Review + Swatches: ELF Studio Bronzers - Golden & Warm

Hello loves! Here today to do a review of the 2 ELF Studio Bronzers I recently purchased.

Left: Golden Bronzer, Right: Warm Bronzer.
Price: $3.00 each from ELF

GOLDEN BRONZER
What they say + Ingredients (click to view larger):

SWATCHES

WARM BRONZER
What they say + Ingredients (click to view larger):

SWATCHES

(this is the Warm Bronzer over ELF's Studio Peachy Keen blush - review coming soon)

MIXED

The good-stuff:

• Sleek packaging
• Big mirror
• Lots of product
• Both shades are very pretty
• Soft texture, applies smoothly
• Sheer but buildable

The low-down:

• Powdery/messy
• Pigmentation is average @ first swipe
• The Golden Bronzer is suuuper shimmery

My take: Overall, I have to say that I really like these bronzers! After always saying how I want my skin to be whiter, I went out on a limb and decided to get these. And I am very pleased with my purchase! Both bronzers give a nice, healthy glow to my skin.

To start out with the cons, this bronzer is messy. It is powdery (not as powdery as the Natural Radiance Blusher- review coming soon) and gets the case all smudgy. Nothing too bothersome though, as it's easy to clean. But because it is powdery, the texture is nice and smooth and applies evenly and easily.

Another thing to note, when I was doing the swatches, I noticed that each individual shade has only "average" pigmentation. The swatches above took about 3-4 times to get the color to show up. That being said, this is NOT a bad thing, because I would rather have a bronzer that is sheer and can be built up for more intensity, versus a bronzer that is really pigmented but super dark and hard to tone down!

As for the blended shades themselves, they show up on me just as you'd expect them to: Warm adds a nice touch of warmth to my skin; a nice healthy glow. And Golden is well... golden! It is suuuper shimmery, so you only need a little bit of this to give a nice, dewy highlight. Too much and you'll end up looking like a disco ball. But this is also good because the product will last longer since you only need a little in one use. Now that I think about it, Golden is a lot more of a highlight powder for me than a bronzer. Well, I still think it would "warm up" lighter skintones rather nicely ;) Warmth just adds a touch of color to my skin and is also great for contouring when I apply more. These products are also multi-purpose IMO, you can use the individual shades as eyeshadow colors or highlight colors!

Would I repurchase/recommend?: I don't see myself repurchasing this anytime soon, but only because there is so much product! It will last me a long time. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who wants to try out some inexpensive, good bronzers. I think Golden might look better on lighter skintones rather than dark, because when I put too much on myself, it starts to look a bit ashy (and I don't think my skin is that tan). I think Warmth would be good for both light and dark skintones because it adds a nice, sunkissed glow. Anyway, if you don't like how it looks as a bronzer on you, you can always make use of it as eyeshadow!

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Review: ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick

Top - Bottom:
Perfect Pink, Baby Lips, Natural Blush

Natural Blush was from Drugstore.com, apparently this shade was from when it was still called "Moisture-Care Lip color"

Swatches:
Natural Blush,
Perfect Pink, Baby Lips

Natural Blush looks kinda purple here... but it's more of a dull mauve shade. Perfect Pink is literally, a perfectly bright pink shade. Baby Lips is a soft, baby pink shade.


Price: $1 from eyeslipsface.com or $1.49 from drugstore.com

What they say: True color therapy is here. Intensive hydrating agents along with natural pigments leave lips with long-lasting color and moisture. This luscious liquid lipstick creates wearable color that flatters a multitude of skin tones and looks.

What to do: To activate twist pen 10-20 times or until color is seen. Layer on color. Reapply anytime.

What's in it: Paraffinum Liquidum, Polybutene, Silica, Synthetic Beeswax, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Iron Oxides(CI 77499), Red No. 7 Calcium Lake(CI 15850:1), Red No. 6 Barium Lake(CI 15850:2), Blue No.1 Aluminum Lake(CI 42090:2), Red No.40 Aluminum Lake(CI 16035), Red No.27 Aluminum Lake(CI 45410:2).

