Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Sponge-on Cream Makeup Review

I really enjoyed using the Flawlesss Finish Sponge-On Cream, it was nice and smooth on my skin and left it feeling soft and not clogged up like some foundations I have used.

My husband even noticed as soon as I put it on how nice it made my skin look - so that was a bonus.

The packaging is also nice - made me feel good using it as usually I just use supermarket foundations which are pretty stock standard. I would definitely use this again.

I'm not usually a fan of compacts and sponges, so I was very sceptical to try this but ended up being pleasantly surprised! I found the formula to be very lightweight and glided onto my skin. I would say it gave me medium coverage. It covered up my hyperpigmentation but did not feel or look cakey on my skin but I used a primer on my skin before, which also helped. I suffer from dark undereye circles and while it did not cover them completely, it did make a massive difference. The only issue that I found with this was that I found the compact itself to be a bit bulky and clunky and felt a little awkward to use at times but overall, really surprised by how much I enjoyed using this!

When I received an invite for this trial I was super excited. I had never tried an Elizabeth Arden foundation before so was interested to see how well it would work for me. The packaging is gorgeous! It comes in a metallic silver and gold box and inside is a matching compact. It has 2 compartments, the top one has a mirror and the foundation, then underneath is where the sponge lives.

I selected the shade Vanilla Shell which matches my pale skin perfectly. My skin is dry and sensitive so I have issues with foundation looking cakey or causing irritation. This is super creamy and on me the coverage is light to medium. I use after cleansing and moisturising, it feels quite lightweight on my skin.

I don't love or hate the sponge that comes with it, it's nothing special but gets the job done. However, I get a weird looking finish with this foundation, it doesn't look very natural on me and seems to sit on my cheeks and makes my fine lines on my forehead really noticeable. You need to be careful as I find it can cake up if you use too much. More than 1 layer on me and it starts caking really bad.  I also dislike that it doesn't feel completely dry. I got no irritation at all though which was a positive.

For me the best way to use it is over my BB cream, it gives me a nice looking complexion and lovely glow that way, however on its own it just doesn't work for me.

So while it is a lovely foundation I suggest if you have dry skin to make sure you prep your face well to stop it accentuating any dry areas and caking. I don't see this as a life changing foundation for me and I would not repurchase this unfortunately.

I was excited to be given the opportunity to trial this Elizabeth Arden foundation.I'm in my 40's, with normal to dry skin. I selected the shade Vanilla Shell which was a good match as I'm usually about an Ivory or one shade darker.

The foundation compact is very glamourous looking. It's a mirrored compact & inside is the cream foundation and a little sponge. It's a bit 'plasticky' when you feel it & on my compact the clasp didn't work, so the lid pops open again when you close it. I use a hair tie now to keep it closed.

The foundation itself can be applied 2 ways. With a dry sponge for a full coverage finish, or a wet sponge for a lighter finish.

Dry sponge application. This foundation goes on fairly heavy and is buildable so very quickly my makeup looked very heavy. Yes, my skin tone was even, and it covered imperfections but what stood out for me above the fact that it’s heavy is that I looked super shiny, oily looking. I gave it a few minutes to settle, & then realised the foundation was settling into some of my more prominent wrinkles. I then applied a finishing powder to settle the shine down a little, which worked. The finished look was okay, but the foundation did seem to absorb the powder, and through the morning I became super shiny again. Dry sponge application was also a little heavy a finish for my liking. Overall it was okay, and it felt nice on my skin, but I don't think I achieved the youthful radiance it promised, it did the opposite

I tried the wet sponge application & the coverage was much more to my liking. It was a medium coverage and still buildable in places I needed a bit more. It still finished super shiny and still settled into wrinkles. I looked like I had really oily skin. I also noticed on a couple of humid days my skin was sweating a little under the foundation. The application was better with a wet sponge, and with less coverage the wrinkles weren't filled as bad, but oily skin look just didn't look right. Yes, the really fine lines seemed less noticeable, but I think the light creamy formula particularly on my forehead crease really settled into the crease and became super noticeable! It lasted a good 6 hours, but I felt my makeup looked a little worn by mid afternoon.

The foundation itself felt lovely and light on my skin if you ignored the finish. It didn't cause my skin to breakout despite the oily shine it gave off. Removing the makeup was easy and my skin wasn't dried out after wear.

