ELF 50% Off Sale - Haul Time

When I spotted Elf were having an extremely generous 50% off sale across their whole website as a thank you for hitting 20,000 twitter followers, I knew it wouldn't be long until my online basket had a few treats sitting in it. I clearly know myself well because as soon as the discount code was released, I headed straight over to the elf website and began browsing their huge range of products. To be honest, I didn't really need anything but as a beauty blogger and someone obsessed with trying new makeup, not needing anything isn't going to stop me. There's a difference between need and want after all and I imagine no matter how much makeup I have, I'll always want more. We all have our weaknesses in life and I guess buying makeup is mine - it could be worse.

So after having a browse, I popped a selection of products I liked the sound/look of into my basket. The choice was totally random as there wasn't any specific products I was looking for but on reflection there was actually so much I wanted to try! However, I think I was pretty well restrained and only ended up buying six products. I realise that still sounds like quite a lot but due to the 50% discount, I only spent around £13.00. Such a bargain! Since receiving the products I haven't actually had chance to try them all yet so this post is going to be more of a first impressions post than actual reviews so do let me know if you'd like in-depth reviews on any of these products when I've had chance to give them a thorough test.

Complete Coverage Concealer Kit | Light | £3.75 | Link

I've been on the hunt for a good under-eye concealer for such a long time now and although I've tried various products that claim to cover dark circles, I've been left pretty disappointed with them all. With this being said, I decided I'd try this cute little kit from elf. I went for the 'light' kit from the three options available (light, medium and dark) and am pretty pleased with the range of shades - they all match my skin tone and can be used for different purposes. The two light shades (left) are great for brightening the under eye area while the salmon toned shade (second from the right) works well at counteracting dark circles. The darkest shade on the far right works well at covering blemishes. Overall I'm seriously impressed with this little kit - the concealers are creamy, very pigmented and cover dark circles and blemishes effortlessly.

Powder Blush | Twinkle Pink | £3.75 | Link

To be honest, I have no idea why I bought this product as I never really wear pink on my cheeks. I think I was having a brave 'why not step out of my comfort zone' kind of moment and this shade of pink is quite subtle so I'm hoping it will look nice against my pale skin in the winter months and give me a nice natural flush of colour. I haven't tried it yet but the colour is very pretty when swatched - I'm just slightly concerned that its too glittery for my liking but we'll see.

Mineral Glow | Shimmer | £7.00 | Link

Again, another random purchase but the description of this product on the elf website sucked me in and I couldn't leave without purchasing. This mineral powder is available in two shades (bronzer and shimmer) and is said to add a glow to your skin. I went for the shade 'Shimmer' as I wanted something fairly natural that would give my skin some radiance but on first impressions, I'm just not sure about this. I haven't tried it on my face yet so I can't judge it fairly yet but when swatched on my hand there is quite noticeable chunks of glitter within it which is a big no-no if I'm going to be dusting this all over my face. Disco ball face is not a good look. I'm hoping this will prove me wrong once I've tried it properly thought so I'll keep you posted. Also, apologies that there's no swatch of this product - it didn't show up when I tried to photograph it!

All Over Colour Stick | Spotlight | £1.50 | Link

When I spotted this product, it instantly reminded me of a NARS multiple which is a high end product I've had my eye on for quite some time now. I hear the multiples are great for giving the skin a radiant glow but before I splurge on one of those, I thought I'd try this little elf dupe to see if I enjoy the 'stick' style application. I also love a good multi-use product so the fact this can be used on the cheeks, lips or eyes gets a big thumbs up from me. I went for the shade Spotlight which I believe is the lightest of the shades as the main way I intend to use it is along the top of my cheekbones and potentially under my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes. I can't seen this product working well on my lips due to it being so light but I'm not too bothered about that. On first impressions it isn't as creamy as I'd hoped but the champagne shade is very pretty and I think it'll work well at adding a subtle radiance to my face.

Studio Matte Lip Colour | Rich Red | £3.75 | Link

When it comes to makeup, my ultimate weakness is all things lip related  so I clearly couldn't leave the elf website without treating myself to some lip goodness. I've already tried a couple of elf's mineral lipsticks which are absolutely lovely so I decided to try one of their Matte Lip Colours as a bit of a change from a standard lipstick. I've been looking for a deep red lip colour as I think that's a beautiful shade to wear in the winter months and 'Rich Red' looked like a the perfect deep red shade on the elf website. However, in reality this is actually more pink than red so that's a bit disappointing. Don't get me wrong I'll still use it as its still a lovely colour and the formula is great but its always a bit annoying when something isn't what you expected it to be.

