What it is: Elf Brow Laminating Gel is a waxy, strong-hold, brow styling product that can be used lightly for a natural look or heavily for a bolder look.

Price/Quantity: $8 for 0.27 oz / 7.8 grams

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Target, Walmart, Amazon

Shade Range: Only one shade (clear)

Packaging: Twist-open tube with an added double sided applicator. The main applicator is a spoolie and the two additional ones with the cap over top are a comb and mini brush. If I’m just doing a light application for a natural look, I don’t find the extra included applicators any more helpful than just the spoolie. For a heavier application to get a more “laminated” look, the mini brush was helpful. The spoolie holds A LOT of product. I have wiped off the excess into a tissue 3-4 times now and it continues to come out of the tube with more product than I want.

Smell/Fragrance: I don’t smell any fragrance but it does have a faint glue-like smell.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients:

Performance

I’ve been using this a month or so now. I have a few other brow gel products and I’ve been reaching for this over those, so clearly I like it. There are things that annoy me about it though.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: This is described as a gel that dries down. I don’t agree with this description. To me this a primarily a brow wax and it does set down a little but it never fully dries. You can continue to move the brow hairs for however long you want but once it “dries”, if you attempt to add more or brush through the brow hairs again, the product will begin to look white and flakey on the brows.

Application: The way I apply this is by pulling the wand out from the tube, wiping off the excess either on a tissue or onto the neck of the container, and then LIGHTLY brushing through the hairs toward the front of the brows. I will use a clean brow spoolie to evenly disperse it through the hairs and get them in the shape that I want. Once that is done, I’ll apply the product more heavily to the outer tails of the brows, not worried about it looking heavy, because I use my finger tip to press the hairs against the skin. I have often applied more and continued fixing the tails of the brows without the issue of it looking heavy.

Longevity: If I don’t touch my brows, they will stay how I style them all day. Once in a while the outer tails will lift a little from the skin and I’ll just press them back down. This is something I don’t really do for “normal” everyday makeup but I like doing it for photos. This product holds the brows to the skin almost as well as the ABH Brow Freeze Gel. That one sets completely and stays “glued” all day but, this being more like a wax, has more ability to move with touch or strong facial expressions. As waxes go, this is the strongest-hold one I’ve tried.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Very strong hold
• As long as I don’t touch my brows, they will stay in place all day
• Effective at holding down stubborn wire-y brow hairs
• Not crunchy-feeling (but does stiffen the hairs a little)
• Because it doesn’t dry fully, I can continue to make small adjustments to my brows as long as I want

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Brush holds too much product
• Easy to apply too heavily and will then be visible on the brow hairs
• Combing through hairs once I’ve applied product (more than the amount needed to apply initial layer) can cause a flakey white appearance

Do I Recommend It?

For $8, yes. If this formula was in a container that offered me better control over how much I apply without having to reach for extra tools, I’d even pay more for it. If you aren’t too bothered by the extra steps, it might be worth checking out.  

Before and After

This is the way I normally do my brows for a more natural look. This is a very light application of product through the majority of the brow, with a bit more of a heavy application at the very tail end to help the hairs lay flatter against the skin. I did not use the extra double ended brush for this (just the spoolie and my finger tip to press the hairs down to the skin).

And here is my attempt at using this for the “laminated” look. For this I applied quite a bit of product throughout the entire brow, brushing them upward with the spoolie. To finish it up, I used the added mini brush the to maneuver the hairs into the shape I wanted. The very last image at the bottom is what the flakey white residue looks like at certain angles if you apply too much product. It’s not terrible but it can be annoying.

What they are: Elf Camo Liquid Blushes are highly pigmented, creamy, blendable blushes that go for $7 each and come in 12 shades. They don’t dry down too fast or too much and can be applied with fingers or brushes, creating a noticeable flush with a hydrated-looking dew. Some of the shades have very fine shimmer that is only noticeable extremely close up. None of them have any large or noticeable sparkle. 

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Amazon

Smell/Fragrance: I do not smell any fragrance. There is a hardly noticeable paint-like smell if I’m really getting close and looking for it, but it isn’t noticeable at all during application.

Expiration: 12 months after opening

Ingredients: Ingredients vary a bit from shade to shade. They are listed both on the box the product comes in and can be found on the Elf Cosmetics website. Below are the ingredients for the shade Peach Perfect, to get an idea of the general formula. The first several ingredients listed are the same across many of the shades and differences can be found more toward the very ends of the lists for each shade.

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Octyldodecanol, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Boron Nitride, Illite, Hydrogenated Styrene/Methyl Styrene/Indene Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, C9-12 Alkane, Alumina, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tin Oxide, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Water (Aqua), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol; MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade Selection: It looks like there is a good mix of shades that go from fairly pale to quite rich and bright and most of them differ enough from each other. A few of them look somewhat similar once they are sheered out, so I don’t think having shades that are close to each other in depth or tone is necessary at all. For example Peach Perfect and Dusty Rosé are similar enough once blended that having only one of them is needed to give me about the same effect. The lightest shades are pretty pale but because they are so highly pigmented, they show up well on my skin tone. The deepest/brightest shades also work on me and apply evenly and blend out just as smoothly, but I have to be much more light handed in how I apply them. For these ones, I need to dot the color on the back of my hand instead of directly onto the cheek and pick up a very small amount to achieve a comfortable level of color payoff.

Application: For the lighter shades, I just use a single small tap of the wand directly on the cheek and blend the color out with my fingers or a dense brush. The color blends out evenly without disturbing my foundation underneath too much. The creamy texture is not too far off from the texture of my foundation and I don’t find the blushes lift or disrupt my foundation underneath too much. They begin to dry down a little bit as I sheer them over the cheek but never reach a completely dry/set state. I could probably continue blending them indefinitely. For the deeper/brighter shades, this method results in way too much color payoff. For those, I find it easier to tap the wand on the back of my hand and then pick up a TINY amount on my fingertip to then blend over the cheek. It can also be helpful to do a final blend with a clean foundation brush. These blend out just as easily and result in color that looks just as even as the lighter ones. As long as the product doesn’t go bad or dry out, I could see a single container lasting for a very long time.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These have a somewhat thinner feel without being watery. If I place the open container on its side, the product stays inside. They are lightweight and dry down a little as they are spread over the skin but they don’t have a powdery, mousse-y feel. They remain moveable and have a slight hydrating quality to them without being slippery or oily. If you look at the container photos for the individual shades below, a very slight amount of fine shimmer can be seen through the plastic packaging for some of the shades. Once I apply and blend them out on the cheek this shimmer doesn’t translate at all. It doesn’t result in a sparkly looking cheek, just a smooth, subtle, even sheen that looks like the skin is well hydrated. 

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: All of the shades share about the same level of highly pigmented color payoff. On my skin tone, I find it nice that the lighter shades show up well while still looking like a light blush color. During swatching, a couple of the bright pinks left a slight stain on my arm. The more orange-toned shades didn’t seem to do this. 

