as the Pore Perfecting formulation (the steps above).

Breaking it down

• Anticipating a big event? Exfoliate the night before, not the morning of. The reason being that exfoliation stimulates the production of oil, which means shine. It can also change the color of your skin for a short time, giving it a warmer, pink tone.
• And when you want heavier coverage (like for photo shoots), apply primers with a sponge, rather than a brush.

Urban Decay Eyelash Primer Potion

What it is:
A hydrating, protein-rich mascara base packed with silk protein (aka gossamer) and panthenol.

What it does:
Eyelash Primer Potion is like a POWERUP for mascara, boosting lash thickness and length. It also makes mascara more water- and smudge-resistant.
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