Sparkled Beauty

To end Elf week on the blog, I have Elf Essential brush set to show you.

This is an interesting set, just because it includes a brush cleaner that I wanted to try. The 6 brushes included in the set:

- Bronzing brush: I appreciate the angled cut but find it too loosely packed and use it to apply under-eye setting powder instead.
- Eyelash & brow wand: works fine on my brows
- Eyeshadow brush: dense enough to deposit eyeshadows well, but the bristles are a bit short which results in the ferule scratching the eyeshadow pan
- Eyeliner brush: meant for both wet and dry formulas. It feels firm but not scratchy, but have not used it enough to form an opinion
- Concealer brush: same material as the eyeliner brush. The super fine tip works well for spot concealing
- Smudge eye sponge: to smudge and blend eyeliner for smokey eyes but I prefer a brush.

The daily brush cleaner is to disinfect brushes between uses, before you could give them a proper wash.

Instructions: spray several times over the brush bristles, gently wipe brush onto a clean cloth to remove makeup. Allow brush to fully air dry before next use.

Well, the cleaner does an ok job with small brushes that were used for powder products but takes longer for those with cream/ gel products. And it has quite a strong scent that might be off-putting to some and I would hesitate to recommend it.

A glance at the ingredients (Alcohol Denat., Water and Fragrance) hints that you can totally make this brush cleanser yourself as well. The bottle is 2.02oz/ 60ml, $3 on its own on Elf website.

The complete set is no longer sold on Elf website but I still it at Winners and Superstore sometimes, thought I would get you covered if you consider a purchase.

It has been a long time since I wear glitters on the eyes but I wondered if this Glitter primer from Elf would be great as an eyeshadow primer, so I bought it to test.

The claims say it has a lightweight liquid formula that absorbs quickly, infused with shea butter and jojoba to nourish the eye area, preps your eyelid for longer lasting and crease proof wear of glitter eyeshadows (loose or pressed).

Very basic tube packaging with a slanted plastic tip like in an old-school tubed gloss. I would prefer a sponge tip applicator, but since I will need a brush to blend the product out after, I don't mind it.

Instructions: Apply a thin coat to the eyelid, blend. Tap on glitter eyeshadows with a finger or brush while primer is still damp.

The texture (as shown below next to Maybelline Master Prime base in Prime & Matte for comparison) is interesting. It comes out of the tube like a runny lotion but turns slightly thicker as it dries and blends out clear. Sticky to the touch but the eyeshadows I put on top of it are still blendable.

And they stay on for good 7 hours, which is great on an average day. However, on a typical work day, I put my makeup on at 6am, so creasing starts after lunch time if I don't touch up. So if you anticipate a long day, don't use this product as a primer on your eyes :)

I also tried it under a few glittery eyeshadows and got similar result. No glitters ended up under the eyes through the day, so it held up.

Ingredients: Water, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candellila) Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, PVP, Glycerin, etc.

The tube has 0.4oz/ 11.5g of product, only costs $2 on Elf website.

Having an oily T zone means either mattifying primer/ foundation or blotting through the day for me, even in the winter :)

Despite having multiple packs of blotting sheets in the stash, I still wanted to buy the version from Elf. This is Elf On the Spot Blot mattifying blotting papers, said to be infused with translucent powder to help mattify skin and absorb oil without disturbing your makeup.

First impressions are good - nice little compact with pretty print on the front, a mirror under the lid and applicator sponge to blot without touching the paper itself. The clear plastic case could be a little thicker/ sturdier but it does the job.

Since the mirror is a little heavy, the lid opens all the way out and cannot stay open half way as pictured (I had my fingers holding the corner of the lid, for photograph purpose).

Note: the case that I got does not close tightly, so be sure to put the compact in a pocket inside your purse instead of letting it roll around.

The papers are of decent quality, thick enough to do the job without ripping off. The size is smaller than most blotting papers out there but can still cover areas of the face. Just that once you finish this bunch of paper, you cannot refill the case with sheets from most other brands.

The black sponge feels strong and comfortable, though smells slightly plastic-y in the compact. I do suggest leaving it out a few days to disperse the smell.

Instructions: remove the protective paper from the applicator sponge to reveal adhesives, press the sponge with the adhesives down on the paper to pick up a sheet. Pat on the face where needed and discard after use, repeat if needed.

There are 8 adhesive sheets layered on the flip side of the sponge (left) but they stick together quite well. It took me a while to peel off the very first layer as I did not want to accidentally pull more than 1 sticky sheet at a time. After that, it was smooth sailing.

