E.L.F. Nail Polish in Red Velvet

I decided to try out Elf's Red Velvet this week; it seems like more of a holiday color because of the color and shimmer, but I'm still on vacation so why not?

Red Velvet isn't sold on elf's website anymore, but it came in the 14-piece set that I purchased a few weeks before.  As I have mentioned, the nail polishes in the two sets I bought are not that great.  Elf may have a new and improve formula for the full-sized bottles, but I don't think they use the same formula for their sets.

The color is a very beautiful light shimmery red color, it almost has a pink hint to it.  It reminds me more of Dorothy's ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz than it does a red velvet cake.

 Red Velvet with flash (looks more rich red than it actually is)

Red Velvet without flash (captures the light red/pink color better)

The color itself was very beautiful, and I got many compliments on it.  However, the formula itself was a mess.  It applies quite thick and dries a little quicker than expected; if you try to put multiple coats before it dries, it turns extremely goopy.  The only good thing about the formula is that, even if it applies unevenly, it will even itself out on your nail.

Bottom line: Thick, goopy formula.  Beautiful color, but I recommend finding a dupe for the color.

- Jolie ♥

E.L.F. Luscious Liquid Lipstick Swatches and Reviews

This is a product I was pretty hesitant to try out even though blogs raved about it and it's on Elf's bestsellers list.  These Luscious Liquid Lipsticks are from their Essentials line so cost $1 each.  I had actually bought one years ago and the applicator broke on me, so I couldn't even put it on too much.

Nonetheless, I bought a few with my last hauls and decided to give them another shot.

Left to right: Ruby Slipper, Cherry Tart, Pink Lemonade, Brownie Points

Swatched: Ruby Slipper, Cherry Tart, Pink Lemonade, Brownie Points

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Polish in Blue Moon!

Whew, that title sure was something!  My friend had told me my blog was something more of an elf endorsement and I should try some other brands.  I feel that way too, but I'm unsure of other drugstore brands and nothing beats elf's prices!  She recommended me some similar priced nail polishes that required less coats for opacity and were also long-lasted.

So I set out to my nearest drugstore to find some of the brands she mentioned.  She had recommended Wet n Wild polishes first, and described a specific bottle but I can't remember.  Among others she named Milani, Sally Hansen, and OPI.  I looked through the makeup aisles at my drugstore and decided to try Wet n Wild first because it was the cheapest.

I bought other things alone with the nail polish, as you can see.  I also purchased Wet n Wild's Megalash Clinical Serum and NYC Skin Matching Foundation in "687 Light to Medium".  The Megalash Clinical Serum is supposed to make your lashes grow longer and more voluminous in 4 weeks.  I'm on my first week so I will do a separate review when I'm done.

I also tried the foundation and found that it matched my skin tone, thankfully.  However, it didn't spread as evenly and stuck on to spots where I had dry skin.  I supposed I should have exfoliated beforehand or applied face primer but I'll experiment more and maybe review later.  It also provided light coverage and felt like a tinted moisturizer instead.

The nail polish was $1, lash serum $7 and foundation was $4.  Pretty good steal, assuming all of them work.

I bought the color in Blue Moon, it's a gorgeous deep blue with green glitter.  At first, I thought it was a regular dark shimmery blue polish, but as I held it up to the light, it gave of a green sheen.  It was so beautiful I knew I had to get it, and why not for a dollar?

As you can see, this is the from the Wild Shine collection; there was another Wet n Wild polish called the Fast Dry, but that was $2 and I didn't see any colors I liked.

It only took one coat of this to achieve opacity.  I'm hoping you can see the hint of green from the picture, but it does not do this color justice.  It looks like a plain dark blue in person, but in an area with good lighting, you can see the blue-green and it's mesmerizing.

The formula was decent and applied easily.  I have nothing bad to say about this polish so I recommend you to try this out.  The only downside was the slow drying time, I feel like it took at least 15 minutes, which was surprising.  But I'll definitely be trying out more Wet n Wild polishes in the future so stay tuned!

Bottom line: Good, inexpensive polish.  Good formula and color pay-off.  Takes long to dry, but would still recommend.

Have you tried any other drugstore polishes?  If so, do you have any recommendations for me?  

- Jolie ♥

E.L.F. Lipstick Swatches and Reviews!

I'm actually really excited to finally be doing this review.  I've put this off for quite some time but it's one of my absolute favorite products from elf.  Their lipstick is from their Essentials line, which makes it $1 each.  At such a cheap price, you'd expect them to give you a small tube similar to a sample size, but it's a full-sized lipstick!  I believe there are 12 shades out at the moment and I have 9 of them.  I decided not to get the other 3 because after looking at many swatches (thanks to other bloggers), I decided they didn't match me.

If you are interested, the shades omitted are Classy, Nostalgia, and Flirtatious.  All of those colors are lighter than the lightest shade I have right now, which is Charming, so that should give you a good indication of their colors.  I suggest looking up their swatches from other bloggers if you're really interested.

Anyway, these lipsticks are amazing, not just for their price, but overall.  They are creamy, pigmented, and moisturizing.  They don't have the waxy lipstick smell but instead smell pleasant, like berries.  Their scent is actually one of my favorite things about them.  Their reds are quite pigmented so I suggest using a lip-liner, but for all the others, just applying from the tube is fine.

Left to right: Fearless, Sociable, Posh, Voodoo, Gypsy, Fantasy, Captivating, Seductive, Charming

Without flash: Fearless, Sociable, Posh, Voodoo, Gypsy, Fantasy, Captivating, Seductive, Charming

With flash: Fearless, Sociable, Posh, Voodoo, Gypsy, Fantasy, Captivating, Seductive, Charming

E.L.F. Super Glossy Lip Shine Swatches and Reviews

This post will be all about elf's Super Glossy Lip Shines!  Bear in mind that I have 10 out of 12 (I believe) colors and I have swatched every single one of them so it will be a long post.  These little lip glosses retail for $1 each and it's a great deal.  They're the ideal size to throw in your purse and since they're so inexpensive, you can get all the colors without putting a dent in your wallet.

 The glosses have a slanted tip for easy and precise application.  Each gloss also smells of something different, but they are all pleasant and fruity; not too overwhelming.  They glosses go on super pigmented and are super glossy, as the name suggests.  It's is more on the sticky side since it is thicker, but you can control the amount to put on.  Just make sure not to wear this on a windy day!

Left to right: Honey Do, Juiced Berry, Candlelight, Pink Pop, Goddess, Watermelon, Iced Latte, Party Peach, Strawberry

E.L.F. Mineral Lip Gloss in Trendsetter and Daring Swatches and Reviews

Hello all!  I'll be reviewing elf's Mineral Lip Glosses in 'Trendsetter' and 'Daring'.  I know they definitely have more colors on the site, but I only bought two because they had other cheaper glosses in the Essentials section which I will review later on.

These glosses retail for $3/ea and I normally wouldn't get them because I'm not a big fan of glosses.  However, I read good reviews and raves about the color Trendsetter and wanted to try it, but it was out of stock when I ordered so I got Daring instead, which seemed like a red on the website and seemed like the best bet for getting a good color payoff as I find glosses tend to be on the sheer side.

After a couple of hauls later, Trendsetter came back in stock and I took the chance to grab one!  They come in the standard doe-foot applicator and Trendsetter smells heavily of brown sugar.

 Trendsetter and Daring

Trendsetter and Daring

The swatch actually makes Trendsetter look more red than it actually is.  Trendsetter is actually more of a brownish mauve color that's perfect for a nude but glossy look.  As you can see, Daring was not red, but in fact a bright fuchsia in the tube and extremely sheer when applied.  Both of these are glitter glosses but you cannot feel the glitter on your lips.

E.L.F. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick Swatches and Reviews!

Is it just me or are you guys as excited about the first in-depth product review as I am?  I know I've promised these for weeks now, ever since my elf hauls, but I wanted to wait until I finished buying so I can do reviews on complete sets.

This review is going to be on Elf's Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks.  This is a relatively new product, and it's from the Essentials line but costs $2 each instead of the traditionally $1 for their other products.  They currently have 8 colors on their website and I own 6 of them.  The other two colors I skipped out on because one was nude and another I decided would not suit me after reading other blogs for swatches.

These come in twist-up tubes so you won't have to waste any product with sharpening. They also have a minty toothpaste-y smell to them, but doesn't bother me, so stay away if you can't stand that.

 

Left to Right: Pink Umbrellas, Sangria Starters, Coco Loco, Movie Star, Tiki Torches, Summer Nights

Swatched on my hand (left to right): Pink Umbrellas, Sangria Starters, Coco Loco, Movie Star, Tiki Torches, Summer Nights

If you are deciding on whether or not to get these, keep in mind that the last two colors (Tiki Torches and Summer Nights) are shimmery.  They have a LOT of tiny specks of glitter; you can't feel them on your lips but they're definitely noticeable if you wear them out.  It casts an almost frosty appearance because of them. 

French Manicure Using L.A. Colors

I finally get to do a review on a non-E.L.F. nail polish!  I decided to give a french manicure another try (after being persuaded by a friend about how easy it is and watching many tutorials).  I only used a base coat, top coat, and an L.A. Colors nail polish in 'French White'.  I decided to skip out on a light pink polish because my top coat is exactly that, a very sheer light pink.

It came out better than I expected but still difficult and tedious to do.  The formula was not good; it was thick and streaky.  I applied two coats of the white polish because it streaked like crazy and formed uneven lumps.  I had originally intended on not using a top coat because I change polishes so often, but I felt I had to to even it out.

L.A. Colors only costs $1 at my local Family Dollar but it's cheap for a reason.  Maybe it would fare better if I used it over the whole nail so I will hopefully do another review if I ever do so.  But I'm definitely going to try and find another stark white polish even if it costs a little more.

Bottom line: Inexpensive but thick and streaky formula.  Would not recommend.

- Jolie ♥

E.L.F. Nail Polish in Garnet

Hello guys, it's time again for a nail polish review!  This week I tried out ELF's nail polish in Garnet.  It's a beautiful shimmery oxblood/burgundy/wine color that's perfect for the season!  It's one of my new favorite colors and I've been craving for all things burgundy colored so I'm glad I found this little gem.

Garnet with flash

As usual, with different lightings you get slightly different colors, such as their nail polish in Copper appearing both gold and rose gold depending on my lights.

Here is Garnet in my camera's 'vibrant' setting which tends to show off colors more intensely.

As with all full-sized elf polishes, this bottle was $2.  Garnet can come off as either a dark plum, or true oxblood/burgundy.  I absolutely love the way it looks on my nails.  However, for such a dark polish, I needed 2-3 coats for the color to achieve opacity.  The polish wasn't sheer by any means, but darker colors make bald spots more apparent, plus one coat was definitely not enough for this.

The formula itself was pretty standard; not too thick and not too watery.  It was just right, but the brush itself is a little too big for my nails so it created quite a mess around the edges.  Nothing nail polish remover couldn't fix!

The lasting power of this was normal for elf polishes: very good.  I usually change polishes every week and only notice minor, if any, chips.  I would say elf's polishes are consistent on their staying power and they never disappoint.  Bear in mind that I do use at least one coat of top coat with each new polish application.

Final verdict:  Beautiful color, long-lasting, would definitely recommend.

Thanks for listening and be sure to comment or follow for more updates and reviews!

- Jolie ♥

Another E.L.F. Haul? No Way!

Yes, you read the title correctly.  ANOTHER elf haul.  I really do have a problem haha, but they had a promo code that was $5 off your order with NO MINIMUM.  Which, in elf language, is pretty much never.  But with the $7 standard shipping, you end up paying $2 for shipping after the discount which is still not too shabby.

I guess I would consider this a mini-haul, and boy was I tracking this package for days.  Finally received it tonight and was so, so happy.  Without further ado, here goes!

Top:  Essential Tinted Moisturizer ($1/ea) in 'Apricot Beige' and 'Honey'

Middle:  Shimmering Facial Whips ($1/ea) in 'Pink Lemonade', 'Persimmon', 'Lilac Petal', 'Toasted', and 'Golden Peach'

Brightening Eye Color ($1/ea) in 'Nouveau Neutrals

Essentials Lipstick ($1/ea) in 'Captivating'

Bottom: Essentials Feather Proof Moisturizing Lip Liners ($1/ea) in 'Bark' and 'Natural Blush'

Essentials Shimmer Lip Gloss ($2/ea) in 'Dream'

Studio Eyebrow Lifter & Filler ($3/ea) in 'Ivory/Dark'

Studio Angled Blush Brush ($3/ea)

Studio Small Stipple Brush ($3/ea)

Eyelash Curler Pads ($1/ea)

Mineral Lip Gloss ($3/ea) in 'Trendsetter'

Hope the organization didn't confuse you too much this time!  I really tried to separate them into 3 groups.  This is my first time buying the facial whips and I originally bought them because you can use them on your face, lips, and eyes.  I intend to try to use some as bronzers and some as blushes (which is also why I bought the blush brush and stipple haha).  Plus the whips were only a dollar each, a little goes a long way, and other beauty blogs have given great reviews on them.

I will definitely try to review them all separately!  I've tried a few of these things, mainly the lip products, but since I have more colors in the same collection, I'm going to do in-depth reviews on each collection.

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!

- Jolie ♥

Hello Kitty Wild Thing Makeup Palette Review

This is a belated post of a Christmas present I got awhile back.  It's the Hello Kitty Wild Thing Makeup Palette that you can get at Sephora for $50 (but I believe it's on sale in some places for $34).  Here is the link to Sephora if anyone is interested.
 

According to the box, the colors are (from left to right): Pink, Cream, Gold, Green

Light Purple, Nude, Sand, Silver

Purple, Taupe

Dark Purple, Brown

(I may have mixed up cream/nude and sand/taupe, but their colors are so similar it hardly makes a difference)

It comes in a large tin Hello Kitty faced box.  It comes with 12 eyeshadows, a black liquid eyeliner, and a Hello Kitty shaped compact mirror.

E.L.F. Nail Polish in Glamour Girl and Cherry Bomb

I recently received some nail brushes I had just purchased online and decided to try and "spice up" my nails this week.  I know a french manicure isn't exactly anything special but it was my first time doing an actual complete look.  I'd tried once before with disastrous results, so I decided to use a nail brush for the tips.

Elf's Glamour Girl with Cherry Bomb tips (Flash)

Glamour Girl with Cherry Bomb tips (Natural lighting)

 The second picture shows Glamour Girl's true color.  It's a very beautiful dusty gold color with tiny gold sparkles/glitter.  Even though the color itself was extremely gorgeous, the formula was so terrible and thick.  It applied EXTREMELY gritty and looked like sand on my nails after a couple of coats.  You need more than one coat for maximum opacity, except more coats = more sand.  It was just a really horrible formula to work with.

Cherry Bomb was a lot easier to work with (since I had a nail brush).  The color was quite good, but needed a few coats also.  I did not expect a red to be that sheer, but that didn't affect the application.

Bottom line:  Glamour Girl is a great color, but terrible and gritty formula.  Would not recommend.

Cherry Bomb is a nice color, needs more testing for a full review.

Hope this helps you guys!

- Jolie ♥