e.l.f. Studio Brushes

Hey there!

Oh how I love me a good e.l.f. Studio Brush. I think they are my favorite makeup brush brand right now. That's why when e.l.f. had their "free shipping and handling, no minimum purchase" sale, I pushed the button to release everything in my cart.

If you are like me, you have a full e.l.f. shopping cart almost every day. Anytime e.l.f. sends me an email, I go to the website, make "air" purchases and just wait for the perfect opportunity to push the checkout button.

And there are always perfect opportunities around every corner.

Just look at my last few emails from e.l.f. You have a " free shipping and handling, no minimum purchase", email. A "limited edition kit only $6", email. A "last day for half off brushes" email...you get the picture. e.l.f. has a sale almost every day and I take advantage of them about once every 2 - 3 months.

I am not ashamed!

This time I order 2 makeup brushes that I have been coveting. I ordered the e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush ($6) and the e.l.f. Blending Brush (for face, not eyes) ($6). I saw them when I was trying to order the limited edition illuminating palette (do NOT get me started on that) but because the palette never came back in stock, my brushes dropped out of my shopping cart. Then the magical email appeared in my mailbox.

Oh yes please!

The e.l.f. Blending Brush (for face, not eyes) just looks like the perfect contour brush, does it not?! It's packed well but not too tightly. It looks like it will give you one hell of a fantastic bronzer look. And, the e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush looks like a phenomenal buffing brush for a better "powder as foundation" brush. I have a great powder buffer brush right now (my Claire's bamboo kabuki brush) and I don't know if this will replace it. I thought I'd give it a go and see.

So, I'm going to give these goodies a try and I'll let you know how they fair!

New e.l.f. Studio Eyeshadow Palettes

Photocredit - eyeslipsface.com

Hey there!

Have you seen the new eyeshadow palettes by e.l.f.? They are stepping up their game folks!

Even though I don’t wear eyeshadow, I paused when I saw this email flash across my screen. e.l.f. introduced the palettes as “a whole new beauty game”. I think they are right! You can go with matte, nude, smoky or party eyes for $10 per palette. And, we all know that if you just wait 3 days, there will be a BOGO sale or 40% off sale or something! So don’t let that $10 throw you off.

I was impressed by the e.l.f. Studio Mad for Matte Palette the most. I saw 10 of the creamiest looking basic shades I had ever seen. There are already 4 reviews that sing the praises of this baby. And, the packaging looks very nice. Not sure what it looks like in person but I’d certainly take a gamble.

 

Photocredit - eyeslipsface.com

The e.l.f. Studio Everyday Smoky Palette pretty too. It simply has more shimmer shades than I’d like to have. But they look to be very versatile (lid, crease, blend, etc.) and a great mix of colors. I like a basic palette that you can use everyday.

 

Photocredit - eyeslipsface.com

e.l.f. Studio Party Ready Palette is the one that gives you some fun colors. There’s a raspberry in there that I’d love to try and the purple shade is going to work with many skin tones. The dark blue and charcoal shimmer colors are great smoky eye colors and you can take the first 4 and blend them into night time with the next 6.

Photocredit - eyeslipsface.com

The e.l.f. Studio Need It Nude Palette appears to be similar to the e.l.f. Studio Mad for Matte Palette but if you look closely, you see the extra shimmer and they shades are too close in nature to me. Even though it boasts 10 colors, I’d say that you only have 4 or 5 shades. You are definitely going to get a nude affect and nude on my complexion (MAC NC42) is just no makeup at all.

Like I said, I don’t wear eyeshadow because of my eye condition but I still like to look at them and I know what I like. If I could, I’d purchase the e.l.f. Studio Mad for Matte Palette and the e.l.f. Studio Everyday Smoky Palette. I’d rock them on a daily basis and then throw in the e.l.f. Studio Party Ready Palette when someone purchased it for me or I got it for free. I’d probably leave the e.l.f. Studio Need It Nude Palette alone.

Have you seen these? Are you thinking about getting them? Are you going to pay full price or wait for BOGO?

Go on with your bad self, e.l.f.!

e.l.f. Skincare Line

Photo credit: e.l.f. Makeup and Cosmetics Website

 Hey there!

Have you seen the new e.l.f. Skin Care line? They have some pretty interesting products going on. I have really resisted making a purchase but don't these things look good? I mean e.l.f. is really trying to make a mark in skin care. Right now e.l.f. has a handy, dandy kit that you can get 4 of the products in. Let's look, shall we?

