E.L.F. Studio Baked Blush in Rich Rose Review

E.L.F.'s newer baked products haven't perked my fancy much for some reason I'm not sure of.  But I did decide to throw one in my basket after hearing a lot of pleasantries about it.  Check out the Baked Blush in Rich Rose after the jump!

E.L.F. Studio HD Blush Review

E.L.F.'s Studio HD Blush is probably my favorite release from the brand.  I'm not speaking on the actual product, just the unexpectedness of it.  Who would've anticipated a brand like E.L.F. coming out with a product like this?  So it was a no brainer that I would have to buy each shade available....

Urban Decay Vice Palette "Chaos" Look

Without a doubt, Chaos is the standout shade from Urban Decay's Vice Palette, so I really wanted to challenge myself to use it for a day look.  I got so many compliments on this look it was insane, especially since I only went to get my blood taken and to the gas station.  It's something about this kind of electric blue that demands attention.  List of products after the jump!

ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream Review

ELF's Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder has been a longstanding favorite among those who look for the feel of NARS without the hefty NARS price tag.  Seeing that the company came out with a cream version of the top product I couldn't wait to try it.

ELF Studio Blush in Gotta Glow Review!

I see this one picture of Kim Kardashian almost every day.  It's of the side of her face, which has has been heavily contoured and highlighted, and she looks fabulous.  I'm assuming the highlighter is NARS Albatross, a well known favorite of hers.  I'd love to have it myself but its price is a little steep for me these days, so when I saw that ELF had a similar blush I figured I'd pick one up...

ELF Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer Review

I'm always on a hunt for the next best concealer so my heart skipped a beat when I saw that ELF came out with their Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer.  Maximum coverage for a few bucks?  Yea, I had to cop that.  Check it out after the jump!

I Had a Good Feeling about E.L.F.'s Lash Extending Mascara....

You ever see a product and it seems like it's screaming your name?  I mean, something about it seems like it was made particularly for you?  That's the feeling I got saw e.l.f.'s Lash Extending Mascara.  Something about the wand said to me, "You're lashes are going to love this!"  This is a purchase I made on my gut, but was my instinct right?

Pan Sighting #1: E.L.F. Essential Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze

It is moments like these when I'm reminded why I love beauty blogging.  Knowing that I can come on here and fully express my excitement at hitting pan on a bronzer and, not only will my readers not judge me, they will also understand and share my joy.....that's something you can't put a price on.  


Telling my family or friends that aren't into makeup like me (aka all of them) that I just hit pan on my bronzer is a complete buzzkill.  They just don't comprehend why this is such a big deal and therefore are incapable of appreciating the situation like I know you guys can :)


The flash of pan you are seeing belongs to E.L.F.'s Essential Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze.  I've had this for forever it seems.  I actually don't use this as a bronzer, but as a contour.  It has a very neutral, almost cool, undertone to it that's perfect for properly mimicking a shadow.  You just can't do that with a typical bronzer with a warmer undertone as naturally-occurring shadows aren't orange or red.  


This technically isn't the first time I've hit pan.  I've gone through 2 shadows in my 120-palette from BH Cosmetics.  But I haven't used that palette in ages and the last time I used it was way before I had even planned on starting this blog, so I'm not counting those.


If you've been with me and Amber Likes Beauty!, you may recognize this bronzer from an old post I did about contouring.  You can check that out here.

E.L.F. Haul: Brand-Spankin' New Brushes and Mascaras!

I'm not typically one for haul posts since I intend on reviewing and swatching all my products eventually anyway.  But I did feel my most recent e.l.f. haul did warrant it's own feature since a lot of what I got is pretty new on the website and a lot of you may have not seen these outside the e.l.f. website.  E.L.F. is also celebrating their 8th birthday right now so there should be a good amount of sales to come, so I wanted to get these pictures out as soon as possible for your guys.  I'll be giving more in-depth reviews on these at a later time once I've got a chance to really use them though.  So after the jump, check out some photos of cool new stuff I got.

E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Lifter & Filler: Buried Treasure

When I first tried the e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Lifter & Filler I wasn't too impressed.  Part of the reason was that at the time I wasn't too into my brows.  I've always had very sparse brows that I never even bothered with until recently.  But then one day, about a year later, I found myself in need of a nude liner for my waterline and found this the only thing that would do in my collection.  It was fantastic, so I decided to give the other end another try and I got the hang of it, and I've been using it daily ever since.  Find out the great, and not so great things about this product after the jump!

Neutral Flare Look

Figuring out how to rock color on my lids while still keeping my look on the neutral day-friendly side is like deciding to wear sexy lingerie under your business suit to work:  a friendly compromise between your practical needs and party side.  Thus is the objective for what I'm calling a Neutral Flare look.  From far away it looks pretty safe and neutral, but up close you see the slight pop of navy blue on the water line and a double-winged top liner.  Full list of products after the jump!

Some of my Favorite Brushes for Highlighting!

