Milani Baked Blush

Probably my most used blushes! They always give me the healthiest glow...

These are just perfection, but I do understand those who give these blushes lower ratings. I think that if you are not a big fan of even a little bit of shimmer or if you don’t highlight, you will never like these blushes. I personally love them, even though I would never in the world consider myself someone who loves shimmer or highlights their cheeks like a disco ball – on the contrary. I am the kind of person who prefers a very natural looking makeup and I don’t daily go for bold colors or extreme shimmer or glitter. So no, I don’t find these blushes too shimmery at all. I find that these blushes give you just enough of a subtle shimmer to allow you to skip your highlighter, especially if you are in a rush (because I do sometimes use a highlighter with these as well). And they do also have a couple of matte shades, by the way. I have only one matte shade which is Bella Rosa (#11). I own these in five shades: Berry Amore (#3), Luminoso (#5), Bellissimo Bronze (#6), Corallina (#8) and Bella Rosa (#11). I won’t go into the color descriptions in this review because it’s much more efficient for you to just “google” for swatches, but I do want to say that “Berry Amore” is amazing for those who like blue-based blushes, “Corallina” is perfect for anyone, because it doesn’t lean warm or cold. The infamous “Luminoso” – I do agree that it’s a good blush, but I still don’t find it as universally suitable for everyone as we tend to hear and see in its reviews. I find that it leans a bit warm – good for me because I’m NW 20-ish, but might not be that good for someone who has much cooler undertones. The one thing I have to say about all of these – they have amazing staying power. These are not going anywhere once they’re on your cheeks. Finely milled, just a tiny bit powdery, but has never been a problem for me and they blend out extremely well. I like using a stippling brush with these because it gives me a better control. Another thing that I often do, no matter what blush I use, I take the stipple brush and dab a bit of “Corallina” just on top of the apples of my cheeks. And by “dab” I literally mean just a dab right below the highest point of your cheek or even a bit higher if you’re skipping the highlighter. I would absolutely recommend these to a friend… ;))

July 20, 2014

E.L.F. Baked Highlighter

Very natural looking highlight and very affordable. ;))

I’ve got the colors “Moonlight Pearls”, “Pink Diamonds” and “Blush Gems”. I would say that out of all three of them my least favorite one is “Blush Gems”, simply because it’s the least pigmented one and I need to apply more in order for it to show up on my skin (I’m NW 20-ish), but all three colors are beautiful. “Moonlight Pearls” is my most favorite one of them all. It’s a cool white and it gives me a very natural highlight, so I use it on a very regular basis. “Pink Diamonds” is a soft pink highlight, very subtle and soft. Perfect for when the look you’re going for matches that color. “Blush Gems” is a golden highlight, probably preferred by warmer skin tones, but I like that color very much as well, except that I would prefer a little more pigmentation. Now I know that a lot of people find all of them not pigmented enough, but I personally don’t think that a highlight should be as pigmented as an eye shadow. So I find these just perfect. The shimmer is very fine, so you will definitely not see any sparkles on your face or anything like that. I never have any problems with the staying power either – apply my makeup in the morning and I never need to retouch the highlighter. There are times when I need to blot my face, but that’s only because of my combination skin. I would say that if you don’t find that these have enough pigment, just use a denser brush or your finger to apply them. I personally use a small stippling brush and I find that this way you get a very natural result. If you are considering purchasing just one of these, go for “Moonlight Pearls” or “Blush Gems” (if you don’t mind applying a little extra), because “Pink Diamonds” is not for an everyday look and might be a little too pink for some.

July 19, 2014

E.L.F. Studio Cream Eyeliner

The only cream liner I use since I discovered these! ;))

