Lesley on Elf makeup haul!

I just received my first ELF package in the post and i am very excited to review the products! Facebook has just promoted a 50% off sale, so i bought 8 "studio" products for only £17.45 (inc £2.95 P&P)... amazing!!

box of goodies!!!

(I apologise for the bad/blurry images - i am in the process of getting a new camera)

Complexion Brush

elf complexion brush

Elf in a nutshell states:

"-This Taklon Brush can be used with wet and dry products.

  -Creates an even and natural finish

  -Use with pressed, loose or translucent powders, blush or bronzer"

When i opened the package the first thing i noticed was how SOFT the brush is. I used the brush to apply the tinted moisturiser and the high definition powder, it worked wonderfully on both.

 With Benefit You Rebel i noticed that it was a much lighter coverage than using my Foundation brush, plus i had to use double of the pea size amount i normally use. However, i have quite red cheeks so i used my foundation brush for a better coverage.

 Tinted Moisturiser SPF15 - 12g

  

L-R: Apricot  Beige and Honey

I bought the moisturisers for my sister as a birthday present, i couldn't decide which shade to get her, so i got her both as with the 50% off it was 75p each! Bargain!

When i first opened the moisturisers and swatched them on my sister's hand i noticed they were quite similar in colour. Then I applied the light colour to the left side of her face and the darker one to the right, first with my fingers and then with the complexion brush. I noticed how light the coverage was, and to be honest although they were completely different shades, they looked exactly the same on her face! It only gave her a little bit of coverage and has she has quite a shiny face, so after i used High definition powder. I tried again using quite a lot of tinted moisturiser then using the brush to stipple, the results were a little bit better although yet again they both looked the same on her face!

Verdict: I would not buy this again, as it didn't really make a difference, and there are better coverages out there.  I would prefer something that is thicker and less shiny. Also the tube is quite small especially if you have to apply a lot. However, i really like the fruity scent of oranges.

High definition powder - 8g

I've never tried anything like this before, although using You Rebel, i found that it was time to give it a go as i realised i was using my bronzer as a finishing powder to keep my face looking less shiny. The powder is white as snow but doesn't look like that on your face at all, in fact it is invisible. It comes with a sponge applicator which i threw away straight away after buying my complexion brush, as i thought the puff would carry too much.

I've used it for a couple days and realised less is definitely more with this product. I thought that i would love a completely shine free face - i don't! I found myself applying more liquid bronzer to get my natural healthy glow back.

Verdict: The package is quite bulky and the powder seems to go everywhere when I want more powder. I would only use a tiny bit at a time so it is value for money. I might shop around to find others.

Cool Bronzer - 13g

cute elf logo on bottom right

with flash

natural light

I am a bit of a collector when it comes to bronzers, but i don't have any matte bronzers, and at £1.75, i was eager to try this! The packaging looks so slick and professional, and contains a big mirror. I love that is has four different shades, and they are so highly pigmented, especially the browns. You only have to use a little bit otherwise you will look "dirty" (my mother's words haha!) The blocks are big enough to use only one shade if you want to. Also, the pinky shade also doubles up as a blusher and the white as a highlighter for below the eyebrows.  The only negative thing i have to say is that the white is not as highly pigmented and you have to build it up, but i always find that with any white matte, perhaps they shouldn't have put this in as it the brown's override it.

Verdict: Definitely will buy this again, but in other shades (elf states this is ideal for winter) - well worth the £1.75!

Eyebrow Kit in dark - 2g

L-R: Gel and eyeshadow 

The Eyebrow kit was the product i was most looking forward to getting. I am so terrible at filling in my eyebrows (you can see my eyebrow review HERE) and i only use eyeshadow to fill my brows in.

The kit comes with a double sided brush, one side has an angled brush for the gel, to define and shape the brows, the other side is a blending brush for the powder to... you know, blend! It is supposed to give a natural finished look. I don't really like the brush much, i found myself using the angled brush for both the gel and eyeshadow, as the blending brush wasn't compact enough.

So for the first time ever!!!... I took the angled brush and took a tiny bit of the gel and put it on my brows. I wasn't sure how much i should use and i don't think it made much of a difference to my brows to be honest. I wasn't really impressed with the gel. I thought it would be more waxy but its more like lipgloss. I will stick to my brow gel. Next, i used the blending brush and dabbed a tiny bit of eyeshadow onto the brush, as I've seen Sophia do. I started applying, not sure if the powder was too light for my really dark nearly black eyebrows. But i soon realised after i had applied so much and suddenly had thick eyebrows! As you can see from the pictures for my first time i don't think it was that bad, but i need practice.

Verdict: I cannot wait to practice with the eyebrow kit, this is definitely my new toy! I always want nice thick symmetrical eyebrows. Although i don't really have much to say about the gel as it doesn't really tame my quite thick eyebrows, but maybe i am using it wrong and will review it again later.

Mineral Infused Face Primer - 14g

I  really like the packaging of this product. Also the fact that it is a pump also is excellent as you can use a little or a lot as you like with little waste. I tried pumping it but after around twenty pumps when nothing came out, i opened it and was disappointed as it looked like it was snapped in half. However, i twisted it back on and tried pumping it again and it seems to work now.

The primer is sooo soft and smooth. I used my fingers to warm up the product, which glides on nicely on my face and doesn't smell of anything. I definitely put it to the test when i went on a night out recently and kept my makeup on all night (something I've only done about twice in my life!) I still had a good face of makeup on in the morning, so i would say this really works! As this is the first time I've used a primer i would try other primers.

The only bad thing i have to say is I'm not sure how much or how little to use, i guess this is just trial and error for me. Also, as its invisible i have to remember where i put it on my face!

Brush Shampoo - 120mls

The brushes in question - Before

After - little different!

This is a clear thick shampoo that smells very faintly like washing up liquid. I bought it for £1.75 with the 50% off sale. It is meant to be a weekly brush cleaner, not to get confused with the Daily Brush Cleaner. I wasn't very keen on trying it but i decided to give it a go. I washed all my brushes twice (sometimes three times) with a very small amount of shampoo mixed with water before rinsing the brushes twice. It was good because even though i used a fair amount, it still looked full to the top. However, the soap didn't lather and its left my hands feeling very dry, caused by the second most used ingredient Sodium l

Laurel Sulfate, which is a cheap ingredient used to make soaps/shampoos/toothpastes foam. If they made my hands dry after one application, what are they doing to my brushes if i use them every week?!?

The day after: I left them overnight to dry, and when i went to use my brushes this morning they didn't feel as conditioned as when i used shampoo. Also, they still smelt like they had product on, which is not very hygienic.

Verdict: I think i am going to stick to baby shampoo or perfume free soap, which, although still contains a small amount of Sodium Laurel Sulfate, it also contains many natural ingredients and doesn't dry out my hands. Also i don't have to wash my brushes twice/three times normally until they feel they are clean. The Daily Brush Cleaner contains no SLS but contains Methylparaben which is a natural and safe antibacterial preservation, which i wish i tried instead. I think i have to be aware of the more natural ingredients out there; so many ingredients in makeup enter the body as toxins.