Makeup Withdrawal

E.l.f. Haul (pt. 1)

Monday, November 23, 2009

My goodness! I can't believe the things I got from e.l.f. I first heard of e.l.f. cosmetics while perusing through magazines. I couldn't believe how cheap their products were supposed to be, I was down right skeptical that I could ever like any of their cosmetics. Ugh, I can't believe I've missed out years of product enjoyment just because I was blinded by my prejudice- I thought costly always meant quality! But my cheap side won- I couldn't resist $1 makeup!
However, there are some down sides to e.l.f. products- here's my review on my haul.
I bought a little of everything- false lashes, cream eyeshadow, eyeshadow, mineral lip liner, eyeliner and some beauty tools.

First off, I bought a eyebrow grooming tool and a mascara comb for a dollar each. They look just like the brushes in my Sephora brush set, so it made me pretty happy. They are a little lighter in weight and upon closer inspection the quality isn't as good as my other brushes, but since they were a dollar each, I really can't complain. At these prices, I can afford to replace them quite often. I didn't buy any of the other brushes, but I did order some for my sister for Christmas so I'll be sure to post about them later on.

Next, the Duo Eye Shadow Cream. These were worth every penny and more! I bought Coffee & Cream, Eggplant and Olive. They are very sheer, but super buildable and highly pigmented colors. Each color also has a second color tone that shines through and makes it look wonderful. For example, the green Olive color has a gold undertone that makes it glow like you would not believe! The biggest problem is that they do crease and fade if you don't wear an eye primer. But with some Urban Decay Primer Potion on underneath, these cream shadows last all day. I especially like using these as a base, they help shimmery shadows stand out even more (the purple Eggplant color makes a fantastic plum smoky eye if you use it for a base!). However, I'm not sure how much I liked the glitter in the white part of Coffee & Cream, it was really fine and a nice gold, but glitter none the less. I thought it looked a little garish, but I guess using a little as a high lighter when I'm going out at night will add some interest around my face.
Eyeshadow Duo- It's very basic eyeshadow, and superb quality for the price. I got a matching Olive shade as well as a Butter Pecan. Nicely pigmented and the texture is really nice. It's hard to tell from the website but some of the shades are shimmery and some are matte. Butter Pecan consisted of two neutrals that were a very basic matte that will work great for day to day looks, especially for work. Again, if you want it to stay put, you'll use a primer of some sort.

Brightening Eye Liner- Ugh, not my favorite. I got this in Plum and I found that it was too hard and too oily at the same time. How's that possible? Well, it was hard to apply- it seemed almost like the liner needed to warm up next to my skin. With a little bit of force, I did manage to get it to work, but the color was too waxy- it didn't show up at all! It did show up on my hand, but I think the delicate surface of the eye area won't allow it to really pick up color. Even after going over the same like about 4 more times, I finally got a hint of color, but it wasn't well pigmented. It faded away within about 3 minutes of the application. That's not even the worst part, the next day I got a pimple on my lower lash line where I had used it! I'm not 100 percent sure that it's due to the eye liner, but it's pretty suspicious- oily product equals nasty skin. I've never had a zit in such a weird place before. However, I was determined to find a use for this product, I'm not one to even waste a dollar! I ended up shading my entire eye lid up to my crease and used it as a sort of base to a purple shadow. The best thing that can be said about this liner is that it comes with a sharpener... at least you can use that!

Eyeliner and Shadow Stick- This is a part of the Studio line. It's more expensive at a whooping $3. I'm half way in love with this product, but also half way wanting to cast it from my makeup collection. So I bought this in Pearl/Glow, the liner side being the pearl color, and the shadow side is a pinkish pearl, but to be honest, they look the same on skin. The liner is beautiful and creamy, I use it to highlight the inner corner of my eyes and it blends really well into the rest of my eye makeup. The shadow however, is pretty crappy. It has a lumpy consistency and somewhat tacky in feel. The quality of the product isn't all that great, the shadow keeps falling out. But, I do love the idea of the product and one end, but it probably isn't worth it for the price. I know, I know, three dollars, who cares? Well, I think I'd rather put that 3 dollars towards a MAC shade stick then continue to buy these.

Mineral Lip Liner- Got this in Peachy. I really should have read the reviews, it's actually a really bright coral color. It's a decent lip liner, but honestly- I'd rather buy something available from the drug store like Maybelline or Rimmel. Better bang for the buck. It does come in a nice twist up pen, but I'm too disappointed in what I received to want to try other colors, especially if they aren't true to their names/ the swatch shown online.

False Lashes- Fantastic! I can't wrap my head around the fact that they are a dollar a pair! I like the Dramatic black ones, they're pretty good quality. I can even reuse them if I want to, but they are pretty delicate. The eyelash glue that comes with it is somewhat dubious, I highly recommend to always use DUO Lash Adhesive. I put in another order for the Hollywood set from the Studio line, which is $3 for a pair of really wild looking lashes, a lash stand and a lash applicator. Again, I'd like to buy about 10 pairs of these lashes and at these prices, I really can afford to toss them out on a whim.