Longevity: I’ve wear tested this all day twice. Once with the shade Comin’ In Hot Pink and once with the shade Peach Perfect. Both lasted well all day and I could still see the color by the evening. Peach Perfect seemed to blend into my skin tone more by the end of the day than Comin’ In Hot Pink but was still visible. While the color sets to some degree, they can still transfer with touch. For example, if I were to lay my head on a pillow without removing my makeup, some of the cheek color would probably transfer lightly. I tested this by taking a tissue to the face midday and pressing into the skin. A bit of color came off onto tissue but the blush was still firmly gripping onto the skin and resisting transfer.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Shows up well. A little goes a long way.
• I can continue blending them as long as I want. They don’t set down 100% dry.
• Not sticky or oily feeling.
• There’s no obvious shimmer or sparkle on the skin. They give the cheeks a natural-looking dewy finish.
• Doesn’t lift my foundation or lift itself during application.
• Color wears well and stays strong all day.
• Great selection of shades.
• Good price, good quality.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• The color payoff can be really intense for the deeper shades (on me). This is fine but I need to change the way I apply them.
• The way the applicator pulls out of the container feels disconcerting but hasn’t actually caused any problems.
• If you have discoloration, active acne, or old scarring on the cheeks, liquid blushes in general can sheer out the coverage of your foundation. These are some of the better liquid blushes and are LESS disruptive, but powder cheek products don’t have this issue at all.

Do I Recommend Them?

Yes. I’ve been craving liquid blushes for a while and these are giving me exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted something that wouldn’t interfere with my foundation and give me a more hydrated/dewy looking finish without relying on shimmer to do it. These are priced very reasonably AND are actually nice quality too.

Swatches

Peach Perfect

Peach Perfect is a pale peachy pink with subtle warm undertones. If you like “apricot” shades but find they are often darker than you prefer, this is a nice lighter version.

Dusty Rosé

Dusty Rosé is a soft warm pink. This is similar to Peach Perfect but is ever so slightly more pink-toned. The depth is about the same and from a distance, they aren’t that easy to tell apart.

Suave Mauve

Suave Mauve is a medium cooler toned pink. This has a bit more depth than the previous two shades but I am still able to dot the blush (lightly) directly onto the cheek during application without feeling like I’m applying too much.

Coral Crush

Coral Crush is a beautiful vibrant pinky peach. With this one I have to be careful to apply the product lightly to avoid applying too much color to the cheeks. I can’t dot the applicator directly onto the cheek, not even very lightly, because too much product transfers. I have to pick up a tiny little bit on the tip of my finger and build up the color slowly and carefully to get a flush that is noticeable but not too bright.

Gorg Orange

Gorg Orange is an intense hot orange with strong warm undertones. In the container, the micro fine shimmer is most visible in this shade but it doesn’t actually show up as shimmer on the cheek. Just like with the previous shade I need to be VERY light handed when applying this one and be extra mindful of blending. It shows up as a true orange and not coral.

Bronze Bombshell

Bronze Bombshell is a warm brown with subtle red-orange tones. This isn’t too far off in effect from Gorg Orange on me but has a more neutral vibe. On me, this shade is like a liquid bronzer.

Pinky Promise

Pinky Promise is bright, warm bubble gum pink. I can apply this either directly to the cheek or more lightly by picking up a bit with my fingertip. Applying this more heavily gives me a brighter, zingier pink effect and using a lighter hand gives me a sweeter, creamier pink look. While swatching this, it left a very faint pink stain behind on the skin.

Comin’ In Hot Pink

Comin’ In Hot Pink is a medium-deep cool toned rose pink. This is another one I have to be super light handed with and build up slowly. The final effect ends up looking similar to Pinky Promise, but more cool toned. This one left a more noticeable stain on my arm during swatching.

Berry Well

Berry Well is a deeper reddish pink. This is similar in depth and color to Comin’ In Hot Pink but this has more red in it. The blended out effect looks more neutral-cool than straight up cool toned. As with many of the other shades, I couldn’t apply this directly to the cheek without the color coming out too strong.

Cheeky Lychee

Cheeky Lychee is a light warm pink and is one of the 3 new shades released in late 2024. It is similar to Pinky Promise but leans slightly more coral. It also isn’t far off from Coral Crush but is slightly less orange than that one. If you have either or both of those, this is probably similar enough to not need this one. Mixing those two original shades may give you something similar to this one.

Bold-Faced Lilac

Bold-Faced Lilac is another one of the new 2024 shades and is truly a new addition that isn’t too similar to any of the original 9 shades. It does actually look purplish but not so much that it looks unnatural. It perfectly threads the line between purple and light pink. If you like pale pinks and purplish blushes this one a great one.

Copper Etiquette

Copper Etiquette is the last of the 3 new shades released in 2024. It is a light rosy bronze. When sheered out, it is extremely similar in tone to Bronze Bombshell. I could probably wear both (one on one cheek and one on the other) and get away with no one noticing. That said, I like this one much better because it is far easier to apply on my skin tone and if I really scrutinize it, I can see that this one is more pink toned which suits me a little better.

What it is: The matte version of the original Elf Power Grip Primer. It is a clear gel foundation primer with a semi-tacky finish that helps to smooth the look of pores and texture when worn under foundation. The sticky feel is supposed to help “grab” onto foundation and make it wear longer while the matte formulation is supposed to help keep shine at bay throughout the day.

Price/Quantity: There are two sizes available to purchase. The larger option is 0.87 oz for $10, and the smaller one is 0.5 oz for $5. Oddly, the smaller one is a better value.

Availability: Elf, Ulta, Target

Shade Range: These primers do not come in shades. They are all clear. However, there are 3 versions of the Elf Power Grip Primer: the original green one, the pink one with niacinamide, and now this one with a matte finish. 

Packaging: Both size options come in a squeeze tube with a twist off cap. Neither one comes with a pump like the original Elf Power Grip Primer in the larger size. Personally I have no issues with this packaging. It is not difficult for me to remove or replace the lid and I have very good control of how much product I dispense from the tube.

Smell/Fragrance: It has hardly any smell to it, but what I can detect is vaguely herbal. It has an ingredient called Lemon Myrtle Extract, which is where I’m guessing this scent comes from.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 Months after opening

Ingredients (from elf’s website): water (aqua), glycerin, silica, butylene glycol, peg-150 distearate, niacinamide, polysorbate 80, backhousia citriodora leaf extract, tocopherol, ethylhexylglycerin, caprylyl glycol, potassium laurate, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, peg-240/hdi copolymer bis-decyltetradeceth-20 ether, phenoxyethanol, disodium edta

Performance

Application: I’ve been applying this in sections rather than applying it to the entire face at once because it does start drying down very quickly. I’ll give it about a minute to completely set on the face before applying foundation over top. Some foundations are more difficult or time consuming to apply over this product compared to just applying them over clean moisturized skin. For example, matte finish foundations tended to require longer blending times to get as even an application than without the primer.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It is a thick gel that spreads over the skin fairly easily and dries down to a slightly tacky finish. It’s not as sticky as the original primer and leaves the skin feeling simultaneously silky and tacky. Feels cooling and hydrating during application.

