elf Studio Haul & Review: Pic Heavy!

(This post is hella long, so I apologize for all the scrolling you'll have to do.)

Three weeks ago, elf had a 75% off code on their Studio Line, so mostly everything you see here - except for five items which I ordered from before - cost me only $0.75. However, elf Studio products are still very inexpensive at their regular price of $3. Their current code (EGTWOSHIP) offers $1.98 shipping on orders over $15 for a limited time only. Also, you can sign up for their newsletter for more discount code information, and you can follow elf on Twitter. Another site to go to to find codes is Retailmenot.com.

Now, on to the pics, swatches, and review...

BRONZERS & BLUSH

Elf Studio bronzers are well-sized and come with 13 g of product. The packaging doesn't come with a window on the cover, like their eyeshadows and blushes, but this makes space for the huge mirror on the inside lid. And because there isn't a window to see what color you're looking at, the color name is printed on the lower front lid. (You already know that elf Studio packaging have that NARS-inspired look.)

Each bronzer has four quadrants of color, and if you use these colors individually instead of mixing them together, the blush brush is the perfect size for each quadrant. (I'll get to the blush brush review last.)

BTW, I use depotted MAC shadows as pill cases. That's what that is in the picture. =)

BRONZER PROS:

• Large amount of product -13 g
• Comes with 4 colors that are mixable
• Huge mirror
• Easy-to-open latch (just push up on it)
• Pigmented, especially the Cool Bronzer (use a light hand with the browns in that one)
• Each color can be used individually as a blush, contour or highlight
• Cool Bronzer (matte) has smoother texture than Warm Bronzer (shimmer)
• Oil-free
  

BRONZER CONS:

• Packaging may be too big
• Contains talc, which can irritate certain skin-types (like mine). But it's the second ingredient and if I use it once a week, then I'll probably be good.
• Hard to achieve the same color on each cheek when mixing colors together. Since the quadrants are so large, you might not get the same exact color on each cheek when mixing the colors together. If it was designed in a mosaic pattern, then the colors would apply more evenly when mixed.
• Comes in only 3 colors: Cool, Warm and Golden
• Only the Cool Bronzer is matte
  

BRONZER -FINAL THOUGHTS: A worthy buy. If you like mattes, pick up the Cool, but if you prefer shimmery blushes or bronzers, then go with the Warm. Since they're both inexpensive, just get both!

BRONZER INGREDIENTS: Mica, Talc, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Boron Nitride. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI77492 CI 77499), D&C Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), FD&C Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red No. 40 Lake (CI 16035)

Candid Coral Blush is a peachy-coral color with golden shimmer.

BLUSH PROS:

• Same easy-to-open packaging as the bronzers, but smaller in size
• Comes with a good amount of product- 4.75 g
• Has mirror
  
• Lid has a little window so you can see the color of the product
• Layerable/buildable color (which can be a con for some people)

BLUSH CONS:

• Layerable/buildable color (which can be a pro for some people)
• Contains talc and Mineral Oil (I'm not going to use this again because of the mineral oil. I only bought it to test it out for you.)
• Comes in 6 colors and all of them are shimmery. What, no mattes?
  

BLUSH - FINAL THOUGHTS: I'm not using this again because of the mineral oil and I believe it gave me a little zit on the front of my cheek, where I hardly breakout. That's why I have to stick with oil-free face products. But if you don't have sensitive skin, weigh out the pros and cons and determine if you'll like it.

BLUSH INGREDIENTS: Talc, Mica, Nylon-12, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Paraffinium Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Polybutene, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI77492 CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow No. 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red No. 40 Lake (CI 16035), Ultramarine Violet (CI 77077), Blue No. 1 Lake (CI 42090).

Swatches

Swatched from left to right, top row first then bottom row

Since I don't like shimmery blushes, how about using the Warm Bronzer as an eyeshadow quad? Is it safe to use on the eyes? You're going to have to pack that color on, though.

EYESHADOWS & BROW KIT

Next up are the Studio single eyeshadows. I got all of them except for the white one called Sand Dollar.

The above picture will give you the rundown about the eyeshadow packaging, which I love. The back of all these Studio products are just the black plastic with a little circular sticker stating the color, product amount, and product numbers - a very boring photo op.

The colors
(Saddle, Coffee Bean & Mystic Moss are darker and richer than in this pic. I was rushing.)

EYESHADOW PROS:

• Again, the same easy-to-open latch, like the previous products; cute packaging overall
  
• Window in the lid shows the product color
• Has a mirror, but it's a little small
• Good amount of product - 2.75 g
• Good pigmentation over a base (not just UDPP or TFSI alone)
• Colors blend well
• Not loosely pressed like their $1 quads
• No annoying sponge-tip applicator that falls out or takes up space in the packaging
• Shimmery colors are not frosty or glittery
• Very wearable colors

EYESHADOW CONS:

• Only one matte shadow - Pebble - is offered. (I don't know about Sand Dollar)
• Only one color - Raspberry Truffle - was softer and more crumbly than the other colors
• Must use a sticky base, like a shadestick or cream eyeshadow, to make the colors pop more. But pigmentation is still good.
• If you like really shimmery colors, these won't do it for you. Only Coffee Bean and Raspberry Truffle are the most shimmery, and yet, they're not that shimmery.
• Only comes in 10 colors
• No bright colors for you bold ladies. No blues, either.
• May be cumbersome to use; if you're using 4 or 5 shadows at one time, you'll have to pop each one open and scatter it on your vanity or bed (that's where I do my makeup)
  

EYESHADOW - FINAL THOUGHTS: Weigh out the pros and cons and determine if you'll like it. I'll recommend Pebble, Amethyst, Mystic Moss and Butter Cream.

EYESHADOW INGREDIENTS: Talc, Mica, Nylon-12, Silica, Iso-Octyl Palmitate, Magnesium Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Triacontanyl PVP, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May Contain Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow No. 5 (CI 19140), Red No. 40 Lake (CI 16035), Ultramarine Violet (CI 77077), Blue No. 1 Lake (CI 42090).

Swatched over Scandalous Eyeshadow Magnet

EYESHADOW COLOR DESCRIPTIONS:

• BUTTER CREAM* - soft shimmer; creamy yellow-gold
• WILD WHEAT - very soft shimmer; peachy-tan (hardly shows up on my medium skin-tone so I don't really like this one)
• PEBBLE* - matte; mid-tone taupe; good to fill in eyebrows with; reminds me of a matte NYX Rootbeer
• SADDLE* - soft shimmer; mid-tone coppery-brown
• COFFEE BEAN - shimmer; dark bronze-brown with bronze shimmer
• AMETHYST* - soft shimmer; mid-tone violet purple
• RASPBERRY TRUFFLE - shimmer; dark maroon/burgundy with reddish shimmer; turns muddy brown if packed on and reminds me of the top-right color in the 28-color neutral palette, which does the same thing. However, on a white base, it looks good, huh?
  
• MYSTIC MOSS* - soft shimmer; deep forest green
• CHARCOAL - soft shimmer; your basic dark gray or soft black

(* indicates favorites)

Eyebrow Kit - 2 g of product total. NOTE: The wax is labeled as a gel on the packaging.

This is the last brow product I will try from elf. I don't like the $1 brow gel because it doesn't set my brows well, and I hate the Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame because of it's strange peachy color and its useless "Treat" end. Then there's this...

EYEBROW KIT IN "DARK" PROS:

• Convenient packaging that includes a brow gel (soft wax), brow powder, and double-ended applicator (but wait for the cons)
  
• Has mirror

EYEBROW KIT IN "DARK" CONS:

• Not dark at all! It's way too light for my black eyebrows
• Too warm-toned and not ashy or taupe enough for more naturally-looking filled in brows (Try Pebble eyeshadow instead)
  
• Stubby brush is not user-friendly
• Powder is somewhat too soft in texture
  
• Brow gel/soft wax color is dark enough, but it's greasy/oily and smudges easily
• Gel/wax contains mineral oil, in fact, it's the first ingredient
  

EYEBROW KIT - FINAL THOUGHTS: Stay very far away from this. If you have it, do you like it?

EYEBROW KIT GEL INGREDIENTS: Paraffinium Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Ricinus Comunis (Castor) Seed Oil, Talc, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Ozokerite, Methylisothiazolinone, Caprylyl Glycol. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

EYEBROW KIT POWDER INGREDIENTS: Talc, Mica, Caprylic/Caprictri Glycerides, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499).

EYELASHES

Pictured above are the elf Studio Eyelash Curler and the Mini-sized one. Both come with two black silicone pads, or lips.

