Skin Care

“Product Review: ELF Prep & Hydrate Balm”

Prepping the skin before makeup application is very essential! It can either make or break your finished look. However, choosing the right products is also as important. It’s a must to find a product that really works for you.

I recently purchased Elf’s Prep & Hydrate Balm which you’ve probably seen in my ELF Autumn Haul. To say the least, I was extremely excited to use this balm with very high hopes that this will make an outstanding difference in my skin before makeup application.

Firstly, I applaud how ELF decided to pack this balm. It’s very similar to a lip balm packaging but just bigger which made application so much easier! You just have to simply glide the product all over your face.

I apply this balm right after my morning skincare routine and I let it dry for 2-3 minutes before applying my foundation or sometimes concealer. I love how cooling and relaxing it feels on the skin without any greasiness effect. It’s also very thin and almost unnoticeable when applied so it did not interfere with my foundation’s consistency. In fact, I actually did not notice any interference with every products I used in my face which I thought is amazing because the balm just camouflaged your skin.

This balm is scented with a soft and refreshing minty smell. Thankfully, the smell does not linger and even if it does, it won’t even bother me because it’s so light and actually very relaxing.

To be honest though, I did not notice any significant or apparent results from this balm. I had to re-read elf’s description about this product because I became puzzled on what this product is really for or what it really does on my skin but elf simply described it as a balm to prepare your skin before makeup application which obviously is not much of an information or help so I did a small experiment by observing any difference on days I apply this balm versus days that I don’t. The result is of course the same- No Apparent Difference! It did not help to minimize or shrink my pores, it didn’t reduce oiliness in my t-zone, it did not help my foundation to not stick on my dry areas and it did not make my makeup last longer.

What I really like about this balm is that it helped to soothe my dry areas especially around my nose when it became so dry and cracky after having a cold. In fact, it healed the dryness almost immediately so I didn’t have to worry for my foundation to cake around my nose. I love that it’s also very handy so I can bring it with me anywhere especially when I have some dry areas in my skin that I want to hydrate.

Over all, I have a mix feelings about this balm. It does help to hydrate my dry areas so this can be a really good product to anyone with normal to dry skin but I didn’t notice any effect on prepping my skin for makeup application. I love how it makes my skin so relaxed yet I’m disappointed that didn’t entirely do what it supposed to do. I think this balm is a good product to massage your face but other than that it’s not really a “musthave” product that I’d be craving for.

Have you tried this balm? Did it help to prep your skin for makeup application?

Much love,

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