E.L.F. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer Review & Swatches

E.L.F. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer ($10) is a new cream/liquid version of the E.L.F. Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer that launched for Spring 2019 as a dupe of Tatcha’s The Silk Canvas Protective Primer. Since its launch E.L.F.’s Putty Primer has spawned plenty of its own dupes like Hard Candy Smoothing Primer Balm, Makeup Revolution Conceal & Fix Pore Perfecting Primer, Physicians Formula Butter Believe It! Putty Primer, and more!

This new Liquid Poreless Putty Primer is a creamy liquid with the same benefits as the original. It promises to provide a gripping base for long-lasting makeup wile giving skin a smooth, poreless finish.

E.L.F. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer arrives in a squeeze tube that’s 0.94 oz in size and $10. The original formula is also $10 but it’s a bit smaller at 0.74 oz. Although both promise to keep makeup wearing long they do have considerably different ingredients and a different texture.

Original formula ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, Ceresin, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(trimethylsiloxy)silylethyl Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract , Squalane, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Talc, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

New formula ingredients:
water (aqua), dimethicone, hdi/trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, trimethylsiloxysilicate, glycerin, c9-12 alkane, polymethylsilsesquioxane, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, propylene lycol, hydrogenated polyisobutene, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, sodium chloride, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, phenoxyethanol, disteardimonium hectorite, silica, propylene carbonate, ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol, disodium edta, triethoxycaprylylsilane, squalane, butylene glycol, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, cyclodextrin, polydextrose, resveratrol,
tocopherol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499)

I’ll go so far and as to say I like the new formula and packaging better than the original. The original is nice but I do like like the new consistency and packaging on this new version. Like the original this is a light pink color. It’s a bit runny but has a lightly creamy consistency that applies easily and didn’t pill. I don’t have visible pores on my face but do have smaller ones on my nose and this did an excellent job blurring those. I’m not particularly keen on silicone primers but this wore comfortably on my drier skin and left it feeling smooth with a light, silky finish. After several hours the formula didn’t feel greasy nor oily and still felt as smooth as the when I applied it. It did a nice job extending the wear of both my foundation and blush as well and I felt my makeup looked fresher after several hours of wear. This is completely fragrance-free.

One thing I do think deserves mentioning is it feels like the solid version might be a bit more matte in finish than this new version. This has a silky smooth finish but for some reason I felt the solid felt a bit more matte. If you have drier skin like I do I think you’ll get on just fine with it.

If you didn’t really like the solid formula I think you’ll be pleasant surprised by the liquid version. This is a very nice formula that provides a smooth canvas for makeup and aids in allowing your foundation to wear longer and look fresher.

E.L.F. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer is available now on the brand’s website and should be coming soon to mass retailers like Ulta.

Where to buy

ELF Ulta