Budget Beauty: 3 Makeup Essentials From E.L.F - Review & Swatches

Heads up makeup fans! Everyone's favourite affordable, cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand, e.l.f, just launched on Feel Unique - yay! If you haven't tried e.l.f yet or are looking to pick up some new makeup for school/college/Uni etc, here are three essentials from them that you shouldn't miss.

e.l.f stands for Eyes, Lips, Face and they were actually one of the very first makeup brands that I reviewed when I started blogging because they're so cheap and cheerful. I used a lot of their products when I was a cash-strapped student at college many years ago, and now that I'm a cash-strapped Uni student, they're still a brand that appeals to me! I also love that their whole range is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. 

They have an enormous array of products and are constantly coming out with new stuff, so below are just three essentials that I'd recommend checking out.

 e.l.f Beautifully Bare Natural Glow Lotion* (25ml, £9, link)

Gorgeous glowy skin will always be on-trend, but if your complexion needs a helping hand, this Beautifully Bare Natural Glow Lotion is a quick and easy way to get your glow on without looking OTT or like an extra from Twilight. Instead, this product feels more like a facial moisturiser-meets-primer as it's light and easily absorbed without any greasy or stickiness.  The lotion is infused with Micro-Shimmering Pearls, Vitamin E, Orange, Lemon and Grape extracts, and feels hydrating on so it makes a particularly great base for dry skin. 

Once rubbed in, your skin is transformed with a subtle glowy finish that brightens and illuminates a dull complexion within seconds. I love reaching for this for nights out, and it's also perfect for the day after if you know what I mean! You can also use this Natural Glow Lotion on the décolletage, arms and shoulders, as well as on bare legs for a little sexy shimmer, wherever you want to draw some attention to.

 e.l.f Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow in Rose Gold* (2.6g, £5, link)

One of the biggest makeup trends this year has been metallic liquid eyeshadows and this new generation of formulas are much lighter than anything that you may have tried in the past. If you haven't experimented with this trend yet, e.l.f have three beautiful metallic shades in their Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow range and this one in Rose Gold is an absolute stunner as you can see above.

They have a doe-foot applicator and are super easy to apply, blend out and generally work with. The pigmentation is fantastic and although the formula is infused with purified water, they have a decent amount of staying power, especially when applied over an eyeshadow primer. Depending on which shade you go for, these could easily double up as super pretty liquid highlighters too.

e.l.f Matte Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in Fiji* (8.4g, £5, link)

For the ultimate 2-in-1 makeup bag essential, you absolutely have to pick up e.l.f's bestselling Matte Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder duo. This sleek black compact comes with a mirror for easy touch-ups on the go and features two large pans of product; a beautiful dusky rose blusher on the left and a sunkissed bronzer that would work well for light-medium skin tones on the right. 

Both of these powders are soft, finely milled, and apply like a dream. The matte textures allow you to sculpt and contour with the bronzer, whilst the blusher gives a really natural looking flush of colour to the cheeks that brightens up the whole face. I love this duo so much and often reach for it over some of my high-end products because the quality is so good. It's a steal at just £5!

Shop the full range of e.l.f cosmetics at FeelUnique.com

Have you tried anything from e.l.f?

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Budget Beauty Review: MUA Pro Base Eye Primer vs ELF Essentials Eyelid Primer in Sheer

Having used up my beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion back in January, I decided it was time for me to try out some of the more affordable budget options to see how they compared. 

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March Empties / Products I've Used Up

Oh yes, it's that time of the month for the Empties round up!  I managed to finish off quite a lot of products again which is no surprise since I'm still on the 100 Day Spending Ban.  So here are my March Empties, what I thought of them and whether I will be repurchasing them or not.

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How I Clean My Make-up Brushes

Cleaning make-up brushes can be one those chores that you just don't want to do, but know that you have to.  I try to deep-clean (as in properly wash them rather than just wipe them after use) my used make-up brushes every 10 days or so because my skin is a little on the oily side and is prone to breakouts.  Everyone washes their make-up brushes in their own way, so this is just how I do mine. 

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Beauty Debate: Natural vs Synthetic Make-up Brushes - Which do you use and why?

If you're a make-up junkie, chances are you'll also have some kind of make-up brush collection, whether it's small, large, or somewhere in between.  I never used to have many make-up brushes, but as my cosmetics collection grew, I found myself becoming a lot more interested in brushes and discovering which ones I liked using and which ones I didn't for a variety of reasons. 

