I have heard so many things about the Elf Poreless Putty Primer and I knew I just had to give it a go myself. It retails for about $16 AUD so it is a relatively inexpensive primer and a much cheaper alternative than the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer that retails for $79 AUD.
From a cost perspective, the Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas Primer is more than 3 times more expensive than the Elf Poreless Putty Primer when comparing the amount of product. I have the Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas Primer and I love it but use it sparsely since it is so expensive so if the Elf Poreless Putty Primer is worth the hype and is a good dupe – this will change the primer game.

I really liked the packaging. It feels a lot more luxe than what the price suggests. The product advertises that it contains squalane. Squalane is said to:
- reduce appearance of fine lines
- moisturise and soften skin
- control oil (good for acne-prone and oily skin)
These are great properties and what I look for in skincare and in a primer. My skin looked really smooth when this was applied on. It gave my pores a blurring effect which was a plus. I will say that it is difficult to get product out. I’m personally more of a fan of primers that I can pump or squeeze out.
The ingredients list between the two products is quite similar. Camellia sinensis leaf is much higher on the Tatcha ingredient list than on Elf’s meaning this ingredient is more prominent. Camellia sinensis leaf (green tea leaf extract) is known for its anti-inflammatory properties to improve skin health. Tatcha is also known for incorporating rice and Japanese ingredients in its skincare. Rice Ferment Filtrate nourishes and soothes the skin.
My expectations were set so high because of all the glowing reviews I’ve heard. I tried this primer on different days with different foundations because I was really disappointed when I first wore it and really wanted it to work. Personally, I felt the Elf Poreless Putty Primer works better with more natural and medium coverage foundations. I hated it when I paired it with my Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup which is a more full coverage foundation. However, I did like the finish with my lighter coverage foundations.
Overall, I definitely feel like the Elf Poreless Putty Primer is a good dupe for the Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas. I do prefer the finish of the Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas but I’m not rushing to get it. I would definitely recommend the Elf Poreless Putty Primer. It’s a solid product and you can’t really get much cheaper than it. My advice is to not have super high expectations for it and enjoy it for what it is – a really good drugstore product.
Have you tried the ELF Poreless Putty Primer? Did you enjoy it?

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