e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick Review

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick

Today I have the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick for review.  I bought the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick in Ivory back in February when it was first released.  I purchased the lightest shade because I had no tan in the heart of winter, and I had heard that the shades ran dark.  According to e.l.f.: “This creamy foundation stick glides on effortlessly for adjustable, natural-looking coverage. Enriched with antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients Shea, Vitamin E, Cocoa, Grape, Avocado, Macadamia, and Aloe to nourish and hydrate the skin for a soft, smooth, and revitalized look. The twist-up component is easy to use and perfect for on-the-go beauty!”

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick in Ivory

I bought the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick because I was not thrilled with the Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Stick Foundation, but still wanted to try an easy, travel-friendly stick foundation.  I hoped that this e.l.f. version would be better than the Maybelline version.  Unfortunately, for me, it was much worse.  I really don’t like the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick, and think it is a total dud.  I have heard that there is some discrepancy between the shades, and that the darker shades perform much better.  I only purchased Ivory, so I can’t say how the other shades do, but my experience was a pretty bad one.

First off, the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick smells.  There is a big difference between e.l.f.’s Essential line and the Studio line.  One of the major differences is that many Essential line products have a funky smell that the Studio line doesn’t have.  The Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick smells like the cheap $1 All Over Cover Sticks.  It really turns me off the product, especially because it is priced at $6.

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick in Ivory

The formula is cakey and patchy and not smooth at all.  It’s thick and sits on top of the skin instead of blending in.  I’ve tried blending the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick with my fingers, a beauty sponge, and with a brush and all techniques looked pretty bad.  Like I said, I first tried the product in the winter.  It accentuated my dry areas and settled into lines and pores.  It looked so bad, that I refused to wear it outside.  I thought that maybe my skin was too dry from the cold weather and that it may work better in the warmer months, so I put it away for later.  Well, it’s June and in the 90’s.  I’ve tried the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick several times since, and my feelings about it haven’t changed.  It’s a terrible foundation.  I look ten years older with it on because it highlights every flaw.  Calling it “moisturizing” is a joke.  I blended it out on the back of my hand in the picture below.  You can click to enlarge the picture to see how the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick sits on top of the skin and sinks into lines.

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick in Ivory

I purchased the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick during a half off sale, so it was only $3.  In my opinion, even half off is too much to pay.  There are several very positive reviews of the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick on e.l.f.’s website, as well as other places online.  Maybe the Studio Moisturizing Foundation Stick works for some people, but for me, it was terrible.  My advice is to skip this one entirely.  Dry skin girls will find it too drying and it will accentuate dry or flaky patches.  Oily skin girls will find it too smothering and it will crease up almost immediately.  Sorry e.l.f., but it’s back to the drawing board with this one.

40% off New Products from e.l.f.

e.l.f. 40% sale

E.l.f. is offering 40% off of any order over $30 today only.  There are some really exciting new products from e.l.f. that you may be interested in getting.  The sale cannot be combined with any other offers or applied to previous purchases. It excludes Holiday Geo Palette Collection, Beauty Bundle plans, and Gift Cards.  Maximum discount $100.  To take advantage of the sale, visit eyeslipsface.com and add a minimum of $30 worth of product to your shopping bag.  Add code GOODDAY to the coupon code box at checkout to receive 40% off your order.  The sale ends at 11:59 PST.  Also, e.l.f. offers free shipping on all orders over $35 (after the discount).

Some new items that you may not have seen yet, but may be interested in:

e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette

e.l.f. Studio Blush Palette

e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot

e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot

e.l.f. Mineral Pressed Mineral Blush

e.l.f. Mineral Pressed Mineral Blush

I am in the process of testing all three of these products, and a review is pending on all of them.  I can say that my initial impression is that I am very impressed.  Are you planning on taking advantage of the 40% off sale?  What are you most interested in?  Let me know in the comments below.

E.L.F. Spring Line: Available at Target or 25% off Online

Hello, lovelies.  I was at Target yesterday, and check out what I spied with my little eye.  E.l.f.’s Spring line!  I took cell phone pics of everything that I could.  You can click on the pictures to enlarge, but remember that cell phone pics aren’t the best quality, so they might still be hard to see.  You can find all of the items listed here on e.l.f.’s website.  These items are limited edition for the season, so don’t wait too long if you want to pick something up.

