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It can be hard to get a smooth finish on your foundation, even when you apply and blend it carefully. That’s why many makeup wearers add a primer or base on top of their moisturizer and below their foundation.
I’m one of those primer users, and was excited to try out the e.l.f Poreless Putty Primer because I’m also one of those unlucky people with large pores in my T-zone area. Plus I haven’t been totally satisfied with the liquid primers I’ve used before. The e.l.f. primer sells on Amazon for $8.50, which is an affordable price for a good base coat.
It comes in a round compact and is indeed more of a moist, putty texture that looks white but goes on clear. It has received rave reviews online for how it creates a smooth surface on your skin without drying it out, and this was exciting to me because I tend to have greasy skin a few hours after washing my face and moisturizing.
One key ingredient in the Putty Primer is the natural lipid squalane, which is added to “moisturize and grip makeup for all-day wear,” according to the product’s packaging. “The velvety texture glides over the skin, smoothing over imperfections for a poreless effect.”
The directions say to apply a small amount on moisturized skin and allow it to set for 30 seconds before adding foundation on top of it.
E.l.f. also has a putty application brush with an application end, but I just used my fingers.
Here’s what I looked like before and after applying the primer, and with foundation and powder on top of the primer. I added no other makeup.
I thought the putty primer went on smoothly and definitely helped add a layer to fill in my pores, especially the ones on my nose. Even with foundation and loose powder on top, my skin still felt noticeably smooth.
I wore my makeup for the rest of the day, and it held up well. My skin didn’t feel tight from too much product, and while I did get the typical grease sheen on my forehead several hours later, I was able to dab it away with oil-absorbing paper. I also felt like my nose wasn’t as greasy as it can sometimes get.
The product has 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon with over 24,400 reviews. Amazon reviewers liked everything from the product’s price to its effectiveness.
“There’s no weird residual clumps that you get from the silicon-based solutions, however you will get that ‘blurring effect’ which is what I’m going for,” wrote NatashaKnows.
“This instantly melted my textured skin into a satin matte smooth surface,” wrote another reviewer, Duffey. “Definitely recommend this to people who struggle with textured skin or large pores.”
I’m going to keep using the Putty Primer under my foundation as I liked how it helped my makeup go on more evenly.
Have you tried this product?
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