REVIEW & SWATCHES: E.L.F. BEAUTY BOOK BRIGHT EYE EDITION

(swatches included have no primer or base)

Includes: 12 eye shadows, 1 eyeliner, 1 sponge tip applicator, mirror

Cost: $5.00

Where to get it: CVS, Walmart, Target for U.S. / Zellers & Factory Direct for Canada / EYESLIPSFACE.COM

Finish: Mostly shimmery with a few matte and a shade with matte finish and chunky glitter

Pigmentation: Varies from sheer to highly pigmented
Chalky: Very chalky
Lasting Power: Not long at all itself - requires a primer or base
Creasing: Of course

Additional Thoughts: To be honest, I thought they would all be really pigmented because I really enjoyed their Beauty Encyclopedia (I'll do a review on that too). I enjoy the shimmery shades the most because they are smooth to apply and have the most pigmentation. I really like how there are a combination of neutral and colourful shades. However, the pigmentation of the colourful ones weren't as strong as I would've hoped (the purples and turquoise). If shimmer or chalkiness isn't your thing, this is definitely not for you. You need to pack some of them on because once blended, it will barely show. The inconsistent pigmentation bothers me.

Recommended: For those who don't use makeup often and want something affordable for the evening night out

Would I re-purchase: No.

Overall Rating: 3/5

REVIEW: ELF BRIGHTENING EYE COLOR

PALETTE: BUTTERNUT #01116
PRICE: $1
FROM: ELF(EYES LIPS FACE)
RATING: 3.5/5

During my last ELF haul a month ago, I was gifted this quad for inviting 3 people to the website. I am not sure whether or not the gifts are the same for all the referrals since I saw somebody receive the same palette. Anyway, the website swatches shouldn't ever be trusted. It makes the colours look matte when they are in fact shimmery. This is my first eye shadow palette from ELF since I usually just order their face and lip products and I must say that I really like it.

I am really cheap and I try my best to find the absolute best quality products for low prices (which seems unrealistic) so I guess I should already let you guys know from here that I am a drugstore freak and will rarely feature high-end products unless I just feel like investing in something that I know for sure is great. I need money to be experimental and sadly, these things are the only thing I can afford.

So I've tried many drugstore quads before mainly from Rimmel and Covergirl and they are not as pigmented as this ELF palette (I know shades 1 & 2 barely show but blame that on my flash and skin tone). What I love the most about this product is how smooth the application it. It isn't creamy (obviously) but it's so easy to apply and isn't at all chalky. To be honest, I don't think you even need a base or a primer to get the full effect of the pigmentation. They are easy to blend and the colours are great for an everyday neutral/natural look. The only thing I do not like is obviously the lasting power but you get what you pay for, right? That's probably the only reason why I use a primer when I use this product. I tend to move my face a lot and let it touch too many surfaces (LOL, so unsanitary).

To describe the colours more precisely (check my swatches for reference), shade #1 is a light sheer colour with a golden tint that's perfect for highlight, #2 is a peachy nude which can be used as a mid tone on your lids or highlight, #3 is a beautiful bronze that adds a bit of depth to the crease during a natural look and can also be a mid tone on your lids for a smokey evening look, and #4 is perfect for the outer lid to give you a classy smokey eye.

I've been using this everyday because I just love this quad and I would probably buy the other colours.

Do you have this product? What do you think of it? If not, would you buy this product (if you're incredibly cheap and poor like me)?

REVIEW: SEBASTIAN TRUCCO VELVET ICE EYE SHADOWS

I purchased these Trucco Velvet Ice Eye Shadows for 49 cents each last year and I've only come around in using them more often now that spring is here. I recently found out that they are discontinued along with the entire Trucco cosmetic line (so this review might be pointless unless you shop at eBay or Amazon). 

The colours I bought are in Lollipop, Ruby Slipper, Polka Dot Bikini, Orange Crush and Baby Blues which I think are kind of cute. Believe it or not, they aren't shimmery, only glittery. They're mostly matte with pieces of glitter and they don't have the sheen that typical shimmery products do. It's advisable to use a good base and primer just because of the glitter...

The colours are pigmented enough but not to my liking because the application of this product is annoying since you do have to build it up to get the full vibrancy of each colour. Due to the chalkiness, they are not that easy to blend. However, their staying power is decent.

  
What bothers me about these eye shadows are the fallout and the chalkiness. The glitter is fairly annoying because they get in your eye while applying them on. Also, the darker shades stained my lids.


Overall, I do think the colours are pretty. If you're patient enough to deal with the glitter and application, they could do very pretty looks. As I've already mentioned, it's a very good idea to get a good quality base to keep these intact. 


Rating: 2/5