Thank you, e.l.f.!
Friday, March 11, 2011
say what?
For the past few days, I've been awaiting a response from e.l.f.'s customer service department due to the little mishap involving one of the lipsticks I ordered from them; so naturally, I've been checking my inbox every day. Disgruntled by not having received a response yet, I logged into my e.l.f. account only moments ago to find that they're already sending me another lipstick, free of charge! No shipping charge, no charge for the cost of the lipstick. This, in my opinion, is amazing. I couldn't be more surprised by the quality of their customer service. And although it would have been nice to get an e-mail reply back to the message I initially sent asking about my options, I have to say that I'm still pleasantly surprised.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
e.l.f. excitement!
 |
| From left to right: Bubblegum Pink, Coral, Innocent (nail polishes, $1.00 each); a free sample of e.l.f.'s Butternut eye-brightening shadow; Natural Nymph, and Runway Pink (mineral lipsticks, $5.00 each). As of today, I've tested one of the nail polishes, both lipsticks and the (free!) eye shadow. So! Here we go.  From left to right: Innocent, Coral, and Bubblegum Pink.  Bubblegum Pink after two coats. The nail polish I couldn't wait to test first was Bubblegum Pink; so after some studying and a little relaxing last night, I prepped my nails and attacked. The nail polish itself is a very bright, solid color, and is almost an electric pink. Not quite as bright, however. It dries rather quickly, and although it takes two coats to achieve opacity, the final result is impressive. My only problem with this product is its brush. I really, really wish that more of the major cosmetic lines would consider redesigning their brushes! The brush for Rimmel's line of Lasting Finish Pro polishes is fantastic; it's wide, thick, and allows flawless coverage. The eye shadow is fantastic. The color pay-off is sublime, especially since e.l.f. eye shadows cost $1.00 each. The color I received, Butternut, is a quad of natural brown tones flecked with medium-sized glitter. It applies smoothly and creates very little fall-out. Layers are required to create a bold look with this particular shadow, but watch out! Don't over-blend, or you'll end up with a soupy, hazy mess all over your eyelids.  Natural Nymph and Runway Pink. The mineral lipsticks are.. interesting. Although they appear to be matte colors in this photo, they're actually quite sheen. The lipstick is pleasantly smooth and light, and not at all waxy or dry.. but not creamy as I had hoped it might be. Coverage is decent, though both of these colors settled into the small lines in my lips. Perhaps if they'd been creamier this could have been avoided? Most importantly, though, my Natural Nymph has already broken! I was extraordinarily dismayed when this happened, as I only received these products in the mail yesterday. Yep. *sigh* While barely applying any pressure during application, Natural Nymph broke, hit the floor, and crumbled. Faulty product, maybe? Or was it the cold Wisconsin weather that caused this? In any case, I contacted e.l.f. immediately via e-mail, so we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll be writing a review of their customer service in a few days. All right. I think I've spent enough time rambling. Thanks for reading! |
Sunday, February 27, 2011
e.l.f. cosmetics and a review of L'Oreal's gel liner!
I've never actually tried any of the e.l.f. products, but after watching a few YouTube vlogs on the quality of their myriad products (and being lured in by the insanely low price of their lipstick), I decided to order a few things off of the web site. which I was, admittedly, reluctant to do, as e.l.f. eye shadows, lip glosses, and blushes are sold at my local Target. my Target, however, doesn't carry much of a selection! no lip stick, no nail polish, and only a few palettes. I was also hesitant to purchase from the web site due to the fact that they charge $6.95 for shipping (yeesh). but since I rarely buy anything for myself anymore, I forged ahead and made a purchase of three nail polishes (Coral, Bubblegum Pink, and Innocent) and two lipsticks (Runway Pink and a Natural Nymph). in addition to these products, e.l.f. also sends a free gift if you're able to refer three friends to their web site; which I hastily did, 'cause who doesn't like free stuff? anyhow, as soon as my order arrives, expect a review of at least one of the nail polishes and both lipsticks!
and now, onto an actual review of a product!