What really helps when buying e.l.f. products are the reviews from other people on the site. A general rule of thumb is that if it's 4.5 stars or higher, it's pretty great and well worth the price. 4 stars and lower, it's proceed with caution and buy at your own risk.
They also have mineral makeup which is a little more expensive but still very very cheap, and since it's 1/2 off right now, I'm going to put in another order for some, but I think I'll be buying it for Christmas presents, so I don't know if I'll get to review any. I will however, treat myself to some more and let you know how it goes!

Brushes (II)- Want

Friday, November 13, 2009

So once you have the basic brushes, there's a few extra ones that make life a whole lot easier. I love having these brushes because it can get pretty tiring of using the same brush for multiple purposes, washing and drying them over and over is kind of a bitch.

Eye Blender Brush- There's really two different kind of eye blenders. The first is flatter, and has a rounded tip like so. This one is the MAC217 brush.

It's a bit pricey at $22.50 so I've found a few cheap alternatives.This is actually an artist's brush, made by Loew Cornell. It's a 1/2 Maxine Mop made of goat hair and you can find it on Amazon.

This is from CostalScents.com (If I could marry a website, this would be the one). It's a bit softer than the MAC217, but at $3.49 it will serve any savvy penny pincher just as well.

The second type of eye blender brush has longer fibers and round with a slightly tapered end(or just a round end). Looks something like this MAC222.

Again, a similar one from Costal Scents for $2.95. Being too soft is the only complaint I would have for CS brushes, so a little less control.

Lip Brush- Preferably the retractable kind, so you can stash it in a bag for on the go touch ups of lipsticks.

I prefer lip brushes made out of synthetic material because natural hairs tend to fall out more and stick to your lips. And nobody likes hair in their mouth.
Fan Brush- When you apply eyeshadow, there's usually some that falls off and sits on your cheeks, this brush is fantastic for lightly dusting it away. Also great for applying the lightest hint of bronzer or highlighting powder. If your fan brush comes with a plastic guard, keep it! It'll protect the hairs from getting bent. This brush is really easy to find at art supply stores for under $5.

Angled Eyebrow Brush- I like having two flat angled brushes, one smaller synthetic for eyeliner and another slightly bigger one made of natural fibers for eyebrows. Either use this brush to apply eyebrow shadow or for blending in eyebrow pencil. You want bristles that are firm but not too stiff, that will help control any products used. Again, head to your local Michael's or AC Moore for a big selection of cheap brushes.
Foundation Brush- Flat, synthetic with rounded tip. Only really useful for applying liquid foundation. Artist brushes make the best foundation brushes.

A Lasting Love With Your Brushes- Take care of them like they're your own infants.
Deep clean them with brush shampoo at least once every two weeks. Your face will thank you for it. Can you imagine all the bacteria, oil and skin cells that end up in your brushes and marinate there day after day? I recommend washing any brushes that touch foundation, concealer and lip products even more often because those products often contain different oils and can get pretty cakey on the brush. In addition, you want to do slight cleaning routine every day. Quick brush cleansers usually contain higher levels of alcohol so that they dry faster. I myself am guilty of not sticking to this- most of the time when I'm putting on makeup I'm in a rush. But this is essential if you use lots of different colors, you wouldn't want to end up with brown eyelids because you mixed up 3 days worth of bright colors on your eyeshadow brush would you?
Here's a recipe for brush shampoo. I'm not paying $11 dollars at MAC or $6-9 at Sephora for a bottle of the stuff when there's all the ingredients sitting at home. Enkore on YouTube has a great video for making some, but here's my simplified version (his version uses leave in conditioner, but why use that when you can use the regular kind?)
Brush Shampoo
1 empty bottle (I used an empty Clinique makeup remover bottle)
1 cup hot water (hot enough to dissolve shampoo and conditioner)
1 tablespoon conditioner
1 tablespoon shampoo/Johnson's baby wash or 1 teaspoon dish detergent (it's much more concentrated)
1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol
Don't bother using measuring spoons, just eyeball it. It's not worth doing dishes for.

Squirt the shampoo and conditioner into the empty bottle and pour in the hot water. Put the cap on and shake it up until everything is completely dissolved. Add rubbing alcohol. See, ridiculously easy.

I pour a tablespoon of the shampoo into a shot glass and swirl the brush around the bottom. Then I take it out and massage the suds through the fibers and rinse with cold water. You can shape them while they're wet back to their original shapes, but don't ever set them in a cup to dry! The water runs back into the metal part where the hairs are glued in and it can grow mold in there.
If any of your brushes get really frizzy or terribly out of shape(like I am), I suggest coating it with conditioner and shaping it, then letting it dry. Then the next day, rinse it off in cold water.
I'm working on a recipe for daily quick brush cleaning (which will probably come in installation III of Brushes-Super Want), similar to Bare Escentuals Quick Change ($18 for 3.7oz) but a cheap version is E.L.F's Daily Brush Cleaner ($3 for 8.5oz).

Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel- Must

Thursday, November 12, 2009

What, you may ask, is a woman's health product doing on a beauty blog? Simple. It makes one incredible facial primer. Should I be carted of to a crazy hospital for even trying this? Probably.I've tried crazier in the name of beauty, but we'll get to that.

