elf cosmetics

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

This week I have had two friends ask me on my personal Facebook page beauty related questions that I get asked on a fairly regular basis. First of all, I want to say THANK YOU FOR ASKING! There is not much more flattering to me than people asking me questions about makeup because it is a huge passion of mine. And second, today I have decided to share the information that I was gathering for them with all of you incase any of you have similar questions. If you find this post helpful, please share it or “pin” it to your Pinterest!

Housekeeping Note and Helpful Tip!

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What are good lipsticks for someone who has never worn lipstick but would like to try? Something that isn’t “clown like”?

I was a lip gloss girl for years and the only time I had ever worn lipstick was for dance performances, but now I wear lipstick almost every single day. I think that the best way to start would be to try a couple of shades that I consider to be “your lips but better” which means they aren’t very different from your natural lip color. You can also try a tinted lip balm that gives a sheer wash of color. I would suggest grabbing a few lipsticks at the drugstore so that you can figure out what colors you like before you commit to something more expensive. Or, go to Sephora, Ulta, or the makeup counter at a department store and ask for help so that you can wear the lipsticks! Don’t be afraid to ask for help!! You can walk into a department store, try on a lipstick, and then do you shopping so you can wear it for awhile to see how you feel in it.

Lip Products I Suggest Trying:

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Here are some of my favorite lip products that I think are great “starter” lipsticks!

*Note: listed left to right

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

M.A.C Cremesheen in Creme Cup

M.A.C Lustre in Syrup

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 08

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 130 Rose Velvet

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001 Honey (my top pick!)

Covergirl Oh Sugar! in 6 Punch

Covergirl Oh Sugar! in 9 Jelly

What eye shadows should I buy? I have no idea where to begin? What about eye shadow brushes?

I suggest started with a neutral eye shadow palette or even a small trio or quad to start out. There are a lot of fantastic drugstore eye shadow options, which I will link, but also don’t be afraid to go play with the makeup at Sephora, Ulta, or a department store! You can also get a cream eye shadow or eye shadow base like the Maybelline Color Tattoos I will link below. I often apply these with my fingers all over my lid and then just apply mascara and eye liner! They’re easy and beautiful! They also make a fantastic base to put on before applying your other eye shadows. As far as brushes go, you can start simple by grabbing two or three brushes for $1-$3 each from E.l.f cosmetics. The backs of a lot of drugstore palettes like the ones mentioned show a general “map” for how to apply the eye shadows which is a great place to start! The higher end palettes usually come with a small beauty how-to guide that gives tips for easy looks.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Wet n’ Wild Walking On Eggshells Trio

Wet n’ Wild Comfort Zone palette

Too Faced Natural Eyes palette

Urban Decay Naked palette

Maybelline Color Tattoo

(I suggest Bad To The Bronze and Inked In Pink)

E.l.f Shadow Brushes

(Start with a basic flat eye shadow brush, a fluffy brush for your crease and for blending, and a smaller flat brush for smudging color on your lower lash line or putting a bright shimmery color near the tear ducts of your eye to brighten)

I hope that you found this helpful! I am doing a Q&A soon on my LeahTackles channel so be sure to ask your questions for that!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend : ) Thanks for reading!

Hi there! Happy Frrrrrriday!

A few weeks ago someone asked me if I had used E.l.f Cosmetics products and mentioned that she had really good luck with the brand. E.l.f (eyes lips face) cosmetics is an extremely affordable drugstore makeup brand that carries products at $1, $2, $3 and $6 price points! I first stumbled upon some E.l.f cosmetics in either late high school or early college (shortly after the brands 2004 launch) but hadn’t used any of the products from the line consistently until the past couple of years. After being asked about what I had tried from the brand, I decided to pick up a few more things and do a post today on all of my e.l.f products and my thoughts. I have been seeing e.l.f products popping up in more stores lately, too!

Let’s get started…

MY E.L.F COSMETICS COLLECTION:

Brushes:

*NOTE: The first three brushes will be pictured together underneath the third brush overview/review!

Eye Shadow Brush

This is a really great eye shadow brush for packing on color and I haven’t had issues with hairs falling out. At $1 you really can’t beat this for a basic everyday brush.

Blending Eye Brush

I have had this brush for over a year and get quite a bit of use out of it. It works well for blending, and I also use it sometimes for the outer V of the eye. The brush head did seperate off of the handle, but for a $1 brush it has defintely lived up to my expectations.

Concealer Brush

I actually do not use this for concealer! I use it with nail polish remover to clean up nail polish that gets around my cuticles or skin by my nail beds. I need to pick up another one of these and see how it works for its intended purpose ; ) But, it is AWESOME for cleaning up around your nails because it is such a small brush, and it doesn’t leave fuzzies like Q-tips. Just make sure once you use it on your nails, you only use it on your nails.

Small Stipple Brush

This is such a great little brush! I like it for stippling on concealer, cream highlighters, and cream blushes! I want to pick up a couple of these! I highly suggest picking this brush up! It is a lot smaller than any of my other stippling brushes, so I showed it next to my Real Techniques Stippling Brush for comparison.

Kabuki Face Brush

This brush is SO soft! I just picked this brush up, but I really like it for buffing and blending in powders. I washed it once just to see how it handled after a wash, and it did well with no fallout.

Face:

Blush in Candid Coral

This blush is SO soft! It feels wonderful!! It is a sheer, very light coral color that can be built up to a blush or used as a gorgeous highlight. It is light, but I think that this would be beautiful on lots of skin tones. This is one of my favorite e.l.f products and I want to pick up more colors! I also want to try the baked blushes! Have you tried e.l.f blushes? Do you like them? I would love to hear from you! Comment (click on the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia

This is another item that I just recently picked up because I thought it looked perfect for traveling. I love the blush color! It blends beautifully. The contouring bronzer is a tad more orange than I like and it does contain a very subtle shimmer, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it as a contour. As a bronzer, it is very pretty!!! I actually can use it as a contour if I use a very light hand and really blend it into the skin. This has been compared to Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna…so for $3 what a fun dupe to try out : )

Eyes:

Long-Lasting Lustrous Eye Shadow in Toast

This is a super soft mousse texture that blends beautifully! This color is very sparkly, but I was able to sheer it out to a wearable look for me. I wore this as a base to make my other eye shadows *pop* and it held up very well. I really want to try the new e.l.f smudge pots that are being compared to M.A.C Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos.

Liquid Eyeliner in Black

This is eyeliner is SO black! The brush isn’t my favorite, but for $1 it is completely worth it to grab this and apply with an eyeliner brush! You can use the wand that it comes with, and I find that it works okay for a simple thin line.

Skin Care:

Moisture Stick

This is something that I always have in my bag!! It is fantastic to have on hand! I like to use it under my eyes if my concealer begins to crease (I got this idea from the amazing Emily Noel of BeautyBroadcast.net ) but you could for sure use this for dry spots on your hands, elbows, or knees as well!

My e.l.f collection is pretty tiny, but overall I am very impressed with the quality of the products! I have yet to try any eye shadows or lip products from elf, so if you have any recommendations let me know!

Thank you so much for reading this! If you have tried e.l.f products let me know your thoughts by commenting or finding me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you have already subscribed, thank you! If you haven’t yet and you enjoy my blog, please subscribe! It’s easy, just enter your email in the box on the right and you’ll only get emails when I post something new : ) Have a beautiful weekend loves!