Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
E.L.F. Experiment
I thought I'd post the results of my experiments with E.L.F. You see, I am currently in Dallas visiting my in-laws. En route, I discovered I had forgotten my train case with all of my makeup. This left me with only the things I do touch up with; I had powder, lipsticks, and some mascara, but no blush, bronzer (I wear it under my jaw), eyeshadow, eyeshadow base, liner, etc. I later found that I had a Sephora 5-in-1 kit, but that was not until I had resolved to experiment in the absence of my usual supplies.
I went to Target and looked around a bit before finding the E.L.F. section. It occurred to me that this was the perfect experiment! I would take the cheapest makeup on the market & see if I could get results as good as the ones I get with my extremely varied collection (consisting mostly of MAC, Urban Decay, & Sephora brands). Here is the look I got:
Here's the eye. I used the ELF "facial whip" for an eyeshadow base. It appeared to work at first, but it allowed the eyeshadow to crease as the day wore on. This is the dark blue from the "Pink Punk" eyeshadow quad and the darker teal from the "Teal Dreams" quad. The liner is ELF's precision waterproof liner pen, and it's A WIN. Easy to use, stays on like a dream, doesn't transfer. It's like drawing on your liner with a Sharpie. The mascara is Supernova+Firebird by Fresh mascara. I had some travel minis in my purse.
This photo shows off the cheeks! I used ELF all-over color stick in Pink Lemonade and I'm a fan. I've been trying out the super-bright cheeks lately, which is new for me because normally I use no blush at all. I feel the ultra-bright cheek look highlights my freckles a bit, and I like that idea a lot for summer. Freckles are great for summer. Built in fashion accessory!
Gratuitous photo because I like the way the blonde streak looks here.
Good photo of the colors on the eyes, and my lip gloss. This is from the Sephora 5-in-1 that I didn't know I had; it's a fuschia. I'm digging my newly-discovered ability to rock hot pink lips.
These are the items that turned out to be favorites. I will probably use them even when I don't have to be cheap because I'm buying an entirely new makeup wardrobe! The waterproof precision liner is easy to use, stays all day, and provides a good, black line behind my mascara. A+ for this thing, seriously. The all-over color stick in Pink Lemonade provided a really rich color payoff, surprisingly. Against my pale skin it provided a very bright blush. Blended easily with fingertips. Great for the bright-cheeks-in-summer look. Total bonus: it smells GREAT! The shimmering facial whip in Lilac Petal doesn't work as an eyeshadow base, but it's great as a highlight on the cheekbones above the bright cheeks. Great texture, subtle shimmer effect. The brushes were good, too, especially for $1 (white, regular line) or $3 (the "studio" line). They didn't fall apart, and they were no better or worse than my regular brushes, really.
I'd say the experiment was a success! I wasn't expecting it, but I really think I might add more ELF stuff to my regular rotation!
The view while I do my makeup...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Late night ice cream party!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Epic birthday nails!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Daffodils have been my favorite flower all my life...
