e.l.f. Blush in Candid Coral (Jane in Blushing Earth Sheer, MAC Moon River)

I don't own a lot of blushes and to be honest it was only until recently I felt the need for them. I'm sort of a minimalist when it comes to makeup and so the lesser number of products I put on my face the better. Of course, it still has to be to a point where I can get away with it since I have no intention of going out into the eat-or-be-eaten world with ma bare face!

Recently, I've noticed that blush really does give your face an extra oomph. The right blush makes me look more youthful, more alive and even - more happy :)

That being said, I don't think e.l.f. Candid Coral is that blush for me. Don't get me wrong, it's a great blush but it runs a little too pigmented and dark for me. It's not the subtle peachy coral I was looking for. If blushes that almost look like a bronzer works for you, then you may want to try this out. Both the packaging and product is great for the price- it's just not for me.

* Moon River was kind of a random choice to compare with Candid Coral as it is pink and shimmery and very different from Candid Coral. It's a bit shimmery but I like it. It gives me pale pink cheeks!

* Jane Blush in Blushing Earth Sheer is one of my favorite drugstore blushes as it is subtle and creates a pretty coral sheen. It's more pink and subtle compared with Candid Coral.

Haul: e.l.f. Cosmetics (Overview of Complexion Perfection, Corrective Concealer, Mineral Powder Brush, Eyeshadow Primer, Shine Eraser)

Ah.. the old adage.. "you get what you pay for" is something I agree with more often than not. But who could assert that its always true with the likes of e.l.f. cosmetics running around town?

I've ordered from eyeslipsface.com once before and while their shipping is painfully slow, their Studio products weren't half-bad. I was especially impressed with the Complexion Perfection Powder and managed to hit pan on that one. So in ordering a new one, I decided to try out some other things.

Here's what I got, along with my overall impression of each.

1. Complexion Perfection Powder (Studio)- I initially got this to see if the yellow/green side could be a dupe of the Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder (hello ridiculously long name?). I don't have a lot of redness in my skin but I do have enough to care.

All I can say is the Complexion Perfection held its own. I was tempted to believe that because of its low price, it would break me out or something horrible like that but I have to say, after having used one whole compact (the yellow/green side only), I'm fine and my skin, which is on the sensitive side, is fine. (Note however, that this does have a boatload of talc in it- for those of you who wish to avoid the ingredient.)

2. Corrective Concealer (Studio)- I can't say I cared for this one.. I wish I could say that it 'surprised' me or it was better than I expected and all that jazz but to be honest it kinda sucked. The colors, for one, are neither here nor there. All four of them run a little dark and I am unsure of what to make of the pink one. It seems a little too dark to perk up my skin tone which pinks are usually meant to do but it's too light to use as a blush or other. The skin-toned ones are just as confusing. The green is not that bad but here's the real problem.

The texture is very.. strange. It's not completely ineffective but it's dry and the consistency is uneven. It's almost as if the oil content of the product decided to separate from the color content. It's very difficult to get onto a brush. Additionally, the brush it comes with is all but useless.

* The photos run a little dark. The colors are a bit lighter in real life.

3. Powder Brush (Mineral)- Of the things I ordered I was most excited about this new powder brush for the mineral line because it looked like it could what this Sephora powder brush I've been wanting could do. And apart from the bit of glue that was on the lower part of the brush right above the handle (see if you can find it) I really like this brush! It's nice and large and the bristles are so much softer than the regular Studio line brushes, making it perfect for applying loose powder all over the face.

The brush is slightly cinched meaning it looks more similar to the complexion brush in the Studio line than the Powder brush shown in the last photo.

4. Eyeshadow Primer (Mineral)- This one, like the corrective concealer, I'm a little iffy about. Iffy because it looks.. old. Or like there's something bad in there. Something that could hurt my eyes. Or my eyelids. Or my nose. Okay not my nose. But I don't think I'll be putting it near my face anytime soon so apologies in advance. I'm not sure if there'll ever be a review on this one...

5. Shine Eraser- I don't know about you, but for me and my leave-no-shine-behind policy, oil blotting linens/films are definitely one of man's better inventions. e.l.f.'s Shine Erasers pack 50 sheets and are eerily reminiscent of the Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens. The texture and size is obviously different but considering that one is ten dollars for 100 sheets and the other is one dollar for 50 sheets, I think the Shine Eraser deserves extra points.

6. Blush in Candid Coral (Studio)- This one will be in a separate post soon to follow. So that's it for now. Good night everyone!