On the left is the “Essential 4-piece Nail Polish Set”, including the shades Coral Dream, Flirty Fuchsia, Party Peach and Smokin’ Hot.  On the right is the “5-Piece Get The Look Eye Set”, which includes an eyeshadow trio, eyelash curler, Lengthening & Defining Mascara, Liquid Eyeliner, and an eyeshadow brush.  Both of these sets are $5.00 each.

This is the “Essential 5-Piece Ultimate Eye Set”, which includes an eyeshadow compact of 6 shades, the Essential Eyelid Primer, Lengthening & Defining Mascara, Brightening Eyeliner Pencil in Black, and 1 Dual-Ended Applicator.

Next up is the “Spring Collection 32-Piece Eyeshadow Palette” which comes in Cool (pictured above) and Warm (pictured below on the left).  Both palettes contain some really beautiful shades and are $5.00 each.

There are a lot of new Mineral sets for the Spring.  Pictured above are the “Mineral 3-Piece Eye Sets” in “Bronzed”, containing three Mineral Eyeshadows (Wild, Bronzed, and Golden), and “Romantics”, containing two Mineral Eyeshadows (Sweet and Sassy) and a brush.  Below on the left and in the center are the “Mineral 3-Piece Eye Sets” in “Nudes” and “Earthy”, both containing two Mineral Eyeshadows and a brush.  I couldn’t find the two shades that are in the “Nudes” set because it’s not listed on e.l.f.’s website, but the two shades in “Earthy” are Earthy and Caffeinated.  Pictured below on the right, is the 2-Piece Mineral Foundation SPF 15 Set, containing a mineral foundation and a powder brush.  All of these items are $5.00.

E.l.f. has three new Beauty Books out for Spring in Natural, Bronzed, and Smoky.  Pictured above are Bronzed on the left and Smoky on the right.  Each Beauty Book comes  with 6 Eyeshadows, 1 Essential Eyelid Primer, 1 Eyeliner Pencil, 1 Built-in Mirror,  and 1 Dual Ended Applicator, as well as instructions on how to achieve certain eye looks.  The Beauty Books retail for $5.00 each.

On the left, here, we have the “Essential 3-Piece Eye Set” for $3.00, which includes the Essential Eyelid Primer in Nude and Champagne, as well as the Lengthening & Defining Mascara in black.  Pictured in the center is the “4-Piece Simmer Lip Gloss Set”, available for $5.00.  This is another item that is not listed on e.l.f.’s website.  Lastly, pictured on the right, is the “Essential 3-Piece Hypershine Lip Gloss Set”, available for $3.00.

E.l.f.’s Spring line has mostly white packaging, which is appropriate for spring, though I prefer the traditional black.  I just think the black looks sleeker, where as I think white make it look cheap.  Most, but not all of the products that I spotted at target are available online at eyeslipsface.com.  Also, e.l.f. has several more items available for spring that have not shown up at Target, so be sure to check both sources.  Now for the sale alert.  E.l.f. is currently offering 25% off of their new spring items with coupon code LOVEIT.  This sale is going on through Monday 4/2.  What’s great is that in addition to the limited edition items for Spring, e.l.f. is also including many of the new items that they released for their core line in this sale.  You may remember me mentioning some of them in this post.  Just enter LOVEIT at checkout by 4/2 for 25% off a ton of new items, or  if you don’t want to deal with online ordering and shipping, head down to your local Target to see what e.l.f. has for Spring.

E.L.F. Expands Essential Line for Spring 2012

e.l.f. Spring 2012

There are a ton of new items on e.l.f.’s website, but what really stuck out to me is that they are expanding their Essential line.  E.l.f.’s Essential line is where e.l.f. started before the Mineral and Studio lines were added, and is usually priced at $1.  These new items have a $2 price tag, but are part of the Essential line.  Some items look to be updated versions of their old products, like the Nail Polish Remover Pads and the Blush (now with a brush).  Other items like the Zit Zapping Concealer and the Lip Stain are totally new.  I haven’t come across a reason for the increase in price, but I am hoping that it means an improvement in quality.  Though I love the Studio line, e.l.f.’s Essential line has its hits and misses.  There are some fantastic $1 products like the Eyelid Primer and the Super Glossy Lip Shines, but some Essential items are pretty crappy.  I can’t wait to try some of these new Essential items to see if the quality has improved.  As it stands now, any existing Essential items that have not been updated are still $1.  I don’t know if that is going to change.

