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?

E.L.F. Cream Liner Review

In my last post, I briefly reviewed E.L.F.'s Studio Cream Liner in Black. Today I tried it out for the first time and I have to admit that I'm very, very impressed.

This stuff took about three seconds to apply, thanks to the handy-dandy little liner brush I received with the purchase. It spreads unbelievably well. I barely needed any product on the brush, and I ended up with perfectly lined, defined eyes. Perhaps it was a little much for my line of work, but I was curious and wanted to play :)

I give you this morning's 5:30 am face:

And a close-up of the liner itself:

*Apologies for the oddly-hued pictures. Apparently my camera was as awake as I was (meaning it wasn't).*

And this is how my eyes look presently (4 pm EST):

Notice that the liner remains perfectly defined, whereas my eyeshadow seems to have decided "creased" is the word of the hour.

I mentioned how this stuff held up under rubbing and water. I should have realized then that this stuff would last all day.

And it only costs $3.00. Unbelievable.

I think this has totally converted me from a crayons to gel liners!

How about you? Are you a crayon or gel fan?

Mini E.L.F. Haul and review

I'll start this post by saying I've read a lot of mixed reviews on various E.L.F. products throughout the years. For those of you who aren't familiar with this brand, E.L.F. makeup products can be found in grocery stores, online, at Target; basically, any run of the mill store. E.L.F. is famous for being dirt cheap. Prices range between $1 and $3. Seriously. For that price point, I would never expect miracles, but it's certainly cheap enough that I could comfortably fork over a few dollars to try something out.

Until today, the only product I've ever tried was the All-Over Color Stick, and that was gifted to me in a holiday Secret Santa exchange. Admittedly, as a cream eyeshadow, this stuff stinks, but it does make a pretty good primer for other shadows. It can also make an ok highlighter if you're in a pinch and want a little extra sparkle to your look.

I decided to bite the bullet today so while I was in Target, I made three small purchases. For a grand total of $10, I picked up the following:

• Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder (here)
• Studio Cream Eyeliner in Black (here)
• Studio Powder Brush (here)

We'll start with the blush/bronzer duo.

I'd like to point out again that this palette costs $3.00. You're not reading that incorrectly. This baby is packaged similarly to NARS, but in my humble opinion, the case is much sturdier. It's almost heavy, and the lid snaps close. I don't think I have to worry about this palette popping open in my bag, but it did only cost $3, so I'm sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. We'll see how well it holds up in my makeup bag ;)

I don't know how to properly describe the color of the blush. It photographs like a dusty peach, and while there are obvious peach tones to the powder, there is also a subtle baby pink in the mix. It also looked sparkly in the pan, but the sparkle didn't really translate to my skin when I swatched it. There was the odd speck here and there, but it wasn't overly obvious in the direct sunlight.

The bronzer is VERY dark. There's also very little sparkle that I saw.

Holy pigmentation! I'll have to use a light hand with that bronzer!

Next up is the cream eyeliner. I'm mostly a crayon girl, but I think that's only because I'm so comfortable with crayon liners. I like to smudge a thicker, dark line across my lids, and obviously cream liners don't lend themselves to this look very easily. So just out of apathy I've avoided all gel and cream eyeliners. Until now, that is.

The E.L.F. cream liner comes with a small applicator brush. This is actually really helpful in getting that little winged flick that is ideal with gel lined eyes. I just have to be careful not to lose in my makeup bag! It's smaller than my finger!

The liner comes in this cute little pot with a twist cap. I love it because you can see how much of the product you have left. It also looks super modern and clean.

The formula itself is very, very creamy. It's a little too easy to get too much product on the brush because its so soft.

It dries so quickly! The color payoff is amazing; I think I'm gonna feel a little like Lauren Conrad in this look! I can't wait to try it out! However, buyer beware: when thi stuff dries, it DRIES!

I tried smudging it approximately ten seconds after it dried, and this was the result. It would barely budge! Even a dampened paper towel couldn't remove it, and I ended up irritating my skin a bit trying to get it off. Makeup remover is the only proper way to get rid of this stuff.

And lastly, the Studio Powder brush:

Again, for $3, I wasn't expecting much. I usually stick with my Bare Escentuals brushes when applying my makeup, but I was in the market for a contouring brush and this fit the bill.

The brush is surprisingly good for the price. It's sleek and professional looking, and the bristles are so soft! We're talking fur coat kind of soft. It's one of the least abrasive brushes I've ever owned. I haven't had the opportunity yet to use it when contouring my face, but I'll give a whirl first thing tomorrow morning when applying my slap. Naturally, if it fails to meet my expectations, you'll read about it on this site :)

Do you have any experience with E.L.F.? What is your take on the brand?