My elf Makeup Favourites - Review + Swatches

Saturday, 5 June 2021

 This post contains gifted items.

I have been obsessed with so many elf products in the past couple of years that I thought it would be a great idea to put together a post of some of my absolute favourite elf products!

As someone who suffers a lot with pores and texture on the skin, the elf Poreless Putty Primer* (£9.00 for 21g) is a must-have for me. It comes in a pot and the formula is infused with Squalene to help grip makeup to ensure it lasts on the skin all day long and helps to protect the skin from moisture loss. The formula has a velvety texture that glides seamlessly onto the skin, smoothing over imperfections while helping to minimise the appearance of pores. elf also have a Mattifying, Blemish Fighting and Luminous version of the Putty Primer, so depending on what your skin needs, you can then choose accordingly. A little goes a long way and it reminds me of the Tatcha Silk Canvas Balm, but much, much cheaper!

Another cult elf product is the elf 16HR Camo Concealer (£6.00 for 6ml), which is available in 26 shades! Of which I have the shade Light Beige for my light skintone. This is a much-loved crease-proof liquid concealer that gives up to 16 hours of full coverage and a matte finish whilst also moisturising the skin. It has a large doe-foot applicator so it is super quick and easy to apply onto the skin and is lightweight, so it doesn't look or feel heavy on the skin. The formula includes Avocado Oil to moisturise and protect the skin and Kaolin Clay which helps to control excess oil and shine. Once again, there are two different versions, this one which is suitable for normal, combination and oily skin and then a Hydrating version which is great for drier skin types. I love how pigmented the formula is as it covers dark circles and blemishes on the skin in seconds and a little goes a long way.

I discovered the elf Bite-Size Face Duos* (£3.00 for 4.6g) last year and thought they were genius! For just £3.00, you receive a neat, petite compact that includes one blush shade and one highlighter shade. There are multiple colour options to choose from, and here I have White Peach, which includes a peach blush and a peach gold highlighter and Pomegranate, which has a rosy pink blush and a pink-toned gold highlighter. They are super versatile and affordable and the pigment of both products is second to none. The formula blends out easily onto the skin without looking powdery and they are buttery soft. As much as I love luxurious packaging, sometimes you just want something small that you can store easily or travel with.

elf don't just have their Putty Primer for the face, you can also get the elf Putty Eye Primer* (£5.00 for 5.3g) which is available in six universal shade options. These little pots contain a moisturising eye primer that has been designed to add depth to your look and lock eyeshadow in place for up to 12 hours of crease-proof wear. The reason these are one of my favourites is because I have quite hooded lids, which can therefore often cause creasing on the lids when I wear eyeshadow, but when applying one of these before eyeshadow, my eyeshadow doesn't budge or smudge whatsoever. The formula is easy to apply straight onto the lids and feels very lightweight, and can be worn on its own to smooth out the lids or of course underneath eye makeup. The shades I have here are White, Rose, Sand and Black, and the White works amazingly underneath pastels and neons, whereas the black is great for accentuating glitters.

Just before the elf Bite-Sized Face Duos were released, the elf Bite-Sized Eyeshadow Palettes* (£4.00 for 3.5g) arrived. For the price alone, these are incredible! In each cute palette you receive four eyeshadows, some are matte and some are shimmer, yet all are super pigmented and the shimmers are more like metallics, super rich and creamy, applying like a dream. There are eight colour options available, and here I have Acai You - a mixture of lavender blues, Berry Bad, rose and berries shades, and Carnival Candy, a predominantly matte palette of neutrals with a pop of blue shimmer. I know we aren't travelling abroad right now, but even if you are staycationing or staying with family, these are such an excellent travel option.

I do love me some glitter - whatever the time of year! The elf Liquid Glitter Eyeshadows* (£6.00 for 3ml) are quick-drying, long-lasting gel-based glitter shadows that are infused with multi-dimensional glitter and pearls for such a beautiful finish. There are over ten shades to choose from, of which I have here Bling Bling - a silver with iridescence, Copper Pop - a rose gold base with yellow and orange glitter, Dirty Martini, a really unique duo chrome full of multi-coloured glitter and Black Magic, a black with silver glitter. The applicator is flat and double-sided so application is a doddle and a little goes a long way, so you can control the amount of product you are applying, whether you want a toned down glitter look or a full disco queen eye look. These are very comparable to the Stila versions, except much cheaper once again - elf I love you!

If you want the quickest shimmer or matte eyeshadow look ever, then you must try the elf No Budge Shadow Sticks* (£6.00 for 1.6g). Available in over ten shades, these versatile cream eyeshadow sticks deliver high pigment, metallic or matte colour with staying power. They have a twist-up mechanism which means there is never any need to sharpen them, although if you are wanting to use them to line the eye, there is a built-in sharpener and the formula is creamy and blendable, and you can apply it straight on to the lids and then take a fingertip or brush to blend it out. There are so many beautiful shades to choose from and here I have Champagne Crystal, a pretty light gold shimmer, Copper Chic, a shimmering copper, Midnight Sapphire, a lovely blue lavender, and Rich Amethyst, a royal metallic purple.

For the brows, I had to include the elf Wow Brow (£6.00 for 3.5g), which is a brow fibre gel, so it adds tiny fibres onto the brows to make them look fuller. There are five shades available, of which I have Brunette, and the formula is a buildable wax gel that is enriched with Kaolin Clay and those hair-like fibres that adhere to and enhance your natural brows. The applicator is tiny and precise, which I much prefer as I have naturally fine brows, and I just brush it through my brows either on its own for a more natural look, or over the top of a brow powder or pencil to keep everything locked into place and looking fuller.

An alternative brow product is the elf x Jen Atkin Hair & Brow Pomade* (£6.00 for 6.5g), a 2-in-1 clear pomade designed to groom your brows and tame flyaway hairs. It comes with a micro brush that looks like a real-life tiny hairbrush and whilst I personally don't use this on my brows, I do love to use this to flatten down any baby hair on my hairline when I am wearing my hair in plaits or wearing it in a sleek ponytail. The formula is long-lasting and as it is clear, it can be used on brows or hair of any colour and I love that it doesn't look hard or feel sticky once applied. If you have naturally fuller, thick brows, then this would be such a great product to keep your brows in place and tamed.

Also from the elf x Jen Atkin collection, I have fallen in love with the elf x Jen Atkin Zero Effort Liners* (£5.00 for 1.4g), which are available in Jet Set Black or Brown To Earth for a more natural look. These cream-to-powder eyeliners are super long lasting and glide onto the eyeline effortlessly, so there is no pulling or tugging at that delicate area. They are the most creamiest, pigmented eyeliners I have tried in a very long time and as someone who has watery eyes, they even apply to and stay put on my waterline, which is something I often struggle to find. If you want a smoky eye, not a problem - they blend out easily as they are so pigmented and they really have been my go-to ever since first trying them.

I did a full blog post on the elf Hydrating Core Lip Shines* (£6.00 each) when they were first released, and they are still one of my favourites now. They are a melting lip balm with a heart shaped core of Vitamin E to moisturise the lips whilst adding a sheer tint of colour. There are eight shades available, of which I have them all I love them that much, but here I have Cheery, a nude coral and Happy, a dusty rose, as I feel these would suit most skin tones, but there are other pops of colour and more neutral shades too. I was so surprised when I first ever tried these at just how moisturising these are - you feel it as soon as you apply them, and as with a lot of tinted lip balms, I wasn't expecting much in the way of colour, but these give such a juicy, shiny finish of colour to the lips that you can wear them instead of lipstick.

If you want a good solid balm with just a hint of colour, then the elf Ride Or Die Lip Balms* (£5.00 for 12g) are the one! Again, I have all five of the shades available as I love them so much, but the shades I have here are Just Peachy and Boss Berry as these are my favourite scents - yes they are flavoured too! These lip balms are thicker in texture, and you only get a hint of colour compared to the Core Lip Shines, which is perfect for everyday wear. These intensely hydrating lip balms are infused with Jojoba Oil and Vegan Collagen to repair dry lips and keep them nourished and moisturised throughout the day and I love that there are different flavours to try.

elf sure did take it to another level with their Jen Atkin collaboration and the elf x Jen Atkin Xxtra Lip Kit* (£20.00 for 3) is a must-have! These are available individually at £8.00 each, but the set contains all three shades available Red-y To Go, SE.L.F. Made Pink, and Bring It On Brown and it is impossible to choose just one! These high-quality lip duos contain a lipstick at one end and a lip liner at the other - so no need to scramble around to try and find a lip liner to match your lipstick! The formula is the best I have tried from elf and they give a creamy, rich, matte finish to the lips. I love that there is a neutral, a pink and a red shade as you have more or less everything you could need for the lips in just this one set and the product feels so nourishing on the lips, so even though it has a matte finish, it is lightweight and moisturising and not at all drying.

Finally, if you are wanting a clear gloss, that doesn't cost a fortune and makes the lips look uber glossy, then my final favourite has to be the elf Lip Lacquer (£4.00 for 2.5ml) in the shade Clear. There are other shades available in this lip formula, but I find it one of the best clear glosses on the market. This vitamin-enriched lip gloss isn't sticky or gloopy, and contains Vitamin A to hydrate and promote natural moisture and Vitamin E to nourish and soften the lips. You get a super glossy finish without the stickiness and it can of course be worn on its own or on top of a lip colour.

You can find elf online here.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx


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