Since the papers have translucent powder on them, they feel nice when it touches my face, mattify the oily areas for a good few hours without leaving the heavy powdery feeling. I really enjoy them, just wish they were larger and there were more of them in the compact for the money.

The On the Spot Blot retails $5 with 25 sheets. Elf also has Shine Eraser pack with 50 oil blotting sheets with Green Tea extract, only costs you $1. I am not sure the sizes of them are comparable but note that the ingredients are different.

On the Spot Blot powder ingredients: Kaolin and Talc. Might contain Titanium Dioxide, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Iron Oxides

Shine Eraser ingredients: Microcrystakkube Wax (Cera Microcrystallina), Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract.

I bought 2 Elf Prism eyeshadow palettes a while back but got distracted by lip products and forgot to put them in rotation.

Here they are today, Naked and Smoke, and they are good. Not much of a spoiler, as you probably heard of them before.

The packaging is similar to the Studio 10-pan palettes (Need it Nude, Mad for Matte, etc.) - thin black palette with a mirror, but with 6 pans instead.

You can probably tell by the look in the pans, Naked is beautifully neutral but too light to be a stand-alone palette while Smoke is more balanced in colour options, leaning toward darker/ smoky looks. Together, they would make a perfect 12-pan palette.

Elf describes the formula silky and lustrous (dry or wet), and the texture a powder that feels like a cream, which allows a smooth application. I agreed. The colours go on easily, blend beautifully and have pretty sheen to them. They last through the day with a good primer, no creasing.

Naked has the perfect brow bone and lid colours for work days. The darkest shade is a good transition shade on me as well. The only thing I would change is a bit more variation in colour tones, as the 3 bronzy shades look quite close on the lids.

The 2 highlight shades could also be used as cheek highlights for non-work days :)

The missing dark shades for the crease and outer-V in Naked are provided by Smoke.

I did not layer the swatches to give you a true feel of the colours, but on the eyes, they build up nicely and pigmented. No complains.

The white highlighter is slightly more sheer than those in Naked but still works well under the brows. It'd probably be nicer to have a pink-toned highlighter to change things up.

Between Naked and Smoke, I have got many work looks in the last 2 weeks. There is also a Sunset palette with pink/ bronzes and purples. Each palette has 0.42oz/ 12g (slightly less than the Studio 10-pan palettes) at the same price of $10.

The last matte item to fit the theme of the week: Elf HD Mattifying balm.

To be fair, this product fits the name better than the previous 3 product lines I showed you. It absorbs excess oil to give the skin a close- to-matte finish and somewhat disguises the appearance of pores.

The formula is said to be infused with vitamin E, jojoba, almond and grape to help nourish the skin. The balm texture is smooth, goes on clear and blends in easily on my T-zone.

There is a mirror under the lid and a thin sponge in the bottom compartment, meant for touchup on the go.

The middle pan does not stay up on its own so I could not show you the sponge underneath. It is thin and smells quite heavily of rubber, I am not that eager to use it.

Instruction: dab product onto oily areas of the skin to remove shine. Use under or over makeup as often as needed.

I am not sure how HD the finish is, but I like the disappearance of oil when I use the balm to touch up. It does take more work/ tool than blotting paper, but the silky feeling afterward is very pleasant.

I will try to air out the sponge to see if the smell dissipates or find a different one to put in the compact for touchups. Until then, I'll enjoy using the balm with a powder brush.

Ingredients: Isononyl Isononanoate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Ceresin, Ozokerite, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Ve), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygladus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil.

The compact has 0.32oz/ 9g of product, $6.

Third case of not-so-matte finish: Elf Studio Matte lip colours :)

My first experience with the line was Natural, then Tea Rose when I was looking for NARS El Agua dupes.

I like the formula (supposed to be enriched with Vitamin A, C and E for hydration), the twistup format (plus a sharpener at the end) and the colour range.

Because the finish was not truly matte, I did not get any more shades until this Mad for Matte holiday set with 4 best selling shades - Dash of Pink, Berry Sorbet, Cranberry and Rich Red.

A bold bunch on the red side, I would say, festively appropriate for the holidays.

The undertone of Dash of Pink and Cranberry is very similar, then add some red pigments and we have the fabulous Rich Red :)

Berry Sorbet, with that berry tone, is the darker sheep in the group but still not significantly different.

I enjoy the colours in this set but maybe need a neutral in there. They are easy to wear, wear pass lunch and a few drink of tea/ water. I am happy overall.

