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

Another 187 Dupe and Studio Tools Brushes Review

So I was walking around Target, not intending to buy anything makeup-related, and I stumbled across the Studio Tools section near the Sally Hansen nail products display. Damn, I was in for some impulse buys. I had already owned the Studio Tools Smudge Brush, which I love, and decided to pick up three other brushes. And after I remembered seeing a video that Kaycee did about the Studio Tools Dual-Finish Brush, I decided I had to get it.

The Studio Tools Dual-Finish Brush is $6.99 and it's a stippling brush with natural and synthetic fibers. The entire brush measures a little over 6.5" long and has a transparent, dark-gray plastic handle, as do all the brushes. The handles look solid black but if you hold them up to the light, you'll see right through them. They are also made in China and so far, only a couple hairs from the crease brush has shed.

Now, I don't own the full size MAC 187 because I don't use liquid foundation (watch Kaycee's video that compares the full-size MAC 187 to the Studio Tools), so I'm comparing the Studio Tools brush with other stippling brushes that I own. I love these types of brushes for blush, bronzer, and contouring.

For my previous posts about these other 187 dupes, click below:
Flirt! Feather Dust-her Brush from Kohl's
Everyday Minerals Skunkless Foptic Brush

~The Studio Tools 187 dupe has the perfect ratio of natural to synthetic bristles. It's not as dense as the EDM and not as sparse as the Flirt! brush - it's perfect. I also love the height of the bristles and the handle is chubby enough to fit comfortably in my hand without being too big. Another good thing about it is that the end of the handle is flat, so you can stand it upright on your desk or vanity. That's a good thing for me since I have no more room in my brush holders. The bristles are soft, they haven't shed (so far), and it did not smell funky right out of the package. It gets a 5 out of 5.
~If I had to rank my 4 stippling brushes in order of preference, it would be exactly like the pictures below: Studio Tools, MAC, Flirt!, and Everyday Minerals.

(Click to enlarge)

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~The Medium Shadow Brush ($2.49) is one of those brushes you grab for when you're lazy and don't want to get out another brush. You can do a whole look with this one brush: lid, crease, outer-V, and highlight. It's super soft, not pokey at all, and made with natural hairs.
5 out of 5
~The Smudge Brush ($2.49) has shorter, stiffer bristles and it's good for packing on color on small lids or for applying three or four different colors on your lid if you're doing a rainbow look. Of course, it's also good for smudging out your eyeliner and is made with natural hairs. 5 out of 5

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~The last brush is the Eye Contour (crease) Brush ($1.99) and I have to say that this is now my favorite crease brush. It's not as full as the Sonia Kashuk but it's almost similar to the elf Blending brush - the Studio Tools is more tapered at the end, so it fits into your crease nicely. It's super soft and not pokey, just like all the other brushes. This is also made with natural bristles and can you believe it's only $1.99! 5 out of 5

~(BTW, the UpStage Crease brush is another fave of mine and I got this at Long's Drug, which is now converting to CVS, so I don't know if you can still find it there. I love how fluffy, tapered, and pointy this brush is and it fits perfectly into your crease - a very underrated, unknown brush.)
~The MAC pencil brush (219, not 119) is just there to give you an idea of the brush head sizes.

(Click to enlarge)

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FINAL THOUGHTS

1. These 4 Studio Tools brushes are affordable, easy to find (at Target), and very soft. All of them get 5 stars!
2. All brushes have handles with flat ends, so you can stand them upright. This is a great option for the Dual-Finish brush.
   

Hope this helps! It's 3 in the morning and I'm going to bed! =)

Recent Random Buys

Heya! I've been offline for a little bit. It's good to take a break every now and then from the world of technology because I find myself catching up on a lot of other things. Sometimes, I get on my computer and end up staying on it for a couple hours more than I expected. I know it happens to you too! =)

Anyway, here's a little post about my recent haul - not a lot of makeup but that's good.

I love Pure Ice! You can't beat these $2 polishes at Walmart and check out their other colors here. Hot Tamale is an awesome hot orange color but it's not Halloween-ish. I'll do swatches in another post.

All That Glitters is a veluxe pearl shadow that is now one of my fave lid colors. The dupe for this is NYX Champagne. This is part of my "Go-To Palette", which I'll make a post on later.

The Semi-Annual Sale at Victoria's Secret is going on now and these were 75% off! Slice of Heaven ($3, Reg Price $12) is being discontinued, so if you like vanilla-scented sprays, go get this. The Beauty Rush lipglosses were $1.75 each, regular price is $7. They are both sheer but Tropicool has more pigmentation than the other; they're also scented and flavored. (I tried their new limited edition Pool Party Body Chiller Mist in Frostea and I need to go back and get it!)

Target & Walmart Haul


I've only been using the Biore cleanser for four days so I can't review it yet, but I love how it smells and the cooling effect is refreshing. And I absolutely LOVE SOFTLIPS! I'm collecting all the different ones now but Vanilla is my fave.

I didn't know they had these cellulose sponges at Tar-Jeh! I've been buying the ones from Everyday Minerals for $2 each and putting them in the microwave to sterilize them between uses, but the Studio Tools comes in a pack of 3 for $3.49. They're good to use with your face wash to scrub your pores or when removing facial masks, like Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask - love that stuff.


Orange flip-flops = house slippers. (It's a Filipino thing) =)

Don't know if I like Maybelline's Full 'n Soft mascara yet but I think it's growing on me. I also got a limited edition Vanilla and Peach Mango SoftLips duo pack.
Then, I picked up some brushes. I already own the Studio Tools Smudge Brush and I don't know why I never really looked at their other brushes.


My next post is going to be a review about the Studio Tools Brushes...