THE BEST AND WORST OF ELF

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I really want to like ELF and have tried a lot of it, but the only thing I've liked is the HD finishing powder.  I MUCH prefer NYX, and adore nearly every NYX product I try.

 
I've tried so many ELF products... here's a list of loves and hates from what I can remember:

LOVE:

-Eyelash primer

-Studio eyebrow kit 

-Wet gloss lash & brow clear mascara

-Studio cream eyeliner (tried black, brown & purple -- black was sooooo good for cat eyes!)

-Liquid eyeliner in Copper

-Eyelid primer

-Studio small slanted brush (loooooove for doing my brows!)

-Studio lip exfoliator

-ELF studio blush (have pink passion and twinkle pink)

MEH:

-144 piece eyeshadow kit

-Liquid eyeliner in black

-Nail polish (liked the glitters, solid colors didn't do anything for me)

HATE:

-Jumbo eyeshadow stick

-Studio baked eyeshadow (only tried it in gold, did nothing for me, maybe other colors are better?!)

-Super glossy lip shine (stickiest ever)

-Jumbo gloss stick (felt slimy and cheap)

-Essential hypershine gloss (also sticky and gross)

 
I have had pretty good luck with the elf products I've purchased.  I only discovered it at Target a little over a year ago.  I use:

  • Kabuki brush
  • Studio line blush brush
  • Lip brush..for $1 it gets the job done on the rare occasion I wear lipstick
  • Color correcting powder (it doesn't keep the oil at bay for all-day wear, but the compact is pretty solid and has a nice mirror...stays in my purse for touchups)
  • Eyeshadow primer-- it's amazing for the price.  It seriously holds its own against UDPP.  I use it for my everyday/work makeup.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by PurpleStrawberi /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'll admit it, I've tried an obscene amount of ELF products within the last few months:D I was really impressed with some, and disappointed with others. 

I thought the liquid eyeliner and concealer were awesome! Pretty disappointed with the eyeshadows, very chalky and had barely any pigment.

What have you tried lately?  I really want to get some of their Vanilla Coconut lotion wipes...
Last week I bought ELF's concealer (the one with the highlighter on the other side) & I was soooo disappointed :/...The price is great ($3.00) but the quality..meh, it has a very light coverage. However, a friend told me that their foundation is great and cheap (as in $ cheap lol) too. 

 
I really love:

- the studio blushes, esp. Twinkle Pink and Mellow Mauve

- the studio brushes, esp. the powder and blush brushes

- lash & brow clear mascara gel

- studio HD powder

 
LOVE

-Studio Brushes- I'll never have to buy a pricey brush again.

-Studio Blushes- The color payoff is really nice and pigmented.

-Studio Lock & Seal- Helps keep my colours lasting.

-Studio HD Powder- Looks amazing and feels so fine.

-Studio Makeup Remover Wipes- Does the job well.

HATE

-Essentials Lip Glosses- All of them felt so sticky.

-Essentials Liquid Eyeliner Pen- Dried out so quickly

-Essentials Brushes- They fell apart quite easily

-Essentials Shimmer Whip- Not very pigmented and they felt sticky

-Mineral Lipstick- Drying and poor coverage. 

 
I'd cry if that happened to me!!

I have some brushes and I love them. I also really like their eyebrow pencil with the wax already in it. I have two cream blushes that work well and I can use them as lipsticks too.

The lip exfoliator and most of their glosses are not worth the trouble, in my opinion.

 
I like their brushes. I've had one of their blush/bronze kits but didn't like it. It was way too sparkly for my taste. I prefer matte blushes and bronzers. I tried the $1 eye primer too, and it seemed to work sometimes but most of the time not. I might have just been using it wrong.

 
I really Love elf but your right there are some hits & misses in the line! i do love the Liquid Eyeliner its my all time fave liner and its only $1 so thats a huge plus! i also like the gel liner, the eyebrow kit, the flat top kabuki brush (my all time fave brush to apply foundation) i jus tried the makeup remover pen! its awesome if you mess up your winged eyeliner.. its cleans up lines quite nicely and i'm not sure if its an oil or what type of consistency is in the pen? because it doesnt leave any oil but it cleans up so effortlessly!

