Review: The Elizabeth Arden foundation that cares for skin

The new Elizabeth Arden foundation has been designed with anti-ageing in mind. But is it worth the €60 price tag?

I have to admit I've not been keeping up to date with all the Elizabeth Arden foundation launches of late. So, when the new Prevage Foundation (€60) landed on my desk, I was excited to test it out. From the outset, I liked the design of the packaging; it's sleek, silver and has a pump action lid (that can be unscrewed which is always a plus).

More importantly, though, it came with the promise of SPF30 as well as anti-aging ingredients. What's not to like about all that?

The Prevage foundation was created as an extension of the hugely successful, antioxidant rich Prevage anti-ageing skin care collection. The idea is that the foundation works with the skin care to reduce the signs of ageing, improve skin texture, rehydrate and blur imperfections.

There are eight shades in the range, (which surprised me a little as I'd hoped for more) and above you can see Shade 2 in action. While the colour isn't right for my skin tone, you can see that there's a smooth, medium coverage finish. Also, skin is definitely left with more of a glow. For anyone with sensitive skin, please note that there's quite a strong perfume/fragrance to the foundation - I quite like it, but I know that can be a sticking point for some people.

For anyone with sensitive skin, please note that there's quite a strong perfume/fragrance to the foundation. I quite like it, but I know that can be a sticking point for some people.

At the moment, it's too early to tell if there have been any actual benefits to my skin when wearing it. From a cosmetic point of view, you do get the healthy glow, hydrated feel and blurred fine lines. You also get the coverage promised, as well as SPF 30, which is a bonus.

To be perfectly honest, though, while it looked nice initially, it didn't last well on my skin, turning oily after a few hours. This, I believe it because I'm not the target audience for the Prevage collection in general. Knowing this, I tried it out on a couple of clients (who are 40+) over the weekend to gauge its performance. It looked radiant on them, lasting well into the day and evening.

So all in all, who is this foundation for? Well, given the hefty price tag, I imagine it's designed for anyone who adores the Prevage skin care range. It has its merits but if you want a new foundation but aren't too bothered about the skin care elements; there are others out there that could do the same job for less.