There are generally mixed opinions when it comes to elf products. Especially due to their insanely low and affordable price tags, it is assumed that the products aren't as good as higher end brands (or at least more expensive brands). But I've noticed that some YouTube makeup gurus have no qualms about using elf products.
Latest from elf is their Studio line. I personally didn't find the regular elf products attractive and the brushes on their website didn't look enticing enough to make me want to get them. Their falsies however I might consider getting. They're only USD1 each!
I'd gotten the whole set of their Studio brushes which I'm quite impressed with actually. First of all, it looks really nice and professional which I believe can be creditted to the sleek black handle, ferule and bristles. The handles are all made of plastic material and are of a good length for makeup application. All brushes have Taklon bristles and are incredibly soft on the skin. Absolutely not scratchy. And since it's synthetic, it can be used for both wet and dry products.
Now let's start with the face brushes. First off, the Complexion Brush:
I love this brush! It can be used with pressed, loose or translucent powders, blush or bronzer. I used this with my Complexion Perfection powder and absolutely loved how big this brush was. Saved me a lot of time with application. *smiles* Even coverage as well.
Next, the Blush Brush (top 2 photos above). Since it's not an angled brush, it deposits blush colour on the apple of my cheeks real easy. Sweeping it up towards my temples creating a very natural flush. I've not yet had a chance to try out the Angled Foundation Brush yet but I'll let you know how it applies later. However, I can tell you the bristles have a great feel to apply liquid foundation, stiff and not fluffy like regular powder brushes. The angled shape is a plus and different from other foundation brushes as it helps follow the facial contours during application.
The Powder Brush is another unique piece. Looks like a flat top kabuki doesn't it? Picks up colour well and evenly. I used this with my bronzer and it worked beautifully. It gave a very natural finish and didn't make the bronzer look too overpowering on my face. It should work well to apply pressed powder as well or powder foundation.
My first Fan Brush! Shadow fall outs are no longer a problem. The brush lightly dusts and wipes off any excess powder products on the face. Works well to give cheeks a super natural flush by sweeping blush powder on the apple of the cheeks to the temples gently. Gorgeous!
Now for the smaller brushes. *smiles* We'll start with the Concealer Brush. Bristles are about 1cm in length and made stiff and not fluffy. It can be used with powder or cream products to evenly conceal imperfections. Love the fact that the brush can also be used to apply eye primer and pack on eyeshadow colours. Works with cream eyeshadows too!
The Contour Brush looks similar to the nose shaper brush from elianto. It may look fluffy but it's quite densely packed and has a nice dome tapered edge. Diameter of the bristles is a bit large to use as a pencil brush (it's almost 1cm in diameter) but it would work great to apply eyeshadow to the crease and define and add depth the outer corners of the eyes. Great for adding colour to the inner corners of the eyes as well as shaping the bridge of the nose.
Their Small Precision Brush has a similar feel to the elianto eye lining brush and is excellent to use as an eyeliner brush or even as a lip brush. Great for applying concealer on small spots/areas too!
I love the Small Angled Brush!! It's absolutely perfect for lining the eyes. Works well with lining eyes with your fave eyeshadow colour on both the upper and lower lashline or even with a gel eye liner product. The fact that it is angled helps make lining easier as it glides well with the eye contour. Also a good tool to use to fill in and define eyebrows with powder eyebrow colour.
elf Studio's Small Smudge Brush has a really tiny tip measuring half a centimetre width-wise, it's just perfect to smudge kohl liner for a easy smokey eyes cheat! elf suggests using the brush to create detailed pin-pointed colour application, fill in brows and create concentrated colour definition. Another great brush for lining the eyes as well.
Last but not least, there's the Eyeshadow 'C' Brush with bristles measuring a little over 1cm in width and 1cm in length. Bristles are a little fluffier than the other small brushes which makes it perfect for depositing colour on eyelids for a beautiful and even wash. Also a good brush for blending colours as well as intesifying colour on the outer corners of the eyes for a smokey eye look or simply to define the eyes. Also great to use to apply highlights below the brows.
Now on to the other 2 non-brush products I got. The packaging is beautiful and professional looking. Sleek black plastic with the name of the brand and product on the lid. A huge mirror greets you when you lift the lid while revealing a lot of product.
I've heard and read reviews claiming that the elf Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder is a good dupe for the NARS Orgasm Blush Laguna Bronzer combo palette. I just had to check it out. Although there is a bit of shimmer in the powder, I find that it doesn't make your face all shimmery which is great. The shimmers reflects light on the face to give it that gorgeous radiance while adding a nice flush to your cheeks! *smiles* The bronzer side may look a bit dark but it all depends on application. As mentioned above, the powder brush works extremely well with applying the bronzer. I'd suggest to gently dip brush flat onto the bronzer, tap off a little of the excess and sweep the colour in the hollows of your cheeks blending below the cheek bones towards the jawline. Build up the colours until you're happy with the finish.
I'm so excited with the Complexion Perfection powder. There are 4 colours in this huge palette: Yellow for neutralizing dark spots, Blue & Green is for neutralizing redness and Pink for neutralizing undereye shadows. The powder should even out skintone and is very lightweight. At the same time, the sheer formula helps brighten up the complexion. You can use the colours individually or blended together. The complexion brush is perfect to use with this product. I like to use the green to keep redness at bay. I have naturally flushed cheeks and sometimes it can be a bit much. So I love how these matte powders help me control that. I also mix the pink and yellow powders to get a somewhat salmon colour for covering up dark circles. I love the fact that it gives a very subtle effect. Instructions on the back of the box says to blend the powder over the entire face to brighten and even out the skin tone as well as neutralize any redness.
Now hope that was helpful for all of you out there wondering about these products. All items costs USD3 each and although they aren't available in the Asian website yet, you can still get them from eBay and various spree-ers out there. I will also be holding sprees for US brands and webstores soon. Let me know which brands you're interested in and I'll let everyone know when the sprees start. *smiles*
My next purchase from them will definitely include getting the brush pouch and corrective concealer. At their prices, it's a steal!
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