 
 Ditto on the makeup remover pens, they are awesome! Party Girl Pink lipstick is my go-to pink shade. The $1 eye primer is incredible! Love the Studio line of brushes

 
ELF has these facial blotting sheets I really like. They have the ones that blot oil and shine, also there are blush and bronzer papers that leave a light wash of color. They are wonderful for small purses or if I want to fix myself up quickly and go out after an evening at the gym.

 
I really love their mineral foundation and the ingredients in the mineral line are great all around. Some other products of theirs that I love is the Lip Exfoliator, Blush/Bronzer Duo, and the Studio Body Shimmer (as a highlighter, gives a real dewy, glowing look).

I have a conditioning tinted lip balm from them on the way. It had great reviews so we'll see.

I really want to try out their loose mineral eye shadow, the mineral eyeshadow primer, mineral blemish kit and their brushes. Has anyone tried any of these out? (other than the brushes which I've heard how great they are)

 
Quote: Originally Posted by dawn767 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I really love their mineral foundation and the ingredients in the mineral line are great all around. Some other products of theirs that I love is the Lip Exfoliator, Blush/Bronzer Duo, and the Studio Body Shimmer (as a highlighter, gives a real dewy, glowing look).

I have a conditioning tinted lip balm from them on the way. It had great reviews so we'll see.

I really want to try out their loose mineral eye shadow, the mineral eyeshadow primer, mineral blemish kit and their brushes. Has anyone tried any of these out? (other than the brushes which I've heard how great they are)
I've tried a few of the mineral shadows, and they are nice! They didn't (when I tried them, at least) have a huge color selection, but all of the ones I tried were nice and shimmery and pigmented.   :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
@yousoldtheworld ooooh! Did you get them in store or online? Online they have like 20+ shades or something. But if they had some in Target or wherever that would be great so I could just run by and grab one to try.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by dawn767 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  @yousoldtheworld ooooh! Did you get them in store or online? Online they have like 20+ shades or something. But if they had some in Target or wherever that would be great so I could just run by and grab one to try.

I got 'em online. And I guess the shade variety depends on the user...to ME, they have a small selection, but I do have over 500 eyeshadows and I strongly prefer vibrant colors ;) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> It's a sickness.

They are definitely worth the price, though!!

 
I really like their Studio pressed powder blushes, long-lasting Lustrous eyeshadows, the Studio HD blushes, and cream liner. I can't think of anything I hate from their line ATM. 

 
e.l.f. offers several excellent products that are great dupes/substitutes for products sold by high-end brands:

e.l.f. Studio Lip Exfoliator - $3.00

e.l.f. Essential Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara - $1.00: To make a tinted mascara that will darken your natural lashes (or brows) without adding length or thickness, touch the tip of the e.l.f. clear mascara brush to the tip of your regular mascara and then place it back in the tube and pump a few times. Repeat, if desired.
 

e.l.f. Studio Lip Lock Pencil - $3.00: A clear lip liner applied to the skin around your lip line to prevent feathering.

e.l.f. Studio HD Blush - $3.00: Dupe of MUFE's HD Microfinish Blush (e.l.f. offers this product in in five colors. You can purchase all five shades of the e.l.f. Studio HD Blush [$15.00] for less than the cost of one MUFE HD Microfinish Blush [$26.00])

e.l.f. Studio Blush in "Gotta Glow" - $3.00: Dupe of NARS "Albatross" (highlighter)

Studio Makeup Lock & Seal - $3.00: A sealer that can be mixed with either powder eyeshadow or pigments for foiling or use as eyeliner.

