A Do and a Don't: E.L.F. Mini Haul and Review

A few weeks ago, E.L.F. had a 40% off sale online. There were a couple of items that I'd been eyeing, but hadn't quite built up the courage to try out, so this seemed high time to bite the bullet and order. I picked up, among other things, the Prism Eyeshadow Palette in Sunset and the new 22-Piece Mini On the Go Palette. Normally, the 22-piece palette goes for $15, but right now, you can get both palettes for $10 each.  

Top: Prism Eyeshadow Palette. Bottom: 22-Piece Mini On the Go Palette.

Now, because I like to end things on a good note, let's start out with the 22-piece palette and get that out of the way.

You see, for me, this was a fail. Through and through. It's really a shame, too, because the idea is fantastic. It's just the execution that falters.

Before I go any farther, let's start with the good: I very much enjoy the concept of carrying a purse-friendly, compact palette with shadows, blushes, glosses, applicators, and a mascara. Normally, you get some combination of a few of those elements, but rarely all of them. Also, kudos for putting the cream products in a section to themselves, thus preventing the powder shadows and blushes from contaminating the glosses. It really sucks when you apply a pretty pink gloss, only to find that particles of black eyeshadow have smeared across you lips, as well. There's also a really nice mirror, so you actually can apply your makeup "on the go".

And that's about it. And I hate that.

So, what's so terrible about this palette? Unfortunately, pretty much everything (oh, I HATE this review!! It's so negative, and I really adore E.L.F.!). To start with, the packaging is boring, shoddy, and just plain bulky. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of it from the side, but while it's only about the length and width of a credit card, the height is ridiculous. It's a brick. Think of two Altoids tins stacked one atop the other, and you've got a pretty accurate representation. It's supposed to be travel-friendly, but there's not a pocket in my purse large enough to hold it (and I travel heavy). Of course, even if I could fit it into my bag, I wouldn't because the clasp is flimsy, and I'm afraid it would open up and spill everywhere. It's just not workable as a travel palette.

Secondly, the products aren't very good. The eyeshadows are chalky and lacking in the pigment department. Below, I have a random sampling of some of the shadows, and I had to really work to build them up to this intensity. The fourth shadow from the left--see if you can spot it. It's supposed to be the cornflower blue in the top row of the palette. Now, if you look at the shadows in the pan, they appear to have a variety of finishes, ranging from matte to glitter. However, when you apply them, they all come off as matte, and unfortunately, muddy together. I tried wearing a few to work, and while I didn't have any fading or creasing, the overall look was so embarrassingly...the only word I have is muddy, y'all. I'm sorry...that I had to pull out my usual purse palette and re-do it before I left the office.

Of course, E.L.F. shadows tend to be hit or miss, but the lip products have, generally, been pretty good. I had higher hopes for the second tier.

See! The colors are lovely, and there's a nice range of shades. Another thing that bugged me about the shadows was the apparent randomness of color choices. When I think of a purse palette, I think of touch-up shades: a deep shade for adding drama, a shimmer to perk up a look or cover creasing...that sort of thing. The shadows didn't deliver on that, but the lip colors--more sticks than glosses, really--fared better. Sadly, they feel kind of gritty on the lips, look thick and chalky, and wear off quickly. The lip brush is splayed and unusable, and shed the first time I tried to dip it into the product. Below is another random sampling of colors. They are very pretty in the pan and in swatches. It's just a shame they wear so poorly.

Left to Right: the light pink, the last shade, the deep purple.

On to the blushes! I'll be perfectly honest with you; I did not try these. I couldn't. I don't have a brush small enough. The included brush wasn't usable, and each color is roughly the size of a postage stamp. Again, this is a shame because E.L.F. tends to do well with blushes, and these colors are just gorgeous. From what I can tell, they appear to be a subtle golden highlight, a raspberry blush, and a light, shimmery bronzer.

I did swatch these, and that made me even more unhappy. They swatch well and look just lovely. I just can't use them.

