Review: E.L.F Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks! (New Shades 2015!)

New Shades But Different Formula?

Eyes Lips Face released a bunch of new shades within their Studio Moisturizing Lipstick line and it was love at first site! The colors looked amazing in the tube and for only $3 each I didn't hesitate to get them. I've really enjoyed the previous colors I've tried, I have a post you can check out by clicking here to see those swatches. I was hoping the new colors would be just as good as those but... it wasn't what I expected! :-(

The colors are super pretty but they are so patchy and streaky on the lips. It's so odd, I'm not sure if it's a bad batch but if you check out the post I linked above the others are super pigmented. It's pretty much night and day. I was so underwhelmed with these. I was hoping to find some new faves but sadly it's a different story.

You can see what I mean when I say patchy in the swatch pictures. Some are better than others and may even be more wearable worn over a lip liner. The thought of having to add extra steps to make a lipstick work is what gets to me, regardless of the price.

The deeper colors look so much lighter on the lips. The texture of the lippie is also different from the others I've tried. It's a lot more slippery, borderline waxy feeling. They don't last long at all because of that too.

Bottom line: These were a dud for me. I'm not sure if the formula is now different but it's not my favorite. If you've tried some of the newer colors what are your thoughts? Leave me a comment down below! :-)

Review: E.L.F Studio Bronzer Palette!

New From E.L.F!

E.L.F has released a ton of new things recently that I'm slowing trying but I had to post on a few things because they became instant loves. Their Contour Palette is amazing! Make sure to check out my post on that one by clicking here! :-) Today I'll be reviewing their Bronzer Palette which is another love of mine. It retails for $6 and you get four different bronzer shades in different finishes.

Off the bat I'll say that I wished they came in a more diverse color selection. This palette is suitable for light-medium skintones but may not show up on skintones darker than that. With that said, for my skin color it works and I love the different finishes it includes! You can mix and match the colors to make it work year-round which I find to be genius! (plus it's $6?!)

These bronzers are not the most pigmented but they are definitely buildable which is better so you can control how much color you want. The last thing you want is an intense streak of bronzer that you can't blend out! haha. I also appreciate the formula because it doesn't fade away. Let's get into swatches!

I love how there's a mix of cool and warm and like I said before you can mix a little of this one with that one to create the perfect shade! On the skin the colors look natural, pretty much sun-kissed.

Bottom line: I really like this palette! I find it to be so convenient when traveling or when you need to personalize a shade to match. I love the fact that the palette is customizable with their blush and foundation palettes too. It's a great a value and a great product! :-)

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Alternatives Of Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush in Rapture!

Another Look For Less!

If you've been eyeing the Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour in Rapture but you don't wish to splurge look no further! I have a two drugstore dupes to share with you that will give you the same look for less! :-) I adore Rapture, it seems scary in the pan but on the skin it's everything. It pairs so well with most makeup looks and honestly I can't put it down. It does retail for $26 but I'm so excited about the dupes I discovered within my collection because they're affordable and spot on!

So the dupes to rapture are most likely blushes you already own! The first blush is swatched on the top and it's the E.L.F Studio Blush in Berry Merry. Rapture and Berry Merry are in the same color family, the only difference is that Berry Merry has some shimmer while Rapture has more of a satiny glow. The shimmers aren't visible on the cheeks, they look so similar on! E.L.F studio blushes are only $3 so you can't beat it.

The second blush is the most similar in finish and it's swatched at the bottom. It's the Covergirl Cheekers Blush in True Plum and it's less than $5! They both leave a beautiful, angelic sheen on your cheeks! I love the formula of the Cheekers line, they're smooth and blend very nicely. Out of the two this is my favorite dupe.

Here's what Rapture looks like on. The Urban Decay formula is so nice! It would take a sale for me to purchase more from the line because they can get expensive real quick haha. For this reason I love to search for possible dupes so I can enjoy the color without dishing out all my cash. I hope this post was helpful if you had your eye on Rapture, definetely check out these alternatives! :-)

Must Haves: E.L.F Studio Mad For Matte Eyeshadow Palette!

Matte Done Right!

E.L.F is simply amazing and this palette proves it once again! Matte is what's trending right now and I love how E.L.F quickly catches on and releases a lovely palette. This appeared on their website a few weeks ago and I already love it! It retails for only $10 which is a great value. These shadows are smooth and blendable... definetely a must have!