I honestly don’t see why someone would not love these eye liners. I have three colors: Coffee, Black and Metallic Olive. Each one of them is (to me) perfect. When I look for a perfect cream eye liner, I look for creaminess (because I want to be able to apply it smoothly, without pressing too much on my eye), setting power (because I need to be able to go on with my makeup routine as soon as I apply it) and staying power (obviously, everyone wants their eye liner to stay put until the day is over). All three of these have all these three qualities which, for $3, is unheard of. I’m pretty pale so the color “Metallic Olive” is a perfect every day color for me. It’s not really very metallic and it’s not very green either – it comes off as a mix between black, grey, green and brown. So for my pale skin and green eyes – great! I also sometimes use it (as well as the two other colors) as base if I plan to run my crease shadow over my lower lash line. The color “Coffee” is a very dark brown – not an orangey, colorless brown but a very pronounced, dark brown. And the color “Black” is a much pigmented black as well. It is sometimes too black and harsh for me because I’m so pale, so I have to be very careful with it. All three of these have an amazing staying power. Sometimes, I’ll run my brush on the back of my hand before applying the liner on my eye and that swatch stays on my hand all day if I don’t actually meticulously rub it off when I’m washing my hands. And by the way, if you get a lighter color in this, just to use as base for your shadow under your lower lash line, it will definitely prolong its staying power. I love doing this – it makes a huge difference at the end of the day. I would definitely recommend these to all! ;))

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Studio High Definition Powder

Does everything an HD powder is supposed to do. Would be great if the staying power was a little longer... ;)

Most “e.l.f. Cosmetics” fans probably already know that this HD powder is very similar to the MUFE HD Powder. I personally have never tried the MUFE version but after hearing all the amazing reviews of the “e.l.f.” version, I decided to give it a try. I know that you should avoid flash photography at all times while wearing this (as you do with any HD powder), but it doesn’t really bother me because I’m not someone who gets my pictures taken very often… The best way for me to describe the texture of this powder would be to say that it’s a very finely milled powder with a lot of silkiness to the touch. When you look at it inside the container, you will notice right away that this powder is as “loose” as it gets, I mean there is no cakeyness to it at all. For example, when you look inside a loose mineral powder container, you’ll always notice that it has a tendency to kind of cling together at some places, almost as if it was a bit wet. This powder is completely loose due to its silky properties. It is very fine, so you do have to be careful when you open the container if you don’t want it to go all over the place. When applied on the face, it doesn’t look white and, as you would expect from an HD powder, it does give you a “soft focus” effect. So if you have large pores or you just want a smoother looking face – this powder would be great for you. I must say that I wasn’t amazed with the staying power. It kept my combination skin shine-free for about 2 hours. The good thing is that you can definitely retouch without worrying that it will be too caked up on your face. I love the “soft focus” effect this powder gives and the smoothness that it adds to your face, so it was definitely worth the very little money I spent on it. I must say that this was my most used setting powder until I discovered “e.l.f.”’s “Mineral Boosters” and the” Mineral Glow” in “Shimmer”. Since I don’t work on “TV” or even “YouTube”, I decided that the Mineral products would be more beneficial to my skin. If anyone needs an HD powder and is considering this, I would definitely recommend it.

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Eyeshadow Primer

My all-time favourite and most affordable eye shadow primer! Worthy of owning, no matter what your budget is... ;))

This is the one product from the “e.l.f. Cosmetics line” that I just can’t live without. I use it every single day! To be honest with you, I don’t think I will ever spend more than $2 on an eye shadow primer again. I also love "e.l.f."'s "Essential" eye shadow primer just as much as this one, and it costs half the price. This, to me, in color “Sheer” is perfection. My skin tone is pretty fair and I find that this primer not only keeps my eye shadows crease-free, but it also evens out the color of my skin under and over my eyes. So yes, I do use it as an eye shadow primer and as a concealer primer and never had any problems with this product whatsoever. I presently have four backups, so that just shows you how much I love it. The primer itself is quite liquidy but not runny. It’s thin enough to allow a perfectly even application, but thick enough to set in a couple of minutes so you can move on with the rest of your makeup routine. It doesn’t set completely dry (as I don’t think any primer should), but remains just a tiny little bit tacky, to grab onto whatever else you will be putting on your eye. As I mentioned, the color “Sheer” provides a little bit of coverage, so if you are fair skinned, like I am, it will soften and even out your look even before you apply anything else. Both, the “Essential” and the “Mineral” primers last me all day. I must say that I tried other color from both lines, and I find that “Sheer” is the only suitable color for me (as a primer) in both cases. Would definitely recommend to a friend or anyone who needs an eye shadow primer, no matter what your budget is… ;)