although it's only a drugstore product, L'Oreal's HiP gel eyeliner is on the same level as high-end products. the formula is creamy, long-lasting, and waterproof. sadly, the same cannot be said of the first gel liner I ever purchased, an Avon disaster containing sparkles. in contrast with L'Oreal's product, Avon's product is dry, sticky, and often crumbles during application. the only thing that I do not like about L'Oreal's liner is the brush that is included. it is extremely useless! its bristles are hard, plastic, and do little to facilitate application. you're absolutely better off simply throwing away the brush immediately after purchase, as it will only scrape your eyelids, causing irritation and frustration!
one more tip regarding the L'Oreal liner: be sure to apply some kind of primer to your lids prior to application. although the liner's staying power without primer is miraculous and appreciated, I would recommend a primer to decrease the likelihood of smudging, particularly if you're an individual with oily skin. also, some kind of make-up remover is a must for this gel liner, as you'll likely spend more than a quick moment attempting to scrub it away when your day is over.
to the few people who do read my blog, thanks for perusin'!
and now, onto an actual review of a product!
although it's only a drugstore product, L'Oreal's HiP gel eyeliner is on the same level as high-end products. the formula is creamy, long-lasting, and waterproof. sadly, the same cannot be said of the first gel liner I ever purchased, an Avon disaster containing sparkles. in contrast with L'Oreal's product, Avon's product is dry, sticky, and often crumbles during application. the only thing that I do not like about L'Oreal's liner is the brush that is included. it is extremely useless! its bristles are hard, plastic, and do little to facilitate application. you're absolutely better off simply throwing away the brush immediately after purchase, as it will only scrape your eyelids, causing irritation and frustration!
one more tip regarding the L'Oreal liner: be sure to apply some kind of primer to your lids prior to application. although the liner's staying power without primer is miraculous and appreciated, I would recommend a primer to decrease the likelihood of smudging, particularly if you're an individual with oily skin. also, some kind of make-up remover is a must for this gel liner, as you'll likely spend more than a quick moment attempting to scrub it away when your day is over.
to the few people who do read my blog, thanks for perusin'!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
hello again!
I still haven't uploaded those dern product photos I mentioned, oooooh, about a week or so ago when I made my first post. ha. anyway, since I have a bit of time to write, I'll jump right into the obligatory posting about my skin care routine.
I'm a firm believer that foundation - liquid, cream, or powder - is a great way to create myriad skin problems. of course, as a teenager, I felt that anything that was thick enough to cover my acne scars and pimples was magical. I used foundation daily back then, and it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I ceased my use of foundation completely. by that time, the wily temperament of my skin had cooled considerably, and I no longer had to worry about breaking out. sure, I would find an occasional pimple on my forehead, chin or jaw line, but I wouldn't cover it up: I would take care of it.
to start my morning skin care routine, I rinse my face using very warm water. I do it a couple of times to loosen everything that's sitting on the top layer of my skin. next, I take a roughly dime-sized amount of my Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream (whew! long name!) and rub it over the near entirety of my face -- but not on my eyes! I don't get near my lids (upper or lower) or my delicate under-eye areas with the stuff. it's much too stringent and coarse, and I'm guessing it would cause a lot of damage to my eye if any of its exfoliating grains managed to get in. and yes, I know that some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy for using a body scrub on my face... but to be honest, I've used plenty of facial scrubs over the years that just haven't done as good of a job as the Clinique body scrub does. it comes in a huge tub; and if you're only using it as a facial scrub, it should last at least nine months. I've had mine since the beginning of the year, and I still have enough remaining for another four or five uses.
moving on!
after exfoliating for a good amount of time (about a minute or so), I rinse off the scrub with more warm water and then use an organic face wash that I picked up from my local natural foods store. it's called Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean face wash; it contains awapuhi, tea tree oil, and a long list of other natural ingredients that I can't quite remember at the moment. as far as face washes go, this is the best one I've ever used. as long as I use it every day, I can go weeks without seeing pimples or even the tiniest zits. it has a very strong herbal smell, but I don't mind it since I know the ingredients are indeed natural.
