Dollar Store Finds: ELF

 Boy, was I excited when I found ELF's Studio line at my local Dollar Tree!  I'm obsessed with their minty lip glosses!  I have tried about 3-4 of their shades, but since they were only a dollar at my local store, I picked up some more! I have to admit that these glosses are becoming one of my favorite lippies of all time.  I love the glitter, the sheer color and that it's not too sticky.  Did I mention that they are minty and also taste sweet?  What's not to love?

I purchased the following 3 Minty Lip Glosses:

Los Angeles - a rosey mauve shade

New York City - a bright raspberry shade

Seatle - the clear gloss

I also purchased a Lip Stain, which I have been meaning to try.  I got the "Fashionista" shade, a bright dull mauvey pink.  The Lip Stain promises hours of long wear, but I shall see about that.

I'm so happy to have found Studio line products at my Dollar Tree that I may return for more!  Call me crazy, but I do go through those minty lip glosses like hot cakes!  They are refreshing and the boy certainly likes them ;D

Check out your local Dollar Tree for hidden cosmetic goodies.

Recent buys from ELF

Say what you must about Eyes Lips Face (ELF) but I enjoy their products.  I've had a few misses but overall I'm content.  I recently purchased some items primarily because I need some oil blotting sheets and they are $1 from ELF.  

My first purchase was the new Angled contour brush from the studio line ($3).  Holding it in person, it looks like a different brush.  I expected the brush to be more curved rather than a blunt angled edge.  

The stipple brush ($3) is also a new addition to ELF.  It looks like a good brush for targeting small areas of your face, this is ideal for highlighting.  

The last brush I purchased was the Angled blush brush ($5) which is also new!  This brush comes in slightly different packaging, it still features the clear plastic pouch, but there are floral designs on the front.  This brush is more "Eco-friendly" features a recycled ferrule and a bamboo handle.  The bristles are taklon but they feel softer than the studio line brushes. 

My favorite ELF product is the minty lip gloss ($3) it's affordable and has a refreshing taste and smell.  I've ordered 5 different shades of this product and have yet to be disappointed!  It's only a shame that there isn't more product in the tube.  In case you are curious I ordered the New York and Miami shades.

A girl always needs eyeliner, so I ordered the Shimmer Pencil ($1) in black.  I like that these pencils come with a built in sharpener but I wish these babies were longer!  

My first studio line blush in Fuschia Fusion ($3).  In case you can't tell by the image, this sucker is Shimmery!  Avoid if you hate shimmer/glitter!

Another new edition is the Makeup mist & set ($3) which guarantees to keep my makeup in place.  I am excited about trying this product and will be doing a review in the future.  

Lastly, I got 800 of these suckers.  I use them often because my forehead is like a pizza slice.  Graphic, I know!  I got a handful of these because my Target doesn't carry ELF products, so I stocked up! I swear I'm not that greasy! : P

Did I mention that shipping for my items was $.25?  I love cheap shipping.

ELF Mineral Shadows

Aren't these colors gorgeous? 

This is my first time buying ELF's mineral shadows.  I was skeptical about buying their mineral shadows because;

1. I'm not a huge fan of mineral shadows and

2. ELF's eyeshadow quality isn't the best

The two colors I ordered were Golden and Celebrity.  Golden is a truer gold eyeshadow, while Celebrity is a paler, beiger, more neutral gold.  Both of these eyeshadows are very sparkley. 

 I received my items a few days ago and upon opening the jar, I was very surprised.  For $3 dollars I received a good sized jar of product.  I was also pleasantly surprised that the eyeshadows are very pigmented. It's hard to tell in my photos if they are pigmented, but keep in mind I ordered 2 shades of gold. 

Although the colors are already very gorgeous, I found that using them wet or with a great primer allows the eyeshadow to be more vibrant.

This isn't a proper review because I haven't used this product enough, but I am very amazed at ELF's mineral shadow line.  I have been buying ELF off the ying-yang but when I do order again, I will make sure to add more mineral shadows to my cart. 