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Mineral Glow

Love "e.l.f."'s "Mineral Glow" and "Mineral Booster". Finely milled and perfect as setting powders... ;)

Love my “Mineral Glow” just as much as I love “e.l.f.”’s “Mineral Boosters”! As far as I know, this comes in two colors: Shimmer and Bronzed. I can never get my hands on “Bronzed” because it’s been sold out for quite a while online, but I do have this in “Shimmer” and I love it. Before I go on, I will say right away that if you are not a big fan of shimmer and glitter than you should definitely skip this product. The shimmer, though small and subtle, is still noticeable enough to turn you off if you’re not a fan. If you want a similar product but one that’s not as shimmery, get the “Mineral Booster” in “Shimmer”. It will give you a similar “soft focus” effect but without noticeable shimmer on your face. So this “Mineral Glow” is basically a very finely milled powder with small shimmers. I say small, but they are still quite noticeable when you apply the product onto your face. The powder itself applies very smoothly and doesn’t look powdery or cakey on your face. It doesn’t have any silkiness like an HD powder would but a very similar finish once you apply it. Now I wouldn’t really say that this gives you a natural glow (because of the quite visible shimmer), but it does brighten up your face. However, I still wouldn’t recommend this for an everyday “office work” look. I’d say that it’s more suitable for the weekend or a night out. You can wear it on its own, just to even out your complexion and to add a bit of glam (with “Shimmer”) or as a setting powder, like I do. I basically use the “Mineral Boosters” as an everyday setting powder and this “Glow” for when I’m going out (day or night) and I love both of them equally. Both of these products keep my skin shine-free for about 4-5 hours, and I usually don’t retouch because a little bit of shine doesn’t bother me anyway. Would recommend to a friend or anyone who needs a good setting powder… ;)

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Slant Tweezer

Very good tweezers for $1. Worthy opponent of my 10 year-old favorite pair of tweezers... ;))

I must say that these tweezers are pretty good and for one dollar, you really can’t go wrong. I prefer this shape when it comes to tweezers. Never liked the pointy ones because I find it impossible to grab anything with and it would take me forever to do my eyebrows with those. So for the longest time (I’m ashamed to admit that it must be about 10 years now) I have a pair of “Revlon” tweezers with a similar slanted tip that I just love so much! Over the years, I have tried other brands and shapes; partly because I’m a makeup junkie and partly because sometimes I worry that if something happens to my beloved “Revlon” tweezers, I have no worthy backup. I had even purchased what looked like a similar product from “Revlon” themselves, but unfortunately they didn’t work the same way. So basically, I have a pretty large “fail” collection of tweezers. These were a very pleasant surprise for me. Performance-wise they very much remind me of my “Revlon”. They grab the tiniest hairs really well so it doesn’t have to take me 20 seconds to a minute to get those really short ones. My eyebrows are fairly dark, so I like to take the “delinquents” out as soon as they appear which means that they are super short when I do it. These tweezers are pretty ergonomic, so they don’t twist or move too much in your hand; you get very good control with these and I can be done with both of my eyebrows in about 2 minutes. If I were to come up with a “con”, I would say that I wish they would make the very ends not quite as sharp and just a little tiny bit smoother. The first couple of times I used these, I accidentally pinched myself. I did get more comfortable with them by now and I think that with time they will become a bit smoother anyway, but that would be my only advice for improvement. Overall, I would definitely recommend these and I think that for $1 (or 50 cents, when you get them during the “50% off the entire site” sale) you couldn’t find anything better. ;)

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Mineral Booster

Love it and use it every day as setting powder!