These are my kind of shades! It's a great mix of cool, neutral and warm tones. The shades lean more sultry... reminds me alot of the Too Faced Natural Matte Palette which is also perfection! Let's get into swatches shall we? :-)

Overall the shadows are buildable! I won't say they're the most pigmented in the market but definetely a formula you can work with. What I love the most is how blendable they are! It's hard to find matte shadows that aren't patchy (drugstore or highend) but E.L.F made it happen.

Here's a look I came up with! I used that gorgeous burnt orange shade in the middle blended into the taupe-purple towards the end for the crease. I also used the second to lightest shade all over the lid and a little bit of the deeper brown for some definition. I couldn't get over the fact that this palette was only $10!
I highly recommend it and if you're a bargain hunter like myself make sure to sign up for E.L.F's email alerts so you can catch it on sale for an even better deal! :-)

Review: E.L.F Studio Contouring Brush!

New From E.L.F!

Contouring is the "it" thing at the moment and E.L.F has joined the game! They released their Studio Contouring Brush for only $6... pretty much the best value in the market! I've been testing it out for a little bit over a month now and I'm loving it! This is a great quality brush and it works amazingly with creams or powders!

The handle is very sturdy and the brush hairs are very secure so no worries about shedding! I love the shape of this brush because it makes getting product in the hollow of your cheeks easier!

The brush hairs are pretty dense but super soft! I love using it for contour placement because the shape and size is perfect for that. You can also blend with it but you have to work with it more since it's on the thinner side. I prefer to use the Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush for blending. Contouring is done in less than 5 minutes with that brush combo! 

Bottom line: I'm a fan of this brush! I love how affordable it is and how good it is for that price. I'm excited to keep practicing my contouring with this brush because it really makes everything seem easier. Drugstore knows best! :-)

Must Haves: E.L.F Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush!

The Only Brush You Need!

If you've been looking for an amazing, do it all brush look no further! Eyes Lips Face or E.L.F as we all know and love came out with a fantastic brush called the Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush and it gets every job done haha. It retails for $10 which is not bad at all for the quality of this brush! It's tightly packed so you don't have to worry about it falling apart and it's also pretty dense!

It kinda reminds me of a few of their powder brushes put together but softer! It's a pretty large brush but I find that very appealing. Makes applying foundation, powder, blush, contour, etc a breeze! I use it the most in cases where I go overboard with blush or bronzer, it's the best brush to blend with!

The size is definitely a plus for me. I've seen some higher end brushes identical to this one being sold for triple the price so the value of this brush is spot on.

I included this pic just so you can really see how large this brush is. It feels sturdier than the studio other brushes which explains the higher price but trust me when I say it's totally worth it! :-)

Swatches: E.L.F Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks! (New Colors!)

Three New Shades!

I'm truly excited for this post! Eyes Lips Face released three NEW colors within their Studio Moisturizing Lipstick line and they are crazy beautiful! I've reviewed these last year when they first released and loved them! Just to quickly describe them, they are: creamy, hydrating, vanilla scented and wears decently! These are only $3 each, super affordable. These new colors are to die for btw!

The packaging also changed since I first reviewed them and it's WAY better haha. It's a lot sleeker looking and I love the color indication on the bottom of the tube. 

Here are the swatches! You can tell how creamy this product is just by the swatch. Plus, it's pretty opaque in 1-2 swipes! It feels amazing on, very hydrating so this would be a great product for the winter time. Let's get into lip swatches :-)

*Wine Tour- a gorgeous wine- burgundy shade! This one is my my favorite and a must have for sure!

*Crazy Cranberry- a berry red shade, really pretty as well! They have a cranberry shade in their matte line too but if you prefer a glossy finish this is the one for you.

*Orange Dream- a true orange... pretty scary I wont lie! haha. I love how saturated the color is but honestly it's not the most flattering. It's a great color to have for Halloween and such.

These are the three new shades! If you like what you see make sure to place your order on eyeslipsface.com :-) 

Review: E.L.F Essential Holiday Perfect Eyes Collection- Perfect Eyes Set!

Naked Palette For Less?

How cute is E.L.F's Holiday packaging?! I'm completely in love with it! I love their sets even more because they are so affordable and awesome quality. The palette in this set is a must have! The colors are gorgeous and go on so smooth + pigmented. It's only $5... yes $5! You can find it on eyeslipsface.com or E.L.F retailers like Walmart, Target and Walgreens.

I'm very impressed with the packaing, it's super sturdy and sleek. It does comes with your typical E.L.F mascara which is a good one for natural days but not my favorite. The black eyeliner is also ok but nothing special. The star is the palette and very well deserved.