Longevity: I’m not convinced this is SUPER effective at increasing wear time but I do think it helps a little bit. My foundation still looks pretty decent even after a long day when I use this underneath.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Smooths skin as well as the original green Elf Power Grip Primer.
• Not as sticky or shiny on the skin as the original.
• Seems to help some foundations last a little bit longer than without.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Doesn’t play well with some of my foundations. So far it seems to work best with thinner, more hydrating formulas. Heavier/drier formulas with more of a matte finish didn’t sit as well over this primer.
• It’s not really all that mattifying. It just doesn’t add shine.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. It’s a nice product BUT if you are specifically looking for a matte look, I’d caution you to look for other options. The finish it gives the skin is more of a natural finish. On me, I find my skin still reflects light with a soft glow even with this on and being that it has worked best with thinner more hydrating foundations, I never actually end up with a matte skin finish. As long as you’re fine with that and the foundations you plan to pair it with sound like they might work together, I think it’s worth giving a try.

Where I think this product adds the most benefit is in solving a problem with the original formulation. The original one is awesome at smoothing the skin underneath foundation but for my preference, it adds too much of a glow and too much of a tack to the skin. Even powder doesn’t quite do enough to tone it down. This one gives me that smoothing effect under some foundations (not all) but I don’t have the issue with it giving me excess glow when I don’t want it. I don’t feel the need to use so much powder either to keep that sticky feel in check.

I’m still figuring out how well it improves wear time and prevents oil breakthrough with different foundations. So far it has only been *slightly* effective in combination with Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation and Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation at helping keep my natural oils from breaking through the foundation. I haven’t noticed much increase in wear time with any other foundation so far.

Above, I am showing you what it looks like without primer (first quadrant), with the primer by itself (second quadrant), and with a couple of foundations over top (third and fourth quadrants). On the lower left I’m wearing Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation over the elf primer. This combo works very well together. On the lower right, I’m wearing Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation with the elf primer on only one half of the face. This combo was okay together but not as good as the previous one. I didn’t feel the elf primer added any additional matte effect to the skin (the right and left side of the face look pretty much the same) and it also didn’t add too much of a smoothing effect either.

What it is: Elf Lash Xtndr Mascara is a tubing mascara that is supposed to provide length and drama instantly. It claims to resist clumps, flaking, and smudging and remove easily with warm water. 

Price/Quantity: $7 for 0.25 oz / 7 g

Availability: Elf, Target

Shade Range: 3 shades (Soft Black, Pitch Black, and Deep Brown)

Packaging: The tube is pretty standard and a tiny bit narrower and shorter than other mascaras I have. It has a flexible silicone brush that gives slightly when pressed against the neck of the container but isn’t too flexible, so I can still get good control with it. The wand holds a very reasonable amount of product so I don’t feel the need to clean excess off before applying it to the lashes. To close it, it twists shut with a subtle “pop” once it is fully closed.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a fairly strong scent that I wouldn’t describe as fragrance but more as alcohol and other chemicals. I didn’t notice the scent over the past week just using the product normally but when actively looking for a smell, it was very easy to pick up on. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 6 months after opening.

Ingredients: 

Here are the ingredients that are on my box. They don’t totally match what I see on the website.

Performance

Shade: I chose the shade Pitch Black and I’m happy with the depth of color I get from it. I feel it is plenty dark enough but I’m sure I’ve used other mascaras that were a deeper/richer black before.

Application: This applies fast for me compared to other mascaras I have. Within a few swipes, I very quickly see noticeable length and volume and I don’t need to add more than one layer to get my lashes to a place where they feel “done”. It goes on evenly without clumps and I don’t find it super easy to accidentally get mascara on the skin around my eyes with this brush. I always curl my lashes and this doesn’t undo the curl when I first apply it and once it dries, it holds the curl for the rest of the day. 

The wand holds a perfect amount of mascara so I don’t need to clean excess off before going in for application. I also don’t feel the need to go back into the tube for more mascara to get one eye done. I will dip back into the container to get some more for the other eye though. 

The product is not too wet or too dry/waxy but it does seem to dry down on the lashes quickly after I sweep it on, affecting how I can layer the product. While I don’t feel the need whatsoever to layer for plenty of impact, if I did want to apply it heavily, I need to do it within a minute or two. If I wait too long before adding more product, it can start to look clumpy and my lashes will stick to each other.

How It Wears: After several days, the only bad thing I’ve noticed about how this wears is some slight flaking. It seems to do this consistently but the flakes are pretty small and there aren’t a ton of them. I’ve been seeing if it will smudge by wearing it on the lower lashes with a hydrating concealer and so far it hasn’t smudged. 

Removal: Being a tubing mascara, it is meant to be removed with water. What I’ve been doing is using makeup remover to take off most of my makeup and my eyeshadow, and then I’ll go to the sink and use some warm water to soften up the mascara before gently pulling the “tubes” or large chunks of mascara off in a pinching motion. Once it’s exposed to water for about 15 seconds, it very easily loses its grip on the lashes and comes off with very little effort.

Worth Buying?

I feel like this mascara is well worth the $7. It’s not much more than some of the cheapest options at Ulta and it performs really well. The only drawback for me personally is some minor flaking.

Before and After

What they are: Elf Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pens are sheer balmy lip products that lie somewhere between a lip balm and a lip gloss. None of them have any shimmer or glitter and they have a lightly minty tingle. They are supposed to plump but I don’t get much of a plumping effect. They are hydrating and I feel that helps to give the lips a smoother appearance.

Price/Quantity: $8 for 0.07 oz / 2.0 grams

Availability: Elf, Walmart

Shade Range: 8 shades

Packaging: Slim, plastic click up pen. It has a button on the bottom of the pen in a color matching the shade inside. I have to press the button 3 or 4 times to push the product up enough to swipe over the lips.  Once I push product up, it cannot be retracted back into the pen like with a twist-up style lip product. The lip product itself is very soft and melts easily so this kind of packaging works well. The lid snaps off and on with a good amount of tension. It doesn’t feel like it will fall off easily but isn’t too difficult to remove either. The names of each shade are on the pens on the bottom of the button but the lettering is so tiny and so thin, it’s nearly impossible to see without the help of a magnifying glass. The white label I’m showing on the lid below is just how I decided to make my life easier so I know the name of each shade as I grab for them.

Smell/Fragrance: These have a light scent that reminds me of coconut oil (which is not listed in the ingredients) and a very faint sweetness. It doesn’t seem to me that these were made to smell intentionally fragranced as the scent I do pick up on is barely there. They do have a cooling minty sensation that is a bit more noticeable than the mintiness that was in the Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oils (review). There is no minty scent though. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening.

Ingredients:

These are the ingredients for the shade In The Clear. The other shades have very similar ingredients listed and the “MAY CONTAIN” section varies a bit for each shade.

Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Synthetic Wax, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina), Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol; MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade Selection: None of the shades contain any shimmer or glitter and I LOVE that there is a completely clear option in a formula like this. I often apply a lip balm or lip mask when I start doing my makeup so that if I feel like wearing a lipstick at the end, my lips are all prepped. The clear one is perfect for this. 

The shades are all different enough from each other to tell them apart once they are on the lips. Just Peachy and Pinky Out look too similar when swatched but Just Peachy is noticeably much lighter on the lips. Bust A Mauve and Wicked Cherry are pretty close but Wicked Cherry is more red.

Application: These apply about as one would expect — just swipe across the lips like a lipstick. A couple of passes very easily transfers product and color. For some of the deeper shades, I found it helpful to have a lip brush nearby to smooth out the edges of my lips. Because the product is so melty it’s not hard to lose precision. That meltiness also makes me feel like I’m using a lot product each time I apply one of the shades, and could quickly run through an entire pen. 

