Tag: elf cosmetics

Beauty, MAC Cosmetics

Underrated Eyeshadow Palettes (with swatches)

by NikkiLeave a Comment on Underrated Eyeshadow Palettes (with swatches)
e.l.f. Rose Gold Nude, Juvia's Place The Warrior, Mac Cosmetics Art Library Flame-Boyant underrated eyeshadow Palettes

Being underrated is obviously very subjective.  Amanda from Makeup.Just.For.Fun on YouTube got me thinking about this topic when she posted a recent video on her underrated neutral palettes under $30.  For me, an underrated product is one that no one ever talks about, or they used to talk about it but now you don’t see it mentioned.  So let’s get into my opinions about some underrated palettes.

e.l.f Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette, $10**

e.l.f Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette Swatches
elf Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette

This one is underrated to me because you used to hear a lot about these 10-pan palette options from e.l.f., but now people are really focused on either their bite-sized Eyeshadow quads or the 18-pan eyeshadow palettes.

I was trying to branch out and get a different color story than I normally pick out, so I went with this version of e.l.f.’s 10 pan palettes instead of the warmer Rose Gold Sunset Palette.  As I certainly could have predicted, I mostly only like the warmer shades (6 and 8).  I found that I could only get use out of shades 5 – 10 based on 1 and 4 being too light and shade 2 and 3 being too light and sheer in the application.  Shade 5 was a bit sheer and took more building and I wasn’t crazy about the shade on the eyes.

e.l.f Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette medium dark skin swatches
elf Nude Rose Eyeshadow Palette
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Beauty

Buy High/Buy Low: Foundation Buffing Brush

by NikkiLeave a Comment on Buy High/Buy Low: Foundation Buffing Brush

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

Buy High: Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush, $32.00**

Buy Low: e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush, $6.00**

elf ultimate blending brush vs smashbox blurring foundation brush, dupe, alternative
Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush vs elf Ultimate Blending Brush

Both of these brushes work well for those that like to apply foundation in a buffing motion.  They can also be used to stipple for more coverage when needed. I truly feel like I can get the same results from both of these brushes.  The biggest application difference is coverage level.  The e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush** has a shorter handle and the closer your hand is to your face, the more pressure you use.  This translates to heavier coverage.  If you are aware of that you can be careful to use less product and that will lessen the coverage you get.  If you like higher coverage that won’t be an issue.  The Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush** gives you more flexibility in coverage simply because you’ll naturally hold the brush further down because the handle is longer.  The Smashbox brush also has markings on the handle that indicates where to hold the brush depending on the coverage level you want.

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Beauty

Top 3 Drugstore Blushes under $10

by NikkiLeave a Comment on Top 3 Drugstore Blushes under $10

These are my personal favorite blushes from the drugstore.  In my opinion, these blushes are great, not just good for the price.

e.l.f. Primer Infused Blush in Always Rosy, $6.00** 

Top 3 Drugstore Blushes under $10 e.l.f primer infused blush always rosy swatch on medium dark skin
e.l.f. always rosy blush

This blush actually is listed as a bestseller on e.l.f.’s website.  They have also recently added 3 more for a total of seven shades.

e.l.f primer infused blush always rosy swatch on medium dark skin Top 3 Drugstore Blushes under $10
e.l.f primer infused blush -n always rosy

The e.l.f. always rosy blush has a beautiful formula.  I don’t really think there is a noticeable difference in performance and wear time due to it being primer infused.  The texture of the powder is definitely smoother than other blushes I’ve tried, but I just don’t notice that it made a difference overall.  I found it easy to pick up with any brush and easy to blend.  I immediately felt like this reminded me of a more pink version of the Mac blush in the shade Mocha.  I feel like Mac Mocha has more red to it than this shade.

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