latest elf haul

well here I go again feeding my elf addiction, i swear i just want to try all their items out.


here's what i got in their last 20% offer, which i placed on the 2nd October. 

i am pretty happy with the items ive got. after elf brought out their cream blushes i just had to try them out, but ill do a review on these later on. i was also very curious to try out the powder brush after seeing such great reviews on these. i like the brushes but i was kinda annoyed that they werent perfectly round (they must have gotten squashed in the packaging or whatever.) though i havent washed them yet ive put them on some brush guards to see if i could restore the shape and i unfortunately i wasnt able to do so. 


i am also liking the brushes i got from the mineral range. 


the list of what i got is below.

my favourite item of the whole lot though must be the mineral blemish kit. 

have you tried any of these out? whats your favourite out of what ive got? what would you recommend for me to try?

a wee bit about me...

I saw this little questionnaire on lovefayexoxo's blog and i thought it was really cute, she got the tag from another blog. i hope you like it anyways, and itd be nice to know what your tic or tacs are..

Makeup:
Blush or Bronzer? blush, im not so good in applying my bronzer on just yet.  
Lipgloss or Lipstick?  both, i apply gloss after i love the big plumpy lip look...
Eyeliner or Mascara? Mascara
Foundation or Concealer? Foundation
Neutral or Coloured Eyeshadow?  i always use earth tone shades
Pressed or Loose Eyeshadow? Pressed, so much easier. 
Brushes or Sponges? sponge, lets go back to basics. a good damp sponge gives better coverage and a flawless look. 


Nails:
Long or Short? Short
Acrylic or Natural? Natural 
Brights or Darks? Both!
Flower or no Flower? ?not sure what this means :S


Body:
Perfume or Body Splash? Perfume! j'adore by dior is my signature scent.
Lotion or Body Butter? Body Butter, but ill use whatever ive got. 
Body Wash or Soap? soap


Fashion:
Jeans or Sweat Pants? jeans when out of the house, at home im always in shorts or jammie bottoms.  
Long Sleeve or Short? short
Dresses or Skirts? Dresses 
Stripes or Plaid? Plaid
Flip Flops or Sandals? Flip Flops
Scarves or Hats? Scarves
Studs or Dangly Earrings? dangly, but i work i always wear my mother of pear studs given to be by my mom. 
Cowboy Boots or Riding Boots? Cowboy boots
Jacket or Hoodie? Jacket


Hair:
Curly or Straight? naturally curly, but i always straighten my hair. 
Bun or Ponytail? ponytail, i do put it in a bun if i haven't got anytime to sort my hair out. 
Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips? Bobby Pins
Hair Spray or Gel? Hair Spray
Long or Short? Long
Light or Dark? dark
Side-swept Bangs or Full Bangs? used to be side swept, but ive got full bangs/fringe on at the moment, and ive had lots compliments since having it, saying i look much younger. 
Up or Down? Down but hubby likes it up. 


Random:
Rain or Shine? Rain when I'm at home, Shine when I'm out! (ditto lovefaye)
Summer or Winter? summer, the sun makes everyone happy. 
Fall or Spring? spring
Chocolate or Vanilla? it'll always be Chocolate

my elf plumping lip glaze

Plumping Lip Glaze


 elf say...Forget costly Collagen injections, or those painfully stinging glosses, stimulate your senses to a refreshed full perfect pout with e.l.f. Plumping Lip Glaze! e.l.f. proudly presents a revolutionary lip plumper, infusing Natural ingredients that awaken your senses for fresh, volume enhanced, and moisturized lips. This dual sided Plumping Lip Glaze has a tinted color for a subtle plump or a clear gloss that power plumps your lips, use together and instantly feel the lip enlarging effects!

right ladies, sorry i may be a bit too late in putting this out (i really thought id finished doing a review on this) but right now elf has another one of their lovely promotions so i thought my swatch (ill upload a better picture in the future) and review will help some of you out there to decide whether or not to take them up on this offer.  

ELF has 11 shades in this product valued at £1.50. 


I have this in 2 shades, ruby kiss and oasis.

top to bottom: ruby kiss, oasis

as ive raved on previously i love the elf lip glosses, i think theyre great value for money. and the plumping lip glaze, just might be my favourite out of them all. 


youve got the two sides, the tinted side has great colour especially the ruby kiss one. (i have tanned skin).


 the other side is a sparkly/clear looking gloss that you can put on top of the tinted side. this is what basically gives that "plumping effect". i believe this is because it has a real strong minty feel that makes your lips feel tingly. for myself personally i love this, especially at work because it gives my entire mouth a fresh feel. 

sorry ill replace with better photos soon

the picture above shows ruby kiss on top, and oasis on the bottom.
plus on the right hand side showing what the gloss looks like with the "plumping" side applied on. 

i love both shades, as you can see from the photos the ruby kiss has more of a red tint, while the oasis is pinky. so it just up to you which type of gloss you prefer to wear. 


this product stay on a good 2-4hours, and you still feel your lips tingling. 


hope this helps, ill add a bit more to this once i get the chance i just quickly put this together in the last 15mins so you guys can decide whether or not youd like to take the opportunity and get the gloss elf is offering at the moment.....you know you want to!!

