Makeup primer is one of those products that can make all the difference. When they work, they will make your makeup look better than ever. When they don’t, they’ll ruin everything you put over them. Because of this, I’m always wary of changing my primer, but so many people recommended the Elf Poreless Putty Primer that I just had to try it for myself.
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What Does It Offer?
Elf Poreless Putty Primer is a skin-perfecting makeup primer infused with Squalane that will help your makeup last for an entire day. It has a velvet texture that glides perfectly over the skin. It will smooth over any surface and minimize the appearance of pores.
Elf Putty Primer comes in three variations: Matte Putty Primer, which offers a shine-free complexion, Luminous Putty Primer, which gives you a radiant complexion, and the Poreless Putty Primer, which will minimize your pores and which is the product I decided to check out.
What Is the Product Like?
As always, I’ll start with the packaging. Elf Poreless Putty Primer comes in a plastic, 0.72 oz container. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed, as I expected glass packaging – though, for a price that is less than $10, this is to be expected. The packaging looks like a typical Elf container – the bottom is transparent, but the cap is black with elongated, white letters. Also, the primer doesn’t come with any spatula or pick that might help you scoop up the product. While this isn’t a huge issue, I’d prefer having a spatula rather than using my fingers.
Elf Poreless Putty Primer is, in fact, said to be a dupe for a $50 Tatcha’s Silk Canvas Primer, which immediately raised my expectations very high. Other than price, another difference noticeable at the first glance is the amount of product you’ll get. Believe it or not, Elf’s primer actually has 0.02 more product!
The product’s texture is creamy and silky, although it does feel like putty at first touch. It looks slightly pink, but once applied, the color disappears. Even if you have darker skin, you should be fine using this product, as it becomes entirely transparent. It won’t even leave a white cast on the skin that many other primers have.
Performance-wise, Elf Poreless Putty Primer works almost just as well as Tatcha’s Silk Canvas. Your skin absorbs it easily, and it will turn your skin into a texture-free canvas for makeup. Foundation won’t slip from it, and it won’t create any creasing. As this primer serves as a layer between your skin and foundation, it prevents skin oils from disrupting with your makeup. In other words, your foundation will last much longer with this primer. Actually, it seems like this product makes the foundation last even longer than the Tatcha’s primer! It does a better job of removing oils.
Compared to its Matte and Luminous versions, Elf Poreless Putty Primer doesn’t intervene with the foundation’s finish. It simply perfects the texture of your skin, which gives your foundation a better overall appearance. Even if you don’t set everything with a powder, you won’t experience any oil patches for quite some time. And if you have mostly dry skin, like myself, it won’t leave your foundation looking cakey and piled on.
The only flaw I can see with the product itself is that it is very thick. You’ll feel it on your skin no matter how much you spread it. While the feeling isn’t uncomfortable, some people will probably dislike it. I would personally prefer having more light-weighted products on my skin. And before anyone asks – no, it didn’t cause my skin to break, and the thickness isn’t visible. However, it is something that I have to notice.
Overall, there aren’t too many differences between Elf Poreless Putty Primer and Tatcha’s Silk Canvas when it comes to the product’s performance. Tatcha’s primer has a much better smell than Elf Poreless Putty Primer, but that’s about it. In fact, I might even say I like the Elf’s primer better, but that might be a bias due to the price difference – which has to be mentioned. As Tatcha’s primer is around $40 more expensive, I have expected it to perform so much better than the Elf’s one.
Ingredients
I compared the ingredients of Elf Poreless Putty Primer and Tatcha’s Silk Canvas just to see if there is any noticeable difference. Both products contain many same elements, including Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Squalane, Dimethicone, as well as Titanium Dioxide. They are arranged in a different order, so their amount is not the same, but the formula is very similar.
Tatcha’s primer also contains Silk Powder and Hydrolyzed Silk, which is lacking in Elf’s formula. At the same time, Elf’s formula is fragrance-free, which is a downside for some, but it’s great for those hating scented products.
Is It Vegan And Cruelty-Free?
Elf is a cruelty-brand that has been certified by PETA. This means that none of its products, ingredients, or formulations has been tested on animals. Also, Elf doesn’t sell its products to countries where animal testing is mandatory for imported products. This makes it an entirely cruelty-free brand.
Simultaneously, Elf is a 100% vegan brand. None of its products contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products, and Elf Poreless Putty Primer is no different.
Before And After
Elf Poreless Putty Primer is a dupe for Tatcha’s Silk Canvas, and it does a great job of hiding pores and texture.
It suits all skin tones, and comes in three variations.
The product is easy to apply and it perfects the look of your foundation.
Conclusion
Overall, Elf Poreless Putty Primer surpassed my expectations. While I did hear it is a dupe for Tatcha’s famous primer, I didn’t expect it to work equally as good, if not even better. It is soft to the touch and smooth, albeit a bit thick on the skin, and it truly does what its name says – it makes your face look poreless. All of that for a very affordable price! No matter if your skin is dry or oily, I am sure you will love this primer.
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