It's a pricey foundation which is why I probably had higher hopes from it. Had I paid the money I would have been upset by its performance so if you have an opportunity to try it in store first you should. While I don't tend to fret about my wrinkles there are other foundations out there that do a better job minimising wrinkles and fine lines instead of highlighting them. I wouldn't purchase this particular foundation for myself - but I'm sure others, perhaps younger than me would like it.

Ok I was super excited to receive this foundation! I love EA products and have never used one of their foundations before. Firstly the packaging! Wow, so shiny and gold and silver :) My 6 year old daughter loved it and took the cardboard packaging haha. Really like the size of it, even though it's quite thick (width wise), it's still quite small and easy to pop in a small purse. It’s a very cute compact and easy to open and close. The mirror is a decent size which is great. It comes with a sponge applicator, I did try this but really didn't like it much as it didn't seem to apply the foundation as well as another damp sponge that I already used, so I didn't use their included applicator and used my own. The foundation is quite hard (not sure if that’s the right word or not), but the previous foundation I used was a bit more slippery (or softer?). It seems that it will last a bit longer as it’s more “dense”. It doesn’t really have much of a smell, but what you can smell is pleasant and not overpowering. The colour was not too bad, maybe a little on the orangey side? I used Beige which is normally the kind of shade I would choose and this colour was pretty good but again a tinge orangey. I did find that I needed to use a bit to get good coverage for me, eg had to wipe the sponge over quite firmly to get enough to cover my scar – I have old burn scarring around my chin so need a decent coverage foundation. This foundation does cover but it takes a couple of layers to do so. It does seem to last well, I usually need to touch up a couple times a day and still did have to do so using this EA Foundation. They say they have diamond powder in this foundation and this should help with fine lines and wrinkles by not sinking in and making them stand out less. I’m not really sure if this product really did this or not, maybe a little better with my fine lines around my eyes but really not that different to me. Price wise it is definitely on the more expensive side at $75 and for me I wouldn’t usually spend that much on a foundation as I use it every day, however if it lasts for longer than my usual foundation then I would think about purchasing as I do like the foundation. All in all – a good foundation with decent coverage and looks nice on my skin. I would recommend this foundation to others, however the price would probably be a major factor in whether people would purchase or not, definitely a factor for me

I was incredibly fortunate to receive this foundation to trial from BR, and I'm absolutely sold on it. Before using this foundation I wouldn't have considerd spending this kind of money on a foundation, but this has changed my mind as it's so superior to any others that I've ever used.

The packaging is so glamorous and fancy looking, and very handy also having the sponge in the compact with the makeup.

I dampen the sponge that comes in the compact just a little to apply the foundation and it is the smoothest applying foundation I've ever tried, and it looks really natural on my skin but totally perfects it.

My skin looks glowing and perfecto with a medium coverage of this foundation, and it builds easily without any crustiness affect to provide full coverage.

This foundation lasts well on my skin and doesn't rub off too easily.. I completely love it and would absolutely buy it even though it's about twice the price of what I would usually spend on a foundation.. I feel that my skin has never looked better than when I'm wearing this, so to me it's worth it!

As soon as I found out I was on this trial I was so excited, I went straight to farmers to get colour matched, and Vanilla Shell was the perfect shade for my skin tone. They actually had quite a good range of shades for this foundation which was great. I had never tried a cream foundation before, I usually just go with the liquid so I was glad I was trialing something completely different. The packaging is so fancy! It comes in a square gold and silver compact with the Elizabeth Arden logo on the top. You open it up and there's a good sized mirror at the top and the cream foundation down the bottom, flip that up and the sponge is underneath. I find the sponge easy to use, its quite thin but it easy to hold and to apply the foundation with. The first time I used it I don't think I applied it well, I must of put too much on because I felt I was constantly dabbing my face because it felt so greasy even with powder on top. The next time I used it I tried to just apply a small amount at a time with lots of dabbing of the sponge and blending, it seemed a lot better on my face but I found my chin and around my nose still looked a bit shiny and I had to use powder again throughout the day. The coverage is really good and it seemed to stay on well. It gives my skin a nice glow which worked well at hiding my fine lines around my eyes. It didn't last all day like some foundations I have tried but as long as I carried a powder with me I could touch up parts of my face that seemed to go a bit greasy.

I can hand on heart say I've never considered using an Elizabeth Arden foundation. For some reason I thought I'd be too young for it (40-ish, cough) and that it would be too expensive.

