These two things get confused as being one in the same. While they may seem similar, they have completely different purposes. Products work differently on different people, therefore some people can use bases without a primer while other people must wear a primer and a base. I have not only hooded eyes but oil lids, so I HAVE to wear a primer, and if I do wear a base it's a very light thin layer.
Primers create a barrier between your skin & your product. (Urban Decay Primer Potion, Two-Faced Shadow Insurance to name the BEST two). They are used to help your eye shadows blend easier, to keep shadows from creasing or easily smudging off and make the shadow more true to color because the oil on your eyes isn't distorting the color and your skin isn't absorbing the color. They also may correct any discoloration that you have on your lid to ensure an even distribution of color.
Eyeshadow bases adhere to your skin and create a base color for your eyeshadow. You can use a shimmering base to liven up a flat or matte shadow, a dark base to darken up a shadow, a white base to make a color brighter or a colored base to add a different affect to a shadow by mixing different colors together. You don't only have to use things that are labeled "Eyeshadow Base" to accomplish these effects. Jumbo pencils, eye liner pencils, gel eyeliner, cream eye shadows, paint sticks, paint pots......and lots more can all be used. Eyeshadow bases also tend to crease, so putting a good primer underneath is important to keep your makeup from being ruined quickly.
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