The e.l.f. Skincare Daily Hydration Moisturizer ($8) is made with "purified water and essential nutrients". This is supposed to hydrate and nourish your skin. The 4 reviews that are listed vary in their opinion but no one seems to terribly displeased.

e.l.f. Skincare Soothing Serum ($12) is supposed to reduce the look of fine lines by locking in moisture. The reviews on that one are glowing! I've used plenty of serums and other than the smelling good (the one that I am currently road testing) I don't see any pluses. However, from the reviews, it might be worth it to try it as a moisturizer.

The e.l.f. Skincare Illuminating Eye Cream ($10) is also supposed to hydrate and moisturize the skin and minimize the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. It seems like a decent deal but I tread lightly when it comes to eye creams because my eyes are very sensitive. Both reviews are positive but I think I'll pass on it.

e.l.f. Skincare Nourishing Night Cream ($12) is your night cream to match your day cream. The ingredients are about the same and the pictures shows a nice whipped product. I'm not sure if it's thicker or anything (I'd think so) but the reviewers are very happy with the product.

I know that we all had the chance to pre-order but honestly, I like the stuff I'm using now. The kit costs $42 but right now you can get it for $21. That honestly isn't bad when you're talking about a complete, full sized skin care kit. I am hoping that a lot more people put up reviews and maybe some of us will think about taking a try. If I try anything it would be the e.l.f. Skincare Soothing Serum. I have a day and night moisturizer and I love my current eye cream. I don't think I need a soothing serum but for reviewing sake, I'd try it. I'd do anything for you good people, you know that!

Are you interested in any of the new e.l.f. skincare products? Did this review tickle your fancy? Let me know if you purchased a preview pack. What did you think?

(The photo used is from the e.l.f. website and while I spend a ton of money with them, this is NOT a sponsored post in any way, shape or form).

e.l.f. Warm Bronzer & Blush

Hey There!

I'm going to cheat on my e.l.f. haul review, just a little bit. I ordered a big e.l.f. package last November and I've been, little by little, reviewing everything that I purchased. The cheat is that a few weeks ago I had an event to go and I left home with my makeup bag in preparation of doing my face before I got there. Problem was, I forgot blush. I was near a T.J. Maxx and ran in and picked up a blush! Smart!

First things first -- I purchased the e.l.f. Warm Bronzer in Warm ($3). There are 4 quadrants of color. I tried to swatch them for you but they all blend into my skin. You can't even see the colors. And, that was the problem. I got no color coverage, just sheen. It's a nice set but not for my skin tone.

That was the same thing with the e.l.f. Blush in Blushing Rose ($2.39). It looks like there would be a lot of rosy pink color but there isn't. It doesn't come off on me at all. Too bad because it is really pretty!

I think paler skin would benefit from both of these colors. Women of Color or anyone with a tan is not going to like these colors.

e.l.f. Flawless Finish foundation

Hey There!

I've been playing with my e.l.f. Flawless Finish foundation for several weeks now. I don't wear foundation a lot so I don't buy a lot and I don't pay a lot for what I do buy. The e.l.f. Flawless Finish foundation fit the bill perfectly. It's only six bucks and if it didn't work or went bad, surely I'd get my $6 out of it. 

I researched online and decided to try the shade Caramel. I got lucky because it's a perfect match. Now, once I get some sun, I'll have to switch it up.

The bottle is so "high end". It's a square glass bottle with a sleek black cap. It has a pump top and for me, 1 pump is almost too much (I only wear a thin layer of foundation). It gives light to medium coverage, depending on how much you use. You can go medium coverage and not look cakey. Nice!

The staying power is great. I put this on at 6am and was still lookin' pretty good when I got home about 6pm. I used a primer so I didn't have any oily patches in my T-zone. Had I been going out for dinner or drinks after work, I might have blotted a bit with finishing powder.

Over all, this is great stuff. 

Quickie Review - e.l.f. Lipsticks

Hey There!

Yeppers, I'm still talking about the things I purchased from e.l.f. In my defense, it was a lot of stuff for under $35! When you have that much stuff to try out, it takes a while.

I purchased 3 lipsticks from e.l.f.; 2 Mineral Lipsticks ($5 on sale for $3.75, Barely Bitten and Rich Raspberry) and 1 Moisturizing Lipstick ($3 on sale for $2.25, Rosy-Go-Round). I've purchased e.l.f. lipsticks before and picked the wrong colors. This time I did quite a bit more research on the web before pulling the trigger.

All of the colors are great. The top color, Barely Bitten, is a reddish brown that works well for fall and winter. It's warm and is a lip liner accentuater. No matter what lip liner I wear, this color makes it better.