The set was $10 on Elf website (LE but the shades are still available individually, $3 each), CAD15 at Old Navy. I had a 50% off coupon before the holiday, great score!

So it is 2016, sure does not feel like it. My skin is going totally haywire. Blemish pops up anytime/ anywhere it wants, and oil production is out of control.

Since I didn't change up my skin care and makeup routine except adding an oil control primer, I blame it on the hot and humid weather. Conveniently, I had with me a few new face products from Elf that I ordered before I left for vacation. Figure it was a good time to test them.

So here are Elf Acne Fighting foundation in Buff, and the Poreless and Blemish Control face primers.

The Acne Fighting foundation claims to be lightweight, able to disguise redness and blemishes. 

I do welcome the acne fighting ingredients in the formula - Salicylic Acid (0.5%), Witch Hazel, Camphor, Tea Tree - and soothing Aloe, but did not expect a tremendous difference in my skin as the amount of Salicylic Acid (the only indication on the packaging) is quite minimal.

Performance wise, the product takes a bit of time to blend out and to look natural on its own, definitely needs a good primer. Coverage is medium, with a light feel, which I like. Lasting power is decent, fading starts mid afternoon, even with primer and setting powder.

The squeezing tube packaging is not ideal (no pump) but travel friendly. I'll give this foundation another run in colder weather to say for sure if I like it enough. The tube is 1.2oz/ 36ml, $6 on Elf website.

The primers' packaging has a nice feel to it - frosted thick plastic tube with airless pump, slightly bulky though. The inside tube is coloured, while the primers are white and blend out clear.

The Poreless primer (infused with Tea Tree and vitamins A & E, hence the tea tree scent) is meant to reduce the appearance of large pores and shine on the skin. It does a decent job around my nose and on my forehead. And I welcome a matte finish on my T zone any time.

The Blemish Control primer is a different story. Infused with Salicylic Acid (2%, the highest amount allowed in non-prescriptive treatments), Tea Tree and vitamin E to help control breakouts, this primer is more of an acne treatment, and gives a satin finish if you follow it up with a foundation.

Instructions: cover the affected area with a thin layer, once - 3 times a day. The product blends out nicely and does not leave any trace or scent. The areas become less irritated and accepts makeup better. I am a fan.

Note that it does not lengthen the wear of foundations (does not claim to do so).

The primer bottles are 0.47oz/ 14ml, $6 each.

Buff does have a yellow undertone, good for the lighter side of medium skin tone.

The primers look and feel very similarly on the skin, but like I said, serve different purposes.

My vote goes to the Blemish Control primer as it is an acne treatment that is easy to use, dries clear and fast, comes in a good amount for a reasonable price, especially when Elf runs one of those 50% off sales. If you are looking for a new acne treatment, give it a try.

Here it is, the famous Studio Illuminating palette Elf, renamed from the Ambient palette that was sold out very quickly at the first launch.

As expected, the concept is similar to Hourglass Ambient products: soft-focus powders, supposed to captures, diffuses and softens the way light reflects on the skin. The benefit is to get 4 in one palette, at a much lower price point.

The shades are suggested to be used on the eyelid, cheekbone, cupids bow or other areas you wish to highlight, said to work for all skin tones. Despite the look in the pans, 3 of the 4 bases swatch very similarly on me, and the bronze colour is not dark enough to be a bronzer.

The quality is definitely there - the powders are soft and blendable, and I enjoy the highlighting effect they give, but come to expect it to be very subtle on the skin. If you use them as eyeshadows, use a light hand with your brush to avoid kickback, then build the colour gradually. And Elf suggests the small tapered brush with them, and I agree.

I like the pop-out format of the pans, as you can definitely customize a palette with a highlighter, a blush or bronzer you need. The palette has 0.56oz/ 16g of product, retails $6. A good way to try the ambient highlighting trend :)

If Elf Studio Mad for Matte palette does not "speak your language", the Need it Nude palette might.

This palette was part of the Fall Harvest kit (reg. $25), offered at $6 with $25 order for the day, so I did get it with a discount.

Same format as in the Mad for Matte palette - slim and small, with a mirror. The colour range doesn't say much of nudes but more like 10 shades of fall leaves to me :) And trust me, the gold shades, in particular, are worth the money! I fell hard for one of them unexpectedly, you will see.

The palette has 4 mattes (first, fourth, eighth and last shade), 4 satins/ metallics, 1 with micro fine glitters (second to last) and 1 with larger glitters (seventh, bingo!!!).

I like that they include 2 matte brow bone highlight shades (first and fourth) which I use constantly. The gold right in the middle of the swatches here is a true gold, gorgeous on the lids. The pink on the far right is a little too light for a transition shade though.