I didn't even bother with the mascara. It's their standard studio mascara, so if you like it, you'll like this. It's not enough to make or break this palette. So, in summation, it's a wonderful idea. It just didn't work.

Part of me wonders if, perhaps, this was rushed into production. Recently, Urban Decay released the Anarchy and Shattered Face Cases (shadows, blushes, and a lip pencil in a compact case), and I wonder if this was launched as a response to that. Granted, the case more resembles a Too Faced Glamour To Go, but I really do wonder. This is pure speculation, but I get the feeling this started out as a dupe of the Glamour To Go, and then went into production early because of the Urban Decay. Maybe not. It's just a theory, and the only way I can understand how something that was so clearly not thought through could be released. Hopefully, they'll keep with the idea, but tweak it so that it works better. Personall, I'd reduce the number of shadows to eight and up the quality of each, make the glosses "glosses" (creamier and easier to apply without a brush), and include only one blush and one bronzer/highlight (to increase the size of each). I'm not sure what to do about the bulk of the packaging, but even rounding the corners would help. Right now, it's a mess.

Okay, now that that unpleasantness is out of the way, let me show you my new friend:

Isn't it pretty?! These are well-done shadows, y'all. This is the Prism Palette in Sunset, and here's how E.L.F. describes it:

These ultra-silky and lustrous eyeshadows look like a powder but feel like a cream, allowing for a smooth and flawless application. Use to contour, line, and highlight for a radiant finish. The luminous, shimmery formula creates a gorgeous range of looks for both day and night.

They ain't lyin'. I have had very little luck with E.L.F. shadows in the past. The best I've ever had was half of the Maleficent palette from last year. When I opened this baby up, I let out an audible gasp. I could tell just by looking at the shadows that they were going to be special.

These swatches are crap. In person, they look much richer and sparkle like nobody's business. The formula is fantastic, too. They're creamy and silky, and not even slightly powdery. These swatches are in palette order, and those second, third, and fourth shades are standouts.

Is this a perfect palette? No. You will need to augment it with some matte or satin shadows, and probably with some deeper shades to put together a complete look. If you have Urban Decay's Naked Basics, you're set. I can completely forgive that, though, because of the formula. I would put it on par with Stila, honestly. It's that kind of soft, slightly flaky (not flaking off, but it's almost like it applies in a solid flake form...or maybe I'm insane...either way), shimmering texture. I didn't experience any creasing or fading in the hours that I wore these, and felt confident enough to use the palette for a holiday party look. These are just d@*n good shadows, and you get six of them for ten dollars. There are two other versions, Naked and Smoke (I tell you, they are seriously trying to get in on the Urban Decay audience), with neutral and jewel tones, respectively. I haven't tried them, yet, but after falling in love with Sunset, I may need to place another order.

Final Verdict

22-Piece On the Go Palette: 2 out of 10. Great idea, but executed poorly.

Prism Palette: 9 out of 10. Gorgeous, and tremendously good quality. On par with high end. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Shimmering Scavenger Hunt: Maybelline Limited Edition Summer Color Tattoo Review

I swear, Maybelline must have read every busy girl's mind when they created the Color Tattoo line. I'm completely addicted to them now, and while I don't have (or need) anywhere near the entire line, I do have quite a few. I just use my finger to pat a little on my eye lid, possibly add a crease color (if I'm feeling motivated and fancy), a little liner and mascara, and BAM! Good to go!

Obviously, when I heard that there was a limited edition collection (that I can not seem to find for sale anywhere online), I went on a little scavenger hunt around town to find them. Three days and six stores later, the Heavens parted and the angels sang right there in the middle of a Rite Aid, that just so happened to be next to a Checkers, where Thomas had a craving for ice cream. In other words, I just sort of stumbled across them. Even better, they were Buy One Get One 1/2 Off. Eureka!

The six colors available were all quite pretty. I was immediately drawn to Cool Crush, a shimmering silver with indigo duo-chrome. For the half-off shade, I let Thomas pick (why not?), and he chose Icy Mint, a pearlescent true mint green.

