e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/powder/high_definition_powder

Yes - another e.l.f. product. Why? Because I can’t hold in my enthusiasm towards it in any longer, and it’s simply too wonderful not to share.
e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder is to be used as a "setting" powder - you evenly apply the product to your entire face by using a brush. I must admit, I was very skeptical when I first read about the claimed translucent, versatile loose powder that creates a flawless, "soft focus" effect to the skin. What changed my mind, you may ask? Keep reading to find out :)
The packaging of the hi-def powder definitely leaves a bit to be desired. There is a sticky seal over the holes where the powder surfaces, and I found it rather difficult to remove this...I actually ended up having to use tweezers to get it off. Let me give you a warning now: be extremely careful when removing the seal as when it finally lets loose, you could end up dumping your powder everywhere and creating an awfully big mess. I would not recommend using the supplied "puff" applicator, but rather a nice big, flat topped brush, such as the one found here or something similar.
As I first applied the powder, I was thoroughly impressed. I have had issues with acne my entire life. And although it’s been a problem I had just sort of had to learn to deal with, that doesn’t make dealing with the blemishes any easier. I currently have a couple pretty decent sized blemishes and am super paranoid and self conscious about them. This morning when I was finally finished putting on my face, I came to the hi-def powder and thought Is this really going to do any good? I think I’m beyond all hope at this point...it surely can’t hurt any... And so the application began. I could notice a difference in my skin right away. Firstly, my face was now completely matte. For those of us with oily and semi-oily skin, you know how big of a deal that is. Not only was it entirely matte, but I couldn’t see any of my pores. My skin immediately looked flawless and felt silky smooth. I am now sitting here, 3 ½ hours later, and my nose still isn’t shiny. Kinda a big deal for me! I’m usually touching up my face after only an hour and a half. I did notice right after applying this powder that my face felt a little tight...it still does now as well. I would not recommend this product for those with dry skin as it may tend to hurt more than help - especially in trying to reduce the appearance of flakiness and dry patches. But, for those of us with oilier skin, this is a great find! I will be using this, along with my powder brush, for many many years to come I’m sure.


Check out my other e.l.f. products reviews:
e.l.f. Studio Line Brushes, e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

e.l.f. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collections

• Sleek, Water-Resistant Case
• Eyeshadow "C" Brush
• Complexion Brush
• Small Angled Brush
• Small Smudge Brush
• Fan Brush
• Powder Brush
• Angled Foundation Brush
• Concealer Brush
• Small Precision Brush
• Blush Brush
• Contouring Brush

$30.00 + shipping

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/tools/brush-sets/11_piece_brush_collection

To see my complete review of e.l.f.'s Studio line brushes, please visit my Brush Review entry.

I just placed an order with e.l.f. last week and came home to a wonderful wonderful package sitting on my front porch, which I could only assume had to be my order. I wasted no time in opening everything and was thrilled to begin examining the newest additions to my ever-growing make up bag. Among my new goodies was this brush kit.

I know not a whole lot of people use brushes for every day make up application, but I've started to notice that the number of those who do is really starting to boom. If you are ready to make the plunge into makeup application brushes, I suggest checking out this collection.

The Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection comes with 11 brushes plus a water resistant case. You can easily fit more than 11 brushes in the case, which is very convenient. You get one of every type of brush you truly could ever need for day-to-day make up application. My favorite of these is the “C” Brush. I have 3 of these brushes now and use them for literally everything. The bristles of these brushes are shockingly soft – they are so gentle on your face. Although the bristles are luxuriously silky, they aren’t those annoying floppy, shapeless kind that are difficult to use. E.l.f. also makes an antibacterial brush cleaner soap for lengthening the life of these already great quality brushes.

There is currently a promotion going on at e.l.f. to where you can get this already great value collection for the alarmingly low price of $5.00 with any $25.00 purchase by using the code 11FOR5. This offer is only good up to 9/26, so get to ordering and enjoy! Let me know what you think!

e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

$1.00 + shipping if ordering online.
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/eyeliner/waterproof_eyeliner_pen