The middle one, Rich Raspberry, has to be my favorite. It's a rich berry color that goes so well with my skin tone. It's sweet and I can use this as a year round color.

The bottom color, Rosy-Go-Round, is a berry color too, maybe strawberry. It's a nice red as well but it comes off a bit redder than I want so I add a light brown lip gloss over the top.

Even though these tout lip moisturizing properties, I'm not sure that I'd agree. They are nice on the lips, as long as you wear a lip balm underneath. If you don't, you will have some seriously hurt feelings. Even so, they aren't bad and I don't mind wearing them.

If you are thinking about getting these lipsticks, I'd say go for it! Wear a lip balm and choose your colors carefully. Don't look at the e.l.f website. Go to the internet and see what other people say about the colors. Look at internet swatches and go from there.

If you do that, you'll enjoy these lippies just as much as I do!

e.l.f. Complete Coverage Concealer

Hey There!

Early last month I got my Black Friday e.l.f. haul and since then I've been playing with what I got. I got A LOT of stuff during Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Internet 2 Weeks and it takes a while to play with that many new toys. I'm just now getting to a point that I'm comfortable talking about many of my "that magical sales time around Thanksgiving" purchases.

I purchased the Complete Coverage Concealer in medium ($3 in the studio line). You have to forgive my concealer naiveté. I have always purchased the regular concealers and not a concealer palette.  I understand about tones and stuff but honestly, I just want to cover my dark spots.

Because there were 4 different pots in the container, I didn't expect to like this but I was pleasantly surprised. All four shades covered my dark spots. Depending on the time of year (my tan-age), I will be able to use all of these. They are smooth, creamy and you don't have to use a ton to cover your spots or blemishes. When topped with powder, they cover for several hours.

The one thing I don't like about them is that they don't dry quickly. When I use other concealers, I apply them, go find a pair of earrings to wear and then top with face powder (my face, not the earrings). With this palette I have to find earrings, make sure my lunch is packed and ready, locate my keys, take a potty break and then top with face powder. If I don't, I buff away the product when I buff in my face powder.

Other than that, this is a great palette. I can see me getting a lot of use out of this and I might even purchase it again.

It's A Haul Y'all! - e.l.f.

Hey there!!

No, I'm not ashamed. No, I don't care if you think I should be ashamed. I know it looks like a lot of stuff (and it is) but it was during the e.l.f. 50% off sale! I needed stuff and just generally wanted stuff.

I picked up 3 lip liners (Bitter, Bark and Spice) because most of my liners are light. I had several darker ones like these but lip liners go fast at my makeup table. These three all looked nice and look! They all have sharpeners!

I have to have my Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Gel. I've tried more expensive ones but this one just works! This is a backup one cause you know I'm about to toss one and open another.

I picked up 3 lipsticks in total - Rich Raspberry, Barley Bitten and Rosy-Go-Round. I have one from my last haul but the color wasn't exactly what I was looking for. One of these has to be a keeper. 

I also ordered a lip exfoliator but I may have waited too long. My lips have been crazy for about a week. They began peeling and then they were raw. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm ready for them to be healed!

I'm going to give this Complete Coverage Concealer in medium and Flawless Finish Foundation in Caramel a chance. They might be the right color. Or, I might have to pass them on. We'll see. 

I told you that I was going to purchase the blush palette in light. I have the one in dark already and it stays on my counter. I NEVER put it away. I figure this palette will be the same. 

The Baked Highlighters looked too pretty to pass up. I've been on a highlighter quest lately. Hopefully these will work well and not make me look like a glitter ball.

The bronzer is one that came highly recommended. I hope I don't have to disown that friend. Bad makeup recommendations will mess a friendship up! (Just kidding-not kidding). 

And I had to stock up on my brushes. The kabuki was free but I already love the powder and blush brush. If you are starting out or hell, just looking for good makeup brushes, you want to try out the e.l.f. studio line. 

Now that I have told you all about my e.l.f. goodies and I have taken pictures, I can start using my products. I'm excited. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Semi-Annual e.l.f. Website Purchasing Frenzy Part Two

Hey There!

I had to break my semi-annual e.l.f. haul into two parts (part one). Partially because I wanted to give each item a good review, partially because I'm wordy and I didn't want to run anyone off. I only ordered 2 things, a blush and a "bag-o-goodies". It was the "bag-o-goodies" that made this a two parter.

There were 2 items in the goodie bag that I knew I'd be gifting. I already tried the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer in sheer ($3) and because I have dry lids, this did not work. I also decided to pass the Mineral Blemish Powder ($8) on because I don't really have acne or blemishes enough to open this. I figured rather than waste them, I'd gift them so a loving home. 