Left: Icy Mint. Right: Cool Crush.

Left: Icy Mint. Right: Cool Crush. Direct light on top, going into shade at the bottom. Icy Mint is really sheer. That's swatched pretty heavily. The Cool Crush is only swatched once.

I've had a chance to wear both, and overall, I'm very happy. The Icy Mint is perfect for anyone who wants to experiment with pastels, but is a little shy about it. It's sheer, and when worn on the lid only, gives just a hint of Spring-y color. I paired it with Tease from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. Cool Crush is definitely not as subdued, given all of the sparkle and shine that comes with it, but can still be day appropriate. I wore it paired with Tornado from the Urban Decay Glinda palette, and they seemed almost made for each other. My only complaint is that, on my eyes, they do fade slightly. Oddly enough, they seem to fade at the crease first, leaving the area closest to my lashes nice and vibrant. It's weird, y'all.

The other colors in the line are:
Waves of White--iridescent white with pink and blue shifts. Think: Aura from the Glinda palette, only in a cream form.
Shady Shores--creamy yellow with green undertones.
Lavish Lavender--shimmering, well, lavender. Kinda says it all in the name...
Seashore Frosts--shimmering blue-gray with copper duo-chrome.

I actually went back to Rite Aid today and picked up Seashore Frosts. I'd considered it the first time around, and after a weekend of sleeping on it, decided to bite the bullet. I haven't gotten to play with it, though, so it's not included in this review. The other shades are absolutely beautiful, but I have Aura and rarely use it, so Waves of White seemed unnecessary. I do love yellow eyeshadow (really), but I have two gold bases already. I also went through a purple phase not too long ago, so I've got more than enough purple eyeshadow. Plus, Cool Crush has some serious purple in it, anyway--if you get one, you probably don't need to get the other. I felt like Icy Mint, Cool Crush, and Seashore Frosts were the most unique, un-dupe-able shades in the bunch. (If you'd like to see all of these colors swatched, check out Swatch Soiree's review. There are some extraordinarily helpful photos posted, along with some beautiful looks.)

So, are they worth hunting for? If you like Color Tattoos (or MAC Paint Pots, or Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows), shimmer, and Spring-y colors, then absolutely. The staying power is pretty good (a primer would stop that fading, but I'm lazy), the shades that are unique are truly unique, and the price point is pretty darn unbelievable (less than seven bucks before any discounts or promos).

Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. Good luck storming the drugstores!

Times Square Crystal Ball-Inspired New Year's Eye Look

I am trying very hard not to get sick, but I think I'm losing the battle. I'll be staying in tonight, but if you're lucky enough to be ringing in the New Year somewhere fabulous, here's a pretty silver smoky eye for you.

I started by using my finger to dab a little Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Silver Spoon across the inner half of my eye, including inner corner, and blending upward to the browbone. I filled in the entire crease to brow area by blending that one little dab. Then, I popped Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Strut across the outer half and blended upward to the browbone. I also ran a small amount under my lower lash line and across the top lash line. Next, I grabbed my Urban Decay Naked, Naked 2, and Naked Basics palettes for the rest of the eye. I patted Verve across the inner third of my eye and over the silver in the inner corner. Then, I added Pistol to the center and crease, and Gunmetal to the outer third and above the Pistol in the crease, then blended all of them together and up toward the browbone with a fluffy brush. I used the same fluffy brush to blend a little Creep into the crease, then ran what was left on that brush under the lower lash line (that's a blend of ALL of the colors, since I didn't change brushes. If you want to change brushes, just run a light layer of each color under the lash line). Using a small, flat brush, line the upper lash line with Crave, and run a small amount of that color under the outer quarter of the lower lash line. Clean up the browbone area with a light dusting of Foxy. Finish with loads of black mascara. I like Buxom Lash.

If you don't have Naked Basics, sub Blackout for Crave. You can also line your waterline (which I think would look amazing) with a black liner. I would have loved to, but I have small eyes and it just closes them up. A silver liner would look cool there, if you have small eyes, too. I don't have a silver liner, so I'm still S.O.L. Oh, well.

