ELF's Flawless Finish Foundation

 ELF's Flawless Finish Foundation has it's pros and cons. In general I like it, but there are some things I would change about it.

It's not too expensive at $6, but keep in mind you're only getting 0.8 fl oz (most drugstore foundations give you a ful ounce. If you do the math you're paying more PER OUNCE for this ELF foundation than you will for a lot of drugstore foundations) and you may have to pay for shipping, if you can't find it in a store near you, or you don't get in on one of ELF's awesome sales.

The bottle has a pump, which is a nice touch, but it's not easy to control it. I usually ended up getting way too much, so I started unscrewing the whole thing and getting the prodoct out that way.
 

It's got a nice finish. Satin-esque. Not dewy. Not matte.

SPF 15 is great.

 
It's not easy to blend evenly if you apply it straight. I HAVE to either use a primer or use a heavily dampened sponge to blend it out well. That said, it looks pretty good even if you only use a super cheap sponge to apply it.

You can definitely feel this on your skin. It's not light-weight at all. It doesn't feel disgusting or anything but you know it's there.

My shade is Porcelain, the lightest shade they have. It's not a perfect match, but it's not so far off that it's unwearable. With only 6 shades to choose from though, what can you expect? The Porcelain shade has a slight yellowish undertone. Most brands overdo the undertones, whatever they may be, but I think ELF got it spot on with this shade. It's an easy shade to wear, if you're pale.

The most startling thing about this product in the scent. It's very strong and I can smell it on my skin for about 2 hours after I've applied it. I'm not really sure if the scent goes away after that or if my nose just gets used to it. It's not a totally unpleasant scent, kind of powdery, but it's much stronger than I'd like.

It's a medium coverage with a satin finish. It says it's "oil-free" but it does contain mineral oil and some people with oily skin have reported looking a bit greasy after application. And I suspect that it could irritate those with sensitive skin, with all the fragrance they add.

Final Verdict
I like this foundation a lot more now than I did when I first tried it but I haven't decided yet if I'll repurchase it or not.

 

NYC's Smooth Skin Liquid Makeup

Anyone who has ever shopped for makeup at the drugstore is probably familiar with the New York Colors brand. It's synonymous with cheap right? Well, that doesn't necessarily put me off of anything. Sometimes you can find great products for very little money, and we all know that the splurge doesn't always pay off. So I decided to give NYC's Smooth Skin Liquid Foundation a try.

I was pulled in by the roughly $3 dollar price tag, for 1 fl oz,  and the name "Smooth Skin." I figured if it ended up being awful, I would have only wasted a few bucks. Turns out, the purchase was NOT a waste, by any stretch.

First off, my shade is Ivory 676, the lightest shade they offer, and has slight pink undertones. (I think they've only got 6 shades to choose from) I want to say it's a flat-out LIGHT coverage foundation, but some people might consider it to be light-medium coverage. Freckles definitely show through and if you normally need to conceal certain imperfections, this foundation won't lessen that necessity. It's got a slightly satin finish. Definitely not dewy but not fully matte either. It really does mimic skin. But like I said, it doesn't cover everything. It mostly evens out skin tone for a natural look.

The foundation is very thick and it does not come with a pump. I've read a lot of reviews from people who HATE that about this product, but it's not such a big deal to me. Once you get it out of the bottle it's very easy to apply. You just need to use a q-tip to get it out, or give the bottle the ole'Heinz 57 SMACK! You may end up wasting some of it doing that, but hey, it only cost $3 dollars!

The website claims that it lasts up to 12 hours. I've never tried to make mine last that long, but it does stay put through my 8 hour work day. I haven't had any problems with transfer either. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this a try if you're on a budget and on the look-out for a lightish coverage foundation.