Celebrity Swatches

Celebrity is a more neutral gold

Golden Swatches

Golden is a truer golden bronze color (this one was hard to photograph)

Has anyone tried ELF's mineral shadow line? What are your thoughts?

ELF is watching and YT Guru advertising

Last week I did a video on "A Guide to ELF" the video was about what items I would recommend from eyeslipsface.com  I was brutally honest and in one clip of the video, I even said "the rest of the brushes stink."  I was referring to the dollar line brushes.  I'm still content with the video and everything I said...I was just super suprised that ELF themselves contacted me!  SAY WHAT? They were happy with my review and looked forward to seeing another.  They even gave me a $5 dollar "gift card" as a thank you. 

This may not seem that big to you but to me it's HUUUGE! ELF saw my video! It's so unbelievable.  I didn't make my video for them, or intend to have them as my audience but getting their attention is pretty cool. 

Although I was given some ELF cash, it doesn't mean I will become their video slave.  Don't worry, my opinion and thoughts will always remain true.  Unless I get bought out for 5 billion dollars.  I don't think I see that happening...ever.  haha.

On a more honest note.  I know there is a lot of "hush hush" talk with gurus on YouTube that are sent items or paid, from companies.  I don't think it's a big deal unless you are recommending something terrible or just plain lying.  If you think about it...that's how commercials and advertisements work.  Celebrities do it, all the time.  Most people don't even think twice about a product when celebrity endorsement is involved.  I think YouTube advertising is great, it's free for most companies and it really gets their name out.  Plus, we as consumers find out about great companies.  It's pretty much a win-win. 

Some people get really mad at YouTube Gurus for promoting certain brands or companies.  Personally, I'm okay with it.  I think it's a bit annoying if that ALL they do in their videos.  Many people also hold the gurus responsible if their product doesn't work out.  I just want to simply state that free will is a powerful tool.  The guru's did not twist your arm, and demand that you buy that product.  That was all free will!  It's also important to note that everyone has a personal taste and preference.  Just because you like the color pink, doesn't mean I will like the color pink.  It's a simple human concept. 

What are you throughts on YouTube advertising and guru promotions?

ELF haul

My order came in! Yay! It was torture, waiting for the package. I placed my order May 25 and it came on June 4th. Pretty long, right? Well ELF takes up to 5 days to process your order. Bleh! Now, let me show you what I got!

Above, is the Blush/Bronze contouring brush. I included Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara for size comparisons. The brush hair on this brush is a reddish color. It's also not as soft as the other brushes I order. I guess that's what you get for $1.00

This is the fan brush which is part of the ELF studio gear line. The studio gear line is $3.00 and up. The brush is very soft but it smelled of chemicals.

The blending brush is very soft and did not shed whatsoever when I washed it.

Above are the medium eyeshadow brushes. They shed a bit while I washed them.

The powder brush is also part of the studio gear line. The brush hairs are very soft and dense but had a terrible scent. In additon, I also purchased a lip brush and an angled eye brush.

The ELF quad was what really caught my eye on their website. Mac sells their quad palletes for $3.50 where as ELF sells them for $1.00 each. It's amazing! It already comes with the magnet, a mirror, and a cheap applicator (lip & eye applicator). However, you can remove the plastic seperators and fit more eyeshadows. WOOOO!

Other items that I purchased were a clear mascara for eyebrows & lashes, and two concealers. Overall, I'm pretty content with my ELF purchases, even if it took forever to arrive. Check out http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ if you are interested.

elf makeup

I have heard and visited the elf (eyeslipsface) website time & time again. However, I had not personally purchased anything until now. Although they're prices are excellent, I am not thrilled with their shipping and processing time. I ordered last Tuesday and it took them almost a full week to finally ship out my package. I have not received my items yet, but I hope it's worth the wait! Does anyone have any thoughts or similar problems?