There was a period of time a few months ago when the e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer was out of stock all over the place. I couldn’t help but be curious about this vegan and cruelty free primer that was popular enough to keep selling out. It claims to have smoothing properties and uses squalane to grip makeup and seal in moisture. Once I was able to get my hands on a budget friendly jar of it, I started using this primer with my favorite foundations to see how it performs.
Price: $8
Find it HERE
Tested October 2019
The primer is a very light pink color in the jar, but it goes on totally colorless on my skin. I apply from the jar with clean fingers and tap and press it on the inner portion of the cheeks near the nose, and then smooth a thin layer over the rest of the cheeks and a little on the chin.
There’s no detectable scent or fragrance in this product, and although it feels like a light oil/balm in the jar, as soon as it’s applied to the skin it’s virtually invisible with no sheen. Basically, when I smooth it on my face, I can’t see it and I can’t feel it.
This primer is so undetectable that I almost wonder if does anything. I can say there’s a whole list of things it doesn’t do: it doesn’t make me break out; it doesn’t pill on the skin, even if I add another layer; it doesn’t change the color or texture of my other complexion products; it doesn’t grip product in a way that creates patchiness; it doesn’t work any noticeable miracles, but it also doesn’t cause any noticeable problems.
Looking really closely at my skin when I’m wearing it, I do think it fills in my larger pores. At least enough so that the foundation or product I put on top doesn’t collect in them. I can’t say this made any difference in the longevity or wear time of my makeup overall, and I’m left feeling pretty neutral about this primer. I think there’s no real downside to giving it a shot, especially at only $8, but the most rousing cheer I can give it is that it’s absolutely fine.
Leave a Reply