One thing I've noticed throughout my adventures into makeup is that you're hard pressed to find a brush with the primary purpose of highlighting.  Think about it, there are shadow brushes, blush brushes, foundation brushes, even contour brushes, but how many highlighting brushes can you think of? Off the top of my head, I can only think of 1 or 2.  Of course some brushes have highlighting in their descriptions but it's usually just an afterthought, being shadowed by a larger use like blush or foundation.  In my personal collection I use a number of different brushes for my highlighting needs, none of which were originally intended or bought primarily for highlighting, but get the job done superbly!

The Best and the Rest: March 2012

It's that time again!  Here are my March 2012 faves, and not-so-faves!

E.L.F. Studio Matte Eyeshadow Swatches!

Muted Mauve (L) & Burnt Brown (R)

A few posts ago I swatched some e.l.f. pigments for you, so I figured I throw out some Studio Matte Eyeshadow swatches too.  Same story with these as with the pigments:  they've been neglected for over a year so I can't give a review since I haven't used them yet.  

Muted Mauve (L) & Burnt Brown (R)

Muted Mauve seems to be a very light pink while Burnt Brown is an ashy taupe, reminiscent to me of Maybelline's Color Tattoo in the Tough as Taupe shade (review/swatch here).  These kind of came off a bit chalky and I'm thinking it would be helpful to use these over a good primer or creamy base.  Maybe even a mixing medium...we'll see...

FOTD: Pacific Pop

I'm always looking for new ways to get that fun pop of color without looking like a rainbow so this is what I came up with today.  It's a nice sea-bright teal shining through the crease over top an ivory peach lid.  When I have my eyes open I have a gorgeous halo of what reminded me of the pacific ocean.   List of products after the jump!

Fas'Swatch: E.L.F. Studio Pigment Eyeshadow Swatches!

L-R:  Golden Goddess, Mystic Moss, Passionate Purple

I have not yet truly ventured into loose pigment territory, with the closest being my tango with L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow.  It's always so messy for me and I just find it easier to use my pressed shadows.  I'm embarassed to admit I've had these Pigment Shadows from e.l.f. for over a year now and haven't touched them.  So I figured I would at least get some use out of them and swatch them for you!  I did like how pigmented they seem to be so I think I will be playing with these soon.  How do you like to use loose pigments? Wet, dry, with mixing medium?

Top-Bottom:  Passionate Purple, Mystic Moss, Golden Goddess

Here We Go Again, E.L.F. Being All Creative and Junk...New Glitter Applicator

I've been more vigilant than normal in checking the 'New Items Section' on e.l.f.'s website since they've seemed to be putting out a number of new and interesting items as of late, (I've already reported on their powder cleanser and under eye setting powder).  So tonight I hopped over there and sure enough they've done it again: a Studio Glitter Eyeshadow Applicator.  Now, when I first saw it I rolled my eyes thinking it was just a fancy sponge tip applicator, and we all know how I feel about those.  Upon reading the product description though I saw that it's sporting a head made out of silicone.  Apparently this material grabs glitter very well for "precise and concentrated" application.  I'll tell you one thing, if this thing works I'm buying 10 because if there's one thing I can't stand it's glitter fallout all over every part of my face except my lids.  I love using shimmer and glitter for my eye looks but the fallout drives me so crazy I don't even bother half the time.    Definitely a product I haven't seen before, have you?

Hey ELF! Oh You Fancy, Huh? (New Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder)

Just now I spied, with my makeup-hungry eyes, something beginning with "e.l.f.", and boy did it make me do a double take.  The company recently put up on their website this High Definition Undereye Setting Powder from their Studio line.  And yes, it's $3!  For a company known for such low prices, they've certainly been coming up with some innovative, and seemingly high end-type products.  When I first started purchasing from them some 4 years ago, I would never have thought in a million years they would be putting out Undereye Setting Powder, or a powder Face Cleanser for that matter.  But that's why I think we love e.l.f.; they have an unbelievable ability to churn out top quality types of products for dirt cheap prices.  Can't wait to try this out!


P.S.  Has anyone tried out the face cleanser yet?  How do you like it?

Beauty School for the Blind: Stay in Line!

It's so easy for your eyes to get lost behind your glasses.  Sometimes they just lose their sparkle when you have  to wear your glasses, which is a real shame since glasses can be a great accessory.  To fix this little glitch, I like to add a pop of color by using a bright liner to bring out the color of my eyes.  For today I'll be using a liner some of you have been asking me a lot about - E.L.F.'s Teal Tease!  I've used this before in an Urban Decay look, but that was rather unwearable and I wanted to show you a more practical way to use it.  Tips and products used after the jump!

Color Me Curious: ELF Mineral Face Cleanser

So E.L.F just put up a few random new products on their website but none so random and unique as the Mineral Face Cleanser.  It's a powder...and a cleanser...yea.  I've never seen a product like this before so excuse my bewilderment.  As per the instructions listed on the site, apparently you moisten your hand, dump some of the powder, rub your hands together to lather, and then rub your face and rinse it just like a normal cleanser.  And because it's a powder, E.L.F. says it also exfoliates while it cleanses.  It's also filled with all kinds of aloe, green tea, jojoba, avocado, and Vitamin E goodness.  I'm not one to bounce between different skin care products but this had definitely perked my interest.  Especially with its additional claim of its calming ability.  I'm probably gonna check this one out, even with the $8 price hike.


Do you know of any products that utilize powder to cleanse the face?