Review: e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation and All Over Color Stick

It's been a while, but I'm happy to report that as a result of my latest Target trip, I have two new e.l.f. products to dish on: The e.l.f. Studio Flawless Finish Foundation ($6) and Essential All Over Color Stick ($1).    

I wasn't sure what to expect because foundation is something you definitely don't want to skimp on in my opinion.  I mean, no one likes the girl with the orange jaw line, right? Plus, I already have a favorite foundation living happily in my make-up bag, (L'oreal Infallible) so why fix what isn't broken?  Well, for only $6, I just couldn't resist the urge to at least try it out.

Here are my thoughts ...

The packaging was pretty & I love a pump dispenser. Check and check.

Since I'm so pasty that I could easily be mistaken for Powder, I purchased the lightest shade: Porcelain. 

The coverage is medium to full, which is my preference when it comes to foundation coverage:

Product shown on my hand. 

And here is how my face looks with the foundation (no PhotoShop or editing of any kind).  Everything about this foundation reminds me of my fave foundation, but is half the price.  I'm sold.

Oh, what is that rosy hue on my cheeks you ask?  Why, it's the "All Over Color Stick" in the shade Pink Lemonade.

Product:

Here is a swatch of the product not blended and blended (using my fingers):

A little goes a LONG way with this color stick, which can be used to highlight your cheeks, brow bones and lips.  Personally I wouldn't put this particular color on my eyes, but that's me.  I've used it on my cheeks and lips and love the color.  Another tip - do not apply the stick directly to your skin. Use a light touch and a finger to apply and blend.

There you have it friends.  Two more slam dunks from e.l.f.  If you've tried these particular products, what did you think?  If not, will you try them?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

p.s. Right now e.l.f. has a promo for $10 of a $30 online purchase using the code "TAXREFUND" by 4/16.   

e.l.f. mineral eye shadow review

If you're new around here, there are a few important things you should know about me:

1. My nephew Reese is the love of my life.  This is the handsome 4-year-old I'm referring to:

2. I am a lush and  love my wine.

white wine + frozen strawberries.  Try it and thank me later.

3. I have a reality TV addiction worse than any you've probably seen. You name it, I watch it.

4. e.l.f. make-up is the cheese to my wine

My love for e.l.f. cosmetics runs deep and if you need to catch up on my past e.l.f. reviews, then take yourself here, here, here, here and here.

Most recently I discovered e.l.f.'s mineral eye shadow after I took advantage of an online promotion. Ten mineral eye shadows for only $10?  I could not say no.  It would have been unconstitutional.

All e.l.f. mineral makeup is 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes. 

Above you can see the colors I chose and the swatch of each on my arm.  I absolutely love the pigment and how long lasting these shadows are.  This past Friday I wore innocent (all over) and  blended confident and caffeinated on my lids.

Here is how I looked.  Please excuse my depressed expression.  No, my dog did not just die.

Peace.

The bottom line here is that e.l.f. and I are still going strong and they put a spark back in our relationship with these mineral eye shadows.  I have not seen them in Target, so you may want to check out their online specials if you want to scoop some up.

p.s. I'm no expert, but IMHO, a lot of the e.l.f. mineral colors look like dupes for Urban Decay's Naked palette.  And obviously WAY cheaper. Just sayin.

Pour one out for my homie: Sephora Collection Mineral Loose Powder Foundation

Figures. I would get addicted to this foundation after it's been discontinued.  Pour one out ...

Allow me to fill you in on the story, which goes a little something like this:

I peruse Sephora during a lunch break one day.  The usual.


I spy the above Sephora Collection Mineral Loose Powder Foundation in a bin for $4 bones.


I say to myself, "No way can it be that price. I must buy immed."


Turns out I fall in love a.k.a. I am obsessed with the coverage and ridiculously easy application care of my new pink bedazzled e.l.f. gem Kabuki brush.  Exhibit A:

Yes, you need in your life. Target has a ton of e.l.f.'s new gem collection tools.

