e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick; Review & Swatches of Shades

ELF Moisturizing Foundation Stick

New for Spring 2014

CRUELTY FREE!!!

Price: $6 for 14 grams

Approx $.43/gram/$12 an ounce

I was really pleasantly surprised when I saw that ELF was releasing a new stick foundation since I don't think there are enough Cruelty Free foundation sticks available.

 I have always been a huge fan of stick foundations and believe that they have gotten a really bad reputation unjustly, but that concept seems to be fading away with the introduction of new products like ELF Moisturizing Foundation Stick, NYX Mineral Foundation Stick, Stila CC Stick, Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Stick, etc.

ELF's Claims about their new Moisturizing Foundation Stick:

"This creamy foundation stick glides on effortlessly for adjustable, natural-looking coverage. Enriched with antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients Shea, Vitamin E, Cocoa, Grape, Avocado, Macadamia, and Aloe to nourish and hydrate the skin for a soft, smooth, and revitalized look. The twist-up component is easy to use and perfect for on-the-go beauty!" 

E.L.F. Moisturizing Foundation stick is absolutely very creamy in consistency and applies very smoothly for any brand, but especially for ELF who's emollient based concealers and foundations can have slight drag to them but that's not an issue with the Moisturizing Stick. (The UPS guy left it outside when it was way below zero degrees and the stick still applied effortlessly.)

 Because it is so blendable, you can easily sheer this out or you can build it up to nearly full-coverage with a minimal amount of product using almost any application method under the sun, OR, you can sheer it out to light coverage. The consistency is such that it works well with most other products like primers, concealers, and powders. If you don't have dry skin, you will probably want to set the foundation stick with a powder to prevent slipping into fine lines, but that's true with any cream foundation.

Those with dry skin on the other hand will rejoice at e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick because it is moisturizing and a formula who's emollients are readily sucked up by skin leaving a natural finish with impressive wear time. 

E.L.F. included retinol in the Moisturizing Foundation Stick formula, but it isn't in a quantity large enough to really have an impact one way or another. (Even if it was in a large amount, because of the way a stick foundation is formulated, the retinol won't remain stable with the constant exposure to air with frequent use. 

The potentially beneficial ingredients included grape, avocado, Vitamin E and aloe, all of which are great. While none of the skincare ingredients will have any anti-aging benefit, they are present in larger quantities than one would expect given the low price point of the Moisturizing Foundation Stick, and they are moisturizing ingredients. (Keep this in mind that if you are break-out prone since the waxes, emollients and satin finish may not work too well for you.)

The only two negative things are the packaging and the shade selection. There are eight shades available, of which I have 3, Ivory, Nude, and Natural. Ivory and Natural both have a bit of a pink cast which is fine for half the population, but I like yellow and I hate inconsistency. Ivory in the ELF Cover Stick is distinctly yellow undertoned so I would have hoped they would keep the same pattern, but the didn't. Nude is yellow but it is very dark for me, so my only option is to mix Nude with Ivory which is certainly doable, but a pain to have to go through for a product made to be convenient. (On the plus side it forces me to highlight and contour.)

Ivory is about NW10

Natural is about NW20-25

Nude is about NC25-30

Porcelain in the E.L.F. Mattifying Compact Foundation  has distinct yellow tones and is about NC15 but in the Maximum Coverage Concealer, Elf Describes Porcelain as having "equal amounts of yellow and pink," so there is a lack of consistency with the different shade ranges, (although not as bad as many high end brands.)

As for the packaging, I like the cute little chubby stick in the Cover Stick, but that is small and easily portable at only 4 grams and less than 2 inches. The Moisturizing Foundation Stick is closer to 4 inches and is about 1.5 inches in diameter, making it almost 50% fatter than your average foundation stick which is really not needed for only 14 grams of product. Don't get me wrong, 14 grams is alot for a foundation stick or cream formula of any kind (most sticks are about 9 and cream compacts are 9-11), but they could have condensed it more since it's likely some people will detest it.

Overall, this is definitely one worth checking out. You may have to order a few shades to find a match but ELF always have 50% off specials and coupon codes so you can walk away with 2 for $6. That's like getting a liquid foundation for $2! At that price, I would say the few little nit picks I mentioned are totally insignificant, especially when you try it and realize that the formula's quality and performance are fabulous for any high end brand, let alone ELF!

e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick
Swatches of Shades
 Ivory, Nude & Natural
 Mattifying Compact
Shade Swatches Porcelain & Sand

e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick
Swatches of Shades Nude, & Natural,
Mattifying compact in Sand
 Maximum coverage Concealer Nude, Sand, 

e.l.f. Moisturizing Foundation Stick
 Swatches of Shades Nude, & Natural,
Mattifying compact in Sand
 Maximum coverage Concealer Nude, Sand,