This is not a glittery look, but it is super-duper shimmery. I finished the look with a demi-matte foundation, matte powder, matte cool pink blush, matte bronzer (see the trend?), and just a very light amount of pale pink highlighter on the cheeks. The lips are also a pale, glossy bright pink with just a hint of shimmer. A pink gloss would work just as well.

Happy New Year, guys!

Frugal Friday: Sinfully Smashing Gold Glosses

The other day, I was walking through Walgreen's and noticed that they stocked Sinful Colors lip glosses*. I knew about Sinful Colors nail polishes, through my little niece, but had no idea they made a lip gloss. I'm probably just behind the times, but I thought I'd pick one up to see how it fared. The three available colors were a light lavender, white-ish clear, and a pale gold shimmer. I went with "Peachy Sheen", the pale gold shimmer.

Once I got home, I realized that I already had a pale gold shimmer in a Smashbox deluxe sample. For fun, I thought I'd see how the $2.99 drugstore gloss did against the fancy-schmancy, $19.00 high-end one (full-size is a good bit larger than the one you see here). You might be surprised, so stay tuned!


They don't look it, here, but just wait. They match up pretty nicely. That Smashbox reallly does have gold running through it. Also, I really need to clean off my dresser...

 Let's start with some swatches. Here they both are, straight out of the tubes:


Left: Smashbox, Right: Sinful Colors.

The Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Star is thicker, and the Sinful Colors has a teeny bit more yellow to it. They both sparkle nicely, though you do have to pack on the Sinful Colors. The Smashbox only needs a dab to cover well. I will say that the Smashbox took forever to wipe off my arm, but more on that in a minute. Here are the same glosses, this time swatched on my lips:


Smashbox



Sinful Colors (apologies for it being slightly out of focus. I had no idea until I saw it here)

At first glance, there's not much of a difference, is there?

The Smashbox has more glitter, and I didn't need much product to coat my lips. The Sinful Colors, again, had to be piled on, and the shimmer is much more subdued--there aren't any chunks, in the Smashbox. That said, the Sinful Colors is much more comfortable on my lips. The Smashbox is so thick, sticky, and sweet, that it felt almost like I'd smeared Kayro Syrup all over my lips. Even after tissuing the gloss off, I still had to use a face wipe to remove the residue and remaining glitter. It's long-wearing, but feels awful. The Sinful Colors felt silky and moisturizing, even after the shine had worn off. I did have to reapply frequently, though, and the smell and flavor are a little too chemical for my taste.

Honestly, I don't think one is better than the other. I think they're both great for different purposes. The Smashbox is a great gloss...for camera. Of course, that's where Smashbox excels, so that only makes sense. Once that gloss is on, it's on, and it's going to look beautiful and perfect for as long as you need it to. That's awesome for a photo shoot; not so great for a date night. You definitely don't want to kiss anyone while you're wearing it. Brides, steer clear of this one for the big day (but go for it for pictures!).

If you're not looking for something for camera, go with the Sinful Colors. It's a heckuva lot cheaper, just as pretty on, and feels a lot more comfortable. True, there's less glitter, but the shimmer is lovely, and a lot more wearable.

Nutshell Review of Sinful Colors Lip Gloss in Peachy Sheen
Pros: Moisturizing, silky feel, pretty shimmer, lovely packaging, super affordable
Cons: Not a lot of color payoff, not long-wearing, odd flavor/smell

Final Verdict: 6 out of 10. It looks and feels nice, and for $2.99, you could do a lot worse.

*I'm not linking to the Sinful Colors site because it's still under construction, and Walgreen's doesn't have this product online. Actually, I haven't found it anywhere online. If you spot it, please let me know in the comments.