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These melt easily when they come in contact with the skin. They feel like a cross between very thick lip gloss and a very melty lip balm. Pressing my lips together, the product doesn’t feel like it is too thick or heavy and it is not sticky or goopy at all. They feel soothing and protective like a nice lip balm. Swatching these wasn’t the easiest thing because a lot of product would come off in patches as I moved it over my skin, leaving a thick uneven looking swatch. I smoothed over pretty much every swatch with a brush but here is how it swatches without me messing with them and how the product looks in the tube afterward.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: I can get sheer but noticeable color from these. They can be applied a bit more lightly for a pretty natural look or I can layer them up to get the color to pop more. I feel like I have a good amount of wiggle room for layering these before they start to look too thick or uneven on the lips, but they do have a limit. The midtone and deeper shades are easier to apply more heavily but the lighter shades like Just Peachy and Pinky Out start to look goopy on me if I apply too much.

Longevity: These are thick enough and stay on for a few hours if not touched. They don’t absorb or evaporate or seem to disappear on their own. If I eat or drink they do easily transfer but even then, they still hold on pretty well. I wore one to work and drank water throughout my shift. After a couple of hours, I could tell the product had worn away from the center of my lips but was still holding on around the edges of my lips. Where it was still holding on, it maintained its comfortable balmy feel.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• The clear one is nice as a lip balm alternative or lip treatment before makeup.
• Minty feel.
• No shimmer.
• Feels really comfortable and smooth. More moisturizing and soothing than a waxy lip balm and thicker than a lip gloss or lip oil.
• Good price.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It seems like I could use them up quickly.
• The lighter shades don’t build up as well as the deeper ones and can easily look goopy.
• I don’t really see plumping from these. They help fight dryness and keep my lips moisturized which helps them to look a little more smooth.

Do I Recommend Them?

I definitely recommend the clear one for anyone as an alternative to a lip balm. For the ones with color, maybe go for shades that are a bit deeper than your natural lip color (just based on how the lighter ones applied on me). If you actually want them for plumping though, you’ll probably not get what you’re hoping for.

Swatches

In The Clear

In The Clear is a totally clear, shimmer and sparkle free shade with shine nearly like that of a lip gloss. It doesn’t have the same wet, glassy effect of a gloss, but has more reflect than a lip balm.

Just Peachy

Just Peachy is a super pale peach. This one is surprisingly too light for me. The arm swatch is heavier than the lip swatch. I can see this one settling into my lip lines and it become more obvious the more I build it up. Out of all the shades, I enjoyed this one the least.

Pinky Out

Pinky Out is a light warm pink. This one is a bit better for me than Just Peachy for a natural/neutral looking color but can also look heavy/goopy if I apply it too heavily on the lips. I don’t notice it settling into my lip lines as much probably because it’s just deep enough of a color.

Toasted

Toasted is a light peachy caramel. It’s not too orange and not too brown and not too light lol. If you’re into brownish shades, this is an interesting one. On my lips, it pulls a bit more pink because of the shade is sheer and my natural lip color kind of skews the overall effect. I can go a little more heavy handed with application starting with this shade as well as the rest below without it looking bad on the lips.

Bust A Mauve

Bust A Mauve is a medium coolish mauve. This one is a little deeper and cooler toned than I usually think of mauve being.

Wicked Cherry

Wicked Cherry is a medium-deep brownish red. It’s is somewhat similar to Bust A Mauve but more red and warmer.

Red My Mind

Red My Mind is a medium-deep pinky red.

Plum On Over

Plum On Over is a deeper reddish berry.

What it is: Elf Camo Hydrating CC Cream is a medium coverage foundation with a dewy finish that provides SPF 30 sun protection with a combination of chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients. It has an emollient texture contributing to that dewy finish but I do not see any kind of fine shimmer in the product up close.

Price/Quantity: $15 for 1 oz / 30 grams

Availability: Elf, Ulta

Shade Range: 30 shades

Packaging: Squeeze tube with a pump. The cap is easy to remove and stays in place. It gets a little bit messy inside the cap if you don’t wipe off excess foundation that collects at the tip of the pump. It doesn’t seem to be possible to remove or twist off the pump from the bottom of the tube. I tried for a bit but would rather not force it and break it. After using up a tiny bit of the product, it seems there is air in the pump so that when I press it, I am not always able to actually dispense product. By the time I get past the air pocket, the foundation kind of splats out with some force. It’s not a huge problem but could be a little messy and cause me to get foundation on things I’m not intending to.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a moderate sunscreen smell (and taste, if I get it too close to my mouth) that is obvious during application and lingers for a short time after. The scent does eventually fade though. I don’t see fragrance listed in the ingredients and I don’t smell anything fragrance-like over the scent of the sunscreen. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: There is an expiration date printed both on the box the product came in and stamped into the top of the squeeze tube. The expiration date on mine is August 2025 and I purchased the product in December 2023.

Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide – 6.3%, Titanium Dioxide – 6 %, Homosalate – 5%, Octisalate – 4.5%, Octocrylene – 3%

Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Panthenol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Trehalose, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrated Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethyl Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Canola Oil, Glycerin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Beta-Carotene, Soluble Collagen, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499)

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade: I bought the shades Fair 120 N and Light 205 N. When looking at the swatches provided by Elf, both the cool and warm undertone options looked as if they might have pretty obvious pink and yellow tones, even though the depth of some of those shades looked like they might work for me. I opted to just buy the two lightest neutral options and mix them if necessary. In person, these two shades look like they truly are neutral. Light 205 N is a bit too dark on me but is a closer match than Fair 120 N. Although it’s a bit deep, it is still passable and doesn’t look pink/peach, orange/yellow at all against my complexion. I’m glad I chose the shades I did and purchased both because I think I’ll be happier using a combo of the 2 rather than settling for an imperfect match using only one of them.

Application: I’ve tried a couple ways of applying this and so far my favorite is dotting and evenly distributing it all over with one end of a damp sponge and then turning the sponge over to its clean side to finish blending the product out. I can go over some areas again using this same method to build up the coverage I want and a second layer sits on the skin just fine without looking too heavy/cakey. I can also use my fingers to spread the product out and then blend with a sponge, but that somehow results in less coverage and a finish that doesn’t look as smooth. Using a foundation brush to apply was my least favorite method (most uneven, least coverage) but I did find a brush helpful at times to smooth out areas where the product gathered in larger pores. I didn’t find pooling/gathering in pores to be a major problem in general with this product but it did happen a little bit on some parts of my face.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It has an emollient, creamy feel but is not particularly thick or heavy. It leaves the skin with a bit of tack but not so much that my hair sticks to my face. I could skip powder and leave it unset and be fine with the way the product feels to the touch. The finish is very dewy overall. When I first apply it, it reflects about the same amount of light as my skin naturally does when I only have moisturizer on. It doesn’t necessarily add any extra shine, initially, and it doesn’t have any shimmer as far as I can tell. But after wearing it for a while, maybe an hour or two, it becomes more and more glowy as the oils in my skin combine with the foundation. At this point, my face looks unnaturally shiny. I prefer to set this product with a powder vs wearing it alone.

Coverage: One layer gives me light-medium coverage and I can build it up in spots up to nearly full. This is described as having full coverage but I don’t agree. Strong medium approaching full is about the maximum amount of coverage I can get with it. 

For the before and after shots below, I’m using the shade Light 205 N all over the face. I didn’t mix the lighter shade I have in or use any other complexion products.

Longevity: I’m still trying this out for wear time. All I can say for now is that when I set it with a powder, glow and shine break through that powder pretty quickly. I’m guessing I’ll need to add powder a couple of times over the course of a day. If applied somewhat heavily over an area with creases or lines, it will gather in those lines over time.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Application is fast and easy. I feel like I could apply this quickly on a day when I’m feeling tired/lazy/in a rush.
• I like the coverage. For the amount of SPF, I feel I get more coverage than most other similar products I’ve tried.
• Oddly, I like that this has chemical SPF in it. Most of my sunscreens are mineral but I like using a combo of mineral and chemical when the sun is at its strongest.
• The undertone looks truly neutral for the two shades I chose.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I wish there was a neutral shade in between the two that I picked up to avoid needing both to match me correctly.
• The sunscreen smell is a bit strong.
• Questionable pump. So far it’s working okay but time will tell.

Do I Recommend It?

I’ve mentioned a few things that are probably off-putting but I somehow still really like this product. I haven’t tried a whole heck of a lot of foundations with relatively high SPF in them. The ones I have tried have either been too heavy/cakey or didn’t have much coverage. This one strikes a balance I’ve not found yet in another similar product. Even though it’s not super full coverage, the coverage it does provide is pretty high and I can see myself using this together with one of my tinted mineral SPF products later in the year as I need more sun protection. For the price, I think it’s good but make sure you’re okay with a glowy/dewy/emollient product.

Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oils are sheer lip oils with a somewhat thick but non-sticky consistency and a very lightly minty scent and feel. They feel like lip glosses in their texture but have much less color payoff and none of them contain any shimmer. Because of how sheer they are, I feel they could have reduced the 7 available shades down to like 2 or 3. They go for $8 each, which I feel is a decent price for the quality, and can be purchased from Elf and Ulta.

One of the things I was most looking forward to with these was the minty feel. I like a good cooling lip product but I will say that this one is very subtle and I hardly feel it. I smell and taste it only a tiny bit as well. If you are very sensitive and the idea of mint is keeping you from trying these, I don’t think it will be much of a bother.

Out of all of them, my favorite ones are the three deepest shades – Rose Envy, Honey Talks, and Jam Session. They are all mostly clear-looking on the lips even though they look WAY more intense in the packaging. I cannot tell the lightest 3 shades apart from each other on the lips and the middle one, Red Delicious, is nearly clear as well. I can kind of tell the 3 deepest shades apart from each other when I’m wearing them though. My lips are very pale and I like that the deeper shades add just enough color to still look natural but add some life to my face.

They feel thicker than Maybelline Lifter Glosses or Fenty Gloss Bombs but equally non-sticky. While wearing them, they are generally comfortable but I don’t feel like I forget I’m wearing them. I am aware that there is something on my lips. If I am not eating or drinking anything for a long time, they stay on quite well for several hours, and if I do take a sip of something or eat, they hold up fairly well but may need a reapplication afterward.

Crystal Clear

Crystal Clear is truly clear with no shimmer or sparkle.

Pink Quartz

Pink Quartz has a very subtle pink tint that is mainly only obvious in the packaging. In the swatch, I can barely see it and on the lips, I really can’t tell at all.

Coral Fixation

Coral Fixation is a very sheer coral and has about the same level of color payoff as Pink Quartz. The warmth that comes across in the arm swatch does not translate to the lips. It is not enough color to overpower the natural tone of my lips or add any warmth to them.

Red Delicious

Red Delicious is a sheer pinky red. This is the first one that starts to become noticeable and add some level of color to the lips.

Rosy Envy

Rose Envy is light warm pink and has a bit more opacity to it than any of the previous shades. This one gives me a MLBB (my lips but better) kind of look.

Honey Talks

Honey Talks a light, warm, pinky brown. This is a cute and unique shade if you’re into more nude/brown lip colors. I feel it still looks natural on me but has a warmer and more neutral vibe.

Jam Session

Jam Session is a deep but very sheer berry. On the lips, this deepens the cool-toned mauve that my lips naturally are. This is probably my favorite of all the shades.

Elf Cream Glide Lip Liners come in 8 shades and go for $2 each. They are a creamy, comfortable, easy to apply formula with quick color payoff that come in a wooden pencil. The pencils are a tiny bit on the shorter side but otherwise have a standard diameter and will fit into a standard pencil sharpener. The names of the shades are not printed on the pencils themselves and are only found on the plastic sleeve each one came it. I’m glad I noticed this before tossing the plastic out so I could tell them apart. For now I will keep the pencils in the sleeves but may try to find a way to label them myself.

The texture of these reminds me a little bit of lipstick. Like they repackaged a semi-matte (but still creamy!) lipstick formula into a lip liner pencil. The name is accurate. They glide on without any tugging and color goes on evenly and quickly. They don’t feel drying at all and they don’t slip and slide around on the lips once I get the color where I want it. Unless my lips are chapped, I feel zero need to use a lip balm beforehand to get these to apply nicely.

They don’t transfer a whole lot if I take a sip of coffee so it seems they will hold on for a good amount of time. I haven’t really given them a good wear test yet though.

For $2 I wasn’t expecting a whole lot but wow am I surprised. If someone handed this lip liner to me and didn’t tell me what brand it was or how much it cost, my opinion would be the same – beautiful quality. If you are already planning to make a purchase from Elf and need to add something to your cart to get past a shipping threshold, these are a no brainer.

Red Receipt

Red Receipt is an ultra bright red. It is mostly neutral but leans ever so slightly more pink than orange.

Plum & Get It

Plum & Get It is a deep reddish purple. The red in this doesn’t come across too strongly and it has a nice amount of depth to it so it doesn’t look too bright.

Dark Cocoa

Dark Cocoa is a deep brown with subtle red undertones. This looks mostly like a neutral chocolate brown on me with only a hint of the red tones coming through.

Spill The Tea

Spill The Tea is a medium yellow-brown. This is a really unique color (to me at least) that doesn’t look anywhere near natural on me but has a cool fall vibe to it.

Mauve Aside

Mauve Aside is a medium muted rosy beige. This one is slightly deeper than my natural lip color but has a neutral-to-cool undertone that fits my complexion better than the other lighter shades available.

Baddest Beige

Baddest Beige is a light brownish pink. I never did get into the whole latte makeup trend but the color of this seems like it would fit perfectly.

Truth Or Bare

Truth or Bare is a light peachy pink with strong warm tones. This one looks almost melony on my lips

Pinky Swear

Pinky Swear is a light pink with very slight warm undertones. This is the closest shade to my natural lip color in depth but is just a tiny bit warmer.

This was a look I did based on a rare moment of inspiration. Typically when I do manage to find inspiration, it’s usually from nature. This time it was after a walk early in the morning near a river. The time of day and weather were perfect conditions for the sunlight to bounce off the ripples in the water in a way that reminded me of the Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb Highlighter because it has a similar effect when seen in moving light. The water had more of a murky grey-green tone to it that contrasted nicely with the sparkle. The shades in the Elf quads I ended up using don’t exactly mimc that but they are similar enough, easily accessible, and for being dark shades, they are both highly pigmented and blend well.

Products used:

• Elf Acai You, Hot Jalapeño, Cream & Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadows
  • deep matte blue (outer lid/crease, inner lower lashline)
  • deep matte green (center of lid, outer lower lashline)
  • lighter matte green (transition for deeper green)
  • lighter matte blue (transition for deeper blue)
  • matte skintone shade (used to blend out lighter green on lower lashline area)
• Fenty How Many Carats? Diamond Bomb Highlighter
• Sydney Grace Drift – mostly on the brow bone, a bit in the crease to help with blending the deeper shades
• ColourPop Creme Gel Liner in Swerve – lower waterline

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Details and Packaging

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow Palettes come in 8 variations. Colors range from neutral to bright and colorful with a mixture of mattes and shimmers. Each quad retails for $3 and contains 3.5 grams / 0.12 oz of product.

The palettes are made of plastic but they feel like pretty decent quality, not too flimsy. They aren’t terribly difficult to open most of the time but in case I have some hand lotion on or something, there is a little groove on the side where I can use some tweezers to pry the compacts open. They feel like they stay shut securely. The back of the palette has a label on it with the ingredients for that particular quad and the name of the quad.

The shadows are not scented and do not smell like anything to me.

Even though these quads are tiny, the shadows themselves are plenty big enough to easily work with. I can fit any eyeshadow brush into the pans that I want to use without accidentally dipping into neighboring shades.

Formula Overview

Most of the matte shades were pigmented, blended easily, and had a somewhat substatial feel to them. They were not dusty, dry, or thin and they held together well. Some were a little powdery but not in a dry way, more in a slightly loosely pressed way. The one that was the most finicky was the blue quad, Acai You, which was the most prone to dusting away but in the end this one still worked out for me.

The shimmers ranged from a satin finish to nearly foiled depending on the quad. Most of these applied easily with brushes and I didn’t feel the need to use my fingers to get the color to show up well. There was no fallout or very little fallout from most of the shimmers. I’ll point out the ones that had noticeable fallout below.

Shade Selection

These quads give you a little bit of everything but there is definitely room for growth in this range. For example, there aren’t any true purple shades here. There are also not any good matte brow bone highlights for my skin tone. I do like that they offer some variety with this selection though.

Each of the 8 quads has enough shades to use individually but I prefer to mix and match with these. Not all of the quads have the best selection of colors to create a look that feels “complete”. Now, this is just my opinion of course, you can wear whatever shades you prefer. However, I enjoy having shades with a certain level of contrast so they both stand out individually but also blend together relatively easily.

For example, the Cream & Sugar quad has two matte shades which are quite far apart in contrast. One is very light and one is pretty dark. This makes me want to pick a shade in the middle from one of the other quads to help them blend more smoothly. This formula, luckily, is easy to work with so you certainly can make the Cream & Sugar quad work on it’s own. It’s just not what I prefer. I will cover more of my thoughts on the shade selection of each individual quad below.

Wear Time

I tested 5 out of the 8 quads for wear time. The ones I didn’t test for longevity were Acai You, Hot Jalapeño, and Carnival Candy. I found wear time to be average compared to other eyeshadows. After wearing them for 10-12 hours they were creased or faded in the crease but the creasing wasn’t terrible.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Truffles

This palette is one in particular that I think has an extremely well balanced shade selection. The depth of the matte shades is spaced out well enough to get a very easy blend. At the same time there are enough different hues to get a look that isn’t completely monochromatic. The cooler tone shimmer stands out nicely against the warm mattes but doesn’t feel out of place. This whole palette performed well. Good color payoff, easy blending. Very minimal fallout from any of the shades.

• Shade 1 is a shimmery taupe.
• Shade 2 is a matte medium warm brown.
• Shade 3 is a matte deep warm brown.
• Shade 4 is a matte black. This shade was the most challenging to blend as would be expected with deeper shades. But to give you some context, this was easier to work with than some of the deeper shades in the Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Palette that I reviewed recently. In other words, I thought this was well formulated.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Cream & Sugar

I like all of these shades but the combination of them leaves something to be desired. This quad would have been better if perhaps they swapped the lightest shade out for something slightly deeper. This one feels like more of a paring palette. All of the colors are nice but I wouldn’t want to necessarily use them all together.

• Shade 1 is a matte pale peach.
• Shade 2 is a sparkling light champagne. This was a slightly flakier formula that most of the other mattes. This shade had quite a bit of shimmer fallout. Borderline too much to do my foundation before my eyeshadow.
• Shade 3 is a shimmery medium golden bronze.
• Shade 4 is a matte deep brown.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Pumpkin Pie

This is a great quad for somebody that loves warm toned eyeshadow. The shades are warm without be overly orange. While this quad is fairly monochromatic, the shades have enough nuance in tone and finish to be used for different looks. I would use this as a pairing palette to complete a look since everything is very midtone. This quad was great quality all around. Good color payoff, easy blending, very little fallout.

• Shade 1 is a matte orangey brown.
• Shade 2 is a shimmery orange-toned copper.
• Shade 3 is matte warm brown.
• Shade 4 is a warm bronze with a metallic, almost foiled, finish.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Carnival Candy

If I wasn’t reviewing these, this color combo is not one that would normally draw me in. However, these shades together are very summery and fun paired together. They look intimidating in the pans but are surprisingly beautiful (and dare I say wearable?) on the eyes. All the mattes were easy to work with. This blue was a bit thicker in texture than some of the other shimmers in this range but still very usable.

• Shade 1 is a matte pale peach.
• Shade 2 is a matte medium-deep warm brown.
• Shade 3 is a matte medium-deep brick red.
• Shade 4 is a shimmery ocean blue. I used a combination of brushes and my finger to apply this. It applied better with my finger to get it to look evenly applied. Applying colors with my fingers usually results in more fallout than with brushes. I did get fallout from this but it was pretty minimal given how heavily I applied it. The edges blended easily over the mattes without getting too muddy. The blue blended next to the browns created a greyish tone but I didn’t think it looked bad.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow – Berry Bad

This is another pretty well balanced palette. The two mattes have enough contrast to tell them apart on the lid but they aren’t so far apart that it’s hard to blend them together. I do think the two shimmers might be a smidge too similar for somebody that’s not into these types of shades. They are different though. Shade 2 will give the look a warmer, more coppery feel whereas Shade 3 will have a cooler, more cranberry vibe.

• Shade 1 is a warm medium rosy pink with a matte finish. This was a little sheer but worked well as a transition shade.
• Shade 2 is a metallic reddish bronze with larger silver sparkles. I got some sparkle fallout from this shade when I wore if for the first time. On a second wear test, I didn’t get any fallout. They probably stick better to the lid when not applied over other matte eyeshadows.
• Shade 3 is a shimmery medium berry pink. This didn’t pick up as nicely on a brush. I did feel the need to use my finger with this shade.
• Shade 4 is a matte burgundy.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Rose Water

This quad was the one I was most interested in but it wasn’t actually my favorite of the bunch. Shade 2 is much lighter on my skin than I initially thought it would be. I actually wish it was a tad bit darker. I also would have preferred for the deepest shade to not have micro glitter in it.

• Shade 1 is a shimmery pale pink. Works well with a brush but this shade was a little flakier than the other shimmers. Definitely tap off excess to avoid fallout. There was minimal fallout with brush application but much more noticeable fallout with finger application.
• Shade 2 is a matte cool toned pale pink. This shade is lighter than I expected and doesn’t show up very well against my skin tone. It has plenty of pigmentation but it’s just very pale.
• Shade 3 is a shimmery medium rosy pink. This shade is slightly creamier than Shade 1 and less prone to fallout. I was able to apply this with a brush though using a finger applied the color with more intensity.
• Shade 4 is a deep charcoal with a mostly matte base and larger golden sparkles. This shade had both sparkle and pigment fallout during application but was pigmented and easy to blend.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Acai You

I like that this quad offers some very cool toned blues. I feel like the most common blues we see in eyeshadows are “warmer”, like sky blue, ocean blue, teal-leaning blues. This quad was the most finicky one to work with. All but Shade 2 were prone to dusting away on the eye. They are workable though, especially if you use a tackier eyeshadow base. I will gladly put up with that to have these unique shades in my collection.

• Shade 1 is a matte pale periwinkle blue. A bit sheer but usable. Probably best to use a sticky base with this. Blends easily.
• Shade 2 is a shimmery denim blue. Required a little more building up than some of the other shimmers in this range but the end result looked good.
• Shade 3 is a muted indigo with a satin finish. Doesn’t adhere well over the matte shadows. Worked much better applied straight over a sticky base.
• Shade 4 is a matte blackened blue. This had good pigmentation and easy to blend but lacks a bit in adherence. This shade works but can use the help of a sticky base.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadow –

Hot Jalapeño

This quad is in a tie with Truffles for my favorites of the bunch. Very little fallout from all shades.

• Shade 1 is a metallic yellow gold. Very creamy, picks up and deposits very easily with a brush. High shine.
• Shade 2 is a shimmery medium golden green. Picks up and applies easily with a brush as well but isn’t quite as shiny. This is a tad bit more fallout than the rest of the shades but the fallout was still very minimal.
• Shade 3 is a matte medium green with yellow undertones. Has good pigmentation and blends easily. This one can look a tiny bit patchy but not enough for me to not want to use it.
• Shade 4 is a matte deep green with blue undertones. Is highly pigmented and blends easily.

Looks I Did With These Palettes

Look #1:

• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Light matte cream – set lids, applied lightly on inner corner because this shade is a little dark for me
• Elf Truffles Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Medium matte brown – transition, inner crease, outer lower lashline
  • Dark matte brown – outer lid, outer crease
  • Matte black – a tiny bit in the very outer corner
  • Shimmery taupe – center of lid
• Elf Pumpkin Pie Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Right-most shade – inner lower lashline

Look #2:

• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Light matte cream – Set lids, lightly on inner corner because this shade is a little dark for me
  • Dark matte brown – Outer lid
  • Pale shimmery cream – inner lower lashline
  • Pale bronze shimmer – inner lid
• Elf Pumpkin Pie Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte warm brown – outer lower lashline, inner crease
  • Matte cool brown – outer crease
  • Second shade from left – center of lid

Look #3:

• Elf Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte dusty pink – Crease, transition area
  • Deepest shade – Outer lid, outer crease, lower lashline
  • First shade on left – Inner corner
  • Third shade from left – Center of lid

Look #4:

• Elf Berry Bad Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte medium pink – Crease, transition
  • Matte burgundy – Outer lid, outer crease, outer lower lashline
  • Second shade from left – Center of lid
  • Third shade from left – Inner lower lashline

Look #5:

• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte light cream – I used this shade to set my primer
• Elf Hot Jalapeño Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte medium green – Crease, lower lashline
  • Matte dark green – Outer lid, blended into crease
  • Shimmery green – Center of lid
  • Shimmery yellow – Inner lid

Look #6:

• Elf Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Lightest shimmer shade – Inner corner, brow bone
• Elf Acai You Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Lightest matte – Transition around edges both on top lid and lower lashline
  • Deepest matte – Outer corner
  • Satin shade – All over lid, blended into crease
  • Higher shine shimmer shade – Inner lid on upper and lower lid

Look #7:

• Elf Carnival Candy Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Warm brown matte  – Inner crease
  • Brick red matte – Outer crease
  • Shimmery ocean blue – All over lid
  • Pale peach matte – Blend around edges

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

This is a warm, summery blue and orange eyeshadow look using the Elf Carnival Candy Bite Size Eyeshadow.

Products and Shades Used:

• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Concealer in Snow
• Guerlain Meteorites Pressed Powder – An old discontinued product in my collection
• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in Very Black
• Elf Carnival Candy Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Warm brown matte  – Inner crease
  • Brick red matte – Outer crease
  • Shimmery ocean blue – All over lid
  • Pale peach matte – Blend around edges
• Viseart Brow Palette – 2 deepest powder shades on bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side

Thoughts:

This was the quad I was looking forward to the least just because I wasn’t sure how the blue was going to blend with the other shades in the palette. I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised that the colors worked out well together and everything was easy to use. I appreciate that the blue in this palette versus the blues Acai You palette are very different. This one is noticeably warmer. All the shades adhered well and blended easily. The blue had a little bit of fallout but nothing too crazy.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Here’s a pastel periwinkle blue eyeshadow look using Elf Acai You and Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadows.

Products and Shades Used:

• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Concealer in Snow
• Guerlain Meteorites Pressed Powder – An old discontinued product in my collection
• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in Very Black
• Elf Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Lightest shimmer shade – Inner corner, brow bone
• Elf Acai You Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Lightest matte – Transition around edges both on top lid and lower lashline
  • Deepest matte – Outer corner
  • Satin shade – All over lid, blended into crease
  • Higher shine shimmer shade – Inner lid on upper and lower lid
• Viseart Brow Palette – 2 deepest powder shades on bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side

Thoughts:

The mattes in this are little more easy to dust away than the shades in the rest of the palettes. This quad can really benefit from a tacky base. Nars Pro Prime was probably not the best to pair with it to make the shadows adhere and help the colors pop. Because the shades are more prone to dusting away, application took me a little longer because I had to keep going in to apply more color. The more shimmery shade (second from left) adheres the best out of all these shades. I think this type of formula is fine if you just want a subtle wash a color but if you want a really poppin’ look, these shades need some help. Very little fallout from all shades.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte light cream – I used this shade to set my primer
• Elf Hot Jalapeño Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte medium green – Crease, lower lashline
  • Matte dark green – Outer lid, blended into crease
  • Shimmery green – Center of lid
  • Shimmery yellow – Inner lid
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe
• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond
• Guerlain Meteorites Pressed Powder – An old, discontinued powder in my collection. Trying to use it up.

