E.L.F. All Over Color Sticks

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This product from the E.L.F. Essentials Line ($1 each) are meant to be used anywhere on your face/body. They can work as an eyeshadow, highlight, concealer, lip colour, etc and they come in a variety of shades. They have a collection of natural colours to be used as concealers, primers, etc and they also have a collection of shimmery colours that can work as eyeshadows, lip colour, blush, etc. These All Over Color Sticks are very versatile, and great if you're travelling and want a product that can do many things.

Colours (left to right): Rosy Beige, Persimmon

I have the two colours shown above and I use them as a concealer (rosy beige) and as a blush (persimmon). They smell like citrus and glide on smoothly. For only $1, you're getting a great product that can do many things!

Colours (left to right): Persimmon, Rosy Beige

My only problem with this product is that it doesn't come with a lot of product inside and it dries out a bit over time, even with the cap on.

I definitely recommend E.L.F.'s All Over Color Sticks. Their Essentials Line is sometimes hit or miss, and these are a hit for sure!

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s All Over Color Sticks
Price: $1 (www.eyeslipsface.com, Target, Zellers)
Grade: B

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E.L.F.'s Liquid Eyeliners

For those of you visiting this blog for the first time, you may be wondering: What's with all the E.L.F. Reviews? 

Well, this blog as fairly new so I decided that I would start reviewing makeup products that are affordable, good quality, and easily accessible from wherever you are. A brand that I've come to love is Eyes Lips Face and I thought it would be a great brand to review. I've done many reviews before, and they can all be found by scrolling down this page, and then clicking on "Older Posts" at the bottom.

Today I'll be reviewing their $1 Liquid Eyeliners from their Essentials Line.

Colours (left to right): Plum, Black, Coffee, Ash

I have six of E.L.F.'s Liquid Eyeliners, four pictured above, and two pictured below.

Colours (left to right): Silver, Pearl

There are a few other colours in their collection and you can check them out here. 

My favourite colour is the black one because it is opaque and dries reasonably quickly. The other colours are all right, but I don't find myself using them as much as I thought. Keep this in mind if you're someone who only likes to use black eyeliner; you probably don't need the other colours. However, if you want to try using coloured eyeliners, these are best to start with because of the price. 

They stay on for a a long time, and can be darkened/enhanced if you put a bit of black eyeshadow on top of it (by using an angled eyeliner brush to trace the black eyeshadow over the line you made). This 'sets' the liner, sealing it in and making sure it won't budge until you take it off. The same technique is used with other cream products in order to make them last longer on your eyes/face.

Here are swatches of the colours that I have:

Colours (left to right): Plum, Black, Coffee, Ash, Silver, Pearl

You can tell from the swatches that the first four colours are dark and opaque while the last two are more shimmery than pigmented. Because of this, I never use the Silver or Pearl ones. I think they would be great for detail work, however (like Halloween makeup, face painting, elaborate looks, etc). You can tell from the swatch that the liner doesn't create an opaque line, but is rather streaky.

The applicator is a felt tip one and is sturdy and won't bend. I tend to like these kind best because they are easier to work with.

I recommend these if you're looking to try out some other colours of liner, or if you want to try liquid eyeliner for the first time, but if you have some experience with liquid eyeliner, these might not be the best for you because the colours might not be as bright or intense as you want.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Liquid Eyeliner

Price: $1 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B+

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E.L.F.'s Shimmering Facial Whip

These Shimmering Facial Whips ($1 each) are probably the product I was most curious about on E.L.F.'s website. They are similar to the E.L.F. All Over Color Sticks in that they can be used in different ways and for different purposes. However, these Facial Whips are meant to be used as either highlights or as blushes, and even as a cream/liquid eyeshadow.

Notes: Colours in photo are darker than they are in real life. Swatches below.

I have them in the shades: Lilac Petal, Golden Peach, Persimmon, Citrus, Toasted, Camilla, Pink Lemonade and Spotlight. Here are some swatches:

Colours (left to right): Persimmon, Pink Lemonade, Citrus, Camilla

Colours (left to right): Toasted, Golden Peach, Lilac Petal, Spotlight

In each swatch, I show what it looks like coming out of the tube, and what it looks like blended in for each colour. 