There are also some pretty innovative new items from e.l.f. in the other two lines.  They are now offering a Mineral (powder) Face Cleanser, Lotion Wipes, and Shimmer (blush) Sheets.  If you haven’t checked out e.l.f.’s website in awhile, you may be surprised by what you find.  I do not know if the new items will be available at Target, but you can find everything at eyeslipsface.com.  Be sure to sign up for their mailing list because e.l.f. is always offering coupon codes and special deals.

Haul, New Items Spotted, and e.l.f. at Walgreens!

It’s been a few days since my last post, but I haven’t neglected the blog in my time away.  I’ve been out shopping and spying new items to post about.  I went a little nail polish crazy this weekend, and while I was out, I picked up a couple other items as well.

• 4 new polishes out of the limited edition China Glaze Let it Snow Collection for Holiday 2011
• Jesse’s Girl “Stiletto” from the Julie G Collection
• Jesse’s Girl Eyedust in “Sunlit Cactus”
• Sinful Colors Extra Shiny lipgloss in “Sultry Flame”

You will definitely be seeing these items again in more depth.

In addition to my haul, I spotted some great displays while at Walgreens.

Sinful Colors has a new display that includes, not only nail polish and nail stripers, but lipgloss as well.  I knew that Sinful Colors made makeup, but I have never seen it in store before, so I am not sure if these glosses are new.  I had to pick one up, so keep your eye out for a review.

Profusion and Color Works have some great Holiday value sets available.  I have not used these brands before so I can’t speak to how good or bad they are, but for these prices it can’t hurt to experiment.

Last but not least, I spotted e.l.f. Holiday Beauty Books at Walgreens!  Can you believe it!!!  These look to be the same $5.00 Beauty Books offered at Target, but the packaging is a little different (and they are $4.99).  At Target the packaging was silver and these are black.  I’m not sure what that means, but I’m very excited to see e.l.f. in the drugstore.

I have some great reviews coming up, so keep watching this space.  Christmas is in 7 weeks, and the Holiday Collections are out in force, so keep you eyes peeled and let me know in the comments what Holiday sets you are the most excited for.

Spotted: E.L.F. Holiday 2011

Now that Halloween is over, I can dive into some of the Holiday releases for this year.  You may have already seen some Holiday displays in your area.  The first week of November seems to be the wide release date for many Holiday collections.  Today I’m going to show you some e.l.f. items that I spotted in my local Target a week or so ago.  These pictures are all taken with my cell phone in the store, so the lighting isn’t fabulous.

e.l.f. Holiday 2011

e.l.f. Holiday 2011

e.l.f. Holiday 2011

e.l.f. Holiday 2011

There are a bunch of eyeshadow collections, as well as brush sets, lipgloss sets, mascara and eyeliner sets, etc.  The sets range from $3-$15, from what I can tell.  One item that caught my interest was the nail polish set.

e.l.f. Holiday 2011 Nail Polish Set

E.l.f. recently changed their nail polish formula and I wanted to try it out.  E.l.f. nail polishes sell out quickly on the website, so when I saw this gift set, I jumped on it.  The colors from left to right are Golden Goddess, Royal Purple, Mod Mauve, Red Velvet, and Metal Madness.  The shades are actually quite beautiful, though not particularly holiday inspired.  The one problem I had with these, though is the godawful smell.  These may be the worst smelling nail polishes that I have ever had.  The old formula did not smell this way.  I actually really liked the old formula, and am not sure why they made the change.  I swatched them on my nail wheels, but I haven’t painted my nails with them yet, so I don’t know how long the stench lingers.  I did the swatches at night and the the stink was gone the next day, but I’m not sure if the results would be different on the actual nail.  The smell is a real shame, because otherwise this would be a great gift set.

There are many more Holiday gift sets available on e.l.f.’s website, so be sure to check them out as well as checking your local Target.  One thing that I didn’t manage to take a picture of is the new Gem Tool brushes that have pink jewel encrusted handles and pink brush tips.  They are super cute!  E.l.f. is having a sale on their Holiday gift sets now through 11/7, so go to eyeslipsface.com and enter code GIFTFAVES for 40% off.

