The Great Big E.L.F Review

Hi everybody,

I have to admit: E.L.F is a sneaky company. Lately, I've found my makeup cabinet cluttering with their products. With cute packaging and prices ranging from $1-$5, it is hard not to get a thing or two from E.L.F. While some of their products are great, many others are just so-so. Before buying anything from them, I did extensive research and I have found myself using these five products constantly.

My fab five from E.L.F
Top row: All Over Color Sticks in Golden Peach and Pink Lemonade
Middle row: Gotta Glow Studio blush and Drama Brightening Eye Color quad
Bottom row: 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in Bedazzled

Can you believe the total MSRP of these 5 items are $9? With discounts here and there, it actually cost me a lot less, around $5! Now, do you realize the power of E.L.F?

Let's meet after the jump so we can discuss more about these 5 items, ok?

E.L.F Studio 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in Bedazzled ($3)

Doe foot applicator

Recently, I desperately needed a clear lip gloss that does not cost me an arm and a leg. Tada, I found Bedazzled at the local Dollar Tree and it only cost me a dollar! This lip gloss is wonderful: it moisturizes, lasts quite long on my lips, and has unbelievable shine without the stickiness. The doe foot applicator has a hole in the middle. When you squeeze your lip gloss out, the clear gloss from the outer layer will mix with the sparkly gloss at the inner core for a shimmery and shiny finish. You also get a lot of product out of this as well. However, the crimping at the end of my tube was bad. Now, when I squeeze, stuff comes out at both end. Other than that, I love this lip gloss.

Also, you get more material from this one than from the Minty Lipgloss. The one in Chicago has the exact same finish as Bedazzled but with a minty scent that smells like your Crest toothpaste. Although I love them both, I prefer the 2 in 1 lip gloss better.

E.L.F Studio blush in Gotta Glow ($3)

It has a mirror and I don't throw away the protective sleeve for a reason

You get about 3 grams of stuff, which is a lot for a blush

The packaging looks familiar, doesn't it? If it does not have the word NARS etching across the front, this blush can be passed as Nars Albatross. In fact, it is the perfect highlight that does the same thing as Albatross does but costs 23 dollars cheaper. It actually cost me $1.20 since I bought it during the Anniversary sale.

I use it as a highlighter for my cheekbones and sometimes, my eyes. It is very soft and powdery. That's why I don't toss the protective sleeve away. Weight-wise, the E.L.F Studio blushes weigh about 2 grams less than the Nars ones. However, with this price, I can put up with it. Like Albatross, Gotta Glow creates a nice ethereal glow that reminds me of soft focus effect in camera. It does not make your face look too obviously highlighted. You probably don't notice it on your skin but in film, the glow is very apparent. And that's why I love this product so much.

E.L.F Brightening Eye Color in Drama ($1)

Close-up at the quad

While E.L.F pulls all the bells and whistles in the packaging of their Studio line products, the packaging of dollar items are down-right shoddy. This quad is really small and houses in a flimsy container. However, inside contains some of the most pigmented eye shadows ever! Now, I have never used other quads besides Drama so my comments are just on this quad. And believe me, this is my go-to smokey eyes palette now. The black eyeshadow is very dark, probably as dark as MAC Carbon. The dark silver eyeshadow next to the black one reminds me of UD Gunpowder. It is one bad-ass color that has fine glitters in it. The pale silver eyeshadow at the top right corner is also glittery. The only dud in the quad is the matte white eyeshadow, which feels like chalk and has no pigmentation whatsoever.

The staying power is quite impressive as long as you use a good base or primer. I did a smokey look with E.L.F eyelid primer and it was fine but with UDPP as a base...holy cow! It was a very dramatic eye look!

Last but not least: E.L.F All Over Color Stick ($1)
(L-R): Golden Peach and Pink Lemonade)

Yup, that's all you get, about an inch of material

I love these little chubby sticks of All Over Color. Some people compare them to Nars The Multiples and I disagree. The ones from Nars are a lot smoother to glide on your skin. They also blend out a lot better. I need a flat top blush brush to blend Pink Lemonade on my cheeks. However, if you need to get out of the door fast while looking presentable, they are your guys.

While these products are marketed to use on your eyes, lips, and face, I can only use Pink Lemonade as a blush and Golden Peach as a cream eyeshadow/highlighter. Since they smell like lemon Pledge, I feel uncomfortable to apply them on my lips. Also, Pink Lemonade makes a horrible grandma-ish lip color. However, the way I use them as described above works for me. Golden Peach does crease after some time, though, which is a downer. It does look like a peachier version of MAC Rubenesque.

Swatches!
The blushes as well as MAC Rubenesque are not blended out

Blended out blushes
See what I meant when I said Golden Peach is a peachier version of MAC Rubenesque?

I hope this helps those of you who are contemplating on placing an order at E.L.F. These 5 products are solid items. Of course, you can't compare them to high-end products but taking them as they are, these five are fab. You won't break the bank buying stuff from E.L.F but if you do so, please (a) make sure you have some sort of discounts and (b) do your own research before placing an order. The allure of cheap makeup can lead to overbuying shoddy items you may not want or need. Also, it can lead you to disappointment.

Disclaimer: I bought all the items reviewed in this article.

That's all for now. What do you think about E.L.F? What are your favorite products from them? Tell all, tell all!

Love,
Dao, your friendly makeup enthusiast

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