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| Blush- Left: Twinkle Pink, Right: Pink Passion |
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| Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick- Left: Pink Umbrellas, Right: Movie Star |
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| Cream Blush in Temptress |
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| Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow- Left: Soiree, Right: Festivity |
So this is bound to be a long critique- but I kind of wanted to bang out the review of my e.l.f loot in one post. I originally wanted to post each separately, which is how I first started but then I realized that there were a lot of products that weren't worth an individual post. Mostly because they didn't live up to my expectations and I really didn't have a lot to say about them other than, "meh."
When I first discovered the brand I was extremely excited. The pictures of products on their website looked promising, as were many reviews, so I loaded up my basket and made my purchase. On receiving them I noticed the very cheap packaging but that didn't bother me, as long as the actual product held up to my expectations.
Sad to say, they didn't. I found that out of their assortment of eyes, lips, and face products... only the LIP products really stuck out to me. They had the best color payoff that also were the most long wearing. I have listed all the products I purchased below where I've given a short description and opinion on each product.
Ultimately though, I felt unimpressed and pretty disappointed. Although these products are cheap to buy, I found that they are good if you are in a pinch or want to test out a new look before investing in a more expensive product. Other than that, for me personally, I would rather save up and buy a product that-yes might be a few dollars more but that have an overall better result.
Again these are my personal opinions, feel free to give me opinions on the e.l.f. products you have personally tried, and what you liked and did not like about them.
Again these are my personal opinions, feel free to give me opinions on the e.l.f. products you have personally tried, and what you liked and did not like about them.
Powder Brush
Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter: Fair/Glow
Cream Blush: Temptress
Powder Blush: Twinkle Pink
Powder Blush: Pink Passion
Radiance Enhancer: Spotlight
Body Shimmer: Mystic Moonlight
Shimmering Facial Whip: Spotlight
Shimmering Facial Whip: Toasted
Eyelid Primer: Sheer
Eyelid Primer: Champagne
Primer Eyeshadow: Misty Mauve
Cream Eyeshadow: Candlelight
Cream Eyeliner: Gunmetal
Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow: Soiree
Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow: Festivity
Mineral Eyeshadow: Elegant
Liquid Eyeliner: Stardust
Liquid Eyeliner: Copper
Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara
Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick: Pink Umbrellas
Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick: Movie Star
Luscious Liquid Lipstick: Perfect Pink
Luscious Liquid Lipstick: Strawberry
Hypershine Gloss: Flirt
Lip Stain: Fashionista
Lip Balm SPF 15: Peach
Recommended:
Powder Brush: This brush was one of the most highly rated products from the e.l.f. line and I have to say that this was one of my top favorites also. I have washed it many times and the bristles are still perfectly intact and I've never had a problem with them falling out or shedding. You can use it to buff in liquids and creams or use it to apply powder products, which I love. The bristles are extremely soft, and I would have to say that there is only one downside to it. When using applying loose powders I feel that it sometimes eats up the product so you need to use more of the products than you normally would.
Powder Blush-Pink Passion: Color payoff with this blush was much better than with the color Twinkle Pink. Although it looks florescent in the packaging, it smoothly adds a nice pop of a soft pink to the cheeks. If you don't want to invest a bunch of money into trying out a new pink blush, give this one a try. I wouldn't say that it compares to the textures of higher end brands, but if you are looking for a change and don't want to pay a pretty penny then this might be a good option for you.
Body Shimmer- Mystic Moonlight: This was my favorite of the highlighters I purchased from e.l.f., as the texture was nice and not sticky. The color payoff and shine was actually noticeable and even when rubbing into the skin it held up, instead of completely disappearing. I found that although they categorize it as a body shimmer, using it on the face proved to be just fine. The color is a subtle pink-lavender-frosty sheen that is pretty worn on the chest, shoulders, or highlighted areas of the face.
Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow- Soiree and Festivity: Being a mouse texture these are sponge like and soft. The color payoff is nice and shiny and to get the best look from these I would actually apply them on top of an eyeshadow instead of wearing them alone. They can really jazz up your eyeshadow for a nice evening look.
Mineral Eyeshadow- Elegant: I figured I could use this for the inner corners of my eyes seeing that it is a nice vanilla shade. The only problem with this was getting it to stay on. No matter how much I packed on I felt like it hardly showed. If using this on top of something like Urban Decay's Primer Potion it might be another story. This definitely needs something to stick and hold on to if hoping to achieve long lasting results.