The bronze is the cousin of the gold above, equally pretty but the shade next to it steals the show. Gold glitters on a brown base are not rare, but what sets this shade apart is the opacity of the base. No layering required!

The last 3 shades (even with different finishes) end up swatching quite similarly. The last one has too strong of a grey sheen which pulls it away from being a pigmented black.

Again, I am not complaining about pigmentation and lasting power, just wish for a better colour variety. The palette is 0.49oz/ 14g, retails $10.

It has been a while since I got any Elf products. The return of the Illuminating palette last month (review to come) inspired an order with a few other things to take advantage of the flat rate Canada shipping.

Featured today is Elf Studio Mad for Matte palette, an item I heard so much about but was always excluded from sales on their site.

Packaging is great - the box shows illustration of the colours inside, the palette is of good quality plastic with the matte feel to it. Plus it is slim and small, with a mirror under the lid, great for travelling.

The lineup of 10 eyeshadow shades is in both warm and cool tones, with satin matte finish and good colour payoff, suggested to be used as eyeshadows (dry or wet) and liners.

I like the look of this :) The only concern (always with any palette) was if the light shades show up on my skin tone.

And the verdict is they do, as brow bone highlight but not much as a lid colour. I can't tell much of the difference between the first 2 shades when they are on, love the third and fifth shades as transition colours but am indifferent with the fourth shade.

The darker side of the palette is where you get your money worth, but make sure you like browns/ taupes because the first 3 in the group end up swatching quite similarly. The 2 grey shades are a good contrast to the warm tone of the other 3.

The eyeshadows feel slightly harder to the touch but blend easily with no fallout, and they last through the work day for me with a primer. I am not complaining at all.

Despite the small size, the palette actually houses quite a lot of product (0.49oz/ 14g) for $10 (mind the exchange rate), in comparison to Maybelline the Nudes palette (0.34oz/ 9.6g) or L'Oreal La Palette Nude (0.62oz/ 17.5g).

If you have spent enough time on YT, you probably heard about NARS Velvet lip liner in El Agua and how hard it is to find.

I share the struggle, trust me. I found it, but being a good blogger, I have been around town in the last month or so looking for its dupes.

So here we are today. Let me tell you where to find El Agua (in Canada) and its supposed "minions", accompanied by comparison swatches.

First off, the original - NARS El Agua, $28 (0.01oz/ 0.5g).

It is a thin automatic (pointed) pencil liner. The only place I was able to find it in Canada is the Bay website. My store does not carry the brand but check yours in case they have it too.

Described as a lavender rose colour, this colour is definitely on trend, I can see and am happy to have it. Do take care applying it, cause the pencil is quite easy to break off under pressure.

On to the possible dupes, starting from the most affordable version.

This is Elf Studio Matte lip color in Tea Rose, $3 (0.05oz/ 1.4g). Elf website runs sales quite often but there is shipping charge to Canada.

I found Tea Rose at Old Navy (of all places lol) for $6. Superstore also carries limited selection of the brand.

Still can't beat the price tag for that much product, especially with the chubby and twistup format. The product is creamy, easy to apply but does not have long lasting power.

Next, ColourPop Lippie Stix in Lumiere, a dusty mauve pink, $5 (0.0352oz/ 1g).

Similar packaging format as Elf with a bit less product, ColourPop Lippie Stix, however, has  a slanted and wider tip (see below). Again, very affordable price but shipping to Canada does cost extra.

I find the quality and lasting power are similar to Elf as well, with a much better colour range and finish.

Lastly, Clinique Quickliner for Lips in Sky Violet, $20 (0.01oz/ 0.3g), the same size as El Agua.

Clinique is probably the easiest to find among all 4 brands, anywhere with a Clinque counter really (Shoppers, the Bay, Sears, etc.)

Described as a light violet but Sky Violet seems more pink than El Agua (also see below). The packaging and quality are similar to NARS as well but for some reason, mine doesn't swivel back down.

Here are all 4 side by side.

Swatches, in the same order - El Agua, Tea Rose, Lumiere and Sky Violet. Not really dupes in all cases, sadly.

Sky Violet is the closest to El Agua but without that purple tint (despite the name). Tea Rose is too muted and Lumiere is too red.

All 4 will earn their spots in the stash but the hunt for dupes continue. I also heard NARS Audacious lipstick in Dominique is also a possible dupe but it is even harder to find and costs more than El Agua.

Have you found an El Agua dupe anywhere?