Look what came with my Mini Eyelash Curler - someone's nasty azz dirty fingerprint! Bleck! I had to scrub, wash, and swipe that thing with alcohol ten times before I felt comfortable using it. It was some sort of thick residue on the packager's thumb. I want a new one! Anyway, despite that foulness, I like this mini curler because it can catch those hard-to-reach lashes on the outer and inner corners that a regular curler can miss.

As for their regular Studio Lash Curler (pictured two pics above), I prefer the spring-loaded, or Mechanical, $1 Eyelash Curler, which also comes with 2 silicone pads, or lips. This curler - pictured on the left below - is so good and it hasn't broke on me, either. After more than a year, I'm still using the pad it came with but I think I need to change it, since I noticed a little groove in it this morning. But, it never pinches my eyelids and it makes my lashes stick up nicely. I think I like the old handle design better. It just curls better than the Studio one and you don't have to apply a lot of pressure.

I haven't tried on the lashes from the Hollywood Eyelashes Kit yet, but I took pictures of it. It comes with a pair of full and dramatic lashes, a stand, an applicator with rubberized tips, and a dinky tube of useless glue. The band of the lashes is black, which is good. The stand is cute but I feel it doesn't keep the shape of the curl - the tray would be better for that. The applicator is also cute, but I'm not sure if it even makes application easier. I'm going to have to play around with it more. If you have this, how do you like it? Honestly, I'm not much of a wearer of falsies.

EYELASHES - FINAL THOUGHTS: The non-Studio eyelash curler ($1) is a must-have, while the Mini Curler would be something nice to try, since I never see mini-sized curlers at drugstores. I hope you won't get a thick, crusty thumbprint on yours!

BRUSHES

How lovely does this Kabuki Face Brush look? It's my new love and completely worth the $5, even if I only paid $1.25 for it. As stated in the picture above, the bristle height is 4.5 cm, while the bristles at their widest part is 5.5 cm. (The Metric system is so much easier, America!) It may look a little small but it's a very nice-sized Kabuki. Elf also offers a new Kabuki Body Brush, which I assume is larger than this.

FACE KABUKI PROS:

• Dense, fluffy, SOFT, full, smoothly dome-shaped: good stuff
• Hasn't shed on me
• The black dye didn't bleed on to the paper towel after washing
  
• Not too small and not overly large, either
• Can be used for body, or the décolleté area
• Great to use with finishing powders or any loose powder
• Great for buffing out your blush or face makeup
  
• Covers a large area in a few swipes
• Will look really cute on your vanity!
  

FACE KABUKI CONS:

• Despite the chemical smell when I first got it, after the first washing, there's no longer an odor
• Doesn't come with a satchel or case, but it does come in a box
• Costs $2 more than most elf Studio items, but well worth the $5
  

FACE KABUKI INGREDIENTS: Just kidding...

And finally (whew!), here's the blush brush, which is about half the size of the Complexion Brush. I can't recommend this brush and it's too bad that I have two of them now. Everyone needs to get the Complexion Brush because it's the perfect size for blush, bronzer, finishing powders, and even contouring.

BLUSH BRUSH PROS:

• Very soft bristles, just like all the elf Studio face brushes
• Tapered head
  
• Doesn't shed or bleed
• Matte, black plastic handle, instead of painted wood like their $1 brushes (even though some of those brushes are really good)
• Good to use when picking up color in separate quadrants of the Studio Bronzers (it fits perfectly)

BLUSH BRUSH CONS:

• Brush head is too small for applying blush, since it covers a small part of your cheek. If you like precise blush placement, then you may not mind this.
• Instead for blush, it's probably better to use for highlighting or contouring your cheeks
• Comes with a brush guard but the brush slides right through the bottom hole =/ That doesn't happen with the Complexion and Powder brushes.
  

I think they should rename their Blush Brush to "Highlighter Brush", their Complexion Brush to "Blush or Powder Brush", and their Powder Brush to "Flat-Top Brush." It makes better sense. At least they got the Kabuki name right.

BRUSHES - FINAL THOUGHTS: The must-have brushes are the Face Kabuki, Complexion Brush, Powder Brush, and if you like a thin, precise line for eyeliner, then consider the Small Angled Brush.

RELATED LINK

For my previous elf Studio Haul & Review, click here.
I highly recommend the Studio Complexion Brush (my fave) and the Powder Brush.

SIDE NOTE: I don't give ratings to products (i. e. 6/10 or 8 out of 10) because what does that really tell you? I'd prefer you weigh out the pros and cons and determine whether or not it will appeal to you, since we are all different. A pro to me might be a con for you, or a con may be a pro for you. I'll only give ratings if I'm comparing similar products and want to rank them.