I don't really use these a lot because of the formulation. With all of the ones I bought, they gushed out a lot of water upon first use, and if you don't continually shake them or use them on a regular basis, more water will separate from the product. It is rather annoying to have this happen every time I try to use them. It is hard to shake these because they are so small and the packaging doesn't really allow room for the product to move around. Although it does come with a full tube, most of it is used by trying to get all the water out. Sometimes some of the product comes out with the water, and it becomes a mess.

Once you have all the water out, the product is all right. Some of the colours (especially Toasted, Camilla and Citrus) are very close in colour so you can't really tell the difference between them.

This product has a light citrus scent, and it can be a bit over-powering when you try to get the water out.

I don't recommend this product because it is too messy to use and isn't worth the hassle. However, if you're looking for a cream highlight product and don't want to spend a lot of money (and don't mind a bit of a mess), then I would recommend getting a few colours, as opposed to all of them because most look the same as the other colours they have.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Shimmering Facial Whip

Price: $1 (www.eyeslipsface.com, Target, Zellers)

Grade: D

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E.L.F.'s Correction Perfection Face Powder

*NOTE: This product is now called the Tone Correcting Powder.

This is a review on another of E.L.F.'s $3 Studio products. It has the same packaging as the bronzers, sturdy, has a good weight to it, and has a large mirror inside.

The idea behind this product is that by swirling your brush into the four colour correctors (shown below), you will be able to slightly mask any colour imperfections on your face. For example, the green colour would tone down any redness on your face because green neutralizes red. Additionally, you could use a concealer brush and pick up a tiny amount of the colour corrector you need and direct apply it to that spot like you would a concealer.

I sometimes like to use this as a finishing powder, just to cover up anything that my foundation hasn't already. I didn't swatch it because the colours appear white when photographed, though in person you can see the slight colour it has to it. Because of this, applying it as a last step may make you look pale, so it might be best to use as your last powder step before blush and bronzer.

The difference it makes to covering up discolouration in skin is very subtle. That doesn't mean that it isn't working correctly though. You'll notice a difference when you apply one of the colours directly to a colour imperfection on your skin. 

Here's a website that teaches you how to use colour correctors: http://yourpersonalmakeupartist.com/how-apply-color-corrector

I think this product is great for it's price (like most other E.L.F. products), but if you're looking for something heavy-duty, you'd be better off using a cream colour corrector, like the one Coastal Scents offers.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Correction Perfection Face Powder

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B-

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E.L.F.'s Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

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I've already reviewed E.L.F.'s Studio Blushes and Bronzers, and today I'll be reviewing a combination of the two. This is their Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder. It comes with one blush and one matte-finish bronzer (with a tiny amount of shimmer, but it is subtle and barely noticeable). This, like everything else in the Studio Line, is just $3.

The packaging is exactly the same as the E.L.F. Studio Bronzers, but this one has two separate pans rather than one big one.

It only comes with one shade, so I assume it's meant to be "one shade fits all", which I could see being the case for medium skin tones but I think it may be too dark for fair skin, and too light for dark skin. I have medium/tan skin so it works well on me.

Colours (left to right): Blushed, Bronzed

Overall, I think this product is good if you are simplistic and like only have one or a few colours of each product, and certainly good if you like collecting. I like that the bronzer is basically matte as too much shimmer can be distracting.

I think this product could benefit from having a variety of colours, perhaps tailored to suit those with different skin tones or just for those who like different colours.

I like the fact that they are in two pans so the colours won't cross over and also because two products are located in one container.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B

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E.L.F.'s Studio Bronzers

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E.L.F. (www.eyeslipsface.com) makes great bronzers! They aren't my favourite, but they work. At just $3 each, these make a great product for anyone who wants a great starter bronzer, or something to expand their collection with. 

