Full Face Makeup For Just $2

I feel like every beauty blogger and her mother raves about the E.L.F. shadow quads: how pigmented they are, how nice the quality is, and most notably, how cheap the line is.

And it is dirt cheap. $1 for four eyeshadows is pretty unheard of.

But I wanted to see if these little eyeshadow quads really give a bang for their buck. To test this mini palette, my sister-in-law Emily very gamely allowed me to do an entire face on her, using the $1 shadow quad and the $1 angled shadow brush she picked up from Target.

The E.L.F. quad: Day2Night

(A powdery white with minimal sparkle, a dark matte eggplant, a shimmery rose-gold, and a matte black with blue and grey undertones).

The angled eyeshadow brush

Emily before

Note: it's easier on the artist if their subjects are not distracted by sink cats...

The eyes:

1. I applied the white shadow from the lash line up to the brown bone.

2. Next, I applied the rose-gold shadow all over the lid, patting it over the white with the flat side of the angled brush.

3. I instructed Emily to keep her eyes open while I applied the eggplant purple to her crease.

(If you have trouble finding your crease, this technique will help you: simply look in the mirror, and while keeping your eye open, move the shadow brush in a windshield wiper motion in the lid fold and around the outer corner of the eye).

4. With the matte black shadow, I used the fine point of the angled brush to line her upper lashes. I did the same below using the rose-gold and eggplant shadows.

5. I redefined her inner eye and right below the brow bone with another quick dusting of the white shadow.

For her cheeks, I did some light contouring using the rose-gold shadow. Emily has very fair skin with pink undertones, so I skipped blush and mixed the rose-gold and white together to create a subtle highlight. I used my fingertips to pat the contour shadow along the perimeters of her face, and a q-tip to apply the highlight on her upper cheekbone.

To create a lipstick from the palette, I mixed a dab of clear gloss with the eggplant, rose-gold, and white shadows to create a lovely, sheer plum color. This had wonderful staying power.

Emily after

Hobbes felt left out, but sorry: kitties don't get makeovers :(

I was surprised how workable this palette ended up being. I don't feel the pigmentation is as "WOW!" as other bloggers claim it to be, but for one dollar it's certainly a fine product. I can't imagine that anyone is experiencing serious buyer's regret over this quad.

E.L.F. can be found at Target and the line offers a wide range of products and colors. If you're looking for serious budget makeup, then this line is for you. 

You can read more E.L.F. reviews here if you're interested in more of my thoughts on this line.

Do you use E.L.F.? Have you tried a full face using nothing but eyeshadow?