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April Empties

It's Empties time!  You may recognise quite a lot of these from what I took with me to Japan.  Here are my thoughts and whether I would choose to repurchase them or not:-

Neom Organic Body Lotion in Real Luxury - One of my favourite body lotions, smells incredible and soaks into the skin straight away.  Repurchase? Yes! Already on my wishlist.  Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream - 'Super moisturising' really doesn't explain this product very well.  Although it's won awards, I didn't like it much personally, and found that I needed to reapply it a lot more frequently than other hand creams.  Repurchase? No.  Burts Bees Coconut Foot Creme - Another misleading product IMO.  Instead of being a typical cream, it's actually like a thick gel which is weird!  Doesn't soak into feet and leaves a greasy, slightly sticky residue instead.  Repurchase? No.  Eucerin Dry Skin Shampoo - Great shampoo for sensitive scalps, reviewed here.  Repurchase? Yes at some point, but I'm trying something else at the moment.  Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub for Normal/Oily Skin - This was OK, but left my skin feeling a little stripped if I used it too often.  Repurchase? No.  The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF 15 in 04 - Another OK product, does the job but there other foundations that I prefer over this.  Repurchase? No.  Bodhi Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy* - I absolutely love this, so revitalising and just lovely to use.  Repurchase? Maybe, I don't really use mint scented shower products that much, so I'm not sure if I'd be able to get through a full size before it expired.

Elf Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 in Nice and Natural - It has been taken me AGES to get through this and although I like the sheer nude colour a lot, I wasn't that taken with the overly vanilla scent.  Repurchase?  Probably not.  Bamford Botanical Bath Oil in Geranium - Love this, so relaxing and luxurious to use.  Got about 5 or 6 uses out of this 30ml sample.  Repurchase?  Yes, but it's on my birthday wishlist because the full size is very expensive, eeek!  Bodhi Jasmine Falls Relaxing Body Moisturiser - I adore this scent so much, but prefer the formula of other body lotions more.  That said, I would perhaps buy another travel size of this.  Repurchase? Maybe.  Morroccan Oil - Had this sample bottle in my travel bag for ages.  Do still like this, but if I use it too often it makes my hair feel like there's a lot of product build up on it and I have to use a clarifying shampoo to get it back to normal again.  Repurchase?  Already have another sample size bottle in my stash from xmas.  Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil - One of my holy grail items, smells so good and works so well on face, body and hair, as well as in the bath.  Sadly this is the last of the sample bottles I've managed to acquire so I need to buy a full size ASAP!  Repurchase? Yes!  The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - I like this for everyday looks, but it's certainly not as volumising as other mascaras I have tried.  Repurchase?  Maybe if I saw it on offer, but wouldn't pay full price.  Macadamia Deep Repair Mask - Loved this sample and managed to get about 4 uses out of this sachet.  It's lovely and thick, and makes my hair soft and manageable afterwards.  Repurchase? Definitely.

What beauty products have you used this month?  Leave your links below if you've also done an empties post.

*PR sample

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What's in my make-up travel bag?

Keeping my travel make-up fairly simple(ish!) and packing all of the above:-

Brows: Korres Eyebrow Pencil in 1 Dark Shade
Eyes: Benefit Lemon Aid, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Palette, Urban Decay Double Eyeliner with Zero and Whiskey, The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara.
Face: Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer, MyFace MyMix Foundation in Medium 02, The Body Shop Vitamin E Tinted Moisture Lotion, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealers in 2 Light and 3 Medium, Everyday Minerals Mint Colour Corrector, The Body Shop Lightening Touch Pen in 03, Benefit High Beam, Witch Pressed Powder.
Cheeks & contour: The Balm Fratboy Blush, MAC Eversun Beauty Powder Blush, Benefit Hoola bronzer
Lips: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 050 Berry Smoothie, Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick in 42, Barry M Lipgloss Wand in Toffee, Elf Conditioning Lip Balm with SPF 15 in Nice and Natural.





Onto brushes (all of which will obviously be cleaned beforehand! from L-R):-
Joliebox Concealer Brush, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Brush (that came with the Naked Palette), Models Own Eye Blending Brush, Avon Eyeshadow Brush, Elf Complexion Brush, Everyday Minerals Angled Contour Brush, Ecotools Blush Brush, Everyday Minerals Kabuki Brush, Elf Fan Brush, The Body Shop Eyelash Curlers.

Only last thing to pack beauty-wise other than the bigger stuff like straightners and hairdryer etc, are nail polishes, will probably take two or three with me I think.

Are there any amazing Japanese beauty brands I should be looking for?

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Tag: 7 Beauty Sins

I've seen this tag on LucyLou's blog doing the rounds recently and thought it would be fun to give it a go before the weekend begins.

(1) GREED: What is your most expensive beauty item? And your most inexpensive?




