Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Sponge-on Cream Makeup Review

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.

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 really excited to trial this foundation as my skin has changed dramatically over the past year while being pregnant, I develop pigmentation spots on my cheeks and forehead and then after giving birth my skin lacks radiance and appears rather dull. I normally use Dermacol make up cover in shade 208 but I have been looking for something with a more natural finish and is quicker to apply.

I choose the shade Vanilla Shell which is probably a tad too dark for my porcelain skin but as the shade selection in NZ is limited it looked to be the best match by going off swatches on the Elizabeth Arden website.

The foundation is very creamy and light in texture which makes application easy especially on my skin which is currently dry. It can be applied in two ways depending on the type of coverage you wanted. I mainly applied it dry rather then damping the sponge as I need fuller coverage. The packaging of the foundation is very stylish. It comes in a gold and silver compact with the Elizabeth Arden logo on the front. The compact has two compartments one houses the foundation and mirror and the second contains a sponge. The things I like about the packaging are firstly the mirror, it makes applying make up on the go easy and secondly the air vents at the bottom of the compact keep the sponge fresh. The thing I think could be improved on is the feel of the packaging which is rather plasticky considering the price and the fact it does scratch easily.

The foundation states it contains " Micronized Diamond Power" or real diamonds which are suppose to help blur fine lines and other imperfections. I found that this foundation helped conceal redness on my cheeks and it did blur some fine lines around my eyes which gave a lovely radiant glow to my skin however it didn't cover much of the pigmentation I have on my forehead which is the one thing I was hoping this foundation would do. In my opinion I would not consider this foundation to be "flawless finish" as the name suggests.

It is a nice foundation and I like the concept of the compact with a mirror and sponge but it didn't quite live up to its name especially considering the higher end price. For me personally I wouldn't repurchase this as it didn't cover my pigmentation spots which my usual foundation does and it costs half the price.

If you are after a compact foundation with a natural looking finish and lasts a good eight hours and are not worried about full coverage then this could be for you. I would advise to get colour matched in store though.

I was excited about getting to review this product. I haven’t had much luck with Elizabeth Arden products in the past but was open to giving this one a go. I also was a wee bit concerned about this type of foundation as I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Moisture Mist Beauty Cake foundation either.

I must say I do adore the packaging of this. The lovely gold packaging with the mirrored lid and red door is very classic. I think having the sponge in there is lovely too as it makes it easy to take on the go and not worry about forgetting a brush or it getting dirty. It is reasonably bulky though so maybe not one for travelling with if you are trying to reduce the size of items. I do also wonder whether you can get refills of the foundation as it seems like such a waste to chuck out the beautiful packaging when you are finished.

The foundation does have a slight smell to it, but nothing offensive. This also doesn’t have any SPF in it - although I would never rely on foundation alone for this. I also just have to mention that the shade selection is a bit poor with only appearing to have eight shades in the NZ market - none of which were quite pale enough for me (but I’ve tried to ignore that in my review as my face shade isn’t your problem). I do find this cream product a strange one to use a sponge with as with these sorts of products they seem to work better once they warm to your skin and then they blend better so often I like to use a brush to get a more sheer application. I did find with the sponge provided that I got a nice medium coverage that didn’t look cakey at all. I think my favourite part though was that it still looked like skin and had some luminosity which is impressive for this type of foundation.

Overall I actually quite enjoyed this foundation despite my initial misgivings about it. So if you can find a shade that suits you I definitely think it would be worth a whirl.

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.

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.

Presented in a stylish signature Elizabeth Arden red door gold compact, this foundation is a fantastic addition to any makeup essentials kit. With its compact size, built in mirror and included sponge applicator, it is also perfect to pop in your purse for those on the go touch ups.

The cream formula is silky in texture, and glides on easily. Most importantly it blends beautifully to leave your skin looking natural and flawless. The colour and coverage that this foundation provided was fantastic, and really is my favourite foundation to date. It was light on my skin while still providing the level of coverage required.

I found the foundation to deliver on its promise of a flawless finish. It really evened out my skin tone, covered those problem areas, and diminished the look of fine lines. It also lasted throughout the day without diminishing or becoming cakey.

I will definitely be using this foundation again, and recommend it to everyone.

I usually use a liquid foundation, so this sponge on cream foundation was a very different experience for me. It definitely took a little getting used to with the application side of things. Lucky for me I was in Auckland the other week and ended up getting my makeup done at the Elizabeth Arden Boutique on Queen Street where they showed me how to apply this foundation. They also used their own brand primer underneath which definitely made a difference so I purchased that which made the makeup application free!

The packaging is a glamorous gold compact, which opens to a mirror and the cream foundation pan that also lifts up to reveal a thin, square sponge. It is a little bit fiddly to get the sponge out. Perhaps because of hygiene reasons, but the makeup artist used a brush and not the sponge to apply this - I came home and used the sponge included but ended up streaky and patchy so I blended it out with a beauty blender. I have since used a brush to spread it out and pat it in and it gives very nice and even coverage. A very radiant, airbrushed look.

Overall I love the coverage and feel of the makeup on my skin, but I think on its own it is a bit wet - in that it smudges easily onto my phone or jacket collars. It definitely needs to be set with a bit of powder. Once that is done it lasts for ages - even the biggest, sweatiest of concerts it’s still picture perfect at the end of the night - and that is definitely from experience! The medium - heavy coverage is great and doesn’t feel caked on. It’s sheer in product but heavy on coverage which is great for mature skin where wrinkles seem to be accentuated by heavy foundations but you need heavy to cover dark spots and uneven tone - it used to be a no win situation for me but now I’m winning with this one.

I’m not totally 100% on the colour range - I have been fake tanning lately so the colour was perfect for me now - but if I’m my regular pasty ‘au naturale’ self all the colours are too tan looking, even the lightest shade. I really like this foundation and hope they extend the colour range in the future because I will repurchase it, who knows maybe they’ll make a more ‘pasty’ colour range! I love that it doesn’t take up much room in my makeup bag and won’t spill!

I was really excited to be chosen for this trial team as I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Arden products but I haven't tried any of their foundations before. I selected Warm Sunbeige and was pleased that it turned out to be a good match for my skin.

I love the appearance of the product, it comes in a classy gold compact with a mirror and separate compartments for the foundation and sponge. I did think the sponge was a bit thin and small though compared to other brands compacts that I have used in the past.

I was impressed that this foundation was easy to blend and provided quite an even coverage. However I felt it provided more of a medium coverage than a full coverage, while my skin appeared smoother I felt that it didn't provide as much coverage for my sun spots and pigmentation as I would like.

For $75 I probably wouldn't buy this foundation for myself unless there was a really good sale. While it did a pretty good job I felt it didn't meet all my expectations around full coverage and a radiant finish that lasts all day.

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.