I recently ran out of my beloved Essence All About Matt powder, so I decided to play around and try something else this time around. I have heard great things on YouTube about the elf Studio Tone Correcting Powder in Cool, so I gave it a try. I paid $3.99 on the Target website.
Here's the long and the short of it: it is absolutely inferior to my favorite Essence All About Matt. It is also not the worst powder I have ever tried.
I always keep a touch up powder compact in my commuting tote bag because I get shiny throughout the day. I'm always looking for powders that are pressed in a compact, don't look cakey on the skin, and keep my shine at bay for a few hours at a minimum. Unfortunately, the elf tone correcting powder broke immediately and doesn't keep my skin matte for more than 30 minutes. I'm not particularly rough on my travel bag (I have never broken an Essence All About Matt or L'Oreal True Blend traveling) and I don't have oily skin. The elf studio tone correcting powder didn't cake up on top of foundation, but it also didn't seamlessly melt into the skin the way hd silica powders do.
Swatches
The big selling point for this powder is that it is supposed to provide tone correcting properties. I swatched all 4 shades heavily on my finger and then swiped them together on my arm. As you can plainly see, there is no tone correcting to be had. None. Also, as you can see, if you apply heavily you may get some settling into fine lines.
The powder is functionally a very sheer white - translucent on fair skin and almost surely ashy on medium or tan skin. I did try to concentrate my brush on the green square to apply only that shade to my cheeks and I noticed zero redness tone correcting.
What I recommend instead
Instead of the elf Studio Tone Correcting Powder, I highly recommend the Essence All About Matt powder. It provides just as much tone correcting (none!), costs the same, also comes pressed into a compact, and keeps the skin matte for 3-4 hours. The Essence looks very natural over foundation and doesn't settle into fine lines. The Essence compact does not include a mirror, but it also won't break and coat the inside of your tote bag with powder.
Both powders will likely look ashy on medium to tan skin, so if you are paranoid about so-called translucent powders that leave a white cast, your search continues. On my fair skin, I have never noticed a white cast, but I also don't notice a white cast from most sunscreens.
elf Studio Tone Correcting Powder Pros:
- I've tried worse powders in the same price bracket. I do like this better than Rimmel Stay Matte, which looked cakey for touchups. This powder doesn't meld invisibly into the skin, but it doesn't sit on top and cake either.
- The price is pretty decent.
- The packaging is better than some others in the same price bracket. Mirrors are nice.
- I guarantee this will break. 100% guaranteed. Mine broke in my travel makeup bag on the morning of day one and I'm not super rough on my travel tote bag.
- My skin looks nice after I apply this powder, but I'm back to shine city in 30 minutes
- There are better options for the same money - the Essence All About Matt blows the Elf tone correcting powder out of the water
- Zero tone correcting happens. Zero. It is basically a white toned translucent powder.
- If something is your favorite, be happy with that. Don't go out buying different things because they might be better - they probably won't be!
- Be wary of internet hype. Lots of reviews for mediocre cheap makeup are SO POSITIVE because people go in expecting that cheap=bad, so when cheap=meh they are impressed. There is a difference between a good product and a good for the price product.
- You probably shouldn't buy this.
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