Cheap Tricks: E.L.F. Beauty School

Photo Credit: E.L.F. Cosmetics

This just appeared in my inbox this morning, and I have to say, I love the concept. E.L.F. Cosmetics (you know, the nice company that sells decent makeup for really cheap) now has what they refer to as "Beauty School". For about five bucks, you get either a face or eye palette, and step-by-step instructions that show you what goes where. There's even a place for you to record your favorite looks, so you don't forget which products worked the best together--not that I'd ever forget...no, sir. I have a mind like a steel...what were we talking about again?

As these have just come out, I've not had a chance to try the sets. I have, however, used E.L.F. for quite some time, and am familiar enough with the products involved to give you a fair analysis, especially since these are not new products. These are existing products, repackaged with how-to guides.

The eyeshadow collections (there are four: Bright, Everyday, Natural, and Smoky) each come with twelve shades, one eyeliner pencil, one shadow applicator, and instructions, and comes housed in a mirrored palette. For five bucks, it's not a bad deal. In fact, for a makeup novice, I'd say it's worth the five bucks for the instructions alone. E.L.F. eyeshadows can be a little hit or miss with pigmentation, but for normal, everyday wear (or for younger makeup lovers), they're workable. The same can be said for the eyeliner pencil. It's not super creamy, but it'll do. Again, remember that this whole thing is only five dollars.

The face collection (there's only one) consists of four shimmer creams, four concealers, one blush, one bronzer, and one face brush, plus instructions. There's no mirror with this palette. Again, the instructions are worth the money. They're practically paint-by-number. The shimmer creams are lovely, and make your skin look dewy. E.L.F. blushes tend to be pigmented enough for a nice, natural finish, and the bronzer's not bad in moderation. I've never been a huge fan of their concealers, but only because they're too dark for my fish-belly white skin. The brush can be chucked, though. E.L.F. makes some fantastic brushes, but this isn't one of them.

These are great to learn with. I highly recommend them for young teens, as they're instructive and a great--inexpensive--way to experiment with color. I've got to say, there's nothing more irritating than spending fifteen or twenty bucks on an cool looking eyeshadow, only to get home and realize that amazing green looks way better in the container than it does on your face. I would suggest, though, adding a few nice brushes, an eyeshadow primer,  mascara, and an eyeliner pen into the mix--all of which are conveniently listed under the Beauty School collection. Gee, I wonder how that happened...

Bottom line, for practice or experimentation, you can't beat this collection. Think of them as training wheels; learn on them, then use those skills with your favorite products.
 

A Dilemma...Now With Extra Sparkles!

Photo Credit: Beauty Advisor Lounge

Hawaiian Tropic has a new product out, just in time for Summer. On a lark, I thought I'd give it a shot and fill you in on the results. So, I did, and here they are.

I'm torn. There, I said it. I really don't know how I feel about this stuff.

The Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect Lotion Sunscreen with SPF 20 ($7.99, Target) was designed to give you plenty of sun protection, while at the same time imparting a subtle shimmer to highlight your skin tone. Talk about a win-win. You get to stay safe and look pretty doing so. Twi-hards, you can actually sparkle in the sunlight. How cool.

And you do. The sunscreen is chock-a-block with itty-bitty mica flakes that practically coat your skin. This is not chunky glitter, mind you. This is very finely-milled, so your skin glistens. You gleam. It even looks beautiful in low-light. In fact, I daresay I like it best in low-light. The highlighting effect is gorgeous, and this should be my very favorite body product ever. I'm already a huge fan of Olay Ribbons Tone Enriching body wash, and this puts it's mica quotient to shame.

Here's my problem: I hate the smell. Totally. It's not that it's an unpleasant smell. It's just very persistent, and after a while, ennervating. It's one thing to get the occasional whiff of your floral perfume or fruity body splash. That's nice. That's welcome. It's a whole 'nother bag of cats to be constantly aware that you are, in fact, wearing a very chemically-smelling sunscreen. It's supposedly coconut-scented, but I've smelt a coconut before, and you, dear sunscreen, are no coconut.

So, I ask you, dear readers: What's a girl to do?

Final Verdict: Right now, I'm going with 8 out of 10. It's fantastic, and Hawaiian Tropic is a brand I trust, but the smell is really killing me.