I tried the e.l.f. Mineral Mist and honestly I don't see the purpose. I mean I know what it is supposed to do and what it claims to do but it didn't do it for me. It smells weird almost stinky. I've read that the smell dissipates but I couldn't get over it. To me, this was just like the regular Mist and Set -- wet. Oddly enough, I tried to look this up to get a price and I couldn't find it on the website. The regular Mist ad Set is there but not this. Go figure.

I liked the Mineral Eye Brightener ($3). I didn't think it did anything but on three of my sleepiest days I had several people tell me how nice my eye makeup looked and I only had this on under my eye. You can pair it with the High Definition Undereye Setting Powder, which is amazing. I originally thought the sparkle of the setting powder would be too much but it is really nice. 

The e.l.f. Mineral Booster in sheer ($5) is supposed to help you "achieve the ultimate, translucent photo finish". It's ok. It's not gloriously fantastic, just ok. I probably wouldn't buy this but I will finish what I have.

And finally the Kabuki Face Brush ($6). This was one of the main reasons I tried this kit out. I really wanted to try this brush. I currently have a tight kabuki brush from Claire's that I have fallen in love with. It adds my face powder so smoothly and flawlessly. This kabuki brush is looser and a tad bit softer. It works best with loose powders. And it does work well. I really like it. I'd like it better with a longer handle but no worries. It's totally worth it.

So the second half would have run me $25 plus whatever the Revitalizing Mist use to cost. I enjoyed $14 worth of it. Not too bad considering I only paid about $26 total.

This just proves that e.l.f. products are half and half. Half the time they are pretty darn good and then half the time, well....

Quickie Review - NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder

Hey There!

You guys are going to be so mad. I mean, I'll lose half of the three people that read this blog when I say this...

This bronzer didn't work for me.

There. I put it out on the table. You can leave now if you'd like or you can hear me out.

I know, I know. Everyone loves this bronzer. I wanted to love it too. I got this in my Sephora Favorites Summer Stash mini set. I have the e.l.f. brand "dupe" and it's pretty good. But, this one just didn't do it for me. It just didn't work for my complexion. I think the color might work in the winter. I'm not sure.

I don't know that I can give a great review because I couldn't tell if it lasted all day because it didn't show very well. My blush that I was trying out lasted but I couldn't see bronzer beneath it.

The texture was fine. It was nice and smooth just like everyone says. The e.l.f. brand is kinda gritty now that I've used the hell out of it.

Now let's talk about the obvious -- the e.l.f. bronzing powder in St. Lucia is most certainly not a dupe. E.l.f. is much, much darker and therefore works with my skin tone. NARS bronzer is lighter and doesn't. Seeing them side by side -- I do wonder if it will work in the winter, or if I should just give it away now (Mel B, are you reading this??).

I searched on line and in store but there doesn't appear to be anything darker than NARS Laguna bronzer. That's sad. I wonder if NARS ever had anything darker. Does anyone know?

That being said, this certainly isn't for me. It's nice, smooth but doesn't work at all. Maybe I'll let someone else do a better review and post that later.

It's A Haul Y'all!

Last we spoke, I was planning to slam through the stores last Saturday and leave all my money there. It didn't exactly happen that way. Oh, I went shopping and I picked up a few odds and ends but I didn't pick up any makeup goodies at all. I guess it just wasn't my day. Don't worry though. I made up for it during the week.

I had a few missions for the week. I wanted to get my hands on some Wet n Wild items, Revlon Super Lustrous lip colors and a few Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow sticks. It took a run through 6 stores, but I did it!

My first finds were Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick (08 Rossetto) and Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner (057 Ravish). They were BOGO 1/2 off at CVS. They're both nudes with a slight warm brown tint. I know I said I was getting other colors and I will -- I promise! Stop looking at me like that! Other shades are in the plan. Because they were BOGO 1/2, together they were like $6 or something.

My next finds were my Wet n Wild megasticks (Rico Mauve & Lady and The Vamp) and Coloricon eyeshadow palette (Floral Values). How about that for color?! Nice pink and purple hues for my eyes. Can't wait to play in that palette! The palette was $3.99 minus a $1.00 coupon and the megasticks were $2.99 minus a $1.00 coupon. Nice, huh?!

I mentioned the Revlon Super Lustrous lip colors (Fatal Apple & Pinkissimo) that I picked up from Walgreens. I am soooo ready to tear into those colors. They are beautiful reds but because they are glosses, they will be light reds. I also picked up the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow sticks in Paranoid Purple, Bad Girl Bronze & Bulletproof Beige. I don't remember the price at Walgreens (and I can't find my receipt) but the Bulletproof Beige was $3.97 at Walmart so the others probably averaged about the same.