Primer Eyeshadow- Misty Mauve: This primer had a totally different texture than e.l.f.'s regular eyelid primer. It wasn't slippery like silicone but more of a creamy eyeshadow. The color payoff was decent and it stayed in place. This is great for putting a bit of color on your lids when you are on the go.
Cream Eyeliner- Gunmetal: Being a grey I wasn't expecting this to be a really dark liner but something subtle. I would not suggest using the brush that comes with, as it is super small and hard to work with. I found this to be a good eyeshadow base and the color lasts.
Liquid Eyeliner- Stardust and Copper: Both very pretty glitter lingers. Copper is a typical gold shade while stardust is a subtle mixture of soft multicolored sparkles. Either would be great to add on top of a darker liquid liner, painted onto the eyelashes after applying mascara, or even on top of eyeshadow if patting it in with a finger.
Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara: It's a clear mascara, what more is there to say? It gets the job done.
Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick- Pink Umbrellas and Movie Star: I really enjoy these non-sticky glossy lipsticks. If you want just a hint of moisturizing color these are the perfect choice and they are extremely easy to use. The lighter pink shade is a flattering light pink that looks fresh when just popped on during your more natural makeup days or paired with a darker eye for a more neutral look. The red looks dark pictured above but it actually applies similar to a balm so the pigment is just enough without being overbearing. It's perfect if you are still drawn toward the more red toned lipstick colors, for a lighter option as we soon go into spring.
Lip Stain- Fashionista: This was by far my favorite product purchase. This lip stain held up longer than my go-to red long wear stain from Revlon. It lasted through means and even when reapplying it didn't ball up or become thick like a lot of other stains do. I highly recommend trying some of these colors.
Lip Balm SPF 15- Peach: Another great lip product. It is your standard tinted lip balm but the color payoff is a lot better than other brands I have sampled. Minty in taste and highly moisturizing.
The Not- So- Worth It:
Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter-Fair/Glow: This product does slightly brighten and provides a very light coverage. The texture is nice but it doesn't exactly due the job. I would only suggest this for someone who has no darkness under their eyes and just wanted to add a bit of brightness.
Cream Blush-Temptress: Being a perfect color for someone with fair skin, I was extremely disappointed at the color pay off. When either using my fingers or a brush, I found it hard to get enough product to actually make the pigment show up.
Powder Blush-Twinkle Pink: The texture of this product is what bugged me. It was almost gritty due to the shimmer that runs throughout this, which is more on the side of being glitter than a finely milled frost. The color pay off was just okay, as it was hard to apply it evenly and I felt like it was a really splotchy product.
Radiance Enhancer- Spotlight: I picked this up because there were reviews saying that it was a dupe for Benefit's High Beam. This was not the case. Although when first applying it the color was similar, it had no staying power and you can literally rub it right off.
Shimmering Facial Whip- Spotlight and Toasted: The biggest complaint about these were that some batches came out watery. I didn't have this problem and although I knew it was a whip, it was kind of on the side of being too thick. It was hard to spread evenly and was actually a bit sticky. I applied Toasted which is a rusty-shiny-brown on my eyelids and it them as a base for my eyeshadow, which I found was pretty nice. I felt like these needed to be mixed with a moisturizer to give a better texture when applying. Mixing these into a foundation would also be a nice way to achieve a bit of a glow, although I don't know if it is worth the risk of a break out. Also if you are wearing any powder you might have a difficulty applying them and achieving a suitable texture due to their thick texture.
Eyelid Primer- Sheer and Champagne: Not worth it. Not only does this product feel like it is a slippery silicone that doesn't dry down, I am convinced it was causing me to get a stye. It in no way helped my eyeshadow to last longer, be brighter, and not crease. I felt that it did nothing for me.
Cream Eyeshadow- Candlelight: This product did not work for me. The texture would almost ball up and I could never get it to apply evenly. It was chunky and not at all blend-able.
Luscious Liquid Lipstick- Perfect Pink and Strawberry: These are an okay item and although the say they are a liquid lipstick, it is almost misleading because they are basically just glosses. A nice and minty fresh tasting product, with very little color payoff. I wasn't "wowed"
Hypershine Gloss- Flirt: The brush applicator was better on this product than the liquid lipsticks. It was an actual brush, which helped when applying it and it didn't make me feel like I was wasting a bunch of product. I would rate this about the same as the lip items above, it would be great to apply over a lipstick to add some shine.
