The new e.l.f. Soft Glam Satin Foundation is causing quite a stir… because despite being only $8, it seriously performs like high end.
If you’ve been looking for that goldilocks just right foundation, this one may be for you. The e.l.f. Soft Glam Satin Foundation offers medium buildable coverage with a long lasting satin finish. The breathable formula is infused with hydrating hibiscus complex, and is non-comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores. Plus, it’s 100% vegan and cruelty free. What’s not to love?
The Soft Glam foundation comes in 36 shades from fair to rich, in cool, neutral and warm undertones. I purchased Light Neutral 21 and Light Warm 22. I’d say 21 is a better match for me, though I could pull off the warmer shade in a pinch with the help of bronzer and concealer.
I’ll admit, I usually go for full coverage foundations because I experience acne and hyperpigmentation once my acne is healed. When I hear medium coverage, my mind hears sheer. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to build this up to medium-full. My complexion was very much evened out, with only my darkest spots showing through— and that was without the use of any concealer. With a little concealer or color corrector, this would do just as well as most of my full coverage foundations.
Despite having very decent coverage, this foundation feels incredibly lightweight. I really can’t feel it much on the skin at all, really. It’s flexible, and feels great on my combo/dry skin. I never felt like my skin was being covered or dried out. It also looked incredibly smooth on my skin despite my texture and didn’t accentuate dry areas. The formula does contain several silicones, which helps smooth over texture and minimize the appearance of pores.
The satin finish is perfect— it’s not dewy, it’s not matte, it just looks like a second skin. I think people with both dry and oily skin will find it to be flattering.
I put this foundation to the test without setting it with powder or setting spray on a hot Vegas day— it was 104° F out, and I worked up a sweat during a walk in the park. While I did get a little bit of product transfer when I blotted away my sweat, for the most part the foundation looked very good even after 9 hours of wear.
Watch the video below to see my entire wear test:
The main things I noticed were slight creasing in my expression lines (especially my laugh lines) and a bit of breaking apart near my nostril, which is my oiliest area and where sweat collected on my walk. When I tested the foundation using setting spray, both of these issues were minimized dramatically to be practically non-existant.
Even without setting the foundation, I didn’t get very shiny throughout the day. I lost a little bit of coverage with my darkest spots slightly more visible, but again, using concealer can help with this.
Though I have combo/dry skin, I feel like this would still work well for oily skin types. As long as you’re wearing a matte primer and set your makeup, I would imagine it would perform well.
For $8, this is an incredibly impressive drugstore foundation. I love how it looks so natural on my skin while offering the right amount of everyday coverage for me. It’s versatile enough for lighter looks but can hold its own for a full face of glam makeup with the help of concealer and setting products. It’s already become a go-to for me, personally.
Buy it on Amazon or the e.l.f. website.
– Miranda
