Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Sponge-on Cream Makeup Review

I was so excited to try out this foundation, I loved the idea of blending out my lines, I mean who wouldn't be intrigued by such claims. I picked the shade Gentle Beige which turned out to be a perfect match for my skin.

First impressions, Its a cute wee compact with a mirror which is always handy to have. The foundation pan has a decent amount of product in it which I was glad to see with it being on the higher side of the price scale. The sponge sits underneath in its own little compartment that has tiny holes in it which would let air get in and prevent mould and all that which is nice to see. The sponge applicator is much smaller than I was expecting, its very thin so I would be interested to see if it out lives the foundation. The compact clip on mine doesn't lock though, it pops open and doesn't keep the lid down... so it wouldn't travel very well at all. Not a great look for a high end product.

The foundation its self I was really happy with, the finish is very nice and almost velvety like, with no tacky feel to the skin. I liked the way the sponge applied the foundation to my skin without streaks and blends like a dream. But again it is a very thin sponge so i'm not convinced it would last very long. As far as my lines, I felt like it blurred my annoying forehead lines really well and I was super comfortable with the way it sat on my skin. As far as wear it had a good 4 hrs plus lasting power but after 5 I felt like I needed a little touch up. Coverage wise I would say it gives a good medium cover.

Overall I am really enjoying the foundation and will happily wear it on the regular. Just a bit gutted with the clip not locking the compact shut so I have to store it in the box so it doesn't dry out.

I'm not usually a fan of compacts and sponges, so I was very sceptical to try this but ended up being pleasantly surprised! I found the formula to be very lightweight and glided onto my skin. I would say it gave me medium coverage. It covered up my hyperpigmentation but did not feel or look cakey on my skin but I used a primer on my skin before, which also helped. I suffer from dark undereye circles and while it did not cover them completely, it did make a massive difference. The only issue that I found with this was that I found the compact itself to be a bit bulky and clunky and felt a little awkward to use at times but overall, really surprised by how much I enjoyed using this!

I was lucky enough to be picked by BR to review this foundation on a trial team. First impressions of this were good. The packaging is beautiful and the weight of the compact makes it feel expensive. It's an easy open and shut compact and has two levels to house the product and sponge. It's gold and shiny and has the iconic Elizabeth Arden red door on the front. The product has a very creamy texture and does give really good coverage. The first time I applied it I used the sponge that comes with the product and I found it quite patchy and uneven. This speaks more to my lack of skills using a sponge than it does the product. On the subsequent applications I used a stippling brush (that I would usually use to apply liquid foundation) and got great results. I didn't need to use much product at all and got really even, full coverage. It really did improve the appearance of my skin and made this tired mum look amazing! I used a Stila primer underneath the foundation as I always use one and did my usual routine of using a translucent powder to set it. The foundation lasted all day on some quite warm days too. It resisted melting off and felt quite comfortable to wear even when it was warm. I really enjoyed using this foundation and will continue to use it. It gives such good coverage and creates the perfect base for the rest of your makeup look.

This is the first time I've used anything by Elizabeth Arden, and I have already fallen in love with the product. Bling is every girls thing, you just fall in love with the package.

The cream Foundation blends in perfectly with my color skin and my skin type.

My face feels flawless and when I apply the cream foundation on my face it stays matte the whole the day through out. I don't have to keep running to the bathroom to check up on my make up.

It blends in perfectly with my skin.

I recommend you try it out you will not regret it, it is worth every cent.

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.

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.

Packaging: From the photo I was expecting the compact to be metal but its plastic giving a bit of a cheap feel. For the price it seems like they could of made it metal like a sturdy re-cycle-able tin. The thick compact has a mirror and separate compartment for the applicator. The applicator is very standard you might want to use a brush or beauty blender.

some additives: It contains mineral oil/liquid paraffin this is basically a by product of petrol. It clogs pores and doesnt allow skin to breathe. Although there is some research that highly refined cosmetic grade mineral oil wont clog pores companies dont need to disclose the quality & there's evidence that something in it - 1,4-Dioxane is a carcinogen. Talc.This mineral can have asbestos contamination. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrate cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that can be toxic and carcinogenic. Silica and Talc absorbs oil so this would help keep the foundation from being too oily. Kaolin. This is a clay which helps exfoliate skin and cleanse.