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Whew! That took me HOURS to do. LoL. All the picture-taking, swatching, cropping, labeling, uploading, writing and proof-reading takes a long time, and I do it all for YOU. =) Since that's out of the way, I'm going to take a little break from bloggin'. I'll try to post something in a couple weeks.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped. Have a great day everyone =)

Copyright © 2009, Lady Lostris

REVIEW: elf Studio Brushes & Makeup

e.l.f Studio brushes are made of Taklon and claim to be anti-bacterial, which I don't put too much faith in. Everything in their Studio Line costs $3, except for three of their larger items, like their Mini Makeup Collection, which is reminiscent of a Sephora makeup palette.

I thought I would never purchase anything from e.l.f. again because of a previous customer service hassle (they almost ripped me off; it was just a dollar but it's all in the principal of things) and because their shipping used to take 4 weeks. I'm pleased to say that I received these items in less than a week and in a bubble wrapped package instead of a box stuffed with nothing (another previous incident).

NOTE: After using all brushes for at least a week, I have experienced NO SHEDDING and NO DYE BLEEDING after washing. Thumbs up!!! All handles are plastic instead of painted wood like their original $1 brushes.

So on to the review...

COMPLEXION BRUSH
~ Love It ~

If you're going to buy one e.l.f. Studio brush, then this one is it. I was so surprised at how soft and dense this brush is! It's so nicely tapered that it feels smooth on the face without any pokiness or harshness. You can use it for blush, bronzer or any other face powder.

The brush is almost 7" long while the bristles are 1 ³/₄" long & 1 ¹/₂" wide.

The complexion brush also comes with a vinyl cover for the brush head, which helps to keep it clean and also helps to keep the shape of the bristles. This is very convenient for travel!


POWDER BRUSH (FLAT TOP BUFFER)
~ Love It ~

The powder brush is basically a flat top kabuki/buffer brush which is also soft and dense. This is great for buffing in your mineral makeup. I think I heard someone using this with liquid foundation and they loved it. I still heart my EDM Flat Top brush better though. =) But don't get me wrong, this is a really awesome brush for only $3 and I highly recommend it along with the Complexion brush. If you like brushes with longer handles but not as long as craft brushes, then you'll be pleased with the size of these.

The brush is almost 7" long while the bristles are a little over 1" long and just under 1 ¹/₂" wide.

The Powder brush also comes with a vinyl brush head cover like the Complexion brush.


SMALL ANGLED BRUSH
~ Love It ~

This is another brush that I like because it's soft and precise. You can use it with eyeshadow or your gel liners. It might be a little narrow for some people but I don't mind it.

The brush is just under 7" long while the bristles at their longest edge measures ¹/₄" and just under ¹/₄" wide.

CONCEALER BRUSH
~ Meh =/ ~

This brush is not dense at all. It has a very flat edge which is not ideal to use with mineral concealers but better with cream or liquid concealers. It might be a little too wide for spot concealing blemishes on the face but this is probably better for the under eye area. I use it to apply cream eyeshadows to my eyelids. For concealer, it's not narrow or pointy enough in the center for my liking.

The brush is just under 7" long while the bristles are ³/₈" long and a little over ³/₈" wide.

CONTOUR BRUSH
~ Hate It! ~

Finally, my regretful buy, the contour brush which is pictured below in the center. If you see in the picture, the bristles are so short and non-existent. They're even shorter than my two pencil brushes and the ferrule seems to swallow up the brush head. The bristles are so short that when I try to use it, the ferrule sometimes touches my skin. Basically, this brush is CRAP. I DO NOT recommend this but I do recommend the regular $1 e.l.f. Blending Eye brush, pictured second from the left. I don't think they updated the picture of this brush on their site but this is the redesigned one.

I'm not even going to bother to measure this brush. I think I'll use it to dust my computer keyboard.

(Click to enlarge)

BRUSH PACKAGING

All brushes come packaged in a shiny, Zip-Lock sealed packet. It was kind of like opening a package of deli meat. You can pop your brushes back in here if you want.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


EYE PRIMER & LINE SEALER DUO
~ Hate It~

The primer is basically a concealer stick and you can probably just use a regular concealer as your base and achieve the same results. This will crease on you so if you do use it as a base for your eyeshadow, make sure to use TFSI or UDPP underneath it to prevent creasing. (It contains mineral oil)

The line sealer is nothing special either. You can get the same results by using mixing medium, water or a baby wipe with an angled or script brush. It will also ruin your eyeshadows in pan form by making the area you dipped the brush into hard. It works best with darker colors and it's a nightmare to use with loose pigments.