The packaging is great. It's just like that of the E.L.F. Blushes, but bigger. The mirror is also quite large as well. 

Colours (left to right): Golden Bronzer, Warm Bronzer

These bronzers come in 3 "sets", Golden, Warm and Cool. I have Golden and Warm because they both suit my skin tone well (for pictures of the Cool Bronzer, check the E.L.F. website) You'll notice that each bronzer has four different shades. The idea behind this is that you swirl your brush through these four colours in a circular motion (lightly, and just a few circulations) and you'll pick up a nice mix of the colours. However, they also give you the option of using these colours separately. They also work great as eyeshadows!

Colours (left to right): Golden bronzer (all four shades mixed), Warm bronzer (all four shades mixed)

These bronzers have some shimmer in them, so they are not completely matte, but they aren't overly shimmery either. You can see that the pigmentation isn't horrible; in fact, it has just the right amount of pigmentation if you only want a touch of colour.

I think this is a great product to have for those days that you want to look more natural, but with a bit of definition and colour.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Studio Bronzer

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B

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E.L.F.'s Cream Eyeliner

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These Cream Eyeliners are from E.L.F.'s Studio Line and I purchased them for $3 each on E.L.F.'s website.

I purchased them in the following colours:

Colours (left to right): Coffee, Golden, Teal Tease, Gunmetal, Midnight

I really like the pigmentation and texture of Coffee and Midnight because they are matte and opaque, but the three in the middle (Golden, Teal Tease and Midnight) have shimmer and it makes them less opaque. This makes them a little difficult to work with when using them as a liner, but if you want something a little more subtle, they are great to use.

Teal Tease is a colour that I would more likely use as a base rather than a liner, because that is my preference. I mention it only because it is important to know that just because it is labelled as an eyeliner, that doesn't mean you can't use it for other purposes.

These dry and become slightly smudge-proof making them long-wearing and great to use in the summer.

As always, I am impressed with E.L.F.'s Studio Line and their affordability! I recommend these eyeliners if you're looking for something affordable and functional.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Cream Eyeliner

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B+

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E.L.F.'s Cream Eyeshadows (Studio Line)

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Yesterday, I posted a blog about E.L.F.'s Duo Cream Eyeshadow from their Essentials Line, and today I'm going to review their Cream Eyeshadows from their Studio Line. Everything from their Studio Line (including these Cream Eyeshadows) are $3 and I tend to buy items from this line when they are having a 50% off Studio Sale (items are then $1.50 each).

In my experience, the products from the Studio Line rival those of high-end products.

I purchased all four of the colours they had at the time, but they have since released a few more colours which I will review soon.

Colours (left to right): Eggplant, Bronzed, Dawn, Candlelight

These eyeshadows have a great texture, but they are not as richly pigmented as the Duo ones from their Essentials Line. However, this doesn't mean they aren't as good. They have a 'drier' texture than the Duo ones and so they will last longer on your eyelids. They also have a lot more shimmer in them.

I think these are more wearable eyeshadows than the Duo ones as they don't crease as easily (but will eventually crease), so if you only need a wash of colour for a little while, they are great. However, they will need to be set with a powder eyeshadow if you want them to last a long time, so in this case, they make a great coloured base.

My favourite is the Bronzed one because it is the most pigmented of all of them and I tend to use neutral colours most.

I'm glad that they came out with more colours, and although they are not as bright as the Duo ones, I think they last longer and can be worn on their own.

Summary: 

Product: E.L.F.'s Cream Eyeshadow

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B+

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E.L.F. Studio Blushes

Another product I like to purchase during E.L.F.'s 50 % off Studio Line are their blushes. They are normally $3, but I got these ones for $1.50 each. 

I purchased them in seven colours, and surprisingly, I use these just about every day! Here are the colours I purchased:

Colours (left to right): Blushing Rose, Mellow Mauve, Berry Merry, Fuchsia Fusion

Colours (left to right): Candid Coral, Peachy Keen, Gotta Glow

You can tell from the pictures that they come in a range of colours and the packaging is great! It comes with a mirror and the packaging is sturdy. I haven't had any of the lids or clasps break.

