Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow Base

I'm in love with a new eye shadow base. I have been a loyal Stila base fan for more years than I can count. Over that time, I've tried and used other eye primers and bases that were good - really good - but I've never been motivated to jump ship entirely. Now, I've been nudged into the lifeboat. Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow Base ($30) is fantastic.

Instantly transform your eyes with just one click and sweep of this silky smooth, luminous eye shadow base. Its built-in applicator and expert formula allow you to prep your lids and create the perfect canvas for flawless shadow application with dramatically extended wear.

The description doesn't say it all. Edward's eye shadow base and primer:

• Evens skin tone, taking the red out;
• Applies like a dream, smoothly and evenly with little application effort;
• Looks bright without any shimmer on my eyelids;
• Says put all day and more, without creasing or creeping;
• Holds even "stubborn" eye shadows in place, making them look just-applied 12+ hours later.

The product comes in three shades. Cashmere is a light beige. I ordered sight unseen, and the color is perfect for me. When applied and blended, from lash line to brow, it looks like my own skin - only even toned. There is a medium bisque shade, Dune. Those with dark skin were not left out. Suede is a deep tan shade. I haven't seen it in person, but it looks dark in the online swatch.

It's my personal preference to apply a sweep of this base to my eyelid or palm and then blend it with my touch-up brush or fingers. I don't try to blend it with its own brush.

Once I used the Illuminating Eyeshadow Base for a few days and noticed that it worked really well with my "everyday" eye shadows, I gave it the supreme test. I applied a sparkly eye shadow. Many sparkly eye shadows lose their sparkles after a few hours - not all, but a majority. I find they morph between application and removal, which can sometimes be a a duration of 16 hours. I applied the sparkly shadow at 7:00 am and took off for work. I made careful mental note of the sparkles (where, how many, etc.). I did a scan before I removed the shadow at 9:00 pm. Not a single sparkle was gone - not one! That blew me away. My eye shadow looked like I had just applied it.

The only thing I don't like about Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow Base is the propylene glycol in the ingredients. It's a hydrator, but not one I welcome in my cosmetics. There are equally effective hydrators that are more friendly, but they are more costly to manufacturers than propylene glycol. I guess the PG is balanced by the botanical ingredients. Had I been the designer, I would have used something else for the hydrating properties.

Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow Base is available at Sephora online, where I purchased mine, and Zuneta. It's also available at Sephora's Union Square site in New York City. Or, you can find it at Edward Bess counters at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. Everyone should use an eye shadow base, and this is an incredible new option.

Photo courtesy of Sephora