UPDATE: Every time I use this, the next day I get a little bump on my eye skin, like a tiny zit. Thumbs down!

EYELINER & SHADOW STICK
~ Love One Side, Hate the Other ~

The eyeliners (pictured on the right side) are so waxy that they smudge off easily and you'll get raccoon eyes in no time. For me, they work best when tightlining. The shadow sticks, on the left side, remind me of the Physician's Formula Color Eyes Cream Shadow Sticks that are some of my favorite bases. I love the dark gray one, Smoke, as a dark base for smokey eyes. But these are a little inconsistent! The golden colored one, Basic, is slightly less creamy than Smoke, while the white one, Glow, is horribly dry and hard to blend. The tip of the Pearl eyeliner actually broke off when I did swatches. So it's a hit or miss with some of these.

EYEBROW TREAT & TAME in MEDIUM
~ Hate It ~

If you have black eyebrows, do not get this in Medium. It is way too light and has a strange peach undertone to it. It actually lightens my brows and if you get this gel onto your skin, you're left with that ugly, weird peachy-brown color that just doesn't match your brows. This does hold better than their regular $1 clear brow gel though. The other side is a clear gel that is supposed to make your sparse eyebrows grow fuller. I tried it once and didn't think much of it. Personally, I think that side is just a waste of space.

I'm happy to report that I feel so much better than I did in my last post when I had the flu. I haven't felt that bad since the last time I had food poisoning. I still have a lingering cough though but thank you for your comments and I hope you all are doing well.

Related Link:
elf Studio Haul & Review: Pic Heavy! (second haul)

~Regretful Buys~

Woe is me. Luckily, most of this stuff was cheap but they just didn't work for me. =(

1. Bourjois Lovely Rouge lipstick in Sable Unique ($14): A great looking nude lipstick on a Sephora catalogue cover but too bad this sucker burned my lips and it's not even a plumping lipstick. It's some weird ingredient that doesn't agree with me.
2. NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss in Sweetheart ($3.99): This pink is way too icy
3. MAC Studio Fix Foundation Plus Powder in NC35 ($26): Too chalky, poor coverage and lasting ability for my oily skin
4. NYX Round lipstick in Uranus ($0.99): Dark brown ugliness
5. NYX Round lipstick in Stone ($0.99): More dark brown ugliness
6. Bare Minerals Foundation ($25): I found out my skin doesn't like Bismuth Oxychloride. The shiny finish isn't flattering on me either.
   
7. Everyday Minerals "Lipgloss" in Pink Lemonade ($4): It's a lip balm!! Texture is pasty and unpigmented
8. Bare Escentual Flawless Face Brush (~$22): It's the Itchy & Scratch show!
9. Rimmel Eyeshadow Quad in Smokey Purple: Chalky with very low pigmentation
10. e.l.f. Waterproof Liquid Liner in Black ($1): Smells funny and when it dries it feels like there's a piece of Scotch tape stuck to my eye
11. e.l.f. Mascara ($1): Horrible brush and formula. [You know what you can use old mascara for? If you have a couple or a few grey hairs and don't want to pluck them out, don't throw away your mascara but use it to hide those greys!]
12. e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Medium ($3): Medium is way too light and too peach-colored for my black brows but the strength of the hold is pretty good. It's a strange color though
13. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Cottage Cheese (~$4): I know, I know. It may be your Holy Grail but this creases on me within a couple hours just because it's too oily and waxy. I use it only for arm swatches! =P
    
14. Cover Girl Brow & Eye Makers in Midnight Black (~$3): Hard, unpigmented (it's a soft black/gray)
15. NYC Mod Quad in Far Out Fawns ($1.98): Low pigmentation and the creme liner is so hard
16. Mac Factor trio eyeshadow in Premiere Pink ($?): The worst e/s I've ever tried!!! It's hard, dry, chalky and unpigmented. Don't ever get these!
17. Maybelline Dream Mousse Shadows ($1.79?): Chunky, hard to blend & too frosty. [I'd include a link to my video review but it has been silenced by BS copyright infringement]
18. Amuse eyeshadow in Baby Purple ($2): I got this from Cherry Culture and it's low pigmented and the case was all scratched up when I got it. What's up with that?