elf

Worth it? elf Wow Brow Gel

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elf wow browelf wow brow gel, $4

I was browsing through Target’s beauty aisles – as a basic white girl is wont to do – seeking NYX Milk pencils. En route, I happened to spot elf Wow Brow gel. The name is reminiscent of a Benefit product, but this does not phase me. For $4 per 0.12 oz pop, I decide to try this fiber-containing formula even though I’m not currently in the market for brow products (currently using Anastasia Dipbrow Gel ($9-18) that is SO NICE and yes I still need to write about it).

Packaging

Like all elf products, elf Wow Brow packaging is unassuming in a black cylinder. Some people want to be seduced with packaging – and don’t get me wrong; I swoon over Hourglass like the rest of ’em – but I’m comfortable with simple and practical. The spoolie housed inside does not beat benefit’s in Gimme Brow and Gimme Brow+ but for the price difference, I’ll live. (Hell, I may be able to clean a Gimme Brow+ spoolie and use it if I must).

Color Selection

Examining the five shade selection, I couldn’t decide what I needed; I grabbed two. As it turns out, elf’s interpretation of Taupe differs both from my understanding of the shade as well as most other brow product manufacturers, so I grabbed it and what they deem Neutral Brown. Neutral Brown seems closer to what I expect from a Taupe shade.

Here they are in real life.

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Worth It? elf Small Stipple Brush

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This legacy post has been given a facelift! Content and opinions remain the same, but have been edited for clarity. A 2018 Update has been added to the conclusion. Enjoy!

elf Small Stipple Brushelf Small Stipple Brush, $3

I can’t argue with the price-point of the $3 elf Small Stipple Brush, but how does it perform?

Back in the Day

I owned one of these back in 2013 and attempted to use it for foundation when I was still figuring out how to do facepaint. I ended up having some streaking and coverage issues with foundation application, though and ultimately got rid of it in favor of a flat-top buffer (I have one from Coastal Scents and from Sigma) and my beautyblender.

Interest Renewed

Now that I’m into cream blush, though, I want to explore other application methods. So far, my beautyblender has done beautifully, but exploration is fun, so I picked up another one of these at Target.

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Three Unbelievably Great Drugstore Brands

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Over the last decade, drugstore cosmetics have made some major strides in competing with prestige performance. Some think this is due to the ownership structure in the beauty industry and the fact that many drugstore AND prestige brands share parent companies; others think it is due to the natural effects of trying to maintain a competitive edge. I know that it is both – but I’m not here to debate the why. I just want to talk about some great drugstore brands!

Maybelline & L’Oreal

…are owned by the same parent company, so I’m lumping them together especially since I’m talking about the same types of products. I’ve reviewed and REALLY liked both of their gel liners before (I do prefer Maybelline’s gel a bit more). Their cream and pressed-pigment shadows are jaw-droppingly good, especially if you can snag them with a coupon.

Although there are other concealers that undoubtedly outperform Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind concealer., , they all take more work to apply and blend. I use it at least three days a week. The intersection of price, performance, and convenience is just right for me.

They haven’t made me a cult fan of other products yet, but I’ve been an adherent to L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon black for years now – and I’ve enjoyed other formulas from them too (like Million Lashes Excess).

Wet n Wild

Photo definitely not mine! It is from from BedlamBeauty.com, go show her some love.

My first memory of painting my nails as a kid isn’t accompanied by a color, but a brand. I remember clutching a Wet n Wild polish bottle not unlike the one pictured above by Nichole from Bedlam Beauty. Lacking dexterity, I tried and repeatedly failed to neatly paint my digits perched precariously over an old, tattered towel freckled with drops of dried polish. Better that than the floor, right?

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October 2017 Favorites

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October 2017 Favorites

October 2017 Favorites
1. e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Blending Brush, $6 / 2. Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, $80
3. Pacifica Underarm Deodorant Wipes, $8 / 4. L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black, 8

Details on my October 2017 Favorites after the jump. Before that, though, can you believe it is November? The day after Halloween, all the stores around me were in full Christmas-preparedness-swing. It instantly annoyed me…and then I realized I have my holiday shopping all but complete already (only one person left). Hello Pot, I am Kettle. Just kidding – I get my holiday shopping done early so I don’t have to deal with the insanity from here through the end of the year!

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Recent Repurchases – Fall/Winter 2016

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Us beauty bloggers talk a LOT about new things we’ve tried, or NEW(ish in my case!) favorites, but I think we collectively do a poor job of talking about what we loved enough to repurchase. I might really enjoy a product for a few months, but by the time I get to the end of the bottle or hit pan, things may have changed.

Here’s are my recent repurchases as of last week.

 

Recent Repuchases - Million Dollar Tan Cabana TanMillion Dollar Tan Cabana Tan

Some of my hunt for a more cost-effective sunless tanner has been chronicled. I’m not unhappy with Million Dollar Tan in the slightest, but accessibility and cost are key items that factor in my buying choices. St Tropez is more accessible didn’t blow my mind. Vita Liberata is more accessible, but also more costly. Many drugstore options are hit-or-miss. On Thanksgiving, Million Dollar Tan featured a 40% off discount – so I snagged the already-discounted 2-pack of Cabana Tan for only $30 TOTAL with the 40% code and free shipping. Normally $32 EACH (I’ve never paid full price, but still) this is a solid deal. With my usage, it takes me forever to get through the product, so it will be about two years before I need to replenish.

For those who would prefer to order through a retailer, Nordstrom carries it now too.

 

2016 Holiday Gift Guide - Big Sexy Hair Volumizing SetBig Sexy Hair Root Pump

I’m utterly helpless when it comes to hair, but I’ve figured out how to be presentable for work. One of the consequences of insisting on having long hair is that long locks tend to weigh down roots, so I need help in that department. I’ve bought a few travel-sized bottles of Big Sexy Hair Root Pump before, too gun-shy to shell out for the a full-sized can. This gift set from JcPenney (fluctuates between $22-25) finally got me to bite the bullet with some promo code and rewards cash for ultra-cheap.

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki

Sigma F80

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2015 Favorites

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I’m approaching my annual favorites post a little differently than I did last year. Instead of breaking it down by section, I’m just going to slap all my 2015 Favorites together. I liked plenty of things, but these are what I liked most.

2015 Favorites

Naked2 Basics - Social

Naked2 Basics, $29 – has been my lifesaver. Even when I first swatched it and decided I required it, I didn’t imagine I’d come to use it as much or as often as I did and do. Personally, I think it is superior to its predecessor…but I don’t own its predecessor, so I haven’t run it through the gauntlet, yet.

elftickledpink

e.l.f. Studio Blush in Tickled Pink, $3 – is a very subtle, pleasant peachy-pink hue. I wear it the most of all the blush I own; it’s hard to overdo, and isn’t too much for work.

cremeinyourcoffee_bullet

MAC Creme in Your Coffee, $17 – Such a nice MLBB, it stays and wears away well. Reapplies easily, and has that lovely signature MAC lipstick scent. I will repurchase a billion of these.

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