There's a few matte shades and lots of metallics which makes this palette great for this Holiday season. A gold lid and a red lip and you're good to go! :-)

Here's a closeup of the palette, a great range of neutral shades, perfect for everyone. This would make an amazing gift for someone who loves neutrals or a beginner in makeup because the colors are so wearable! Great for work but can you can also create a golden-bronzez smokey eye for a night out, very versatile! Here are the swatches:

This was taken without flash, more true to color. Those two center shades are gorgeous! The highlight shade at the end is also a great one.

This one was taken with flash just so you can see how stunning they look in the light! The metallic shades are everything. 

Bottom line: I highly recommend this set! The price is pretty much dirt cheap but the quality is so great. E.L.F is stepping up their game lately and I haven't been dissapointed with any of their new products. Make sure to stop by their site or try to find it instore if you're interested. It would make a great present for a friend... even for yourself haha :-)

Review: E.L.F Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream!

Perfect For Fall/Winter!

I've started to notice how dry my skin is getting now that the weather is getting cooler... so I decided to bust out my E.L.F Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream! I've had this for a few months now but never got around to reviewing it. But what better time to do so than the present? ;-) I've been using it and love how it makes my skin looks! Normally you tend to look flat in the colder months so this product is amazing for bringing back the glow! You can find it on the E.L.F Website for only $3, an awesome deal!

Both the blush and bronzer go on very smooth and blend so well. I also love that the shades are suitable for most skintones. They're both great everyday shades, specially the blush... it's gorgeous! A little goes a long a way and the best part is they're pretty long wearing. The rule to follow (so they say) is not to put cream over powder but vice versa is a really great idea. If you want the blush or bronzer to last even more just apply a powder one over it and you wont have to worry about the color fading one bit! Here are the swatches:

I love the blush! It's my favorite from the duo but the bronzer is also worth hyping. My main issue is finding a bronzer shade that isn't too dark or too orange and this shade is pretty much on point! Plus I find it's so much easier to contour with cream rather than powder.

Bottom line: This would be a life saver in these upcoming months! The last thing you want is to add powder onto dry patches so cream blush & bronzer is the way to go. This product will not break the bank at all! I hope E.L.F releases some new shades because I would purchase every single one of them. Make sure to check their site if your interested in purchasing! :-)

Must Haves: E.L.F Essential Holiday Cheeky Glow Kit!

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blush!

Eyes Lips Face released a nice range of holiday kits and sets on their website and of course I had to test out a few... for research purposes haha ;-) They were actually having a 50% off sale so the prices were so good to pass up! Today I have the E.L.F Essential Holiday Cheeky Glow Kit to review for you guys. It retails for only $5 and because I caught it on sale it was only $2.50! After using it I wished I would've ordered a backup because that blush alone is breathtaking!

The kit includes a highlight, blush and bronzer in a cute compact palette. It's pretty sturdy, kinda reminds me in  away of the Sleek Blush Palettes. They're similar in the layout and such.

It also includes a blush brush which is not the best quality to be honest. The brush hairs are a bit scratchy like the brushes in the essential line. I could see it working in a pinch though so don't toss it haha.

The highlighter has a pink tone to it, not one I would reach for because it's a satin finish. I love my highlighters to be more on the shimmery side but it's a pretty color nonetheless. The bronzer is not too warm and not too orange, just a great in between shade! Plus... it's matte! It's really smooth and blends fairly easy. But you guys... I haven't seen such a stunning blush color in a while. This blush is like an apricot shade with a golden sheen, similar to Nars Orgasm but less pink. It has a unique duo chrome to it that leaves your cheeks looking amazing! Even if you don't care for the highlight or bronzer I would get this kit just for the blush, it's that good!

It's kinda difficult to capture the duo chrome on camera, these pics really doesn't do the blush justice. It's really pigmented by the way so make sure to use a lighter hand. Here's what they look like swatched:

Bottom line: This kit is a great value! I'm truly in love with the blush, kinda hoping E.L.F adds that color to their permanent line because I would repurchase it in a heartbeat. The bronzer is pretty good, the highlighter was the only thing that didn't really impress me. But the convenience of having all three products in a kit is awesome! For $5 you can't go wrong! :-)

Review: E.L.F Studio Matte Lip Colors! (New Shades!)

The Most Affordable Matte Lip!