I’ve got these in two colors: “Sheer” and “Shimmer” and I have to say that I love both of them equally. This is a finely milled powder that applies very smoothly onto your face and if practically undetectable on skin (provided you use it sparingly, of course). I personally use it as setting powder for my makeup but you could use it on its own, if you need to get rid of some shine or just even out your complexion. It doesn’t have the silkiness that the HD powders have and it will look cakey if you use a lot of it but there really is no need to layer this product because just a little bit does a very good job. The color “Sheer” is a warm nude. And I honestly don’t think that the color is relevant because once it’s on your face you wouldn’t be able to tell it anyways. The color “Shimmer” is slightly lighter than “Sheer” and has a bit more pink in it. The shimmer in this powder is very subtle and is practically invisible on your face, so again, you can use this all over your face without looking like a disco ball. Once in a blue moon, under certain lights you will notice a tiny bit of very subtle shimmer here or there but it’s really nothing that should bother even those who don’t like shimmer or glitter. These boosters keep me shine-free for about 4-5 hours, so if I want to retain this look for the rest of the day I do need to retouch certain area on my face. I almost never do it though because just a little bit of shine never bothered me. I would recommend the large “Sheer” for those who use kabuki brushes to apply products like these. “Shimmer” only comes in a regular size. I personally emptied my “Shimmer” in an empty large “Sheer” container that I had used up. But if you use a powder brush or just a regular “all over” brush, than any one of these is perfect. Would definitely recommend to a friend. ;)

July 17, 2014

E.L.F. Smudge Pot Cream Eyeshadow

Good product; very long lasting and easy to apply.

Okay, so as most “e.l.f. Cosmetics” fans will probably know, these are very similar to “MAC”’s paint pots in their nature, meaning that you can use them in pretty much the same way. I own these in six colors: Pearls of Wisdom, Ain’t That Sweet, Cruisin Chic, Back to Basics, Brownie Points and Hit the Town. The best quality that these pots have is that they are all very long-lasting. They will definitely stay put until whenever you decide to take them off. The darker colors work on their own or as base because they are extremely pigmented. The lighter colors are definitely good as base, and if you like just a hint of color on your lid - they are perfect for that too. Also, I don't think this makes any impact on the quality but for some reason, the color “Cruisin Chic” has a much softer (less dense) consistency than the rest of them. But they are all extremely blendable (unlike the “Maybelline” “Color Tattoos”, which dry almost instantly) and even the darkest color can be sheered out to almost nothing if you don't want a lot of pigment. I use them with a primer so I’ve never noticed any creasing and I know it sounds weird but I very often use the color “Hit the Town” as eye liner. I have green eyes and a very pale skin, so this light, metallic grey color defines my eyes just enough without making them look overdone or giving me a very harsh line under my lashes. And when I use a bit of my crease color under my eyes, I also put it on top of this smudge pot and it keeps the eye shadow put all day and makes the color stand out more. I would definitely recommend these for purchase but be aware that the colors “Pearls of Wisdom” and “Ain’t That Sweet” have very noticeable sparkles in them, so if you’re not a big fan of sparkles – skip those colors… ;)

July 16, 2014

E.L.F. Studio Mineral Infused Mascara

In love with this mascara and always get backups!

I feel a little weird having such a contrary view of the previous reviewer of this product but I am absolutely in love with this mascara! I wish I could insert pictures to show you guys what a world of a difference it makes for my lashes. I guess most mascara reviews should really come with a premise because we all have different lashes and thus, different needs when it comes to choosing the best product to suit those needs. So my lashes are “in-between” everything: not too long, but definitely not short, not too thick but not very sparse either, not too light but not dark enough to stand out and the tips do get “ombreed” by the sun…  And they are extremely soft. What I look for in mascara is a wand that isn’t too thick and loaded with a ton of product when I pull it out of the tube. I look for a wand that will separate my lashes without leaving chunks of mascara on them and that is gentle enough to coat every one of them without crushing them by its weight or massive size. And yes, I do like a bit of extra volume and length if possible, but I won’t go for extra length if that means getting “spider legs” lashes. This honestly does it all for me. And the amazing bonus of this mascara is its setting time. It gives you more than enough time to apply your mascara and by the time you’re done, you can still go ahead and put another coat on without getting clumps, if you need some extra definition or you are preparing for a night out. Even when it’s completely set it never gets very hard on your lashes and they still retain their flexibility and natural look. The only color choice available for now is black. The product itself is more on a liquidy side but definitely not runny or anything like that – it’s perfect and never goes chunky on you. I just can’t say enough about this mascara and I always get backups when I order from “e.l.f. Cosmetics”. Would obviously recommend to anyone who is looking for the same qualities in their mascaras. ;)

July 16, 2014