Review: ELF Flawless Finish Foundation

I purchased ELF's Studio Flawless Finish Foundation when it was first released in December, but it quickly made it into the "forgotten products" pile since I buy new foundations all the time and was more excited about those. This foundation retails for $6 on ELF's website, which is a great price, low how ELF keeps their prices low (even though this is one of their priciest products), and with a coupon code you can get this for half price. I was so excited when this came out, it makes you think of HD (because of the name) and the pump is great, packaging is nice, but how does it perform really? I will tell you today.

ELF's Flawless Finish foundation is described as "Achieve a flawless complexion with the silky smooth e.l.f. Foundation. The lightweight and oil-free formula blends in naturally for a beautiful semi-matte finish. Applies easily and lasts all day for radiant looking skin. Provides SPF-15 to protect your skin against sun damage." You will notice that this foundation contains SPF 15 and is oil-free, however you've probably read other reviews or seen youtube videos that prove that this actually is NOT oil-free, check out the ingredients list...

"Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, isododecane, Paraffin Liquid (Mineral Oil), Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sorbitan Sesquilsostearate, Butylene Glycol, Talc, Dimethicone, Diseardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Beeswax, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Carbonate, Boron Nitride, Barium Sulfate, Caorylyl Glycol. MAY CONTAIN: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)"

Does Mineral Oil not count as oil? I am no expert here, but I found that a bit strange, a product that is marketed as being oil-free with oil clearly in the ingredients. Perhaps an ELF rep can get back to me on this.

The packaging is what impressed everyone with this product, it comes in a heavy glass bottle, with a pump and a nice cap, it looks like it's worth more than $6 I think. However, the pump nozzle has failed me already, it often gets stuck and does not dispense product, which means I have to open it up and pour foundation out the old-fashioned way. Another thing to note is this product provides you with 0.8oz, and not the standard 1oz/30ml that you get with most foundation.

I purchased this foundation in the lightest colour, "Porcelain", it is quite yellow and I would say it would suit those in and around NC15 in MAC. The colour match is pretty spot on for me. This foundation comes in 6 shades, and since the price is cheap, I have seen many reviewers purchase multiple bottles to ensure they have the right colour match. The consistency is thick.

The thing that bothers me most about this product and prevents me from using it is THE SMELL. It smells like men's cologne and soap! And it lingers throughout the day, this does not go away. Also, one pump is more than enough to do your entire face and it's hard to pump out the right amount.

The coverage is pretty good, medium-full, I love the coverage of this. But I do get that mask effect and very dry effect (on my dry skin) if I apply too much. And this does feel heavy on my skin, which I am not a fan of. I love foundation that provide good coverage, but will not walk around with a thick feeling foundation in order to get that.

I would not recommend this for those with dry skin, it does give a somewhat dewy finish, but is very thick and  definitely sticks to dry patches and makes lines look more pronounced. In the picture above you actually see the remnants of the foundation on my hand after I've applied most of it to my face (picture purpose is to show the sheen it gives). This stuff dries quickly too, which isn't good for dry skin (I can't finish blending in time).

So in conclusion, this smells terrible, the pump is defective and it's most certainty not for those with dry skin. It's a good price and a pretty bottle.

Have you tried the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation?