12/04/2011

E.L.F. Blush Swatches and Review

Okay, I just realized that I'm doing another "Christmas" themed post and this time, it's entirely accidental. Today's post will be of blush swatches from e.l.f.; elf...as in santa's little helper elf (are you with me or have I lost you???). I swear, this is not intentional, no puns intended!

I purchased these blushes back in September when eyeslipsface.com was having a 50% off their e.l.f. studio line.  The e.l.f. studio line blushes retail for $3.00, so, if you do the math, that's $1.50 each.

I can see the first four shades below, working as a blush on fairer skin tones; but if you're an NC30 or darker they will probably work best as a highlighter. I'm an NC20-25 in winter and normally around NC30 in summer (for some reason my summer tan is taking its sweet time to fade).

From left to right: Candid Coral, Giddy Gold, Peachy Keen, and Tickled Pink.

Candid Coral: A coral pink with gold shimmer.

Giddy Gold: A pale tangerine with gold shimmer.

Peachy Keen: A pale peachy coral with gold shimmer. Candid Coral and Peachy Keen look almost look identical, but Candid Coral leans more towards pink.

Tickled Pink: A pale salmon pink.

 From left to right: Twinkle Pink, Mellow Mauve, Berry Merry and Blushing Rose.

Twinkle Pink: A medium toned pink with chunks of gold glitter.

Mellow Mauve: A reddish berry mauve with a slight blue sheen.

Berry Merry: A deep burgundy berry with a subtle gold sheen and micro gold glitter.

Blushing Rose: A deep rose with a slight golden sheen.

From left to right: Gotta Glow, Fuchsia Fusion and Pink Passion.

Gotta Glow: A pale yellow with gold shimmer. 

Fuchsia Fusion: A bright blue based pink with chunks of silver glitter. 

Pink Passion: A matte neon pink. In the photo, Pink Passion looks similar to Fuchsia Fusion but they are different.

In conclusion, I found all of these blushes to be crumbly, chalky, with poor pigmentation. Application is messy, the product goes on splotchy and wears for about an hour. I literally had to slather the primer on my arm, as well as apply several swatches (leaving a confetti of peaches, pinks and rose on my floor) in order to achieve the colors you see in the photos. The blushes that I found to be somewhat decent were Mellow Mauve, Berry Merry and Blushing Rose. If you're starting out with makeup or on a budget (and aren't we all), or just thinking about trying any of these blushes, I would pass(unless there is another 50% offer); instead, I would recommend brands such as Wet n' Wild, Millani, NYX, Jane, etc. 

If you've ever tried any of the e.l.f blushes, I would love to hear your opinions!

Looking gorgeous one lipstick at a time.