Brand spotlight: elf

elf (http://eyeslipsface.com ) is a budget friendly make up line which has the infamous $1 makeup products and brushes. It has come a long way and has been constantly expanding its line. Now elf makeup can be as expensive (?) as $8 for the mineral foundation. The products are sold in Target but I tend to order directly from their website, as there aren't any Canadian retails that carry this line yet. The site always has some kind of promotion (either free extra products, shipping, or 40% - 50% off with a certain $ purchase). I almost always purchase the Studio line products when there was the 50% off sale.
Some of the products are surprisingly awesome, some are okay and a few are horrible.I have had better luck with their Studio products than the original $1 line (Essentials). I have used up most of the products so do not have actual photos of them. elf makeup is definitely for those who like to try new things or trends in makeup or those who are budget conscious about makeup. It definitely adds to the fun of being a makeup junkie :)

Essential Blush Brush ($1)
It was enticing to buy a makeup brush for $1; however, this is a poorly made and not very useful. The bristles are rough and started to shed right away. The brush is not dense enough to pick up the blush and gave a streaky look. 

Essential Liquid Eyeliner ($1)
Non waterproof eyeliner but yet gives a very black line and for $1, it is great. I prefer waterproof liners just because my eyelids are oily. Otherwise would be a good choice for those wanting a cheap liquid liner. 
I have done a review on this on my Eyeliner post here.

Essential Nail Polish ($1, now $2)  
Very surprised at the quality of this polish. It is a standard nail polish that has a good pay off. 

Studio Cream eyeliner ($3)
I bought the Espresso thinking I would want a dark brown liner to try. The color was too sheer and the gel dried out quickly. I would not repurchase.

Studio Eye primer and liner ($3)  
Unfortunately this did not work for me at all. The primer moved around and did not hold the shadows in place. The liner did not provide the budge - proofing I needed. I literally threw it out after using it only a couple of times :(


Studio contouring blush and bronzing powder ($3)
This is a dupe for Nars Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer. The blush has visible flecks of shimmer which is not that noticeable on skin. The bronzer is too shimmery for my liking. I have hit pan on the blush and still do use it once in a while.

contouring blush and bronzer powder 

Studio Blush ($3)
I purchased several shades of these blushes. Again they are somewhat of a dupe for Nars blushes. They are super powdery and the colors are not as intense as the Nars blushes. Even the available shades are reminiscent of the Nars line. The shimmery blushes have large shimmer particles that do not look so flattering on the skin. The ones I like are Tickled Pink and Mellow Mauve.

Studio High Definition Powder ($6)
This is the only powder from elf I have purchased twice. Supposedly this is a dupe for Make Up Forever HD powder. The powder is very finely milled and while white in the tub, translucent on the skin. It helps to minimize oil and sets the make up for the day.

Studio Bronzers ($3) in Warm and Golden
Each palette has 4 different shades of bronzers, which you can use separately or swirled together. Golden shade is the lighter of the two and the colors are not too intense. The bronzer like the blushes are really powdery. It stays on about 3 - 4 hours on my combination skin.

Warm Bronzer 

Studio undereye concealer and highlighter ($3)
Bought this on a whim and only used a couple of times before trashing it. The concealer is too thin to give proper coverage and the highlighter did not highlight but just blended into the skin.

Studio complete coverage concealer ($3)
The palette looks very promising with 4 different shades of concealers and a little brush. However, it does not give proper coverage and even with  multiple layers the concealer would not stay on the skin long. This made into misses of 2012.

Studio brush set ($45, on sale for $30) 
My favourite purchase of the elf products! I love all the brushes in this set. The 11 piece will give you all the makeup brush you need for your makeup wardrobe. They are made of synthetic nylon bristles and work very well as intended. I love the blush brush and the powder brush. They are soft and easy to work with.  There are 5 complexion related brushes and 6 eye related brushes. Some of the eyeshadow brushes are tad too small for my liking but overall this is a great buy.

Face brushes from the Studio Line Brush set 

Smaller (eye) brushes from the set 

Hits and misses 2012

Well I can't believe it's already almost the middle of January 2013. Where is the time going? 
As a true beauty junky I have tried a lot of products in 2012 and thought it would be fun to recap some of my favorites and not so favorites.

Hits
1. Revlon kissable balm stains (shdes:honey, darling and sweetheart)

I have very pale lips so without lipstick I almost look ill. Enter the world of stains. I love lip stains because the touch up is minimal. But didn't like the traditional stains that tend to dry my lips. Also the shade selections were pretty limited.
Revlon kissable balm stains look like fat crayons and addresses the issues I had with the other stains. This balm stain is moisturizing and is so easy to use. Just swipe it like a lipbalm.
Honey is a neutral mauve that I wear almost daily.
Darling is a light violet that is also wearable during daytime. Both however leave a stain that is deeper than what you see in the stick. I think this all depends on your chemistry as the stains don't look the same on all people. It lasts almost 5 to 6 hours and that means I only need to touch up once and look 'healthy'. 

 

2. Shiseido perfect refining foundation.
A recent discovery that I am enjoying very much. This foundation is very thin and seems to be hard to work with. However it actually gives a very good coverage and is easy to blend. The SPF 16 in the foundation is also a nice plus.
With this I don't need concealer and on my combination skin lasts upto 8 hours!  Bought mine at the Duty free shop in YVR airport for $38. 

3. L'oreal professional Vitamino colour conditioner
My hair has been chemically straightened, permed and coloured constantly. I tend to colour my hair every 2-3 months and am amazed that I still have decent hair left! I wash it every 2 days as it is heavily processed and extremely dry. When it comes to shampoo and conditioner I tend to like Japanese or Korean brands but noticed lately that they weren't working so effectively. The Viamino conditioner was a recommendation from a salon. It is $17 for a measly 200ml but worth every penny. My hair is light and soft and not weighed down at all. The hair feels super moisturized without the waxy film (like Pantene or Dove). Loving the results and hoping this will last a while. 

Misses

1.  EOS lipbalm 

This lip balm comes in such a cute packaging and was crazy popular amongst the beauty bloggers and YouTubers. I had ordered mine online because Canadian drugstores were not carrying them at the beginning of 2012. While I love the package, the lip balm itself and the shape doesn't do much. The balm is waxy and does not help with the chapped lips. It is also not cheap ($4 - 5 each). Definitely will not be repurchasing.

2. elf  Complete Coverage concealer

I tend to like elf products - what's not to like when you can get makeup and tools for $3 or $1! The Studio line is my favourite from elf and I enjoy the 50% off sales they have often. 

While I don't wear concealer every day, at times I look in the mirror in the afternoon and think "shoot, I should have brought some concealer to cover those spots..". Enter the 4 pan concealer palette which was very promising. Alas, the colour is great but the staying power is not. The formula is a thick cream, but does not go on too thick. The coverage is sheer and wears off in less than an hour! So my search continues.