They apply nicely on a powder brush (I recommend using E.L.F.'s Studio Powder Brush) and you only need a tiny amount of product at first to start with and you can re-apply more if you want to build up the colour. There is a hint of shimmer in all of them with the exception of Fuchsia Fusion which has glitter in it. 

You might be wondering why the colour Gotta Glow is basically white and that's because it can act as a highlight to your cheeks if you already have a lot of natural pigmentation, of if you don't really want any colour, but you want some radiance.

Here are the swatches:

Colours (left to right): Blushing Rose, Mellow Mauve, Berry Merry ,Fuchsia Fusion, Candid Coral, Peachy Keen, Gotta Glow

At only $3 each (or $1.50 during the sale) you really can't go wrong! You can even try mixing two or more colours together on your brush (by tapping your brush into different colours) to get the shade you're looking for. And if it turns out that you don't like one of these shades after you've purchased it, you can use them as an eyeshadow as well!

My only complaint with this product is that after you've used it a few times, you'll notice the surface of the blush is "bumpy" and this indicates that the powder wasn't finely milled or ground before they pressed it. Those 'bumps' are clumps of certain ingredients that didn't get thoroughly mixed. However, I haven't really come across any changes in the functionality of the product even with this flaw.

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Studio Blush

Price: $3 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B+

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E.L.F.'s Natural Radiance Blusher

Yet another E.L.F. product being reviewed today! I've reviewed a lot from their Studio Line, but now I'd like to focus on their Essentials Line. Their Essentials Line contains much the same products as their Studio Line, but these products are meant to be just basic cosmetics for those starting out in makeup, or for those who want something light and natural. These Natural Radiance Blushes are a great example.

Although about half the size of the Studio Blushes, these blushes are the same quality-wise, but come in slightly different colours and packaging. I'd say the many difference is the packaging because you'll notice that these come in completely clear cases, whereas the Studio ones were matte black with a bit of clear plastic at the top so you can see the colour inside. It's a bit confusing at first when figuring out how to work these, but basically, the top slides up and off the bottom part of the case.

Colours (left to right): Coy, Glow

You can see in this picture that I've slid the lid up and over the bottom part. As for the colours, I have just these two but they have a lot more on the website. Coy is a light pink-purple colour, whereas Glow is your classic light peachy pink.

Here are the swatches:

Colours (left to right): Coy, Glow

I think these blushes are great if you're new to makeup and you don't want to invest a lot of money into something you might not even use. And you can even use these as eyeshadows, like most other pressed powder products!

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Natural Radiance Blusher

Price: $1 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B+

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E.L.F.'s Duo Eyeshadow Cream

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These are great for the price! At just $1, you get two cream eyeshadows that are richly pigmented and easy to blend. I purchased them from the E.L.F. website. They are part of their Essentials Line where are the products from this line are $1 each.

Colour: Eggplant   Picture from E.L.F.'s website

A tip for using these cream eyeshadows is not to wear them alone as they will crease. However, if you apply a small amount to your eyelid and then apply a dry or powder eyeshadow of your choice, you will intensify the colour of the powder eyeshadow if they are similar in colour. So, if you apply a green cream eyeshadow, topping it with any green powder eyeshadow will make it more green. It'll also make the eyeshadow less prone to creasing throughout the day.

I purchased nine of these and here are the swatches:

Colours (left to right): Black Licorice (first two), Blueberry (middle two), Olive (last two)

Colours (left to right): Mocha Swirl (first two), Butter Pecan (middle two), Sugar Cookie (last two)

Colours (left to right): Coffee & Cream (first two), Berry Mix (middle two), Eggplant (last two)

I think these are a great product for your money, and a great alternative to other cream products! If they wore well on their own, I think they'd be perfect. Other than that, I definitely recommend these!

Summary:

Product: E.L.F.'s Duo Eye Shadow Cream

Price: $1 (www.eyeslipsface.com)

Grade: B

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