 

E.L.F. Matte Lip Color Review and Swatches

E.L.F. Matte Lip Color

I’ve heard a lot of really good things about e.l.f.’s Matte Lip Colors and wanted to share my opinion.  As soon as In saw them, I knew I had to try them.  I was hoping that they might be an even cheaper alternative to NYX Jumbo lip pencils, so I purchased two out of the four colors offered in Coral and Praline.  According to e.l.f.’s website: “This convenient jumbo sized lip pencil creates exact color application with twist up ease so you never have to sharpen. The pigment rich color glides on effortlessly and easily to provide long lasting matte color. The enriched Vitamin A, C & E formula moisturizes and hydrates lips for beautiful healthy looking lips.”  I’ve had these for a few months now, and think that I’ve given them a fair chance.  In all honesty, I hate them.  I think elf really missed on this one, and I’ll tell you why.

Coral (left) and Praline (right)

Before we talk about anything else, let’s talk about colors.  First of all, as stated, there are only four color choices for these matte lip colors, Coral, Natural, Tea Rose, and Praline.  All four colors are similar, and even if you love this products, you probably don’t need all four.  I would have liked a broader color selection to choose from, although I think that the issue is a failing of elf in general.  I love many of their lip products, but I do find that many of their colors are similar, making the color range somewhat limited, even in their larger lines.  Also, a notorious problem of elf is that the color indicators online are not true to life at all.  I strongly recommend searching online for swatches before buying makeup over the internet, but I bought these when they were brand new, so there weren’t a lot of swatches out there.  Coral is a horrible color for me (as you will see) and I never would have gotten it if I had known what color it really was.  In my swatch photo, I laid the color on pretty thick and the colors came closer to the online indicator, but I would never apply them that thick to my lips.  Praline is a much better color for me, but nothing that I don’t already own.  All four colors are pretty generic and it’s possible that you already have many versions of them in your lipstick collection.

E.L.F. Matte Lip Color in Coral and Praline

Now onto the products itself.  I like the size of the tip and the ease of application.  Elf is correct, the lip pencil gives a precise application and with a twist up top, never needs sharpening.  The Matte Lip Colors apply smoothly, although I found Praline to be a bit patchy.  Unfortunately, as soon as I apply the color it settles into any line it can find.  Coral is worse than Praline, but they both look horrible on.  I discovered lines that I didn’t know I had thanks to these lip colors.  Even in my swatch photo, you can see the color sink into the lines in my hand, creating the look of craters.  I find Coral absolutely unwearable.  Oddly, even though the colors looked shrink wrapped to my lips, they aren’t immediately drying.  I always use a lip primer or lip balm because of my dry lips, so that helps, but it took a good fifteen to twenty minutes before they started to feel dry, even though they looked horribly dry.  I can’t speak to the wear time of elf’s Matte Lip Color, because I just couldn’t keep them on that long.  I refused to go out with my lips looking like this.

e.l.f. Matte Lip Color in Coral (L) and Praline (R)

All in all, I give elf’s Matte Lip Color two thumbs down.  I have heard a lot of people who really like this products, so go ahead and give it a try for yourself if you are a fan of matte or semi-matte jumbo pencils.  Perhaps it is just my lips that don’t do well with these, but they did not work for me at all.  As part of the Studio line, they retail for $3.00 and can be found at eyeslipsface.com and at some Target stores.  I do want to say, though that I really like elf’s lip products in general.  I have many of their lipsticks and glosses and really like them, so don’t judge all of elf’s lip products on this one item.  If you have any of elf’s Matte Lip Colors, I’d love to hear what your opinion is on them in the comments below.

Speed Read: E.l.f.’s Matte Lip Colors are twistable jumbo pencils that come in a limited color range and, though not overly drying, settle into fine lines like crazy.

Best for: Those with really smooth lips, who like matte or semi-matte lip pencils in light, neutral colors.

Keep walking: If you have any lines on your lips AT ALL, or if you don’t like matte lips.  Also, if you have a decent lip color collection, you probably already have these colors.

E.L.F. Studio Cream Blush Review and Swatches

Studio Cream Blush

According to elf’s website: “This amazing blush offers the best of both worlds! It smoothes on as a cream for great texture and then transforms into a velvety soft powder finish for long-lasting rich color that’s never greasy! The lightweight, refreshing oil-free formula looks natural and radiates a beautiful glow perfect for all skin types. The soft powder finish can be layered for desired intensity and dimension.”