Eye Shadow Brush | £1.50 | Link

Makeup brushes are something I use to apply my makeup every single day so one more can't hurt, can it? I've heard good things about elf brushes so I decided it was about time I tried one for myself. I opted for this eye shadow brush as I though it looked like a good all-rounder for packing on eyeshadow, blending in the crease or applying shadow underneath the waterline. On first impressions it isn't as soft as the other eye brushes I'm used to using but considering I only paid 75 pence with the 50% discount code, I'm not expecting miracles.

Overall I've got mixed opinions on this bunch of products. On first impressions I'm highly impressed with the concealer kit and matte lip colour but I'm going to have to give the others a proper try before deciding if they're a hit or a miss.

Did you treat yourself to something from elf's 50% sale? Have you tried any of these products? 

Lots of Love,

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Elf Makeup // HD Powder, Blush & Mineral Lipsticks

Elf is a brand I’ve often wanted to try due to its super cheap price tags and frequent comparisons to more high-end brands but for one reason or another, I’ve never got around to placing an order on their website. Theres been numerous occasions when I’ve sat trawling through the website for hours on end but the choice is so vast, I was often left unsure what to buy. With this being said, you can imagine my excitement when the lovely people over at elf asked me if I’d like to try a few bits and pieces and share my thoughts with you guys. The products I was sent to try are their HD Powder, powder blush and two mineral lipsticks. Keep reading to find out what I thought about each of them ...

High Definition Powder (£6.00)*

As I just said, I often find myself browsing the elf website and the one product that always catches my eye is this High Definition powder, purely because of its 'HD' name. For some reason it strikes me as the kind of product Kim Kardashian would use and it sounds like a pretty good dupe for the well loved Makeup Forever HD powder. The elf website claims that it "creates a "soft focus" effect to the skin and masks fine lines and imperfections for a radiant complexion." I was quite sceptical about these claims before trying the product but I have to say, they're right.

The powder looks bright white when its first applied but when blended into the skin (I use a Real Techniques Powder brush) its translucent and un-detectable. I really like this as it has a very natural finish and sets foundation and concealer perfectly without looking cakey. I also love the texture of this product as it feels silky soft and really does help to smooth the skin. I find my makeup looks more refined and flawless after using this product than it does with a standard powder. I don't have any complaints about it other than the packaging which I'm not keen on. The large black pot is pretty bulky so isn't particularly travel friendly and doesn't fit in my every day makeup bag. It can also be quite messy due to the way the products is dispensed too but I can over look these things as it sets my makeup perfectly! 

Powder Blush | Candid Coral (£3.75)*

I’ve been really enjoying wearing blush lately which is something I never thought I’d say as once upon a time I was so anti-blush that I didn’t even own any. However, after a bit of experimenting I’ve discovered that when applied properly, it can really enhance the overall appearance of my makeup and add more definition and radiance to my face. You might have heard me say it before but I’m definitely more of a peach than pink girl so this elf powder blush in the shade ‘Candid Coral’ couldn’t be more perfect for me. 

It’s a beautiful pale peach shade with a slight gold shimmer running through it. It isn’t massively pigmented but I don’t mind as I find it gives my cheeks a nice wash of colour without being too overpowering. I also love that the shimmery undertone highlights my cheekbones and gives my face some radiance. I’d actually say this blush is a slightly less pigmented version of NARS Gilda and the packaging is almost identical too. For only £3.75, I really can't fault this blush and I'd recommend giving one of them a try.

Mineral Lipsticks | Barely Bitten & Natural Nymph (£5.00 each)*

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know how completely obsessed I am with lipsticks. Seriously, I never get bored of buying and trying them and they’re definitely my favourite piece of makeup to experiment and change my look with. Now although I love lipstick, I’m quite particular about how I like it to look and feel on my lips. I’m not interested in matte lip products due to the fact I suffer with dry lips and it tends to make them look ten times worse and I don’t like anything too sheer either. I know, miss fussy pants!

Luckily, the elf mineral lipsticks aren’t either of those things and instead sit somewhere in between. I find them pigmented and long-lasting whilst still being very moisturising, the perfect combo. According to the elf website they’re made with a blend of exotic oils, natural waxes, vitamins and plant extracts which helps to keep the lips hydrated and soft throughout the day. I have to say I agree with this as they glide onto with ease and feel very luxurious to apply. The two shades I received are ‘Barely Bitten’, a neutral rosy pink shade (think your own lips but better) and ‘Natural Nymph’, a peachy nude. Barely Bitten is definitely my favourite shade out of the two as Natural Nymph is far too pale for my liking. However, the formula of both is lovely and I'm sure if you like a pale lip, you'd love Natural Nymph!

Overall I'm really impressed with all of these products and I can 100% say I'll be ordering more products from the elf website. If you're looking for high quality products with affordable price tags, look for further than elf. You can find the website here and they often have amazing discounts and offers so do keep your eyes peeled for those.

Have you tried anything from elf? Do you like their products?

Lots of Love,

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