Super Glossy Lip Shine Spf 15

elf say that this Super Glossy SPF 15 formula fights environmental damage while leaving your lips with a healthy glossy glow. The delicious flavour and sweet scent will leave you licking your lips in delight! The perfect on the go tube that is mess proof for anywhere and anytime!
'Angel' # 2801 is our only shade that doesn't contain SPF15 but is packed with gorgeous glittery bits instead.

Directions 
Apply to lips as often as desired. Can be worn alone or layered.

honey do

ELF has 10shades of this product. the super glossy lip shine SPF15 comes in this simple packaging but for £1.50, what more do you expect. 


i have this in 3 shades: honey do,  juiced berry & watermelon. 

im really liking most of the elf lip glosses, and these are one of them. this has a lovely fruity smell.  it keeps the lips moisturized for hours on end, and though there is nothing special about the packaging the tube is mess proof. 

honey do, watermelon, juiced berry

i love all 3 shades that ive chosen, all 3 suit me. i find the juiced berry, very natural looking it just makes my lips looking plumped. the honey do, just livens up my natural lip colour, and the watermelon, is a lovely pink sheered colour that looks just lovely. 

you can put this on, on its own or on top of another lip product. have you got this in your bag? have you got your favourite shade? is there any you think i should try out? 

ELF 2in1 Conditioning Gloss

2 In 1 Conditioning Gloss


Enjoy 2 benefits in 1 with this Conditioning Gloss. The formula nourishes and moisturizes lips on contact. Infused with nourishing Vitamins A & E and Aloe, as well as moisturizing Shea Butter for rich hydration. The soothing gloss provides sheer color perfection for beautiful looking lips.


Directions 
Apply liberally to lips as often as needed.

top to bottom: fanatic, super model, vava voom

the packaging

the first time i got these, i wasnt quite sure whether or not there was something wrong with my gloss as the product looked different from that of the website. i thought there might have been a leak, (so i decided to email elf, and enquire.)  but even though i was unsure i wanted to try it out,  after applying this i still think this is a good product.

from elf website:
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~157.htm

ELF has given me this response to reassure me:

The item you have received is the new stock of 2 in 1 conditioning lipglosses we have at E.L.F. It is the same product but pre-mixed, with new packaging. We are in the process of updating the images, which is why they appear differently to the website.

i do like this new formulation as there is more of the colour than the clear gloss, and because of this sheerness of this gloss it makes the lips look fuller. the conditioning agent is great as it keeps the lips hydrated. The gloss stays on for hours. 

i decided to try a different way of swatching the products, what do you think of it? ive learnt a new trick when trying lipstick/glosses and decided to try this out with my swatches. swatch the product at the tips of my fingers rather than on the back of my hand because the texture on your hand is different from your lips. the texture on the tips of your fingers are more similar to those your lips. you get a better colour reading by doing this when testing lipstick/glosses. 

elf tinted moisturizer spf15

Tinted Moisturiser Spf 15

SPF 15 formula helps combat premature aging and protects against sun damage while leaving skin radiant and lightly hydrated. 

Directions

Blend a pearl-sized amount into skin and neck daily.

spice, honey, apricot beige

My thoughts..

a little bottle of delight for just £1.50, great handbag size. the only thing is, you really need to find your right shade because the elf website doesn't have decent swatches by just looking at the product pictures. I honestly thought spice was my colour when i was looking at the site, but it must be 3-4 shades darker than my colour. 

this blends in real well has a sweet orange smell, which i dont mind. it feels light on the skin. 

below are swatches of the 3 tinted moisturizers that i purchased off the ELF UK website. 

those are my thoughts, whats yours? 

Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm & Lip Balm Spf 15

Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm & Lip Balm Spf 15


i love these two products from ELF, both leave my lips really soft and supple. i have the therapeutic conditioning balm in strawberry creme & blackberry creme.

Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm


Salvation for parched lips. This innovative balm coats lips with natural nutrients and skin soothers to condition even the most sensitive lips. Infused with Shea Butter and Vitamins A & E for long lasting protection.


Directions


Twist up bottom. Massage balm into lips. Allow excess to absorb into skin.




Lip Balm Spf 15


Relieves and soothes lips with a drench of moisture. SPF 15 helps to shield lips from harmful sun rays. Softens lips to prevent and temporarily protect against chapped, cracked or chafed lips.


Directions


Apply liberally to lips before sun exposure and as often as desired. Wear alone or with other lip products.

so what do i think?


both products are real great balms, they have great lasting power leaving lips feeling full and supple, which i think is the bottom line. the SPF15 lip balm, leaves a slight minty taste where as the therapeutic one has the fruity taste.


i probably prefer the SPF15 lip balm, just a bit more to the therapeutic one. i sometimes find the therapeutic one to feel a bit greasy. the blackberry creme is my preferred balm to the strawberry creme; but that me. the packaging on these products are small, great for putting in your handbag. 


what do you think?