So I'm going to keep this very short and simple, but let me first begin by saying I am the biggest eyeliner junkie you will ever meet; I have tried them all. No, but really.
e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen claims to provide you with a no smudge with no-budge eyeliner, which creates a fabulous and fresh look of precision that lasts for hours. The smooth pen applicator easily glides on color for very fine to bold lines for effortless beauty.
It really did nothing for me. I picked one up at Target and was pumped to try it (as I always am to try new products, especially when they could potentially save me a significant amount of money in the future), but was thoroughly disappointed. I first tested the product on the back of one of my hands (as I usually do with just about any new product I am trying) and was initially quite impressed. The liner glided on, as stated in the description, easily and had a great, bold pigmentation. I tried smudge the liner with my finger and it (surprisingly) didn't budge. I then proceeded to use some hand sanitizer in attempts to move it and even then the liner was still somewhat visible. This looked promising.
Unfortunately the great results were only the case on my bare, makeup less hand. When I try to apply this liner on top of any sort of make up (concealer, foundation, mineral foundation, powdered or cream eyeshadow) it simply does not show up, which I found kind of frustrating. Replacing the lid doesn’t help to re-wet the applicator tip with more product, and shaking it certainly didn’t get the liner flowing either. Maybe if you are planning on having a naked eye with just liquid liner this would be a great product, but in correlation with any other types of makeup, this liner is close to useless.
Good thing it was only a dollar :)

Check out my other e.l.f. products reviews:
e.l.f. Studio Line Brushes, e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder

e.l.f. Cosmetics

I know I gave a short intro to this company in my e.l.f. Studio Line Brushes review, but I felt I needed to expand upon it just a tad more.
So hopefully you have all heard at least something about this fabulous company, and if not, let me introduce you to your next obsession: e.l.f. Cosmetics. "e.l.f." stands for eyes, lips, and face, and as I'm sure you have been able to guess by now, their main claim to fame is their almost scandalously affordable cosmetics line.
Affordable? you may ask. Well what exactly is affordable these days? But yes, trust me in the fact that e.l.f. may be starting an affordable beauty revolution. I remember the first time I heard about e.l.f.; I could hardly believe it - in fact, I didn’t. Everything a dollar? For makeup!? Either someone somewhere had misunderstood and passed along some rather exaggerated facts, or there had to be something sketchy going on here. There is no way you can buy decent beauty products for that cheap. No. Way.
After doing some research, I discovered that what I heard was actually the truth. e.l.f. Cosmetics has a complete line of beauty products all for ONE DOLLAR. Yes, I did type that correctly: one, uno, un, a single, ONLY ONE! Ludicrous? Maybe. Am I loving it? Definitely. e.l.f.’s Essentials line, which has products ranging from brushes to eye shadows to mascaras and eyeliners, provides you with beauty products all for the price of $1.00. e.l.f. has other lines (sort of like subdivisions of their general cosmetics production) such as Studio, which are a tad more pricey ($3.00 products), but there are also pallets and kits that range from $5.00 to $150.00 (the more expensive set comes with 150 pieces, mind you).
So what about quality? In my experience with e.l.f., I’ve found that products can be sort of a hit or miss. You either love them or hate them. They are either beyond fantastic or a prime example of you get what you pay for. My recommendation: check out the site before ordering; Most customers leave reviews, or there are at least enough reviews on each product to where you can determine whether it is worth the hassle or not. If you can’t conclude whether or not the product is what you are looking for, I always go with try it out (especially if it is one of those $1 products). You never truly know until you try it for yourself. It does seem to be a bit of a hassle at times to go through the shipping process (considering you can usually only order e.l.f. products from their website), but they are usually very good about offering free shipping on orders of $20 or more, and almost always have an additional promotion going on (although you can no longer combine coupons... :-/). I have noticed that the Target store in my city has started to carry a few things from e.l.f. (hurray!), which makes the testing process a lot easier - you aren’t having to pay shipping or wait a week until you get your products and have, in the mean time, already forgotten what you’ve ordered. Most of the products I saw at Target from e.l.f. were from the Essentials line, although I did see that they had a few Studio brushes, as well as products. Gordmans also sells some e.l.f. products, although it is very minimal and they are usually palates or kits. The thing about Gordmans is that their beauty products stock is never consistent...they may have e.l.f. products all of January and then not have them for the next two or three months. It’s sheer luck as to whether you catch them with the products or not.
So I think that is enough talk for now. All in all I'd highly recommend giving e.l.f. a chance. Their products are made with quality ingredients, so don't let the worry of putting some mystery matter on your face keep you from investigating. If you have any other questions regarding e.l.f. Cosmetics, please comment. I will post the link to their website below - check it out and let me know what you think!
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

Check out my e.l.f. product reviews:
e.l.f. Studio Line Brushes, e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder