Mar 10, 2012

What to try from e.l.f.? my e.l.f. picks

e.l.f has grown and improved in both product quality and brand image over the years, which is quite pleasant to observe and experience as a customer.
e.l.f reminds me of the Korean brand Missha  in many ways.
I don't think many of you remember how Missha first started since Missha is now a whole different entity with fancier image, but it actually started with a couple of super affordable products that were only 1000 won (it is less than $1), and of course, there were some questions and doubts about the quality raised by its dirt cheap price. ;)


Ok, enough with trivia...now back to e.l.f. ;p
Nowadays stores like K-mart and Target carry e.l.f products for easier access, but i don't think I have purchased anything offline.
e.l.f. website always has some sort of good deal going on plus I don't really have those stores around me, so I usually place a relatively small order online.

If you are like myself who doesn't mind waiting for a package and even enjoy the mild suspense (?) waiting for it, buying  e.l.f  online is not a bad idea. (and this is also other reason e.l.f. can keep their price reasonable, I reckon.)
I thought I could help my readers a little by introducing my favorite picks from e.l.f.
I mean there are tons of products to choose from, and let's face it, I find some of them are still duds regardless the cheap price!

So without further ado, I present my picks from e.l.f. cosmetics.
(Thanks for the inspiration, Shopping Obsession! ^-^)




From e.l.f Essential line
This is the $1 line!
Sadly, I don't have many favorites and I find most of them are poor quality.
However, there are a couple I absolutely adore and I highly recommend these. ;)

1. Eyeshadow Brush

This is my favorite eyeshadow brush!
The bristles are full and soft. No shedding here. :)
I have bought many of these and commissioned them to my friends and family, and they all are impressed with the quality. :)
A must try from e.l.f.!












2. Blending Brush
This is a larger and softer blending brush to compare to one from the Studio line.
It does a great job blending easily and also good for applying neutral colors all over the lids.














3. Custom Compact
This is a real deal. :)
It is made to fit single items from the Essential line for a custom designed palette.
The compact is very sturdy  and it comes with a large mirror. You can't really go wrong with this.
I don't like e.l.f single eyeshadow at all. So what am I doing with these?
Guess what, they are perfect for those depotted MAC, Urban Decay and old Milani single eyeshadows. ;D








From e.l.f Studio Line
This is probably my favorite line from e.l.f.
I believe most items from this line cost $3 except for some base makeup including the High Definition Powder.

1. Studio Brush Set
For $30, you can get 11 brushes and a case.
Oh wait, you can actually get them for $15 since they seem to have 50% off on the Studio line every other week or something. ;)
It is not like I am crazy about everything from the set (for example, I am not very fond of the fan brush. useless), but the powder brush and the complexion brushes are great. I use them daily.










2. High Definition Powder
Another favorite of mine.
I would highly recommend this.
I have recently repurchased 2 of these.
You can check out my review on this product here.









3. Lip Balm SPF 15
This is a new  found goody from e.l.f.
Moisturizing lip balm with sheer color and sun protection.
I hope they bring out more colors in the future.
You can see my swatch and short review here.














4. Contouring Blush and Bronze Powder
I am sure e.l.f tried to recreate the NARS blush/bronzer duo.
Honestly, the bronzer color is too dark and muddy for my complexion and the texture could be better, but I can't really complain and I still recommend this.
The blush color is close to the cult favorite NARS Orgasm and color payoff and staying power  is more than decent.









5. Shimmer Palette
This is a very versatile product.
I like to use this as eyeshadow base when I use loose pigments. It provides a bit of sticky base with subtle shimmer effects.
This also can be used as highlighter to brighten your complexion.









6. Brush Shampoo
This is inexpensive brush cleaning detergent that performs very well.
I used to just use baby shampoo and I still suspect this is not much different from it ingredient-wise, but I have a bit more faith in this product after seeing it revives one of my messed-up brushes.
I will repurchase this once I run out. ;)













I also like the eyeshadow and powder blush from the Studio line and lipstick from the Mineral line, but not enough to repurchase or recommend them to you as my favorites.
I haven't tried a lot from the Mineral line, either.
I guess my recommendation list would be amended and become longer as I plan to try more products from e.l.f. in the future :)

I hope my post would help you to make a smart online purchase from e.l.f.
Make sure you take advantage of their ongoing deals and look for the coupons!
Please do share your e.l.f. favorites with me as well. ;)

Thanks for reading!


Join the conversation!

  1. I love elf products! They are such good quality <3
    I just bought a few elf things that will be in my next haul xD

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  2. I love elf! their studio blushes are just pretty ;) and the eye blending brush is part of my stapple make up brush!

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  3. Thanks for the recs, Lena! I personally use the eyeshadow brush and love it as well! So amazing for just $1. I'll look into the high definition powder too :)

    Also - never knew that about Missha. You are my Korean guru :)

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  4. Debi ChakrabortyMarch 10, 2012

    the brushes are awesome!this is a great list lena!!!
    i tagged you in this post..let me know if you do it
    flysongbird.blogspot.com/2012/03/11-questions-tag.html

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  5. That's a lot of new stuff on my wish list lol. Thanks for the post Lena! I've been wanting to try elf for a while but don't know where to start!

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  6. Eva_Chic_ProfessionalMarch 10, 2012

    Such an informative post. Thank you! I've tried the brushes that you mentioned here and I really do like them. The Custom palette looks really cool!

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  7. hahaha i have most of these products! i should do an elf post too since there are a few products that i do love from the line. my favorite studio brush is the flat top powder brush which is amazing...and yes, the blush/bronzer is great too. if you use a super light hand on the bronzer, it goes on perfectly (and i'm about nc 15-20)

    ke
    blissfullyke.blogspot.com

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  8. Thats true, but the Dior collection is really cute also^^ Yea, the model is perfect for that campaign:)

    Have u tried Red Cherry? Even tho Im an Ardell lover, I can really recommend RC too :) Thinkin about the price too..

    Awe, how typical! ;p I let u know as soon as i tried the brush on glue, hopefully its MUCH more easy to use :)

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  9. I haven't tried any of the brushes form ELF. I do have the shimmer palette and blush/bronzer duo. I have hit pan on both because I use them everyday!

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  10. i love elf <33 and also the free shipping over $25 offers and the coupon emails and the free magazine subscriptions :D whats not to love!! theyre such a good brand!

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  11. ShoppingObsessionMarch 10, 2012

    Thank you so much for this post. The other day after I read your blog, I went to their website and wanted to get a few items but I know you will do a post about your recommendations so I said to myself " I'd better wait for Lena". Now , I can browse their website and have a better idea of what to get. I like the contouring blush and the HD powder.

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  12. Great review!
    hugs from New York,
    xx
    Ask Erena
    http://askerena.blogspot.com/
    http://eabshop.blogspot.com/
    P.S. See what is new in my shop:-)

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  13. Jo-Dean SeymourMarch 10, 2012

    Thanks for this post! I've been thinking of trying Elf products for quite sometime now. The lip balm and shimmer palette seem like really great finds!

    ~Zabrinah
    [your everyday girl,
    writing about guys]

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  14. I don't go to ELF for everything, but they do have some things that I absolutely love! Unless there's a huge difference, I don't really want to spend 20 dollars for something I can get from ELF for 3!

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  15. i won a GC last year so i was able to try elf for the first time. my fave so far is the waterproof eyeliner pen. it is seriously waterproof! i'll have to try this lip balm.

    [oomph.]

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  16. blush_designsMarch 11, 2012

    great post, I am looking for brushes for eyeshadows and liners too so this really helped! :)
    http://blushjewellery.blogspot.com

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  17. I love E.L.F brushes. Always creates amazing results. I've never bought anything from their website, but now I"m tempted to.

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  18. Thanks for introducing all these elf products! I've heard so many people rave about the Studio line brushes, I so want to try it. I still can't believe how affordable they are, it's a FULL 11 brush set!

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  19. I've been wanting to try ELF brushes, especially the first two you mentioned. They're so cheap and yet they seem to really work!

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  20. the complexion and flat top powder bruses are really really nice!
    give them a try for sure. i wanna buy another flat top brush myself. ;)

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  21. i think the studio line brushes are the best deal. especially with the 50% off sale, right? ;)
    if you already have a nice set of brush, this would be good as backup or for traveling.

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  22. if you need more than a couple things, their website is the better place to shop, imo. :)

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  23. aww thanks! i am glad you find this helpful. ;)
    their small precision brush is nice for liners as well.
    do let me know how you like them!

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  24. oh lucky girl! :)
    thanks for letting me know about the wp eyeliner. i will try it on my next order. ;)

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  25. i agree!
    i am sure there are tons of better quality brushes, but elf ones perform just well and their price can't be beat! :)

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  26. my pleasure. :)
    i hope you like them as well!

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  27. no, thank you! :D
    i love getting ideas for my blog posts and it is even better if you find this helpful. ;)
    i hope you like them as well. please keep me updated .;)

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  28. ooh i didn't know about the magazing subscriptions.
    maybe i will take advantage of that next time.
    my bathroom needs more reading materials. ;)

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  29. oh i am glad you like them as well. ;)
    and a little jealous you've hit pans on those. i never hit pan. ;p

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  30. thanks for the recs!
    i will look in to those Red Cherry lashes. ;)

    i've tried the glue with brush applicator from Revlon but i wasn't very impressed, and that's when i bought the duo tube.
    i am interested to find out how it works. do let me know! :)

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  31. thanks for the info, Ke!
    i have the e.l.f. stippling brush, maybe i will used it for the bronzer part. :)
    i agree with you on the flat top brush. it is my favorite, too!

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  32. thanks, Eva :)

    if you like many round single eyeshadow lying around, maybe this is a good way to organize them. it is very nicely made. ;)

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  33. lol :)
    i did try to keep the list short and sweet. ;)
    i hope your experience with e.l.f. would be good.
    (boy, i sound like a spokesperson..lol)

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  34. thanks, Debi! :)
    and thank you for tagging me. i enjoyed reading your post about yourself alot.
    i am going to pass on the tag this time, though. i did a similar tag not too long ago. hope it's okay! :)

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  35. isn't it great?!
    i think it is softer than my $35 shiseido weasle(?) brush. lol

    i hope e.l.f. maintain the price range reasonable just like now. i mean Missha isn't expensive,either..but they kinda are compared to their humble origin. ;p

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  36. aren't they great?!
    i agree the studio line brushes look good even compared to higher-end ones.;)

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  37. yay!
    do keep us updated about your haul. :D

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  38. I think I mentioned before I've never tried elf products. This was good Lena. I need a new makeup brush set too. hahaha Hope you're having a great weekend.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  39. lol. maybe it's time for you to try some, Kim!
    the studio line brushes are very nice. i'd say they are much nicer than those GWP brushes, for example. ;)

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  40. Great favorites Lena! I really like the Studio line too - some of the items from their $1 line are good, but I agree that the quality is a bit lacking when compared to the Studio products. I should have bought the Studio brush set outright. I started with about 3 Studio brushes and over the years I've added a couple more. They're really great quality for the price you pay.

    I have the HD powder but I wasn't so impressed with it when I first tried it. I think it's time for a revisit :)

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  41. I really agree with your picks from e.l.f. :) The studio line crease brush is one of my favorite eyeshadow brushes ever. I'm surprised the elf palette really fits MAC shadows?

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  42. Nice picks!!I wanted to try the blush and bronze powder!I just hope the shade on the bronzer won't appear too dark "dirty" looking...And the shimmer palette, would def be on my next purchase! I love elf because their price is really affordable and the quality is pretty decent too! ^_^~

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  43. I actually really like the elf studio line brushes as well. They're nice and dense and the hairs don't fall out as much as I expected. I also really like their nail polish! They dry super fast!

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  44. i agree, Laura! :)
    i didn't think much of their nail polishes, but it was long time ago.
    i should try them again. thanks! :)

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  45. thanks, Janet :)
    the bronzer does appear a little too much, but i just learned it is workable with right kind of brush.
    honestly, i think the duo is worth it just by the blush part. :)

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  46. thanks Sarah! :)
    i like the crease brush a lot, too. i like that it is kinda hard and small size.
    i know my two MAC eyeshadows fit perfectly in the palette. they should fit unless MAC changed the pan size. ;)

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  47. thank you, Rinny!
    i totally agree with you on the value and the quality of studio line brushes.
    i want to add a couple of backups myself. i recently tried the mineral powder brush and it works great for both mineral foundation and powder blush. :)

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  48. Penelope_LMarch 13, 2012

    Thanks for this great post! There are so many products from elf I have no idea what to choose. The brush shampoo sounds really promising. I'm using regular handwash which I suspect cant be good for my brushes.

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  49. Debi ChakrabortyMarch 13, 2012

    absolutely okay..:)

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  50. i am happy you find this post helpful, Penelope! :D
    if your handwash is a moisturizing kind, i don't think there is much to worry about.
    many recommend using baby shampoo but why not have a brush cleanser if it is so affordable, right? :)

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  51. thanks, Debi :)
    i was flattered to read you want to know about me. ^-^
    i have done a couple of tags here is you're interested. :)

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  52. I love their studio line. I wish shipping wasn't so expensive to Canada but I understand why. Probably a good thing considering I bet I'd shop often from them!

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  53. ah, i didn't know they ship it from the u.s.
    shipping here is not cheap considering the warehouse is located in NY. and it is not fast, either.
    you are right! maybe it is a good thing. lol

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