Welcome back everyone to yet another haul! I can't believe I just bought more things for myself, with Christmas running up very soon I should not be buying things for myself but for the ones I love.
Who am I kidding? Retail therapy is the best policy, no?
I decided since I haven't had a chance to and now I can, I would go out and buy some things from the ELF studio line. For those who don't know (although I'm sure the majority of you are aware) ELF (eyeslipsface.co.uk) is a brand dedicated to bringing out good value make up and cosmetics product that does not compromise on good quality. It's had sensational success over the last year or so and for good reason. I've bought a lot from ELF before but not yet their studio line, I was intrigued from the moment I heard of it last year and now am glad to be able to try out some of their products. I didn't go all out and buy everything but a bit of some things just to see what the quality is like. No doubt if I love it I will go back for more.
Before I begin I must mention their ELF have incredible customer service; they dispatch and ship very quickly and what's amazing is that they have great communication with their customers. Don't ever feel afraid to purchase from them.
The first item (and probably the most anticipated) is their High Definition Powder. Personally I've never bought anything that is supposedly HD just because I've never seen the need for it, especially at the usual sky high prices. However when I saw this on the ELF website I was quite quick to snap this up just to see what it was like. I especially wanted to get it as Natalya from
Filthygorgeousmakeup recommended it.
Initial thoughts: I love this so far, it gives my skin a velvety finish and really has kept shine at bay. It sets my make up beautifully and gives me a very even complexion. I used this next to a mineral foundation powder and found that it gave just as good coverage - not bad for something stark white. Love it.
The next item I purchased is their Complexion Perfection powder compact which contains four different coloured powders, all to counteract imperfections on the skin. Typically the yellow and pinks will be for dull and dark areas whilst the blue and green shall be for red blotchy areas of the skin. It's not often that you see coloured powdered as you're more likely to see different coloured solid concealers or creams. I have come across a few yellow coloured powders (i.e. Clinque, Benefit) but I am particularly happy yet suprised to see pinks and blues. I was very excited to get this because it's so different and looks really convenient to use.
Initial thoughts: I am in love with this compact. Sometimes I wonder whether I'm actually imagining the results but I really do love it. I follow Natalya's advice and use the pink mixed with the yellow for my undereyes and it really does help brighen that area. I even think the green powder helps out my red blotches around the nose area and that shocks me because I've never really bought into the idea of green concealers let alone a powder. I'm not quite sure about the blue yet but I am yet to do further testings. So far, so good.
The next product is their Contouring Blush and bronzing powder which is often compared to Nar's Orgasm and Laguna. I think the colour pairing is beautiful and you can see from the swatches that the pigmentation is very good. I was happy to get this simply because it seemslike a good idea to have a duo and the packaging is very pretty.
Initial thoughts: I love the colour pay-off, it's extremely decent for the price and the packaging is uber sleek. The colours itself are wonderful but I find it quite odd how there is only one you can choose from rather than a few selections of duos. It would be nice if they could do a highlighting peach with a lighter bronzer. Either way I don't regret getting this and is easily recommendable to those who can't afford NARS but want a piece of the glamour.
As I am concealer mad I went out of my way to get another set of concealers. This is their Corrective Concealer palette and I was very interested to get this simply because it, again, it seems so convenient and practical. I like the array of colours you get. I think it seems even more appealing that you could use the Complexion Perfection on top of these and then you can use minimal amount of foundation - just a thought.
Initial thoughts: I am quite liking these concealers although I was hoping they would be creamier in consistency. In terms of coverage I think they do just fine, espeically the beiges and nudes. So far I'm not so hot on the green but I do like the lilac, it does its job in highlighting and brightening up shadows on the face. So far I've been using it with a concealer brush but I will have to see if fingers work better - I'm not quite sure a brush is the best way to go about using this.
Now I've finally got my hands on a kabuki brush that doesn't break the bank. I have always wanted a quality kabuki brush but it just seemed like a brush that isn't particular necessary and is always very pricey. Finally ELF comes out with a quality kabuki and I am ready to go. The bristles are not as dense and you would think but is dense enough. It says to give a medium/full coverage and the bristles itself are incredibly soft and luxurious.
Initial thoughts: When used on the face it does not irritate but give a wonderful finish. It's great at picking up mineral powder and very good in terms of size. It's easy to use and great value for the quality. I love this kabuki and am so glad I didn't fork out three times the price for another brand but waited for this one. Definitely recommended for kabuki virgins and for those who just do not want to shell out their weeks lunch money for a kabuki.
Another brush I was dying to get was the Eye Contour Brus. It's got very short yet soft taklon bristles and is used for pack on colour and create intensity to any eye look. It can be used across the lid and lash lines and is good for creating dimension to your eyes. I think it's a good brush to have in your pots and can be very versatile once gotten used to.
Initial thoughts: What you see is what you get, a good quality brush which does its job. There isn't much to say about a good brush apart from that I would now cry if i didn't have it; I see it as an integral part of my eye make up brush collection and not only do I love the look of it, I just find it incredibly useful - an overall good brush to have if you like detailed eye looks.
Alike the Kabuki, the Fan brush has been one of those brushes I've never thought to shell money out on. The idea and concept is a good one but just never good enough for the price. I'm glad ELF brought this out in their Studio brushes because it's cheap and cheerful. This is used to fan away fall out from your eye make up and is used to fan on washes of colours to the cheeks.
Initial thoughts: It's actually a very versatile brush to have and again it's one of those brushes I'm wondering why I didn't use before. I am glad I waited for this one but am now wishing I had it earlier. It's incredibly soft and picks up a lot more colour than you'd think. I love this brush a lot and I think if you're not going to use it, have it in your collection as it makes you look fancy like you know what you're doing.
The next product I purchased is a funny one because I got it on a whim and in blind hope it would do something good. I've never bought any brush cleansers before and have not looked into them as such. I clean them fairly regularly with baby shampoo and usually I'm fine for a while. As you may know, the MAC brush cleanser is quite pricey and to me doesn't seem that worth it. This is an anti-bacterial brush cleanser than you can use daily on your brushes after use. You spray the brush with the cleanser and then wipe excess onto a towel. Basically this allows you to use your brushes throughout the week and then you can deep clean them once a week (this is my presumed strategy). I loved that it is anti bacterial and that there is actually a lot of product for the price. Not knowing what to expect, I use this with an open mind and full of hope.
Initial thoughts: I'm not sure what I am supposed to expect. Am I supposed to expect amazing cleaning results or is it something to clean off excess so you can use your brush again quickly? Is it supposed to be stark clean?
Below are pictures, the first of the brushes dirty and the second of them as clean as I could make them. It seems that the daily cleaner doesn't have any better cleaning skills than water does and I can only hope that it is as anti-bacterial as it says. It also has a very artificial sweet smell that I'm not sure if I like. I can't say that I hate this product as it means that I can now use my brushes more often without having to find an alternative brush if its dirty. But then again surely somehow I could have made my own cleanser? But at such a low price I don't think I'm going to complain too much - at least it's anti bacterial - I hope.
Hope you guys found some of that useful - tell me what you thn
Music info for corresponding Youtube Video is:
Song 1 ~ Maaya Sakamoto ~ Platinum (karaoke)
Song 2 ~ Utada Hikaru ~ Beautiful World (Karaoke)
Song 3 ~ Azu ft Seamo ~ Jikan yo Tomare (instrumental)
Song 4 ~ Big Bang & 2NE1 ~ Lollipop (instrumental)
