Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Sponge-on Cream Makeup Review

The product is an absolutely beautiful mirror finish box with a red door on it and gold trim. Upon opening you will find the foundation cream and under this a thin application sponge. I was pleased with that the shade matched my skin when after applying as I wasn't sure before. It looked a little darker than it really was. Application with the sponge provided was not great. It was too thin and small to be of any use yet I thought I would give it a go. The issue I had was that the cream was clinging to my dry patches on my face and the finish was anything but flawless. I tried a second time with my beauty blender with that same results. To give it another chance I tried again to get a great finish and used my fingers with the same results. I wasn't thrilled. I try to give a product the benefit of the doubt and make it work but it wouldn't. I will probably try a few more times to apply this product in a way that it will work for my skin but so far no luck and I wasn't happy with the results, which is a really pity.

I was intrigued with this trial product. I'd never used a cream foundation before and nor have I used a product from the iconic Elizabeth Arden brand. The colour I chose was Beige.

When it came I admit to being a bit apprehensive. The colour of the product in the pan looked very Donald Trump bronze rather than beige however readers do not let this fool you.

The product comes in a gorgeous red and gold two layer compact with the iconic red door on the lid. It screams luxury. It also comes with an applicator sponge and can be used wet or dry.

Appearances can be deceiving however, when I applied it it was a perfect match for my skin. I applied it with a damp sponge and it glided on smoothly and gave me a light but full coverage with a dewy finish.

I loved how the application was so easy. You can apply it dry but this didn't work so well for me and I did try it with a brush and also a beauty blender but ultimately the sponge that came with the product was the best.

While wearing it I have had 3 people comment on how amazing my skin looks so this is a keeper for my and I will almost certainly repurchase when i've finished it.

The price is representative of a luxury brand but it is actually cheaper than the current foundation that I use, I think this will last longer as well, so per use is probably better value.

A cute gold and silver and black coloured box  directions are quite hard to read, but out with the magnifying glass and all good, just hard with the shine and colour of the box, directions are: Use a damp sponge for a lighter coverage and dry for a fuller coverage. Inside this box is a shiny gold coloured doubled layer container. Bottom layer is Black with holes on the bottom where the white sponge sits ( presumably to let the sponge breath) First layer the cream foundation with a nice mirror. Nice and attractive

I wiped the dry sponge over the foundation eek it looked way to dark, I did get my right colour. I smeared this easily over my face this glided on effortlessly, I sort of got a nice smooth rhythm going with dabbing foundation on the sponge then smearing and pushing the sponge on my face to get a even coverage and to push this creamy foundation into my skin. Coverage is medium and is quite build able, it also blended effortlessly without grabbing my skin or doing the odd exfoliating job I sometimes get. Maybe the sponge stopped the flaking of skin.

Then I used it with the sponge damp, also easy to apply it went on a little lighter. Easy pesy to use.

Ok so the hard facts when I looked at my skin this foundation worked in so it looked like it became part of my skin, not just sitting on top but blended in.

Oh it’s nice not drying or caky. I did need to do top ups (but I’m talking after a hard day’s physical work) so on that note it did survive heat and sweat. Not once did I feel sticky and It felt it quite breathable. Removal a bit of cleanser and off it came.

I’d taken to using bb creams lately as I was a bit over the heavy feeling of foundations. This is nice and light with a medium coverage that made my skin glow it made me feel like I’ve got my face on I’m back on track. Made me feel like I have nice skin and with that I felt great. I would really recommend this. As it’s easy to use blends in easily with or without a primer-looks fab with or without powder over top. And importantly it didn’t sit in my lines or age my skin it gave it a little glow. I like it very much.

I’ve trialled this foundation for almost a week through rain, shine & wind and I love it. I opted for Toasty Beige which is a tad ashy but it can’t really be helped seeing the colour range available in NZ is limited. I did however manage to make it work for me - for shade reference see the tips section below.

The beautiful packaging is very typical of the Elizabeth Arden range with the mirrored compact and gold detailing and although aesthetically pleasing, it’s plastic. You can argue that it’s quite bulky but it houses a good quality mirror and a separate compartment for the sponge with holes at the base for air.

The cream gelee-like foundation has a slight floral scent which you can’t detect on the skin. In terms of application I prefer to use the sponge, I swipe/dab gently into the product and then press it into my skin. It goes on like a cream gelee and I thought it would dry down to a powder but it remains ever so slightly tacky/wet to give a radiant looking appearance. It has buildable coverage but my preference is just to lightly go all over my face because it leaves it looking healthy and natural.

My favourite thing about the foundation (aside from the finish) is that the it doesn't break down easily which is great for me since I have oily skin. I've tried the foundation with and without finishing powder and lasts a good 8 hours without any need for a touch up.

It has a steep price but when I compare it to the other foundations I use I'm getting more product that actually looks good on the skin and better functional packaging.