Review | E.L.F. Studio Tapered Brush

A few months ago I placed an order on the E.L.F. cosmetics website...something I didn't do in ages but they had some new stuff I wanted to try out, amongst which is this new addition to their Studio line brushes, the Small Tapered Brush.

Packaging is the same as for all the other Studio line brushes...a plastic sleeve with a card including product information and a plastic brush guard is also included. The brush itself is all black and I think it looks much more expensive than the €4.51 I paid for it.

 

 

The bristles are made out of Taklon which E.L.F. claim to be antibacterial and they feel really soft against the skin. Their tapered shape and overall size of the brush make it ideal for contouring and I'm glad I finally found a brush that fits the hollows of my cheeks perfectly.

 

 

I also like to use this brush to set under-eye concealer with translucent powder. Due to it being so small, I wouldn't recommend using this brush to apply liquid foundation and I personally prefer to keep it for use with powder products but mostly for contouring. 

I have washed this brush multiple times and till now it has not shed a hair and the ferrule feels quite sturdy so all in all I think this is a very good addition to any brush collection.

You can get the E.L.F. Studio Small Tapered Brush from the E.L.F. Cosmetics website and right now they have a 50% off and Free Shipping promotion going on if you feel like treating yourself!

Monthly Favourites: November

This month I have a mix of old and new favourites and I will start with the new discoveries first.

My absolute favourite this month was the E.L.F Studio Lip Exfoliator which keeps my lips soft and supple thanks to the exfoliating sugars and moisturising oils it is made of. I am a big fan of the sleek packaging too. Another new favourite from E.L.F. is the Studio Glitter Gloss in Sparkling Wine as it is a nice unique colour with gold flakes throughout and it complements many of my lipsticks. It also looks great alone thanks to the awesome pigmentation! Lastly from E.L.F I have two old favourites, namely the Studio Make-up Mist & Set and the Studio Mattifying Translucent Powder which have been the perfect companions to my oily skin this past month. I like how the Mist & Set removes the powdery feeling while setting make-up and thanks to the powder, my skin stays matte longer.

Moving on, this Born Pretty Store Retractable Kabuki Brush is the best brush I have to apply the powder with as it gives a nice, smooth application.  I have also found a new favourite perfume, namely, Zadig & Voltaire Tome 1 - For Her La Purete. It smells nice and clean, just like the name implies and it is good for both day and night.

Two more products from the lip department come from Chanel and Revlon. Chanel's Rouge Coco in 16 Taffetas Rose is my favourite lipstick this month and I like just how moisturising it feels. As for the Revlon ColorStay Lipliner in Nude, it is the perfect lip shaper for both nude and the darker lipstick hues.

Lastly, I have Catrice Eyeliner Pen in 030 Carbon Black. Although it doesn't have that skinny tip, I like the stiffness of the felt tip as it makes it perfect to create cat-eyes effortlessly. Pigmentation is a bonus.

What were your favourites this month?

Review: e.l.f. Professional Blending Eyebrush

Here's another brush from elf's regular line that I love so much.  I only got it last month and have been wondering ever since how I managed to blend my eyeshadows without it!

This brush belongs to elf's regular line and therefore retails for £1.50/€1.70 from their website.  It comes in a plastic sleeve (very handy when traveling), like all the other brushes from elf, with a thin piece of cardboard (which I have thrown away) that says the name of the brush.  This is also printed on the brush handle.  The brush itself looks like this:

The first thing I noted was the fluffiness of the brush and how soft it is to the touch.  I am really pleased with the round end as it makes it easier to blend colours in the crease of the eyes.  The fact that it hasn't shed any hairs yet, even during/after washing, really is a bonus.  The hairs are synthetic and Taklon-coated just like the rest of the elf brushes.

Being so fluffy, this brush is really suited to blend the eyeshadows and also to apply some highlight to the brow bones without risking packing a lot of colour on.  The handle is just the right size and very ergonomic as well.  It is also perfect to carry with you when traveling.

I can never raise enough praise for this brush and I can relate to everyone out there raving about this brush, in fact it is featured in most (if not all) elf favourites videos/posts.  Another proof that cheap cosmetics do work and rival the higher-end ones!

Blogger Templates

Review: e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Midnight

Here's another elfie eyeliner review. This time it is from the Studio line and the shade is Midnight.

It comes with a brush and both come supplied in this box:

The actual product comes is a small transparent plastic pot with a black screw-cap and the sleek packaging is very typical of the Studio range. The brush is a miniature version of their Studio Small Angled Brush. With regards the plastic jar, I read that such eyeliners tend to dry out when stored in plastic jars rather than glass jars. However, this can be prevented by storing yours upside down. I don't know how, but it seems to work for most people!

My initial reaction to the size of the jar was that the jar was small and isn't worth €4, however, on opening I realized I was wrong. Very, very wrong! Looking at the bottom of the jar, there is a small sticker that indicates that there are 4.7g of product, which is an awesome amount. Furthermore, since it is a cream eyeliner I'm sure it will last for a long time, therefore I retired everything I said before on value for money.

In real-life, the colour may be more black than you would expect but there is certainly a dark blue tinge to it. To actually make it look blue, I use it with purples and white eyeshadows as they help to bring out the blue. Also, I tried pairing it with a dark navy kohl eyeliner. I apply the kohl on my upper waterline (the inside of the eye) and the cream liner on the upper lash line, and voila'! This tip applies also to make the eyes look bigger and brighter as navy blue escalates the intensity of the white of the eyes.

The texture of this eyeliner really fits the name, CREAM eyeliner for obvious reasons. However, it doesn't take long to dry. I like to set it with an eyeshadow of the same colour sometimes but this doesn't affect how long it stays on. Speaking of longevity, this is a marvellous product! It lasts on all day/night until I take it off with eye make-up remover. No, ladies, water alone doesn't take it off; so you have to use an eye make-up remover for sure.

So, by now you can tell I am really fond of this little treasure, now on for the brush. I don't normally like brushes that come with make-up kits as they are too small and are practically useless, so I just chuck them out or use them for nail art lol :P. However, I must say that this brush is the exception to my rule! Although it is small, I find it gives a precise application. the only thing I don't like about it is that it does shed a few hairs occasionally which is a pity.

I do recommend this product to anyone starting out with cream eyeliners like me as it is cheap and well-worth every Euro-cent and what better way to experiment than with such products?

I will get the Metallic Olive once it's back in stock and let you know how it compares with this one.  You can get your fix of cream eyeliners from eyeslipsface.co.uk and pick your shade/s from the 8 available colours!

Blogger Templates