Matte lips are quickly becoming my favorite finish... for now! ;-) Like I've said before, the formula is something that can be hit or miss so I'm a fan of trying a few brands to see which is the best. Today I'm reviewing the E.L.F Studio Matte Lip Colors which can be found at Target, Walmart and eyeslipsface.com. Each lip color retails for $3 but more often than not you can find a coupon code for 50% off the entire site, so I manged to get them for only $1.50 each! 

E.L.F recently released three new shades (last three in the pic above!) which I have to review too but... as I'm writing this I checked the site and they are no longer available. They weren't labeled as limited edition so my guess is that they're sold out and hopefully E.L.F will be bringing them back soon. If you like them just continue to check the site every once in a while!

Let's start with the OG colors first! I wanted to try out some neutral colors because I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect lip color for my wedding day which is coming up very soon! ^__^  And I just had to order a true red because there's nothing better than a matte red lip!

Now we have the new shades! These shades are so perfect for fall, and I have a feeling that they have been reformulated. They went on a lot smoother and creamier than the original colors so I highly recommend these! Here are the lip swatches:

*Natural- a peachy pink nude, pretty but the formula tugged a bit upon application. Some gloss would be ideal with this color so it feels more comfortable.

*Tea Rose- A mauve pink, gorgeous shade but same formula as the first one. But... this color is amazing so I might overlook the dryness and just apply some lip balm beforehand haha.

*Rich Red- a bright cherry red, not the vampy color we've all seen on my my blog haha. I love this one! It's so flattering and the formula is more hydrating than the other two, must have!

*Fuchsia- a more magenta pink, really pretty and the smoothest of them all! But... it didn't dry matte, had a glossier finish to it and was also kinda sheer. Still a lovely shade but makes the line seem so inconsistent as far as formula.

*Wine- a reddish plum shade... actually wine is the perfect way to describe it! My favorite from the line! Has the best formulation, stays on all day and your lips just look good enough to eat with this color, love!

*Cranberry- a deeper red in the swatch but goes on a bit sheer, not as bad as fuchsia but the difference in opacity is noticeable. Still a beautiful shade!

Bottom line: My favorite colors are Tea Rose and Wine, those you need to get asap! The price point is amazing, by far the most affordable matte lip in the market. The line entirely is a bit hit and miss, but at that price you can really argue haha. For a quick lip this product is perfect! Plus idk if you guys knew but the color cap at the bottom is actually a sharpener! ;-) Check out my previous posts for more reviews on matte lipsticks!

Review: E.L.F Essential 18 Piece Eyeshadow Palette With Brush!

New & Improved!

Happy October! :-) Today I have a great post for you guys! I've been so impressed lately with the new products Eyes Lips Face has been releasing! They have a limited edition section called Beauty School where they have a bunch of new palettes and bundles for great prices. This palette is called the Essential 18 Piece Eye shadow Palette and it comes with a nice shadow brush. It retails for just $8 and you get a nice mix of matte and metallic shades, perfect for everyday wear!

I did want to give a quick shout out to the packaging, it's so sleek and amazing quality! I'm loving the changes E.L.F is making to their packaging, definitely an upgrade! It comes with a full size mirror on the inside which makes this palette perfect for travel.

Here's a close up of the colors! The entire first row are matte colors, how awesome is that?! I've never seen them release a palette with so many matte shades and they're actually pretty good! I wont say they're the most pigmented but you get some great color payoff from them plus the blend really well! The rest of the shades are satin/metallic finishes which are my favorite. I find that this palette has a muted tone to it that makes it so unique! I enjoy that none of the colors are crazy neon shades, they're all wearable, neutral colors that are super easy to work with. I also love that they decided to make the shadows round. It makes a difference in the look of the palette and easier for your brush to pick up color. It actually reminds me of the Sleek Palettes!

Here are the swatches by row:

These are the matte shades! The second and third colors make amazing crease/blending shades. They are smooth to the touch, kinda makes me think that E.L.F has reformulated their shadows.

This row has the pops of colors without being too bright. The lime green looks amazing all over the lid. The last shade is a gorgeous taupe-silver.... in love!

If you haven't already guessed this is my favorite row! This row is just stunning! I'm lusting over those peachy copper shades for all over the lid. I've been wearing them nonstop with the matte brown in the crease and some winged liner... perfection! The last shade also makes a beautiful inner corner highlight.

Bottom line:  This is a great palette! The price is also amazing but don't be fooled by it, this palette is really great quality. The colors are gorgeous and they are really smooth! The texture is so buttery, different from the palettes from the permanent line. If these are reformulated shadows I hope they release more palettes like this one because I truly love using it! Make sure to check it out! It's limited edition so get it while you can. :-)