Studio Makeup Mist & Set - $3.00: A formula that sets (melds together foundation with powder products) and adds longevity to wear time.

e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder - $6.00 in "Translucent": The *BEST* (IMO) finishing powder for those with oily or combination skin. It contains only two main ingredients: Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer and Silica. The dimethicone fills in large pores and fine lines, and the silica absorbs oil. It can also be used as a primer under powder, cream, or liquid foundation. To use as a primer, let your moisturizer and/or sunscreen fully absorb into your skin. Apply a liberal dusting of the High Definition Powder all over your face. Let sit for a couple of minutes (or while you do your eye makeup), then remove excess with a fluffy brush. Proceed with applying foundation, concealer, blush, contour, highlighter, etc. Then use the High Definition Powder as your finishing powder.

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths - $3.00
 

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Pen - $1.00

Essential Nourishing Cuticle Pen - $1.00: Great to throw in your purse, and it won't leak all over everything.

e.l.f. Studio Dual Mirror Compact - $3.00: Although tiny, one side has a magnifying mirror. For those that wear contact lenses for distance, close up viewing is often blurry. A magnifying mirror to check your makeup throughout the the day is essential.

 
The best deal and my favorite from ELF is the fake eyelashes.  They are only a buck for a pair!  You just can't beat it at that price.  When I do my online shopping with them, I load at least 12 in my cart.  My all time high was 25!  They did have a special at one point with their holiday items at 50% with a promo code and I was able to pick up 15 of their 3-piece Ultimate Eyelash kit for $1.50 which makes them $0.50 a pair! 

My least favorite item from them is the jumbo lip crayons (they called it jumbo lip gloss stick although they so are not) I also got during their holiday promo.  It was so hard to get the colors on my lips and the product was definitely a bit waxy.  No color payoff whatsoever.  But still, they were super cheap at half off so at least I got to try it out at half price.

On a side note with their holiday stuff, I also really liked their super glossy lip shine lip glosses trio!  It came with a sparkly white, sparkly peachy/pink and sparkly red fruit-punchy color. 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by probablyedible /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  The best deal and my favorite from ELF is the fake eyelashes.  They are only a buck for a pair!  You just can't beat it at that price.
Oh heck - I *knew* I forgot something!

You're absolutely right, probablyedible....e.l.f. lashes are the best deal around. I wear:

e.l.f. Essential Dramatic Lash Kit - $1.00
 

With proper care, I can get 5-6 wearings out of each pair. I don't use the adhesive included with the lashes, because like the adhesive included with MOST brands of false lashes, it's lousy. I use DUO.

However  (and this is true of ALL synthetic lashes), you do have to be careful not to get too close to a heat source (barbeque grill, opening a hot oven) when wearing them, because they can... and WILL.... singe!

Just as an FYI to all those who use latex-based lash adhesive:

Latex-based false eyelash adhesive (such as "DUO") is similar in composition to rubber cement. If you've ever used rubber cement on paper, you know to create a permanent bond you apply the cement to both pieces of paper, let the adhesive dry until tacky, then adhere the two pieces together.

To create a temporary bond, you apply the cement to just ONE piece, let dry until tacky, then adhere the two pieces together.

If you need to separate the two pieces you've temporarily bonded, when you pull the two pieces apart the adhesive will remain on the piece to which you originally applied it.

It's the same thing with latex-based false eyelash adhesive. Apply the adhesive to just the band of the lashes, then wait until the adhesive has dried to tacky BEFORE attaching to your eyelid. If you've waited long enough, you should get an instant bond.

When you remove the lashes, all of the adhesive should come off with the lashes.

If you routinely find you can move the lashes around after applying, and/or have adhesive residue leftover on your eyelids or your own eyelashes after you remove the falsies, then you aren't waiting long enough for the adhesive to dry before placing the lashes.

 
I like the blotting sheets, lip exfoliator, kabuki brush, facial mist & set (forgot what it's called exactly), and essentials "c" eyeshadow brush (it did come unglued from the handle, but that's easy to fix, and for $1 it gets the job done). 

I thought the compact powder, studio single eyeshadows, lip stain, brightening eyeliner pencil, and lip glosses were mediocre. Nothing special but I do keep them and use them sometimes.

I really don't like the jumbo gloss stick or the matte lip pencil. I think the gloss stick is kind of weirdly slimy feeling without much color, and the matte lip pencil is super dry. 

 

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