I don't use any toners; I feel that they dry the skin too much.
to moisturize, I use Oil of Olay's Active Hydrating Fluid for sensitive skin. I'm not really sure about how good it is for the skin, but it absorbs quickly and seems to create a barrier against moisture loss.
at night, I generally go through the same routine. I'll sometimes skip exfoliating in the morning. if I find any pimples, I'll zap 'em with Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. it's cheap (around $7.00 for a small tube) and powerful, so only a small amount is needed for application. it's meant to be placed only on a pimple or zit and should not be spread over an area of the skin! application should take place anywhere from two to three times per day (after applying a non-greasy moisturizer). oh, and I do use Biore strips on my nose whenever I feel like my pores are becoming too clogged...
so that's it, folks! nothin' complex. happy cleaning!
I'm a firm believer that foundation - liquid, cream, or powder - is a great way to create myriad skin problems. of course, as a teenager, I felt that anything that was thick enough to cover my acne scars and pimples was magical. I used foundation daily back then, and it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I ceased my use of foundation completely. by that time, the wily temperament of my skin had cooled considerably, and I no longer had to worry about breaking out. sure, I would find an occasional pimple on my forehead, chin or jaw line, but I wouldn't cover it up: I would take care of it.
to start my morning skin care routine, I rinse my face using very warm water. I do it a couple of times to loosen everything that's sitting on the top layer of my skin. next, I take a roughly dime-sized amount of my Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream (whew! long name!) and rub it over the near entirety of my face -- but not on my eyes! I don't get near my lids (upper or lower) or my delicate under-eye areas with the stuff. it's much too stringent and coarse, and I'm guessing it would cause a lot of damage to my eye if any of its exfoliating grains managed to get in. and yes, I know that some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy for using a body scrub on my face... but to be honest, I've used plenty of facial scrubs over the years that just haven't done as good of a job as the Clinique body scrub does. it comes in a huge tub; and if you're only using it as a facial scrub, it should last at least nine months. I've had mine since the beginning of the year, and I still have enough remaining for another four or five uses.
moving on!
after exfoliating for a good amount of time (about a minute or so), I rinse off the scrub with more warm water and then use an organic face wash that I picked up from my local natural foods store. it's called Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean face wash; it contains awapuhi, tea tree oil, and a long list of other natural ingredients that I can't quite remember at the moment. as far as face washes go, this is the best one I've ever used. as long as I use it every day, I can go weeks without seeing pimples or even the tiniest zits. it has a very strong herbal smell, but I don't mind it since I know the ingredients are indeed natural.
I don't use any toners; I feel that they dry the skin too much.
to moisturize, I use Oil of Olay's Active Hydrating Fluid for sensitive skin. I'm not really sure about how good it is for the skin, but it absorbs quickly and seems to create a barrier against moisture loss.
at night, I generally go through the same routine. I'll sometimes skip exfoliating in the morning. if I find any pimples, I'll zap 'em with Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. it's cheap (around $7.00 for a small tube) and powerful, so only a small amount is needed for application. it's meant to be placed only on a pimple or zit and should not be spread over an area of the skin! application should take place anywhere from two to three times per day (after applying a non-greasy moisturizer). oh, and I do use Biore strips on my nose whenever I feel like my pores are becoming too clogged...
so that's it, folks! nothin' complex. happy cleaning!
Monday, October 25, 2010
so.
as a teenager, I did my share of experimenting with various (and sometimes downright horrific) shades of lipstick. I also hungrily depleted myriad MAC kohl eyeliners, thanks to my tendency to heavily line my lids to create a dark, smoky look. up until several months ago, however, I'd had no interest in wearing or buying cosmetics for several years. five, to be more precise. however, after viewing several tutorials on YouTube, my curiosity was piqued. now, eight months later, I'm the proud owner of a small, manageable collection of lip glosses, drugstore eye shadows, and hand-me-down blush compacts.
I won't claim to be well-versed in the realm of cosmetics, but I was spoiled as a teenager by MAC's amazing line of products, so when I recently purchased an eyeshadow quad and a pot of gel eyeliner from Avon in an attempt to save some money, I wasn't surprised that my purchases couldn't live up to my expectations. (sound snooty enough for ya, yet?)
the eyeshadow quad comes in a medium-sized black compact, comparable in size, shape and appearance to a Chanel compact. the compact is quite difficult to open, however, and requires a bit of a struggle to pop open.
the color pay-off for all four of the shadows is minimal. the lightest shade, a kind of ultra-light beige, is terribly chalky. the bronze shadow that is meant to line the upper (or lower, I suppose) lid is very muted. many layers are needed to make it noticeable at all, which is extremely disappointing, because really, how hard is it to botch the formulation of a shimmery eye shadow?
the gel liner - all of Avon's gel liners, actually - contain small bits of glitter. not really sure what the point of it is, since a plain black liner would be preferable, but hey. in any case, Avon's gel liner is the first I've used. it glides on smooth enough, even if the bits of glitter do sometimes clump together on my liner brush and create problems during application.
which reminds me: the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush is definitely handy. if my hand is feeling steady, I can usually sweep the brush along the length of my lid without having to stop to adjust the position of my hand; which is great, since I'm a n00b when it comes to applying liquid and gel liners to my eyes.
the one other product I purchased - possibly the most disappointing of all - is an Avon retractable eyeliner. the description in the Avon catalog was definitely enticing and convinced me that it might be better than something I could buy at Walgreen's or Target. the liner has an angled edge rather than a pointed tip, allowing the user to create three possible lines: a very thick line, a very thin line, and a mid-sized line. this feature would be great, if it didn't take several swipes to create a line that is satisfyingly dark. I haven't used it since it came in the mail about three weeks ago.
the final verdict: unless I'm really strapped for cash, I probably won't be making any eye shadow purchases from Avon anytime soon. has anyone had different results with other Avon products (lipsticks, glosses, cream shadows)? I realize I don't have any regular readers at the moment, but if anyone has a different (or even a similar) perspective on Avon products, please do not hesitate to add to the discussion.
p.s. - I'll add product photos in a few days.
I won't claim to be well-versed in the realm of cosmetics, but I was spoiled as a teenager by MAC's amazing line of products, so when I recently purchased an eyeshadow quad and a pot of gel eyeliner from Avon in an attempt to save some money, I wasn't surprised that my purchases couldn't live up to my expectations. (sound snooty enough for ya, yet?)
the eyeshadow quad comes in a medium-sized black compact, comparable in size, shape and appearance to a Chanel compact. the compact is quite difficult to open, however, and requires a bit of a struggle to pop open.
the color pay-off for all four of the shadows is minimal. the lightest shade, a kind of ultra-light beige, is terribly chalky. the bronze shadow that is meant to line the upper (or lower, I suppose) lid is very muted. many layers are needed to make it noticeable at all, which is extremely disappointing, because really, how hard is it to botch the formulation of a shimmery eye shadow?
the gel liner - all of Avon's gel liners, actually - contain small bits of glitter. not really sure what the point of it is, since a plain black liner would be preferable, but hey. in any case, Avon's gel liner is the first I've used. it glides on smooth enough, even if the bits of glitter do sometimes clump together on my liner brush and create problems during application.
which reminds me: the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush is definitely handy. if my hand is feeling steady, I can usually sweep the brush along the length of my lid without having to stop to adjust the position of my hand; which is great, since I'm a n00b when it comes to applying liquid and gel liners to my eyes.
the one other product I purchased - possibly the most disappointing of all - is an Avon retractable eyeliner. the description in the Avon catalog was definitely enticing and convinced me that it might be better than something I could buy at Walgreen's or Target. the liner has an angled edge rather than a pointed tip, allowing the user to create three possible lines: a very thick line, a very thin line, and a mid-sized line. this feature would be great, if it didn't take several swipes to create a line that is satisfyingly dark. I haven't used it since it came in the mail about three weeks ago.
the final verdict: unless I'm really strapped for cash, I probably won't be making any eye shadow purchases from Avon anytime soon. has anyone had different results with other Avon products (lipsticks, glosses, cream shadows)? I realize I don't have any regular readers at the moment, but if anyone has a different (or even a similar) perspective on Avon products, please do not hesitate to add to the discussion.
p.s. - I'll add product photos in a few days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)