e.l.f. : Eyeshadow Quad in Nouveau Neutrals

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color-  Eyeshadow Quad in Nouveau Neutrals

Packaging- Dinky little plastic packaging, a fall to the floor would definitely destroy it.

Thoughts- I'm going to keep this point short and simple seeing as I don't have much to say about this palette. The shadow is chalky and there is loads of fall out from the tiny glitter running through each shadow. It is impossible to build up the color so that it is true to pan, even with eyeshadow bases or wet brushes. The color combination does not work for me as I could not fathom how these four would work in a look together. I normally love elf products, but I couldn't find anything good to say about this quad.

Overall- I'm just not into this quad. From the color combination to the color payoff to the shadow quality. Nothing about this quad seems right. I picked it up for $0.40 during an elf sale though, so I can't complain too much.

Star Rating- 0/5...This is a big NO WAY to this quad

Swatches

e.l.f.: Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

The Breakdown

Brand- e.l.f.

Product- Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Packaging- A little tube with a doe foot wand.

Thoughts- I want to start off by saying that I do NOT own the $1 elf eyeshadow primer, so I can't really make any comparisons there. But that being said...on with it.

The primer is a flesh toned cream that proved to be a little chunky in texture. Once blended though, it smoothes down to a nice slightly powdery matte finish. The color will be a tad light for those who are darker than NC 25-30, so if your skin is darker than that don't bank on this product for simply evening the skintone on your lids.

The primer did a good job of holding onto eyeshadow when I was trying to build up a nice density of color, but because of this blending is slightly more difficult as primer really likes to hold onto the shadow. Unfortunately though, after a few hours of wear, creasing was observed, which means that the product failed in its important function.

Overall- I have slightly oily lids with a deep folded crease. This product only kept my lids matte and crease free for about 3 hours, 5 if I add in another primer. It's alright for days that I only wear makeup for a little while, but I can't see myself repurchasing this again.

Star Rating- 2/5...It only kept my lids matte for a few hours but it did help grab eyeshadows.

Swatches

e.l.f.: Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color- Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow

Packaging- This horrible, the-person-who-designed-this-should-be-fired sliding plastic packaging

Thoughts-

The color starts off as a nice delicate peach with a slight shimmer, though as you layer the product it does become more pink against the skin (as seen in the swatches). It takes very little of the product to achieve the peach color so it is great value for money (c'mon, it's only $1!!!!)

Overall- I can't believe how much I liked this blush. I got it simply because the e.l.f. site was having this massive sale and I wanted to try a peachy colored blush since some of my YouTube research has stated that peach blushes go well with tanned asian skin. I especially grab for this if I'm going with a darker eye, just to bring a bit of light to my face. It really does give a lively glow.

Star Rating- 4.5/5...Love it, I only wish it was available at Targets instead of just online.

Swatches

I dropped it so it has a bit of a nick in the top left corner

Single on the left and multi on the right.

Sorry about the lighting, it was washing my skin and the blush out.

e.l.f.: Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Product- Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

Thoughts- I won't lie, I got this when I was fascinated by drugstore dupes of higher end brands. I was just starting to delve into the realm of makeup so I figured that $3 wasn't too high of a price to pay to try something out.

As of now, there is only the one combination of blush and bronzer being offered by e.l.f. The blush is a nice pink that manages to give some light to the cheek. It does however contain copious amounts of gold glitter that are very noticeable in size. The color of the blush itself sits nicely against my NC37-ish skin.

The bronzer is a very deep with a very slight orange tinge. It is supremely pigmented so a little goes a long way and people with light complexions need to be wary of how much they apply. Much like the blush, there are large bits of gold shimmer running all through the powder. It can also look a bit chalky if you are not careful with it.

Both the blush and the bronzer veer on the softer side of products. They don't fall apart on contact, but they do require a very light hand. I suggest you use a fluffy brush (like the e.l.f. complexion brush) with these suckers.

Overall- I can't say that I use this duo all too much. I think the only time I do use it is when I want a bronzy, blush free cheek (which is rare). Through my makeup journey I have found that I prefer cheek products with a sheen of very, very fine shimmer running through. The glitter in this is too large and too abundant for my taste.

Star Rating- 1.75/5...I like the shades but the glitter puts me off.