Price-wise? That's silly of me. My favourite foundation is a few dollars dearer.

As for not right for my age? I couldn't be more wrong. In fact I think it is perfect for someone of my age with my skin type (combination/dry).

That packaging... so luxurious. You feel fancy the moment you pick it up. I love the gold compact and the big mirror, and the way the compact that holds the sponge has holes in it so that the sponge can dry between uses.

The scent is delicious - like an expensive shampoo! Yet once on your skin it dissipates so it doesn't becoming annoying.

The product itself? This is only the second cream foundation I've used and as much as I enjoyed the previous one, this is far superior. It glides on and looks oh-so natural. To the point that I thought it wasn't doing anything. Step back from the mirror and take a good look at yourself and you'll see the difference. My skin looked radiant and glowing. But it still looked like my skin. I had to layer it up over acne and discolouration to improve coverage and it didn't patch or cling to dry bits. It lasted all day and there was no oiliness. I thought I wouldn't enjoy the sponge - but I preferred it to using my current sponge. It seemed to pick up product and blend it better.

Full coverage? Nope. Definitely more medium, but I love it for this. I don't want my face to look like a mask, I want to look like a better version of me - and this foundation achieves it.

As for recommending to a friend? If my friend was wanting to look natural, but glowing, and had the cash to spare - I absolutely would.

I was so excited to try out this foundation, I loved the idea of blending out my lines, I mean who wouldn't be intrigued by such claims. I picked the shade Gentle Beige which turned out to be a perfect match for my skin.

First impressions, Its a cute wee compact with a mirror which is always handy to have. The foundation pan has a decent amount of product in it which I was glad to see with it being on the higher side of the price scale. The sponge sits underneath in its own little compartment that has tiny holes in it which would let air get in and prevent mould and all that which is nice to see. The sponge applicator is much smaller than I was expecting, its very thin so I would be interested to see if it out lives the foundation. The compact clip on mine doesn't lock though, it pops open and doesn't keep the lid down... so it wouldn't travel very well at all. Not a great look for a high end product.

The foundation its self I was really happy with, the finish is very nice and almost velvety like, with no tacky feel to the skin. I liked the way the sponge applied the foundation to my skin without streaks and blends like a dream. But again it is a very thin sponge so i'm not convinced it would last very long. As far as my lines, I felt like it blurred my annoying forehead lines really well and I was super comfortable with the way it sat on my skin. As far as wear it had a good 4 hrs plus lasting power but after 5 I felt like I needed a little touch up. Coverage wise I would say it gives a good medium cover.

Overall I am really enjoying the foundation and will happily wear it on the regular. Just a bit gutted with the clip not locking the compact shut so I have to store it in the box so it doesn't dry out.

What a great product to be selected to trial. Before kids I used to use a different version of Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish on a daily basis. With children I don't have as many occasions to wear foundation so it was lovely to upgrade from the foundation I've been using of late. When I received my package I thought it looked lovely. I liked the gold and classic red door. When I opened the package I think I let out and audible gasp lol. It is such a pretty compact. The outside of the case is so glossy you could use it as a mirror (in a very tight pinch and unneeded). It feels strong and sturdy and when opened it reveals a lovely clear mirror, the creamy foundation and lower level containing the sponge. I liked the fact the sponge tray was perforated to allow airflow and felt this would be great for helping the sponge dry out if it's just been washed. The consistency was lovely and creamy, not too soft or hard and it glided onto my face like a dream. There is no particular scent to this product but it does smell pleasant. You get a very full coverage which a lot of people would love though I found myself thinning the coverage out a bit by slightly moistening my hands and sweeping over my face. I think if I was wearing foundation every day I'd be happy with that level of coverage but since I'm generally bare faced I think it was a stretch. I went to the local Elizabeth Arden counter and was colour matched to Mocha II, this colour was perfect for me. Incidentally, they were happy to colour match me even though I explained I wasn't purchasing the product, in fact I think the lady at the counter was going to sign up to beautyreview. When I wore this I noticed many more people telling me I looked good or relaxed etc but no-one seemed to know why I looked "better" so I figured this also gave the product extra points. I also noticed that it gave me a much better/finished look in photo's. I felt "secure" in this product. I didn't feel like it was going to slip off my face and lasted perfectly during the whole time I've worn it. I removed it easily with some micellar water and there was no residue. Overall, I think this is an excellent foundation and I doubt it would disappoint, I'd definitely buy this again.