Naturally, I start wearing this foundation every day.


I decide I should stock up before I run out.


I venture to Sephora dot com to buy some more, which brings me to exhibit B:

DAMN YOU SEPHORA!  Whhhhyyyyyy?????

I should have known better than to cheat on my beloved e.l.f.  I know you can't see me, but I'm shaking my fist in the air.

Plan B: Frantically scoured the e.l.f. Web site for mineral loose powder foundation because I refuse to pay Bare Minerals $28 price tag. 

 Badda bing:

e.l.f. Mineral Personal Blend Foundation SPF 15 - $8

Badda boom:

e.l.f. Mineral Foundation - $5

I am going to try the Personal Blend option first because my skin is either ghost white or fake tan and this will allow me to control the shade of color.  

God bless e.l.f.  I swear, I don't know what I did before e.l.f. was in my life.  I am ordering stat and I will follow-up with a review.

Is anyone else obsessed with mineral foundation?  What do you recommend?

p.s. Go enter Ashley's giveaway! It's a year subscription to SELF magazine.  

You need: e.l.f. Mineral Infused Mascara & HD Powder

TGIF. We survived another week ... high fives all-around.

Today I'm introducing you to two make-up products that I, as a self-proclaimed "e.l.f. connoisseur", think you need in your life: e.l.f. mineral infused mascara ($3) and e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder ($6).  Revolutionary.

In this picture I'm wearing the e.l.f. natural false lashes ($1) that I've blogged about before, the mineral mascara and the HD powder mentioned above. I have not touched up this photo and it was taken with no flash.

Anytime anyone asks me what to buy from e.l.f., the first thing I suggest to them is the mineral infused mascara. 

Hands down, the best mascara I've tried in years. The wand NEVER gets clumpy and I, IMHO,  think it looks identical to Clinique mascara and L'Oreal Voluminous, which is what I swore by prior to discovering this magic mascara wand.

Dare I say it?  I will.  I like it better than the Dior that Raven sent me.  I'm telling y'all, just because a make-up company slaps a hefty price tag on something, it does not mean it's better.  You can get quality products for a fraction of the price. 

Now, let's chit-chat about the $6 e.l.f. Studio HD Powder. Looks like so:

Have any of you tried the $30 Make-Up Forever HD Powder?  This is it's budget friendly twin. HD powder is a translucent loose powder that sets your foundation while creating a "soft focus" effect to the skin and masks fine lines and imperfections. 
 
Personally, I've never tried the Make-Up Forever version because let's be real, I'm not spending 30 bones on powder.  However, I've heard/read they are identical products.  Just for y'all, I did a quick Google search and found a comparison review of both here and here. 

I can tell you that I'm a huge fan of the e.l.f. HD powder, but instead of using the application poof it comes with, I prefer to apply with the e.l.f. Professional Total Face Brush ($1).  Reviewed by moi here.

Both powders are made with almost the exact same ingredients except one is going to set you back $30 and the other only $6.  I think we all know what the right decision is here. Don't let me down.

Calling all e.l.f.ettes! Latest e.l.f. loves plus a giveaway!

If you've been following for a while, it's no secret that I love me some e.l.f.  Understatement, right?

And it's been far too long since I've dished on e.l.f. goodies, which is an outrage especially since recently e.l.f. let me pick out some new merch to try.  Oh, did I mention that I get to give some of it away to you bargainistas?!  Yep, it's true.  Early Merry Christmas to you!

I'll get to how you can win some of my favorite products in a sec, but first, allow me to introduce you to my latest loves.  It was almost impossible to pick my top 3, but after much deliberation, these have to be it::

1. First up we have my current brush obsession.  The $3 e.l.f. studio stipple brush, which can be used with wet or dry make-up. 

Personally, I've only used this with liquid foundation and I heart it. It's perfect for blending and building from sheer to full depending on the occasion. My skin is not the best, and this brush helps me cover my flaws effortlessly.

In all my pics from my Vegas recap post, I used this brush to apply my foundation. Tell me I don't look good. I'm definitely, TOTALLY kidding!  But really, it does a fab job and like all their brushes, is high end quality for CHEAP.

2. Next, we have e.l.f.'s $3 Studio Cream Eyeliner in black. Two words: I die.

And I'm not the only one who can vouch for this bomb eye shadow: PLL and Carol are also big fans.  Last night when I told Carol I was doing an e.l.f. review post she said and I quote ...

"I love the e.l.f. creme eye liner more than I love pizza.  Maybe not as much as pizza, but It beats the shiz out of my Make Up Forever one for the price." 

Here's proof of her love of it:

And homegirl knows her eyeliner, just go here to see for yourself.

In fact, a few of my friends borrowed mine this weekend while we were getting ready in Veeehguuus and loved it as well.  So don't just take my word for it. This stuff is LEGIT.  It goes on super smooth with that brush it comes with, is jet black and it actually stays put. Highly, highly recommend and I'm an eyeliner snob.

3. And last but not least, I've got to give props to the $3 e.l.f. studio bronzer in warm. 

Bronzer is tricky, and I've devoted an entire post about this subject that you can read here.  You can end up looking too orange or muddy if you aren't careful, but this shade is just right and diz-uh, so is the price.  This particular bronzer gives a great natural, sun kissed look for pasty pale beotches like me. What are you waiting for?  It's fall and time to get your bronzer on! 

If you want to order anything online, there is free shipping for orders over $25 until Oct 3 using the code SHIP25.  You're welcome.

OK ....

Now that you've acquainted yourselves with my latest loves, it's time to reveal what's in the GIVEAWAY!  Seven is supposed to be lucky, so here are 7 of my favorite e.l.f. products that I've hand picked just for y'all:

1. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal (perfect for highlighting cheekbones)
2. Mineral Infused Mascara in Black (obsessed & all I wear now)
3. Eyelid primer in sheer (gives you smooth foundation for applying shadow)
4. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black (awesome for winging out your eyeshadow)
5. Glossy Gloss in Dragon Fruit (love this gloss!)
6. Natural False Lash Kit (Worn in all Vegas pics! Look the same as MAC lashes. Swear.)
7. Make-up Mist and Set (Like "hairspray for your face".)

Sooo, let's keep the entry for this giveaway simple:

1. You must be a a follower of me on Google Friend Connect. 

2. You have to leave me a comment telling what 3 make-up products you would wear if you could only wear 3 and were going to have dinner with one of my 2 fave Ryans: Ryan Reynolds or Ryan Gosling (or whoever tickles your fancy).  Only 3 (they can be anything)!  Now go.

You have until midnight tomorrow to enter and you only need to leave one comment. 

Open to U.S. and International residents! 

Good luck!  May the best bargainista win. 

p.s. If you want to tweet, blog or facebook this giveaway, I won't stop you! *wink*

Giveaway winner & an announcement

The winner of my 1 year blogiversary GUSSIED giveaway is ....

Which was Miss Callie!  Congratulations!  Just e-mail me and I will put you in touch with Erin @ Gussied.

Chin up & don't go pouting just yet!  Even if you didn't win, Erin is giving all of you bargainistas 30 percent off a single item on her site throughout the entire month of September!  She added tons of team cuffs and can make *almost* anything you want if you don't see it.  Check, check, check it out.

And now for the announcement.  Drum roll please Adam ...

So it's no secret that I love e.l.f., right?  Well, guess what?  I got a ton of new e.l.f. product for a Back to School post and have hand picked 7 of my favorite items out of this bag for one of you! 

I'm soooo over the "follow me" or "like me" and you'll win, so I'm going to do something a little different in order to enter this giveaway.  I'm not sure what yet, so any suggestions are welcomed!  Leave your genius ideas in the comments purdy please!