Smashbox Photofinish Lid Primer vs Urban Decay Primer Potion

Appearance:

- Smashbox is darker, more orange colour
- UDPP is pale beige colour
- Both blend into my skintone fine though fairer people may be bothered by a slight orange cast from Smashbox



Texture:

- UDPP has a slightly more silicone feel than Smashbox. Both are equally easy to spread and blend (when fresh).
- UDPP tends to get more tacky and leaves a residue after a year or so. With Smashbox I haven't had it long enough to tell.


Performance:

They both definitely help to prevent eyeshadows from fading and creasing, as well as making eyeshadows more vibrant that without a base. I've noticed that UDPP tends to make it harder to blend eyeshadows, but I didn't have this problem with Smashbox.

Comparison:



Primed with UDPP:


Primed with Smashbox:


There is slight creasing but not that much for both products. Also, there is a slight differences in the way each eyelid folds, hence the slight difference in result. However I did try them both a few times, and even when I switched the bases on each eye the amount of creasing was the same.


Value-wise:

In Canada, UDPP and Smashbox both retail for CA$22 each. However in US Smashbox is about $2 more than UDPP. If you compare the volume of product you get, then UDPP is the better value as it contains more than 3x the product at 10mL (0.34oz) while Smashbox has only 2.5mL (0.08oz).


Overall:

Choose UDPP if: You have fair skin and don't mind doing a bit more blending work with darker eyeshadows. Or if you just want the best value for your money.

Choose Smashbox if: You have darker skin, or if you specifically want a primer which won't affect the blendability of your eyeshadows.