ELF 50% off Haul.

Elf recently hit a Twitter target and offered up a 50% off code so everyone could share in their success. I've tried a few bits and pieces from Elf but they've expanded their range since I last placed an order so I decided to buy a few bits and pieces - I clearly don't need any more make up, but who can resist a half price sale?! The only item I specifically wanted was the yellow HD powder which ironically, I forgot to even add to my basket. All of the products I did pick up where chosen on a whim so here's a quick run through of the products I ordered.   Lip Stain in 'Heartbreaker' - £3.75 I have a lip stain from Elf in the shade 'Red Carpet' and love it, these are quite pigmented and long lasting and offer up the option of a gloss to wear over the top. I found this shade to be a little watery compared to the other one I own but it still applies nicely. The colour is a dreamy Barbie/pale pink and all of the lip stains dry down to a matte finish.   Blush in 'Pink Passion' - £3.75 I picked this blush purely because I'd seen Tanya Burr use it in a budget beauty video. It's a gorgeous pink that's quite vivid and a little daring in the pan but translates as a girly pink flush on the cheeks. It reminds me of Nars Gaiety, without the shimmer at a bargain price.   HD Blush in 'Headliner' - £3.75 This stuff is pigmented. The packaging is quite sweet and it comes with a pump which is always a bonus, just be careful how much you dispense as you need the TINIEST amount. It comes out as a thick cream but blends easily in to the skin. Headliner is a rosy, pretty pink that adds a flirty flush to the cheeks.   Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream in 'St. Lucia' - £3.75 This is, as the name suggests, a cream contour and blush duo. Packaged in a sleek Nars style compact, it also offers a large mirror (as do most of the Elf powder products!). Both shades are incredibly pigmented. Also too pigmented, if I dare say so. You literally need to touch your brush to the product and you've set.   Cream Eyeshadow in 'Candlelight' - £3.75 This is a very pale champagne shade that when swatched looks almost white and quite frosty. It applies a little unevenly and I'm not overly keen on it so far but I'll give it a try underneath eyeshadows and see if its any use to me!   Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in 'Antigua' - £3.75 An apparent dupe for Nars Orgasm/Laguna duo, but I think not. As it seems to be a common trend with Elf product, these are very pigmented and a light hand is needed. The bronzer is very dark, not for pale skinned girls and the blush is a similar to Pink Passion but LOADED with glitter. This is the main drawback for me, the glitter. I don't mind a little shimmer but glitter is a no go so I think I'll be passing this along.   All Over Color Stick in 'Toasted' - £1.50 I got this shade purely for the purpose of trying to create a golden goddess look on nights out. It's a gorgeous golden bronze shade that when sheered out adds a really beautiful shimmer to the skin. I'm also tempted to try this out as a cream eyeshadow, we'll see. Oh and did I mention this smells of oranges?! Yum!   Eyebrow Treat & Tame in 'Ash' - £3.75 This is a dual ended brow tamer with one clear side and the other tinted with the shade of your choice. I've not tried this yet but heard reviews of it leaving brows slightly crispy, eek, so lets hope it performs well when I trial it!    Maxiumum Coverage Concealer in 'Nude' - £3.75 This sounded promising and having tried it a few times, it's not a bad product. I wouldn't say it's full coverage, definitely more a medium coverage with quite a dewy/satin finish that needs to be set with powder. It's very creamy and thick, plus the shade range is quite limited but for the price - it does the job! If I was on a budget I'd definitely repurchase.   I also brought two brushes, the powder brush and the studio small stipple brush, the powder brush (£3.75) - get it, the stipple brush (£3.75), pass. All of these goods only ended up costing me £20, not bad at all.   SWATCHES: TOP ROW; LIP STAIN 'HEARTBREAKER' - BLUSH 'PINK PASSION' - HD CREAM BLUSH 'HEADLINE' MIDDLE ROW; CREAM BRONZER & BLUSH 'ST LUCIA'  BOTTOM ROW; CREAM EYESHADOW 'CANDLELIGHT' - POWDER BRONZE & BLUSH 'ANTIGUA' - ALL OVER COLOR STICK 'TOASTED' 

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Matte Red Lip

As many of you will of noticed I usually favour a nude lip, pale pinks or red lipstick. By far the easiest of the lot I would say is the red lip, this may come as a bit of a suprise to most but for me - matte is the way forward. Matte colours tend to adhere to the lips and therefore have less movement, last longer and in my opinion - attract less attention and require less maintenance. Ideal!

This is the combination I sported recently on a night out in town and to Latitude festival, I really feel like colourful lips add a touch of drama to your make-up when you don't have time/are too lazy to focus on the rest of the face. My two favourite products for a perfect matte red lip is NYX lip pencil in 'Cabaret' and ELF lip stain in 'red carpet' - which also has a gloss on the end if you feel you need it. Both are affordable and great quality, the liner allows you to get a precise shape - I always emphasize the cupids bow - and the lip stain I use to fill in as an all over colour.

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ELF studio matte lip colour

'Natural' - Top, 'Coral' - Bottom

'Natural'

'Coral' is slightly brighter than it shows up on camera.

What they say:
'This convenient jumbo sized lip pencil creates exact colour application with twist up ease so you never have to sharpen. The pigment rich colour glides on effortlessly and easily to provide long lasting matte colour. The enriched Vitamin A, C & E formula moisturizes and hydrates lips for beautiful healthy looking lips.'

What I thought:
The packaging is quite sleek and streamline making them perfect to chuck in your handbag and take up minimal room. At just £3.50 they're affordable for all price ranges and prove that sometimes quality doesn't always equal a hefty price tag. Both pencils were very pigmented and smooth which allows you to fill your lips in with the colour incredibly quickly. As stated, they're completely matte but don't leave you with dry, flaky lips - I wouldn't say they're hydrating exactly but you aren't left feeling uncomfortable, they're a good happy medium. Overall I've been really impressed with the colours and formula, my favourite by far is 'natural' and I'd definately try out the other two shades at some point!

Do matte lip colours interest you?

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Elf Conditioning Lip Balms

I was recently sent two of the Elf Conditioning Lip Balms, a new addition to the Studio Line these will set you back just £3.50 a pot and come in six different shades! I received 'Nice and Natural' a pink toned, nude shade and 'Mellow Melon' a gorgeous coral, pink.
What E.L.F have to say;
'With the e.l.f. Conditioning Lip Balm, lips get treated to a sheer splash of colour that’s super smooth, velvety soft and non-sticky. Not only are these sheer, natural shades beautiful, they’re also beneficial, with natural ingredients that condition dry, chapped lips including Vitamins A & E. SPF 15 to protect delicate lips against harmful sun damage.'

What I thought;
The packaging is simplistic and convenient to chuck in your bag on days out, the screw on lids mean there's no chance of making a mess in your handbag! The SPF was an added bonus as I never think about protecting my lips from the Sun, however I didn't find them to be incredibly moisturising. To me, they almost feel like a lipgloss in a pot. They're quite thick in consistency and slightly tacky, so I probably wouldn't use them as a lip conditioner - more so as a hint of colour on hot days out when I want to keep them protected in the Sun!

Left - Mellow Melon. Right - Nice and Natural

http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk

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