Elf got this one 100% right.  It’s not a “cream” blush, though.  It’s more of a mousse with a slightly spongy feel.  Cream blushes sometimes have a greasy look or feel, but there is absolutely none of that with elf’s cream blush.  It actually looks a little bit like play-dough in the packaging, though, of course, there is a lot more slip than that.  It smoothes on as a cream/mousse and blends into a powder finish.  It’s super light, and you can’t feel it on your skin at all, once it’s blended out.  The colors look crazily pigmented in the packaging, but they actually provide a beautiful natural flush when blended out, as long as you are conservative in your application.  The blush does layer really well, so it easily builds into a pretty intense color.  Be careful when you first try it out and apply lightly until you get used to the product to avoid clown cheeks.  The color easily lasts 6-8 hours, which is amazing for a cream blush.

Elf’s Studio Cream Blush comes in six different colors:

• Heartbreaker- a bright coral
• Flirt- very bright pink
• Tease- a peachy dusty rose
• Temptress- brown, probably best for a contour color or a matte bronzer
• Seductress- a pinky red color
• Vixen- a muted berry

I own Tease and Vixen, so those will be the ones that I’ll be swatching.  I’ll start with Tease.

Studio Cream Blush in Tease

Tease is a hard color for me to describe.  It’s a cross between dusty rose and perhaps a dark coral.  There are definitely peachy tones and rose tones in it, which combine into a beautiful neutral blush that would suit many skin tones.

 

Tease blended out. (L) 1 layer (R) 2 layers

The other color that I have is Vixen.

Studio Cream Bush in Vixen

Vixen is a beautiful muted berry.  There is a hint of mauve, but it doesn’t stray into purple territory.  It may be too dark for those who are very fair, so if you still want to try the color, use an extremely light hand.

 

Vixen blended out. (L) 1 layer (R) 2 layers

The packaging is sturdy and professional looking, but really bulky.  It looks beautiful, but it’s excessive and makes storage an issue.  The blushes come in a larger version of the square style acrylic jars with black tops that many of the studio line products come in, including the Conditioning Lip Balm, and the Cream Eyeliner.  The jar holds 15g/.53oz of blush, and retails for $6.00 on elf’s website, though I picked mine up for $3.00 thanks to elf’s many 50% off sales.  In comparison, NARS The Multiple is .50oz and retails for $39.00, and Urban Decay’s Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint is only .14oz and retails for $24.00.  There is no noticeable fragrance, so those sensitive to smell can rest assured.  I have not seen these blushes at target yet, so you will probably have to buy them online at this point at eyeslipsface.com, but certainly keep your eye out for them.

I’m not a huge fan of cream blushes, but I think that elf’s cream blush is a great product.  I’m very glad that I bought Vixen and Tease, and am tempted to get the other four colors as well.  I definitely recommend giving elf’s Studio Cream Blush a try.

Speed Read: Elf’s Studio Cream Blush is a big hit.  The highly pigmented, cream to powder formula has incredible staying power and is so light that you can’t even feel it.

Best For: Anyone who prefers mousse formulas, those who like cream blush, those who like pigmented blush.

Keep walking: If you prefer powder blushes, or if your are extremely fair and need very sheer blushes.

E.L.F. Haul and Teaser

E.L.F. had a 50% off sale recently, so I went shopping.  It looks like I got a ton of stuff in this first picture because the packaging is so bulky.  Really, though, I didn’t go too crazy and 50% off their already low prices just can’t be beat.  E.L.F. is always having fantastic sales on their website, so if you are going to order online definitely get on their mailing list and wait for a coupon code because one will pop up in your inbox in no time.  eyeslipsface.com

e.l.f. haul, no packaging

See, it looks like a lot less out of the packaging.  I’m not addicted, I swear.  😉

This is just a quick haul to let you know the new items that I got and some that I will be reviewing here on the blog.  I’m especially interested in the Cream Blush and the Eyeliner & Shadow sticks, so watch this space for more info on those items and other elf products as well.

Have a great weekend!

E.L.F. – an Overview

What kind of budget beauty blogger would I be if I didn’t talk about E.L.F. Cosmetics?  If you haven’t heard about elf, let me break it down for you in this post.  I plan to go more in depth and do product reviews and swatches on some of my favorite elf products in future posts, but for now this is going to be a general overview of the company.  E.L.F. stands for Eyes Lips Face, and the complete line can be found at eyeslipsface.com.  They are known for their incredibly low prices.  You can also find a limited selection of the brand at most Target stores and the Essential line (more on that in a minute) at some Dollar Stores.  Elf is broken up into three main lines at three separate price points: the Essential, Studio, and Mineral lines.  All three lines have hit and miss products, all three lines have their own brush sets, and all three lines are definitely worth checking out.  Oh, and they are 100% cruelty free.