Swatches

With flash, just to show you how much darn glitter there is

The Blush, single on the left and heavy on the right

The Bronzer, single on the left and heavy on the right

e.l.f.: Studio Line Blush in Tickled Pink

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color-Studio Line Blush in Tickled Pink

Packaging- Really sturdy, NARS-copying plastic case with a half-size mirror

Thoughts-For a while, I didn't bother wearing any blush. I apply my foundation so lightly that the pink of my cheeks still shines through, so I never felt that I needed it. But I decided to branch out and pick up a cheap-o blush just to see how to apply it. Originally there was a 'coral' color from the elf studio line that I had my eye on, but my Target didn't carry that shade so I went with Tickled Pink...it is/was well worth the $3 I paid for it.

This, like all Studio Line blushes, comes in a black case that I am sure was fashioned according to NARS blush/shadow packaging. It is very sturdy, so I have no fear of dropping it. When opened, you see a small mirror in the top and the blush taking up almost the entire the bottom compartment. This is a great amount of product for the price and I suppose the mirror is useful for mid-day touch ups, but I have yet to have the need for it.

The blush itself is a really nice mid-toned pink, that is not too bright or dark. It does have a small, very small, amount of silver micro glitter mixed in, so keep that in mind if you prefer a fully matte face. The glitter is just enough to deliver a nice sheen (have you noticed that most of my stuff has a sheen rather than glitter chunks? Clearly I have some sort of preference) that is nice for everyday wear, it's not overly dramatic but has a nice enough finish to make you look awake in the morning.

I have been using this for a few months now and the only issue I have with it is that once you get past the top layer (it took about two months with daily use) you reveal a slightly chunky product. I don't know how else to describe it, but I am assuming that it is a result of being a VERY inexpensive blush and not being finely milled. Despite this, the particles are big enough that I'm not worried that my brush will pick them up, when they have been sufficiently unburied I'm sure that knocking them off will be no problem.

Overall-It's really good if you are starting out and want to go for a really, really natural look. I learned a lot about how/how not to apply blush wrt my face shape and it only set me back a few dollars. I recommend it, though if you are any darker than me, you might want to pass.

Star Rating- 3.5/5, Really nice, really natural pink for your cheeks.

Swatches

Nifty NARS knockoff packaging

The tiniest label ever

The Blush, nice mirror but I would never touch blush up in the middle of the day

Swatches: Single Above, Multi Below

e.l.f: Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Plum/Purple

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f.

Color-Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Plum/Purple

Packaging- Plastic dual ended pen thing with covers that snap on weakly. The products twists up on either side.

Thoughts-I picked this up when I bought the Black/Smoke one and had no idea what the consistency was like. Clearly, I didn't know better.

Both the shadow and the liner side are very creamy and highly pigmented. They glide on with little to no effort at all and apply just as they look in the tube. Neither side sets, so to keep the product from feeling sticky or moving around a powder shadow is necessary.

The Purple cream shadow is more like an ashy lavender than any purple I have ever seen. It also has a fine silver shimmer running through it. The Plum liner is exactly what it sounds like, a very red/pink based purple. Colorwise, both ends are quite nice.

Overall-I have the same problem with these as the Black/Smoke duo (check that review out for specifics). It just isn't the right formula for what I wanted to use it for and for the way my lids are shaped. Also you can't be an eye toucher or these duos will be a disaster.

Star Rating- 2/5, Good enough quality and will work for lids with no crease or fold, unlike mine.

Swatches

The Packaging

The liner side

The shadow side

Swatches: Single above, Multi below

Again, this stuff smudges so easily

e.l.f: Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Black/Smoke

The Breakdown

Brand-e.l.f

Color-Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Black/Smoke

Packaging-Plastic dual ended pen thing with covers that snap on weakly. The products twists up on either side.

Thoughts-I'm not gonna lie, I bought this because Sam from pixiwoo/fashionface.tv used it in her Music Festival tutorial. I was looking for a creamy black liner to go on my waterline that wouldn't smudge on my contacts.

Both the cream shadow and the liner are very soft and creamy and they are also very pigmented. Both ends glide on easily and effortlessly and are easy to blend, but neither of them set so be ready with a translucent or matching shadow to press on top.

What you see is what you are going to get and, with the shadow, the color can be built up. Smoke is a smooth ashy gray color with silver shimmer, very appropriately named. Black is a very dark black liner.

Overall-I really wanted to like this. It just doesn't work with the fold I have in my lids. They smudge like crazy with the lightest touch and the shadow creases like nobody's business, even with a powder shadow on top. I wanted to use it as a base for a black smoky eye, but it is just the wrong product for me.

If you have absolutely no fold or crease (pretty much a monolid) these could work. I liked the colors, I just wish the formula was better.

Star Rating- 2/5, Good quality, but it doesn't work with the lids I have.

Swatches

The Packaging

Shadow side

Liner side

Swatches: Single above, Multi below

What happens when you rub it lightly. Smudge City