I know what you're thinking. Monistat? As in, over the counter yeast infection medication? Actually, though it's made by the same makes, it's for external use only, such as chafing caused by a swim suit or riding a bike. But let's discuss the wonderful alternative use. Facial Primer! I first read about in passing on a beauty forum. I was pretty skeptical at first but I'm cheap and the thought of spending only six dollars for facial primer made it too good to pass up.

I bought it at Target and immediately tried it out. I applied a thin layer over clean and moisturized skin, using a little extra on areas where I had unevenness such as a zit or large pores. I wasn't as miserly with the amount I used, at 1/6th the price of Smashbox Photo Finish (and one and a half times the size!) I could definitely afford to not skimp. The product is a gel that feels silky smooth- the way finely milled powdered feels. It didn't smell medicinal, just faintly of baby powder.
As you can see, it's invisible when applied.

In short, it delivered everything a pricey primer promises. It created a light layer between my skin and makeup, I could tell instantly when I applied my concealer to my problem areas that it helped the concealer sit evenly. It also made my makeup last all day, kept it soft and there was no irritation whatsoever, as well as oil control! I'm never shelling out 30+ dollars for expensive brand name primer ever again.

Cost: 1.5oz. Around $6 at Target, CVS, Walgreens and other drugstores.

Similar: Smashbox Photo Finish($36 for 1oz), Prep+Prime Skin ($25 for 1oz), Laura Mercier Foundation Primer ($30 for 1.75oz)

Fast Lash- Want

Oh boy, I don't even know how to begin describing this product.
It's by Tweezerman and it comes in a mascara tube with a normal wand for application. However, when you open it (carefully, carefully!) -POOF!- instead of black gloss, there's white fiber that looks suspiciously like dust bunnies. You put on a coat of mascara and while it's still wet, you touch the wand to the lashes to lightly dust them. Then another coat of mascara to fix it in place. Repeat this as many times as you want to get the desired result. You can get some crazy lengths if you keep at it!
However, it's kinda tricky and probably not for times when you're trying to get out the door in five minutes. I feel like though you can get really long full looking lashes, they look a little feathery. Like each one of your lashes look like it has split ends. I liked putting this product on my natural lashes and then putting falsies on. Sounds over the top, doesn't it? Nope, it helps the falsies blend in better! If you can follow directions, you can get the same results.

My other complaint is that there's way too much product stuffed into the tube, you really only need a microscopic amount for each application. When you pull out the wand, it gets all over the place. My solution was to pick off all the white stuff and put it into a small container until the wand just looks like it's dusty- that's all you need. Then when ever I need more, I take a small pinch and stuff it back into the tube.
Here's my lashes with Fast Lash. I used Bare Escentuals Big Tease Mascara in Blackest Black, no eyeliner and my Pixi By Petra Sensual Smoky Eye gift palette.

Here for comparison's sake, is my eye without any make up. As you can see, my lashes are a sorry sight, you can barely see them!

Because this product doesn't provide exceptional results on its own and relies on mascara and plenty of time and practice, it really falls under Want and not Must. It is however, a great alternative for people who want lengthy lashes but find falsies too extreme or difficult to use.
Cost: $15 at Ulta and on Amazon.com

Brushes (I)- Must

Monday, November 9, 2009

Don't use the sponges that come with the makeup.
Ever.
Or the makeup fairy will find and will make you pay.
You know what, just throw them out now so that there's no temptation.
Sponge applicators always waste a ton of powder when you pack it on to apply it to your face. It's pretty gross too, think about it. The oil from your face ends up on the product's surface unless you wash and dry the sponges every time. That's how that hard shiny top forms on top of your makeup cakes.
Instead, invest in some good brushes. If it's really out of the question to shell out 50 or so bucks, try a set of travel brushes such as Eco Tools 5pc Brushes, available for around 11 dollars at retailers such as Target or Ulta. You'll have to continuously clean them though, each brush might have two different uses- for example, you'll be using your powder brush for your blush brush as well. But no matter, the important thing is that you have the tools you need to create many beautiful looks.

Here's what you REALLY need.
-A big fluffy brush for powder and blush

-A small, flat angled brush for eyeliner or detailed work

-A small synthetic brush for concealer(if it's small enough for the lips, that's fantastic too!)

-A small, soft, rounded brush for eyeshadow

-A comb/bristled brush for grooming eyebrows and lashes

Don't hesitate to buy artist brushes for make up! Small synthetic brushes make fantastic concealer, lip and eye liner brushes and coarser, fluffier brushes blend better than anything else out there. You can buy these at any art supply store for around 5 bucks a brush. Also, you can buy brushes at e.l.f cosmetics for literally a dollar each (they're not the best in the world, but they do in a pinch, especially if you treat them right).
Right now, I use a Sephora Brand 12pc set that I scooped up for 50 bucks on clearance. I feel like a couple of the brushes aren't as great as they could be, and there's a couple brushes that I could still use so I'll still be adding and refining my collection.
Part II of Brushes will be about additional brushes and how to take care of them.