The Essential Line:

According to elf’s website, “The full line of essential makeup & cosmetics for everyday designer beauty. Our top-rated, complete e.l.f. essentials collection includes everyday eye, lip, & face makeup plus brushes, tools, kits, gifts and more. Essential makeup beauty products for all your beautiful looks!”

The majority of elf’s Essential line (often called the “dollar” line) is priced a $1.00 each and this is the only line that can be found at some dollar stores.  It’s also the line that looks the least professional and has the cheapest packaging.  That should not deter you from checking out the Essential line, though, because there are some really good products that can be found for only a dollar.  The Essential line packaging is white with clear plastic and the products are a little on the small side.  There are a ton of products in this line, not just makeup, but tools as well.  There are 15 white handled brushes in the Essential line, plus many other tools and accessories.  This is definitely a “no frills” line, but the products within the package are worth well over the $1.00 that you spend.  The Essential line also contains elf’s Elements.  Elements are single eyeshadow, blush, and lip color pots that fit into a four-slot custom compact.  These are perfect to throw in your purse for touch ups and traveling.  Also, I’ve heard that MAC eyeshadows fit into the compact, though I’ve not tested that theory.  Some stand out items from the Essential line are the Mechanical Eyelash Curler, the Brightening Eye Color quads, the Luscious Liquid Lipsticks and the Super Glossy Lip Shines.

The Studio Line:

According to elf’s website, “Studio artist cosmetics products for the makeup artist in you. Everything in our professional makeup and cosmetics line—from the Studio line of products to the ultra-chic packaging—says prestige, except the price!”

The Studio Line (or “professional” line) is a large step up from the Essential line.  The majority of elf’s Studio line is priced a $3.00, though some products are as much as $6.00 each.  The Studio packaging is sleek and black, and looks a lot like Nars packaging.  The studio line has gotten a lot of hype lately and has definitely upped elf’s popularity.  In general, the products are larger than the Essential line and are really nice items.  The Studio brushes are fantastic and there are currently 18 taklon bristled, black handled brushes in the line.  There are a few duds, but the majority of the Studio line products are great and certainly worth checking out.  Some stand out items from the Studio line (and there are many) are the Powder Brush, the Studio Blush, the Cream Eyeliner, and the High Definition Powder.

The Mineral Line:

According to elf’s website, “100% natural mineral makeup & cosmetics for a touch of natural beauty everyday. Our mineral makeup collection creates a weightless, flawless finish to help you on your way to healthier glowing skin. Let your natural beauty radiate through wherever you are and still enjoy e.l.f. luxury for less!”

Elf’s Mineral line is priced at $3.00 to $8.00 per item.  They continued the sleek black packaging into the Mineral line, but infused “natural” touches.  For instance, the 13 brushes offered have straw colored taklon bristles and bamboo handles.  The Mineral line has the least number of products, but they are highly rated.  The Mineral line offers exactly what you would expect for mineral makeup with a few extras added in.  The Mineral Eyeshadow Primer has been compared by some to Urban Decay’s Primer Potion (I’ve never used UDPP, so I can’t say one way or the other). Some stand out items from the Mineral line are the Mineral Eyeshadows, lipstick, lipglosses, and, of course, the Eyeshadow Primer.

I really like what elf has to offer and you can’t beat the price.  They are always having sales and offering coupon codes, so it’s great way to try new items that you wouldn’t normally purchase.  The only thing I don’t like about elf is that to get access to the entire line, I have to order online.  Makeup is tricky to order online because the colors aren’t always true to life and then there’s the fact that you have to pay for shipping and wait for your package to arrive.  (Patience is not my strong point.)  But, to me it’s worth it.  I have a lot of elf products, so you will definitely be hearing more about elf in the future.

Speed Read: E.L.F., or Eyes Lips Face, is a company that offers quality products at a very low cost.  With three lines (Essential, Studio, and Mineral) there is something for everyone.

Best for:  Anyone looking for a huge bargain on everyday makeup items and people who want to step outside the box and try new things without spending much money.

Keep walking:  If brand names are important to you, or if you refuse to believe that you can find quality makeup for $3.00 or less.  Also if packaging is very important to you (applies to the Essential line only).