The good stuff:

• Cheap
• Lots of colors to choose from
• Pigmentation is decent... varies
• Texture is smooth / slightly thick
• Somewhat sticky but feels moisturizing
• Did not dry out my lips

The low-down:

• Scent is not great... but not intolerable either
• Takes wayyy more than 10-20 twists to activate
• There's actually not very much product
• Gets messy

My take: I had no intention of liking these when I first bought one (Natural Blush), but I actually did come to like them! The main reason being because of the texture... it's on the thick/sticky side, but it does feel moisturizing and applies really smoothly. So I use this product mostly at night like a lip "treatment" to keep my lips moisturized and smooth. Since I don't wear it during the day I can't really attest to its lasting power... but it has mostly absorbed by morning, so I'd say it's probably at least a few hours.

Perfect Pink, Baby Lips, Natural Blush

The pigmentation is decent. What you'd expect for $1. Natural Blush is the most pigmented and shows up on my lips really well. But sadly, the color is just not the right shade for me. It makes me look dead. Perfect Pink is really pink, but it just tints my lips so they look reddish. I think it would look nicer on less pigmented lips. Baby Lips looks pretty in the tube, but basically shows up clear on my lips, even after several layers. However, it layers really well over other lippies. All of these shades have a shiny finish.

The only downsides are that it takes a lot more than 10-20 clicks to get the product flowing, and then you realize how little product you actually have in the tube. But since it's only $1, I can't really complain. Also, the "vanilla mint" scent might be bothersome to some people. For me, it's not that bad but I think they could do better... Other than that, the cap does get a little messy on the inside, but nothing too yucky.

Would I repurchase/recommend: Overall, I think that this is a decent product... not the greatest pigmentation but I like how it feels on my lips. So yes, I personally would repurchase (I still want to try Raspberry, Strawberry, and Pink Lemonade). I would recommend them just because they are so cheap. Even if you don't like the way it looks on your lips, I think it makes for a nice overnight lip "treatment."

Review + Swatches: ELF Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils

Price: $1 each from eyeslipsface.com

What they say:(click to view larger)


What's in it:(click to view larger)

From left to right:
Twinkle Teal, Gunmetal, Iconic Ivory, Plum Passion, Boldly Bronzed, Grassy Green

The good stuff:

• Only $1!
• Handy sharpener built into the cap
• Smooth, creamy texture
• Does not pull or tug
• Bold, pigmented colors with metallic shimmer
• Long lasting as an eyeshadow
• Works great as an eyeshadow base

The low-down:

• Almost TOO soft, tip is easy to smash
• Sharpener works well but takes a lot of product off with it
• Does not work very well as an eyeliner on waterline
• A bit smudgy

My take: I had originally said I wanted to wait on trying out these eyeliners because I wanted to see if other beauty bloggers would review it first... I mean, come on! It's $1 and usually, $1 eyeliners flat-out SUCK. I've had bad experiences with ELF's Brightening eyeliner AND Studio Eyeliner & Shadow Stick (can you say SMUDGE CITY?!), so I wasn't too keen on trying these liners just yet. But inevitably, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to be the guinea pig. And I'm glad I did!

For $1, these liners are super smooth and pigmented. The colors are just wonderful and metallic and bold. Let the swatches do the talking:

From left to right:
Twinkle Teal, Gunmetal, Iconic Ivory, Plum Passion, Boldly Bronzed, Grassy Green

Pretty gorgeous, right? And pretty accurate to ELF's swatches (for once :P). The only shade that wasn't what I expected was "Grassy Green," which is depicted as a bright, kelly green on ELF's website, but turned out to be more of a dark, forest green. It is still nice though.

Despite all of their uber-pigmented, colorful goodness, these "liners" do not actually function very well as liners (or for me, at least). On my waterline, they don't last over an hour and end up smudging and migrating. However, I do think they work well to add a pop of color below the lower lashline.

Their redeeming factor is that they are FABULOUS as eyeshadows and/or eyeshadow bases. They are easy to apply, no pulling or tugging. The texture is very creamy and smooth. It stays a bit tacky on lids for a few minutes after application, so eyeshadow adheres to it VERY well. I use Boldly Bronzed daily under powder eyeshadow (since my everyday look is consists of browns) and it helps to intensify the color and keeps the shadow down pat, all day :)

Another great thing is that there is a sharpener built right into the cap:

And this ain't no cheapie sharpener. It works really well. The only thing is that it might work too well -- it shaves off a lot of product along with the wood shavings. Probably also because the pencil is SO soft. The tip can easily break or be smashed if you're not careful. The softness is good because it makes application a breeze, but just be careful when you're putting the cap back on!

