E.L.F. Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer

I was so excited to find this while I was back home, because I have yet to find it in stock anywhere here in Canada. It was part of my Ulta haul and I think I got some pretty nifty things. I'm going back home at Christmas and I'm both tempted to visit Ulta again or ignore it for the sake of my wallet. It's full of my kryptonite! Haha!

Now while this is supposed to be a dupe for the Tatcha Silk Canvas primer, I can't compare it since I don't own it. Well, I have a small sample but I don't find that fully worthy enough for a comparison. I wanted this first in hopes to save some money if I like it and splurge on the Tatcha if I didn't. So am I still tempted to splurge? Let's find out!

You can find my review of the Kylie Cosmetics Kristen Lip Kit in my last post!

The Tatcha Silk Canvas primer costs $68 CA for a full-option (20g) and $28 CA for a mini one (7g). I found the E.L.F. Poreless Putty Primer for $8 US and Ulta online lists it for just over $10 CA. I'm actually wondering if the Putty Primer is an online-only thing here, because I've only ever seen it listed online but not in any store. If I find out a definitive answer, I'll update this post! And if you know already, please let me know in the comments.

So yeah, $68 for 20g or $10 for 21g. That's a huge gap in price. I'm sure the Tatcha one has a few better ingredients that sets it apart, but I just want something that works when it boils down to it.

Does anyone else have to give themselves a pep talk before using a product for the first time? Look at that smoothness!

I like the sleek packaging and it's easy enough to throw into your travel makeup bag and small enough to not take much room. It's plastic, but still feels substantial. There is a scent to the formula, but it's indiscernible as to what it is and it is not overbearing. The Putty Primer only comes in one shade "Universal Sheer" and I would say that is more than enough because you can't see this once it is applied.

Let's talk about that texture. I had no idea what to expect when I heard "putty". I think I had this image of that Silly Putty I used to play with while growing up where you could stretch it and poke it. Anyone else remember that? Well, I think putty in this instance is a bit of a misnomer because it is more like a balm. Like a potted lip balm. I actually like that slip in the formula. Without it, I was afraid it was not going to work for my dry skin. This works really well with my skin and just melts right in .

For lasting power, it has it. I get a good 8-12 hours of wear when using this primer. It starts to wear down around my nose first. I don't have very big pores, but I do notice a bit of a blurring effect. Because it has one of my new favorite skincare ingredients called squalane, I think this would work for a lot of people. Squalane balances oil and moisture.

I'd say the primer in my collection that comes the closest to this formula would be Benefit's POREfessional Face Primer, which retails for $43 CA (21g). The Putty Primer gives me a dose of moisture that I don't get from the POREfessional, but the blurring of the pores and staying power are all pretty similar. While I don't hate the jar packaging, it's not my favorite. I do prefer the tube format of the POREfessional.

So am I still tempted to splurge on the Tatcha primer? I can't say that I am at this time. The Putty Primer is working like a charm for me right now.

Have you tried E.L.F.'s Poreless Putty Primer, the Tatcha Silk Canvas, or both? I'd love to hear!