Makeup brand giving away 1,000s of free driving lessons due to primer

Building a reliable beauty routine shouldn’t demand a luxury budget, nor should it mean settling for lower-budget formulas that leave our skin – whether mature or not – neglected. But beauty brand e.l.f. Cosmetics has mastered the balance between affordability and high-end results, earning a loyal following for staples like its skin-smoothing Power Grip Primer (£11).

Now, the accessible beauty brand is making waves beyond the beauty counter by partnering with RED Driving School to give away thousands of free driving lessons, helping families with young learners on the road.

With the cost of learning to drive and passing a driving test reaching upwards of £2,000 on average in the UK, e.l.f.’s new ‘Grip, Set, Go’ campaign titled ‘e.l.f. Plates’ is offering over 1,000 UK learners a head start by giving away 10 hours of free driving lessons.

This campaign is rounded off by a pop-up in London at playfully named Power Grip Garage on the 30th July 10AM – 6.30PM at Protein Studios, Shoreditch. Designed to ease the financial burden on young adults and families struggling with rising lesson costs, this sweepstakes competition – available to enter here on the e.l.f. website and running until July 30 – aims to make an essential life skill far more accessible.

The brand states on its website: “Learning to drive is e.l.f.ing hard. That’s why e.l.f. has partnered with RED Driver Training to give away thousands of free driving lessons to grip the skill that lasts an e.l.f.ing lifetime.”

This ethos of value and accessibility is one that the brand carries over to its beauty range, with many shoppers hailing its affordable, budget-friendly formulas as a ‘holy grail’ and ‘must have’ that leaves makeup ‘flawless’.

For example, its flagship gel primer, costing £11, is loved for not only its weightless feel on the skin but its ability to keep makeup firmly in place for hours on end.

Plus, it’s infused with hyaluronic acid, which locks in moisture and plumps the complexion rather than drying it out. The translucent formula smooths uneven texture and prevents foundation from settling in fine lines (ideal for mature skin). It just goes to show that a flawless, long-lasting finish doesn’t require a designer price tag.

Makeup enthusiasts have praised it ‘for keeping makeup in ‘perfect condition all day long’, with one devoted fan raving: “Best primer hands down, I have ever used. My makeup lasts a lifetime when I use the primer.”

It’s loved by mature shoppers, too, for ensuring a ‘smooth base’ for foundation, as one review read: “After only recently starting to use primers, I came across this when searching for primers for mature skin. Even though not as expensive as others, it’s certainly one of the best I’ve tried. I find it gives a beautiful, smooth base for my foundation. Truly an amazing product.”

Another added: “The Power Primer worked great on my mature skin. My makeup went on flawlessly and stayed on all day!! I highly recommend this for mature skin!”

The Power Grip primer is celebrated for its gel-base that ‘smooths skin while gripping your makeup for long-lasting wear’. Ideal for ‘oily, dry and combination skin’, it delivers a radiant, dewy finish while also providing a nourishing boost, reports the Mirror.

What’s more, its non-comedogenic formula is specially designed to avoid clogging up pores – and has been praised by users for making it seems as though they have none at all.

One satisfied customer raved: “This is quite literally the best primer I have ever owned. It’s now the only product I reach for when I start applying my makeup. Although it’s a bit sticky when applying at first, it’s well worth it with how smooth your skin looks and easy makeup stays on your face. I quite literally look like I have 0 pores when I use this primer. The coverage is absolutely extraordinary, and I’ve been raving about this to anyone who will listen.”

Someone else echoed: “This primer keeps my makeup on alllllll day and shrinks my pores.”

Regarding its lasting power, shoppers have been praising its durability, with one beauty enthusiast noting how it even withstood a gym session: “I’ve been using this for a few months, and the first thing I noticed is that it has a stickier consistency than my higher-end, more expensive primer. However, it kept my makeup on all day without having to touch it up, even after working out, so I call that a win. After my makeup was on over it, I felt like it was no longer ‘sticky’ but made my makeup look great!”

Another remarked: “I absolutely love this primer! It makes my skin look so smooth and helps my makeup stay on perfectly all day without melting off. Definitely a must-have in my routine.”

“I usually don’t use a primer but thought I would give this a try and I’m SO impressed! The way my makeup stays on all day, I would’ve never thought it was possible,” added one makeup fan.

While the majority of shoppers haven’t been too bothered by its somewhat tacky consistency, some found it a bit too much. One person left a four-star rating and a review that read: “Makeup applies perfectly and lasts all day but if you have oily skin and don’t like the feel of a heavy sticky primer then maybe skip out on this one and try the matte one e.l.f. does.”

Although the stickiness is, reportedly, what is needed to keep this makeup in place, as one user noted in a glowing comment. They said: “It creates a perfectly sticky base that holds my foundation in place all day. My makeup hasn’t budged once since I started using this holy grail!”

For those who find this consistency less than ideal, Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonderglow Face Primer is a great alternative. Priced at £17 for a 15ml tube, its skin-enriching and volumising components, including hyaluronic acid, wild pansy extract, rosehip and camellia oil, soften the look of fine lines and blemishes while maintaining skin moisture.

To amp up e.l.f. ‘s staying power, shoppers tend to complement the Grip Primer with the Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray, also priced at £11.

The setting spray is made with a bi-phase ‘shockingly fine mist’, and is enriched with skin-nourishing and calming ingredients such as aloe, hyaluronic acid, squalane and green tea seed oil.

This not only assists makeup in staying put, but leaves skin appearing hydrated, dewy and radiant. For those unfamiliar, a bi-phase setting spray comprises both water and oil.

The water phase is, as e.l.f. describes, ‘makeup-gripping’, while the ‘oil phase helps moisturise’. All it requires is a gentle shake prior to application to activate it, and you’re ready to go.

Should a bi-phase formula fail to deliver, one of our most-loved setting sprays amongst the beauty team is ICONIC London’s Prep-Set-Glow Hydrating Mist, £26. Not only does it keep makeup firmly in place for hours at a time, even during the warmest of days, but its light-reflecting qualities leave skin looking strikingly luminous.

Crafted without any fragrance, the e.l.f. setting spray is likely well-suited to sensitive skin, and what customers particularly like about this product is its featherlight finish. Boasting over 13,000 reviews and an impressive 4.7 star rating, one shopper noted: “It’s so lightweight on your face and really does lock everything in to make it last all day and night. It came right on time and in such great packaging. The consistency is very nice, and it doesn’t have a super strong scent, which I like. Very happy with this product!”.

Another fan of the formula noted: “Super dewy and stays all day long even if you’re sweaty.”

While the vast majority were thoroughly impressed by the formula, one customer was not entirely convinced, noting in a three star review: “I didn’t notice a big difference and how it makes my makeup last longer than other setting sprays I tried, but this is definitely a good option and budget friendly and it’s very easy to fit in your purse because of the size.”

For those keen to purchase both the primer and setting spray together, e. l. f. Cosmetics offers its Power Grip Stick and Set Duo, allowing shoppers to acquire both products for £34 rather than £36.

Shop the collection here. Enter the e.l.f. Plates competition here.