I picked up 3 masks this week. I'm planning to try the paper masks and see if it makes a difference in my skin. I picked up a Freeman Hydrating Paper Blue Agave Mask from CVS ($1.37) and 2 Facial Essence Masks, one with Collagen & Vitamin E and a Firming and Lifting one with Vitamin C. They were $.60 at Big Lots. I may try one tomorrow! Have you tried facial masks? Have you seen a major difference? What brand did you try?

Big Lots had some other interesting things too. Orange & grapefruit body butter by Village Naturals ($.90 for 2 oz) and Rimmel Moisture Renew lipcolor in Cherrylicious ($1.50). It's cocoa brown. Yeah, I know.

And the "piece de résistance" was a 96 piece eyeshadow palette from e.l.f. It was $3.00 at Target. Endcaps are the best! I'm kinda excited about it! I've heard great things about e.l.f. palettes.

I know that I keep saying I'm ready to try things even though I've had some of the products for almost a week. I didn't want to open products and use them until I had done my haul post. Weird? I dunno. But now that I've done my haul post, I can play in my makeup! I have a 3 day weekend so you can bet I'm going to try some stuff out!

As always, I'll let you know what I think!! 

My Top Products of 2013

 Happy New Year and happy new makeup products!

I love trying new products and January seems to have an onslaught of new goodies to try. But, before I try the new stuff (and oh trust me and my wallet, I will) let's take a second to sing the praises of the old stuff. You know, the holy grail stuff of 2013 that if stranded on an island...really, how does one get stranded on an island these days? And, shouldn't food and water be more important than makeup?

Anywho, my trusty 2013 products are as follows...

Philosophy Purity Made Simple - I've tried other things from Philosophy and I wasn't 100% impressed but everyone ranted and raved about the Purity Made Simple cleanser so I had to spend $10 for a trial size and see. Can you say in love? It is the best cleanser I've tried this far. It really does "melt" off eye makeup and it doesn't irritate my skin or eyes at all. I fell so hard for this product, I bought two 32oz containers from QVC when it went on sale (with flex pay).

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki & e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush - Once you've washed your face, you need the right tools to apply your makeup. I have many, many brushes, some high end, lots of mid range, some low end but my two favorite brushes of all time are my Sigma F80 and my e.l.f. angled blush brush. Now, I don't always use my brushes for the intended purposes so in the past I just used the brushes that came with my BareMinerals foundation for everything and they worked fine. Then I purchased my Sigma F80. Shhh! Do you hear the angels singing? I did. That F80 made my foundation glide on like a dream. And the e.l.f. brush? It works perfectly for contouring bronzer.

NYX Eye shadow base, e.l.f. professional mechanical eyelash curler & Jordana Best Lash Extreme volumizing mascara - The eyes have it! I've tried a few eye shadow bases and so far NYX is my go to. I'm hesitant to try out others because my eyes are so delicate. My e.l.f. eyelash curler isn't anything special but it is the one that works best for me. Now, stand back when I talk about mascara. I have fought some battles with mascara this year and Jordana Best Lash Extreme has won the battle. I plan to try the other Jordana mascaras this year but I'm reluctant to try any other brands. I have several mascaras in my drawer now that I am complaining about!

Jordana Easyliner For Lips - I am a lip gloss girl. Lipstick is fine but I like to line my lips with a moisturizing liner and pop on some gloss. Jordana has sealed the deal for me. I only have 3 colors right now but I have several new colors in mind.

Sally Hansen Instra-dry Topcoat - Are those angels still singing? I have purchased 3 of the these for friends. I love nail color but I hated painting my nails before I got this insta-dry top coat. It's magic. You let your color dry for a few minutes, paint this on top and 5 minutes later you have nails that are 90% dry. I paint my nails at night so pulling up covers or turning off the bed lamp can be the kiss of death. Not any more! My nails look amazing the next day! I love this stuff!!

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - I have 3 containers of this; one in my purse, one next to my bed and one in my desk at work. It smells good and keeps my cuticles soft. Yes, I have tried the regular cuticle cream and that one went in the trash. It wasn't as soft, it didn't smell nearly as nice and it didn't do the job that my BB Lemon Cuticle Cream did. Stick with what you know.

And there you have it! The best of the best for 2013. Not much variety I know, but I'm a basics girl when it comes to make up. I'm sure 2014 will see me spread my wings a little and we can sit here and try new things together!

(Originally posted on 1/5/2014)