Product function: I disagree that it goes on "effortlessly" the cake was a little hard. I wet the sponge applicator to apply and this worked. I was hit by a detergent smell which i thought was the applicator but the foundation actually smells like it too. Once applied, it seems to lighten a little & look okay this must be the light reflecting thing in the description working. I am very fair and I got warm sun beige. At first seems orange but looked more yellow when all over my face. It depends on the lighting I guess. After about 4 or 5 hours I noticed my skin had absorbed a lot of the make up so I would not say this is long lasting although I did not use primer. It will apply fairly easy with a wet applicator and it is creamy but does not have an amazing silky feeling like conditioner or silicone based primers. The next time I wore it with a lighter foundation over the top to balance the fact it is too dark for me using the Elizabeth Arden like a contouring base and a light other branded foundation on other areas. It lasted very well in the light rain for several hours. But afterwards looked bad you could tell I was wearing foundation and it looked all the same shade like the darker foundation which could of been oxidization or the darker Elizabeth Arden one dominating the lighter foundation. I could see it sitting in my pores. I didnt see a huge change in diminishing the look of aging but it has a little smoothing effect & gave a healthy glow as described. Although it sates that this is ideal for medium to dry skin its not very hydrating. I suggest trying with a primer and moisturizer.

Verdict. Not something I would spend $75.00 on. I have seen them cheaper on trade me. The diamond powder addition gives this a nice high end luxury feel.

I really enjoyed using the Flawlesss Finish Sponge-On Cream, it was nice and smooth on my skin and left it feeling soft and not clogged up like some foundations I have used.

My husband even noticed as soon as I put it on how nice it made my skin look - so that was a bonus.

The packaging is also nice - made me feel good using it as usually I just use supermarket foundations which are pretty stock standard. I would definitely use this again.

Since I am currently just over the mid-40s, this foundation has really stood out head and shoulders above my normal foundation. I have pretty dry skin and are now showing quite a few age spots (that drives me insane).

I picked the lightest shade and this is a perfect match. This foundation applied smoothly with the supplied application sponge, does not highlight wrinkles or pores, and provides great coverage. I would prefer to use this during the winter months because of my very dry skin during colder months, during warmer seasons, I prefer to rather just use BB creams and tend to only use creme foundations at special occasions.

Admittedly, some concealer might be needed for dark spots. As for the lasting power of 12-hours as it claims - I've had it on early morning till about 9 pm and only had to do about 2-3 powder touch-ups, during the day (midday and after work).

I found that this foundation was fine for dry skin, doesn't smell. It looked pretty expensive with the gold packaging and it was easy to open and the nice gold case matched nicely. Unfortunately, I feel that the outer packing is a waste.

I used the supplied sponge and it does go on quite thick I found that I just had to dab, or tap it onto the areas I wanted to cover then blend it out – I suggest using a beauty blender to really blend it out along my nose & forehead area. I found that I could layer up more if needed.

I found that it did not cause any irritation or dried out my skin out, but have found that moisturising well is a must before using the product. I believe that the product will travel easy with no spills and great for the no liquid allowance for international travel. Love the compact look – the gold not so much.

Overall, I have to say this was one of my favourite foundations but don’t think it is totally worth investing the money for and exceeds my budget ($75), however, it is a nice to have.

I was very lucky to trial this product and very satisfied with the product. I found the consistency of the cream nice and smooth to sponge on. Easy to use, I tryed it dry and it covered my face really nice, and also tryed it with a damp sponge which was also a nice coverage. I found I didn't have to use that much to get a nice even tone on my face. It doesn't have a fragrance which is good , no nasty smell. This product for me does last all day like it states on the packaging. I like the look of the compact easy to have in your make up bag.Has a good mirror on it and a good space for the sponge to fit. I think this product will last me a bit longer than a month , I think it is definitely worth the price. I definitely noticed the results after trialing this , it's very affected compared to other products I've used. I would totally recommend this to everyone looking for a good Flawless finish cream.