Thoughts on Hot Jalapeño Palette:

Overall, I’m really happy with this palette. Some small gripes are that the medium matte green can look slightly patchy if you’re really scrutinizing it and the medium shimmery green had some fallout during application. Other than that the pigmentation and blendability was great. The mattes had almost no fallout, even with this heavy application. The shimmers were smooth, had nice shine to them, and didn’t have any chunky glitter/sparkles in them.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Single in Blanc – I can’t find this shade online. Maybe it’s discontinued. A good alternative is Sydney Grace Drift. I used this shade on the brow bone and to clean up around the deepest shade from the quad below.
• Elf Berry Bad Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte medium pink – Crease, transition
  • Matte burgundy – Outer lid, outer crease, outer lower lashline
  • Second shade from left – Center of lid
  • Third shade from left – Inner lower lashline
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond – Under eye concealer
• Loreal Infallible Full Wear Concealer in 330 Ivory – Spot concealer
• Too Faced Peach Perfect Loose Setting Powder

Thoughts:

I thought the contrast between the two matte shades was just right. They blended together well and had good color payoff. I didn’t notice any fallout from the deeper matte shade. The second shade from the left has some larger sparkles mixed into the formula that fell down onto my cheeks during application. The other shimmer doesn’t seem to have any of those sparkles, just a uniform fine shimmer. Aside from the sparkly fallout, these were easy to work with. I wore this for 10 hours and by then there was noticeable fading in the crease.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Single in Blanc – I can’t find this shade online. Maybe it’s discontinued. A good alternative is Sydney Grace Drift. I used this shade on the brow bone and to clean up around the deepest shade from the quad below.
• Elf Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte dusty pink – Crease, transition area
  • Deepest shade – Outer lid, outer crease, lower lashline
  • First shade on left – Inner corner
  • Third shade from left – Center of lid
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond – Under eye concealer
• Loreal Infallible Full Wear Concealer in 330 Ivory – Spot concealer
• Too Faced Peach Perfect Loose Setting Powder

Thoughts:

The lighter matte shade was even lighter than I expected once on the lid. The stark contrast between this shade and the deepest shade makes me want to reach into another palette to find an in-between shade to help them blend together easier. For this look, though, I didn’t do that. The two shimmers are pretty similar on the eyes, which is the case for many of these quads. The deepest shade has sparkles that don’t really show up on the lid and fall out during application. The deepest shade also had pigment fallout so I had to be extra careful to really tap the excess off my brush every time I picked up color. I wore this for 10 hours and by then there was noticeable fading in the crease.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Light matte cream – Set lids, lightly on inner corner because this shade is a little dark for me
  • Dark matte brown – Outer lid
  • Pale shimmery cream – inner lower lashline
  • Pale bronze shimmer – inner lid
• Elf Pumpkin Pie Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Matte warm brown – outer lower lashline, inner crease
  • Matte cool brown – outer crease
  • Second shade from left – center of lid
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond – Under eye concealer
• Loreal Infallible Full Wear Concealer in 330 Ivory – Spot concealer
• Too Faced Peach Perfect Loose Setting Powder

Thoughts:

I have nothing to complain about with the shadows I used today. They performed exceptionally well. I can’t believe these quads are only $3 each. I wore this look for almost 12 hours and there was some creasing by the end of the day but nothing that I wouldn’t expect after so many hours of wear.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Elf Cream and Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Light matte cream – set lids, applied lightly on inner corner because this shade is a little dark for me
• Elf Truffles Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Medium matte brown – transition, inner crease, outer lower lashline
  • Dark matte brown – outer lid, outer crease
  • Matte black – a tiny bit in the very outer corner
  • Shimmery taupe – center of lid
• Elf Pumpkin Pie Bite Size Eyeshadow Quad
  • Right-most shade – inner lower lashline
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation in 10 Porcelain Ivory
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond – Under eye concealer
• Loreal Infallible Full Wear Concealer in 330 Ivory – Spot concealer
• Too Faced Peach Perfect Loose Setting Powder

Thoughts:

I was impressed with how well the mattes performed. They were pigmented, easy to blend without sheering away too readily, and had very little fallout. The black was the trickiest one to blend but I was able to get it diffused. The Truffles quad has a well rounded group of shades to get a complete look out of. I took some shades from a couple other palettes but you wouldn’t necessarily need to do that. I wore this look for almost 12 hours and it held up surprisingly well. There was some creasing by the end of the night bit it wasn’t nearly as bad as some other eyeshadows I’ve tried.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Elf Bite Size Eyeshadows are quads that come in 8 variations. Colors range from neutral to bright and colorful with a mixture of mattes and shimmers. Each quad retails for $3 and contains 3.5 grams / 0.12 oz of product.

Elf Truffles Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a shimmery taupe.
• Shade 2 is a matte medium warm brown.
• Shade 3 is a matte deep warm brown.
• Shade 4 is a matte black.

Elf Cream & Sugar Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a matte pale peach.
• Shade 2 is a metallic light champagne.
• Shade 3 is a metallic medium golden bronze.
• Shade 4 is a matte deep brown.

Elf Pumpkin Pie Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a matte orangey brown.
• Shade 2 is a metallic orange-toned copper.
• Shade 3 is matte warm brown.
• Shade 4 is a warm bronze with a metallic, almost foiled, finish.

Elf Carnival Candy Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a matte pale peach.
• Shade 2 is a matte medium-deep warm brown.
• Shade 3 is a matte medium-deep brick red.
• Shade 4 is a shimmery ocean blue.

Elf Berry Bad Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a warm medium rosy pink with a matte finish.
• Shade 2 is a metallic reddish bronze with larger silver sparkles.
• Shade 3 is a shimmery medium berry pink.
• Shade 4 is a matte burgundy.

Elf Rose Water Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a shimmery pale pink.
• Shade 2 a matte cool toned pale pink.
• Shade 3 is a shimmery medium rosy pink.
• Shade 4 is a deep charcoal with a mostly matte base and larger golden sparkles.

Elf Acai You Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a matte pale periwinkle blue.
• Shade 2 is a shimmery denim blue.
• Shade 3 is a muted indigo with a satin finish
• Shade 4 is a matte blackened blue.

Elf Hot Jalapeño Bite Size Eyeshadow

• Shade 1 is a metallic yellow gold.
• Shade 2 is a shimmery medium golden green.
• Shade 3 is a matte medium green with yellow undertones.
• Shade 4 is a matte deep green with blue undertones.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Products and Shades Used:

• ColourPop Making Mauves Eyeshadow Palette:
  • R&R – Transition
  • Solitaire – Inner crease
  • Tongue Tied – Outer crease
  • Marquee – Inner and outer lid
  • A La Mode – Center of lid, applied with finger
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Too Faced Prime and Poreless Primer – This is the old formula
• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation in Y225 – Used this as foundation as well as eyeshadow primer
• It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector in Light
• Too Faced Peach Perfect Loose Setting Powder
• Wander Beauty Powder Foundation in Fair – Add coverage over foundation

Thoughts:

Tongue Tied and Solitaire are very similar except one is matte and the other has some sparkles in it. I’d rather not have sparkles like this in a matte shade because most of the time they don’t really show up that well on the lid and end up falling down under my eyes during application. A La Mode wasn’t the easiest to pick up with a brush. I could do it but I would only get a wash of sparkle over the lid using that method. Using my finger gave me a more metallic, smoother look. This isn’t a super opaque eyeshadow. It seems to be mostly sparkle/glitter suspended in a semi-sheer rosy shimmer. It has a thicker, grittier texture and a slightly emollient/tacky feel to it. Lots of fallout from this shade.