I don't really buy a lot of super-expensive make-up myself, so what I have in my collection were mostly gifts. The most expensive beauty item I remember purchasing myself was the Urban Decay Alice In Wonderland Palette which I paid far too much for from eBay as it sold out so fast. I love it though and it always cheers me up when I open it.



As far as cheaper products go, I'd pick anything from ELF, especially the bits and pieces I've managed to pick up in their 50% off sale.

(2) WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?



I have a serious love/hate thing going on with loose mineral eyeshadows (ones pictured above are from Everyday Minerals). I almost always use pressed eyeshadows because I find loose ones a little messy to use sometimes, but when I do use them, I always want to use them more. Same goes for my MAC pigments.

(3) GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?



No surprises that these are all lip products! Lanolips Lemon Aid is so yummy and sweet tasting, as is Barry M's Toffee Lip Gloss Wand which tastes and smells EXACTLY like it's namesake. And of course, I couldn't forget to mention my favourite Lush Sweet Lips Scrub which is made from sugar and flavoured with chocolate and vanilla.

(4) SLOTH: What beauty products do you neglect due to laziness?



Highlighters definitely (above: The Body Show Warm Glow Baked Bronzer which I use as a highlight mainly as it's quite shimmery, and Benefit's High Beam). If I'm in a rush or just can't be bothered, then these will be omitted from my make-up routine and left in their drawers.

(5) PRIDE: Which beauty products give you the most self-confidence?



Bronzers, blushes and a good concealer! If I have those three with me, then I'm feeling and looking my best. (above: Benefit's Hoola Bronzer, The Balm's Fratboy Blush and Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection Concealer)

(6) LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in a partner?
A good sense of humour is a must, someone who can make me smile will always be a winner in my books! Someone who stands up for what they believe in and keeps up to date with current affairs is also cool because I talk about politics and the news far too much. Must like animals, especially dogs, and having a beard, tattoos and a Scottish accent would be perfect! :D

(7) ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as gifts / or are you wishing for currently?



My current wishlist looks like a bit like this: Lush P.S I Love You Giftset, Neom Mini Bath Oils Set, a set of Sigma brushes, the biggest bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Use Dry Oil that I can find, Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (I know I don't need this but look, it's pretty!) and Daniel Sandler's Watercolour Blush in POP.

Let me know if you do this tag and have a great weekend everyone :)

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December Favourites

I hope everyone had a great New Years! I'm a bit late doing this post due to the festivities, so here are my beauty favourites from last month:-



Barry M Translucent Powder in Medium - One of the best budget friendly (I think this was under £6) powders I've tried so far. It's finely milled and absorbs excess oil from the face to leave your make-up set and matte. Plus it's packaged in a generous size compact with a huge mirror. Elf Studio Line Cream Eyeliner in Black (swatch) - My new go-to eyeliner! Easy to use, with good pigmentation and staying power. Unbelievable that this is just £3.50! Japonesque Travel Size Smudger Brush - The perfect shape and size for doing a quick smokey eye with soft bristles. Barry M Lipgloss Wand in Toffee (swatch) - My new favourite nude lipgloss, so pretty for wearing everyday and non-sticky. Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lip Gloss in Tokyo - Another non-sticky, everyday colour that I've been wearing a lot since receiving in last month's Glossybox.



Zoya Nail Polish in Zeeka (NOTD) and Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Razzle Dazzle (NOTD) have been my recent favs for my nails. Elf Studio Line Complexion Brush - Another budget favourite, this brush really is perfect for applying any kind of loose powder and has the absolute bargain price tag of £3.50! Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask - I've been raving recently about this face mask and would recommend it to anyone with troublesome oily/combination skin. KMS California Freeshape Quick Blow Dry Spray - I wasn't all that excited to try this when I first saw it in my Carmine box, but I popped it into my travel bag and tested it out over the holidays. WOW! It really does cut your blowdrying time in half and left my hair wonderfully frizz free and soft without any product residue. Amazing stuff!

What were your beauty favs for December?

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ELF Studio Line Haul

ELF are one of those make-up brands that constantly bombard you with special offers, so I took them up on their recent 40% off Studio Line range offer, and bought these. ELF are ridiculously cheap at full RRP anyway, but at 40% off as well as free delivery, how could I say no? I decided to get some brushes and two make-up items that I've been wanting to try out.





My first add to bag, was their Stipple Brush and for some reason I hadn't read the description properly (this is why wine and online shopping rarely ends well!). I was after a standard flat, stippling brush and this one has layers to it, so when it arrived, I simply cut the longer white layer off and voila! It's now how I want it :)



Next is a Fan Brush, mainly because I've started to wear more loose mineral eyeshadows and this helps by 'fanning' away any fallout. Not the most exciting brush in the world, but it does its job.




The brush I was most pleased with and mainly bought because practically everyone seems to love it, is the Complexion Brush. This is so soft and perfectly formed that it works a treat for applying any kind of loose powder and for £3.50 (with 40% off too!), it's an absolute bargain and a new firm favourite in my make-up bag.



The only item I was slightly dubious about getting was the Makeup Mist and Set, because I've read so many conflicting reviews about it. Some people love it and others absolutely hate it. I have to say that I'm pretty much indifferent to it because it didn't make a great deal of difference for me. I was worried that it might be too greasy, as I already have oily/combination skin, but it wasn't at all so I was pleased about that, but then I didn't find that it did anything different to what I usually do, setting my make-up with a bit of translucent powder. I don't think it prolonged the wear my make-up and it smelt kinda weird. Also, the applicator that sprays it is a bit rubbish, so this is a miss for me.






Lastly, I got the Cream Eyeliner which I have been wanting to try out for ages. When I was considering whether to splurge and purchase MAC's Fluidline, a lot of people said to get this instead and I'm so glad that I did, I love it! It's nice and smooth, with good pigmentation (OK it's not the blackest black ever but it's a good black for £3.50 and you can build it up to make it look more intense) and great staying power (I've used this with and without UDPP and both delivered the usual expected results). It is a bit smudgy if it gets wet at all, but other than that, I really like it and hope that the others colours available are as good as this.

What are your favourite ELF products?

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Another fab giveaway win!

I won a giveaway from the lovely Karen who writes AussieGirlBlogs (her blog is great for having all of the latest beauty related sales and offers in one place, saves me so much time when I'm splurging or buying gifts online!). I received a Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast lip balm which smells amazing, good enough to eat! I also got some sample sachets which my sister has run off with. I was excited to try the ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - I've been wanting to try these out for ages, they're intensely glossy and have a minty flavour to them, swatch below. I think I'll be getting some more of these in the future:-



And I also received this ELF Smoky Eyeshadow Palette:-





The shadows all swatch really nicely so I'm looking forward to playing with these. The purple shade in particular is gorgeous and I think these palettes would be great as little stocking fillers. Thank you Karen for a lovely giveaway!

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Everyday Make-Up Routine

Whilst clearing out some old magazines, I came across an article which stated that the average woman uses, on average, over 20 different make-up products on a daily basis. Over 20 different products?! That seems like a huge amount, but is it really? I decided to look into this theory by compiling my own list of make-up products that I personally use for an 'everyday look'. Below are some of my regular favourites, as well as one or two new items which I'm testing out.



For everyday I tend to stick to a neutral look, so I start with applying a bit of
(1) Benefit's Lemon Aid over my eyelids with my fingers. I've used this product rather religiously over the last couple of years because it instantly makes me look more awake and one little pot lasts a long, long time. Next, I'll dab on a little of (2) Urban Decay's Primer Potion and whilst that dries, I'll fill in my brows with (3) Korres Eyebrow Pencil in 1/Dark Shade. Under my eyes, I'm currently using (4) The Body Shop's Lightening Touch concealer pen in shade 3, which is their version of YSL's Touche Eclat. It's a decent concealer which does the job, but if you apply too much or don't properly blend, then it has that annoying habit of settling into fine lines. I'll probably try out a different brand once this one has been used up.



On my eyes, I'll probably use two shades of eyeshadow; (5) an overall lid colour and then (6) a darker one for the crease. Urban Decay's Naked palette is still the best thing ever. I mainly use Virgin, Sin, Naked, Buck, Smog and Toasted for everyday looks.



I always wear some form of (7) eyeliner and was given Bourjois' Liner Feutre felt-tip eyeliner pen in 11/Noir recently by a friend. I haven't decided whether I love or loathe this yet. It's amazingly pigmented, a 'proper' black and doesn't smudge at all, UNTIL it gets wet and then it's one great big mess. Hmmm. I'll probably stick to my old faithful Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners. As with eyeliner, I always wear (8) mascara and am currently using up a small tube of Clinque's High Impact mascara, which used to be my favourite until I discovered bareMinerals. Next, I'll dab on a bit of this (9) Witch Concealer stick in 01/Natural onto any spots I might have. I think this concealer stick is discontinued now which is a shame because it's blended with Tea Tree Oil and gives excellent coverage.