The Rundown:
Packaging: 5/5
Handy sharpener built into the cap.

Product: 4/5
Not that great as a liner and is very soft, but works wonderfully as an eyeshadow/eyeshadow base!

Price: 5/5
Completely wallet-friendly!

Overall:
[ click here to read about my Review & Rating System ]

ELF Haul: Product Overviews & Swatches

Hey everyone! I just got my ELF order (from their free shipping special) in today and wanted to share some swatches and a little bit about the products and my thoughts on them. I was also supposed to get one of their new $1 lipsticks in "Seductive," but apparently this was sold out even though it went through when I made the order :(

Anywho, here is what I got:
Back to School Eyeshadow Set - Natural Shadows & Brush ($3),
Back to School Concealer Kit - Zit Zapper ($3),
and Studio Small Angled Brush ($3)

Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils ($1)

First off, the Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils. I mentioned that I was a little hesitant to try these because all of the ELF eyeliners I own smudge on me really quickly... I was betting on these being no different. But... they are just so pretty looking! So I decided to play guinea pig and order a bunch.

The caps have a built in sharpener, like their Studio Concealer Pencils. Very convenient. However, the cap doesn't really stay on that well... I find it pulls off a little TOO easily.


I like how the color of the pencil is pretty much the actual color of the liner.

These pencils are very, very smooth and easy to apply. However, it is because they are VERY VERY soft. That's why I'm a little wary about the cap being so flimsy because you can easily smush the tip, and it'll probably be hard to sharpen since it's so soft.

L-R:
Twinkle Teal, Gunmetal, Iconic Ivory, Plum Passion, Boldly Bronzed, Grassy Green

However, the colors really are quite beautiful in person. The swatches on the ELF website are actually pretty accurate, except for Grassy Green. On the website, Grassy Green looks like a really bright, kelly green. But it is actually a dark, forest green IRL. Still very pretty though.

So far, I have only tried the Grassy Green one. It did not show up on my waterline very well, but it did show up nicely on my lashline though. I've only been wearing it for a few hours, but smudging has been minimal so far. Will continue to test the rest of the colors and see how they do. On the ELF website, it shows these liners being used more like eyeshadows, applied over the entire eyelid. I think I'll try them like that instead of just liners and see how they do as an eyeshadow or shadow base instead.

This is one of their Back To School Eyeshadow Sets, the Natural Shadows set.

I really like the packaging, it's very cute, sleek, and sturdy. I love the little windows on the outside so you can see the shadows. The inside has a little mirror. The tiny brush is pretty much useless though.


The shadows look quite pretty, no? I love neutral, natural shades so I thought this would be perfect. There are 3 matte shades (top left, top right, bottom right) and 3 shimmery shades (top middle, bottom left, bottom middle).

However, I must say, these shadows kind of suck. I was pretty disappointed with this product. The shadows are super soft and buttery, but also SUPER powdery and chalky and majorly lacking in pigmentation. At first swipe, they look alright I guess...

...But after some furious swatching, this is all you get:

This took about 5 layers to get the color to show up this much. I know this is supposed to be a "Natural" set, but I still wish it packed more pigmentation. I've been much more satisfied with their $1 Brightening Eyeshadow Quads. Out of the 6 shades, I can only really use one -- the dark brown one. The rest of the shadows are too sheer and shimmery for my liking, so I can only use them as highlights.


Here is the Back to School Concealer Kit. I got this mainly to try the Zit Zapper. I had also been wanting to try a lighter shade of the Tone Correcting Concealer, so I figured I might as well get the whole set. I have not tried the Zit Zapper yet but I will be back with a review soon!

Here's swatches of the Tone Correcting Concealer in Light Beige. I think it's an alright match for my skin tone. Haven't tried it on my dark circles yet. I semi-hate how just about everything in the $1 line has that strong citrusy scent though. This concealer is especially scented.


Here is the Studio Small Angled Brush. I've been religiously using my Wet N Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner lately, using Sephora and Coastal Scents bent angled eyeliner brushes, which are starting to get caked up and stiff. So I decided I would try an angled liner brush instead. I didn't really expect it to be so "long," but it is super soft. Have not tried it yet but I hear good things about it so I hope I'll like it :)

I was mostly disappointed that I didn't get my lipstick though... :( Was really looking forward to trying that out. Oh well, next time...

Have you hauled anything from ELF recently?