Beauty bargains - My top ten E.L.F. cosmetics part 1

For those of you who don't know about E.L.F. cosmetics, they offer some great inexpensive beauty products. Inexpensive but not cheap, important difference. I hadn’t even heard of this cosmetics company until this past spring (shock, gasp), but now I kind of feel like I’ve discovered something great.  

Most of their products range in price from $1 to $3, but don't be fooIed by that. I think a lot of people would discard the idea of buying such inexpensive make-up, assuming it couldn't be any good or it must be full of toxic cheap materials.  


All E.L.F. products are hypoallergenic and non-comodegenic; as well they do NOT test on animals or use any animal derived ingredients. Unlike some higher end brands, E.L.F. actually lists their product ingredients right on their website. They have also had several mentions in magazines including 'O', People, Seventeen, Redbook, Marie Claire & Allure, where some of their products have won Allure beauty awards.  


Their philosophy:

We at e.l.f. believe that innovative technology, quality ingredients and superb delivery systems should not be limited to prestige retailers. Every woman should have the opportunity to participate in innovation, without sacrificing her budget. We hope you agree and invite you to experience e.l.f.’s revolutionary, value-priced cosmetics and the proven results they offer.

This company is primarily sold online at eyeslipsface.com.  In Canada you can also find some of their products at Zellers & occasionally Homesense, but it is a very limited selection.  In the States I understand that Target carries some E.L.F. products, as well as the occasional dollar store.  


Since finding E.L.F., I’ve recommended it to many others and have already placed a few orders.  In fact I may be developing a problem. Anyway, I've seen a few of these best of blogs and videos & really enjoy them.  I've decided to share my top 10 E.L.F. picks, based on what I've tried so far. It was hard to narrow down my favorites to only 10, really hard, but I think I've finally decided on my list.  Given the amount of information, I’m going to break this up into two blog posts. 

So in no particular order, here are my first five favorite E.L.F. products (all pictures are taken from their website but are products I own):

1)    Studio Powder Brush $3.00

The hype on this brush is well deserved and all true.  It is a must have E.L.F. brush.  I use it primarily to buff and blend my liquid and powder foundations, but it is certainly not limited to that.  This brush is soft with a great density and I have had no issues with shedding.  Often sells out on their site, must must have.

2)    Essentials Brightening Eye Color $1.00

     I don’t hear as much hype about these eye quads as I think they deserve.  I have the quads in ethereal and brownstone.  The colors on the website are not particularly true to the actual product.  Website says they give your eyes an awakened brightness, which is very true.  Multi-functional, I use them on their own as well as under/over other shadows.   Packaging is a bit flimsy & the shadow size is fairly small...but hey it's $1.
 Try them!

3)    Essentials Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15 $1.00

     Beautiful little lip glosses. Excellent color payoff, these are surprisingly quite opaque.  My favorite colors so far are Candlelight & Pink Kiss.  Website pictures give a pretty accurate depiction of the true colors.  Not too sticky, smell like candy & the SPF is a bonus.  Beautiful on their own or over lipstick.  Gotta get at least one! 

4)    Mineral Booster powder $5 small .18 oz or $8 large .63 oz

 This is another under rated product in my opinion.  I have both the sheer & tinted powders.  The tinted is a little dark on it’s own so I usually mix the two together for a natural healthy glow.  I use it as a finishing powder, sets my make-up beautifully and makes my face appear flawless…or less flawed anyway.  They suggest using a Kabuki brush to apply this but you can also use the Studio Powder Brush with great results.  Try the small first to see if it works as well for you.

5)    Essential Shine Eraser $1.00

These are amazing little…well, shine erasers.  Oil absorbing & mattifying, these work great.  They are a little larger than similar products I’ve tried and I feel like they not only blot any excess oil but that they do something great for my skin.  One of the bests.

Stay tuned for part two, coming soon!