I don't tend to wear foundation for everyday, so I've been trying out (10) The Body Shop's Vitamin E Tinted Moisturiser which gives a light coverage and lasts a decent amount of time too. It's a little too greasy feeling for my oily/combination skin on its own so I use (11) Benefit's Hoola Bronzing Powder all over to mattify (I've got olive coloured skin, so Hoola works well as a normal face powder for me). To cover up any red areas, usually around my nose, I apply a tiny bit of (12) Clinique's Redness Solutions, which is a thick green coloured cream which counteracts the red and equals it out. A fab product which also has SPF 15. I finish up by applying a (13) blusher, my current favourite is MAC's Wonder Woman powder blush in Mighty Aphrodite. And lastly, I put on a little slick of a neutral coloured (14) lipgloss such as ELF's Conditioning Lip Balm in Nice and Natural. All done!

So, I clocked up 14 products! Other products that I might use if I had extra time or just fancied it, would be:- a clear mascara if I felt my brows needed a little tidying, a translucent powder for setting everything if I didn't want to use Hoola, and an inner corner highlight for my eyes if I needed that extra illusion of looking more awake.

How many make-up products do you use on a daily basis?

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Elf haul: reviews & swatches

I ordered some products from Elf on Friday and they arrived yesterday, their delivery is excellent! I took advantage of one of their promotions and bought some things I wanted to try out. The only products from Elf that I've tried in the past have been disappointing (nail varnishes and the HD powder), so I was a little wary of what to get. I bought four products from their studio line (prices are around £3.50 each) and two products from the normal range (£1.50 prices).

I'll start with the good stuff first. Their Blush and Bronzer compact is amazing. I've seen this talked about in various blogs and it was the first item I put in the basket. The blush is a lovely everyday pink with a slight gold shimmer, ideal if you want a natural looking flush. The bronzer is great for contouring and blends quite easily after some buffing. It doesn't suit me that much as an all over the face bronzer (I'll stick with Hoola for that) as it is quite muddy looking, but for contouring cheeks it's perfect for me. As with most of the studio compacts, it's packaged in hard matte plastic casing and has a nice big mirror.

My second favourite product was the Conditioning Lip Balm with SPF 15. The packaging for this is a HUGE cube, I've never seen a lip balm in something so big! The formula is thick and creamy, with a subtle vanilla type scent to it. It conditions lips very well - I usually find cheaper brands of lip balms/tints to be the opposite and quite drying, so I was pleasantly surprised with this. I bought it in 'Nice & Natural' which is a subtle pink nude shade.

Having looked at their £1.50 range, I decided to try out one of their liquid eye liners. I bought 'Plum' which I was hoping would be dark purple (you know, a plum shade), but as you can see from the swatch I did below, it's almost black. I wasn't too fussed by this having recently used up my last black eye liner, so I tried it on the lids and was impressed. It applies easy enough, didn't smudge and lasted for several hours, so not bad for £1.50!

In my package, I received this pencil as a freebie. It doesn't appear to be on their website but it looks identical to their shimmer eye liners. It's OK, a nice creamy white/silvery liner but the attached sharpener in the lid is useless.

Also from the £1.50 range, I bought the Clarifying Pressed Powder in 'Honey'. The shade is much too dark for me and the powder itself didn't sit well on my combination skin.

Now for the two products that I really hated. This Complete Coverage Concealer palette in 'Medium' was a nightmare. The shades looked promising at at a first glance, but when I swatched them, I knew they weren't going to work for me, only the third shade seemed OK. The formula has a very hard waxy consistency, that then turns creamy on the skin. They supply a little brush with the compact, but it's impossible to use it. You'd need to use your fingers or a sponge with this to warm it up. On the skin, the third shade didn't quite match me under the eyes and creased immediately, even when I used a primer. Wouldn't recommend.

Lastly, I didn't get on with the Corrective Concealer palette. It has the same formula as the one above so was a nightmare to apply and the colours just weren't pigmented enough to cover anything up. I've seen a lot of people rave about this product but it didn't work for me.

I'm happy with the products that I did like, especially the Blush & Bronzer duo. The concealer palettes were a major let down but as they were only £3.50 each, I don't think you can be too disappointed. The main problem with Elf is that because they are a cheap-as-chips online only company, you're dependent on online reviews and swatches to see what their products are like.

My advice if you're thinking of buying from Elf:-

• Take advantage of their frequent promotions (20% off deals, free shipping etc).
• Stick to a set budget - it's easy to get carried away and end up spending more than you intended because everything is 'cheap' - it all adds up!
• Check out swatches & reviews online.
• Buy only one item from each section e.g I probably wouldn't have purchased a second concealer palette if I'd already tried out the first one.

To leave on a happier note, here's my Elf face with the products I did like:-

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