Monday 9 June 2014

REVIEW: Makeup Under $10 (Part #2) - E.L.F, MUD and W7


Here comes part two of my makeup under $10 blog series! In this series I've been trialling bargain beauty products to find out whether their super cheap prices are indicative of their quality, or if they're just fantastic deals! To catch you up, why don't you check out part one, featuring Daiso, ulta3 and FACE products? 

Today I'm playing with E.L.F, MUD and W7 products, so let's jump straight into it!

W7 

(available at Chemist Warehouse)


Creme de la Creme Cream Blush in 'Rosy' - $4.99

I'd never seen a cream blush this cheap before, so I was curious to give it a go. The shade itself is a hot pink / coral colour with some golden shimmer, which looks pretty daunting, especially after swatching it on my finger and seeing how dark it looks! The product itself kind of feels 'thin' and it's a bit oilier than other cream blushes that I've used. To be honest, it felt a bit like a lip balm!


But when applied, it is actually super sheer. It wasn't the easiest to blend because it tended to move my base makeup around, but overall the colour and finish is nice and natural. 


Verdict: 
I'm neither disappointed or impressed with this product and while I like the look of it on my cheeks, I probably wouldn't continue using it. If you're after a cheaper cream blush, this is alright for five bucks, but I'd still pay the extra dollars for one with better pigmentation and that's easier to blend.

The Bronzer Matte Compact - $4.99

Now this was exciting to discover! Matte bronzers can be hard to come by for this price, so I was super stoked to try this out to see if it did a good job at contouring. When swatched, the colour looked pretty similar to NARS' Laguna Bronzer, so I had high hopes for this.


Unfortunately, it's not the easiest to apply. It ended up looking quite muddy under my cheekbones where I applied it using a big fluffy brush and it was quite difficult to blend - it stayed where you put it! But, I will say that I was pretty happy with the pigmentation for what I paid for it.


Verdict:
Once my NARS Laguna Bronzer runs out, I probably will continue to use this until I get a replacement.  Compared to other bronzers that I own, this one did a pretty decent job, but I will definitely apply it with a lighter hand next time!

Light Diffusing Concealer - $4.99

I was so excited to try this when I saw it because my Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer has nearly run out and this looked like a similar type of product. Even the packaging is pretty close! 

But I was extremely disappointed when I took off the lid; the product had leaked out of the brush and crystallised on the end! I definitely wasn't putting that anywhere near my face.


Verdict:
While I didn't actually swatch this, let alone use it, I wouldn't recommend this one at all. Chances are that I just bought a bad one, but just the look of the congealed concealer on the brush has completely put me off buying another one to test that theory.

E.L.F - Eyes Lips Face 

(available at KMart)


Eyelid Primer in '7501 Sheer' - $3.00

An eyeshadow primer for THREE BUCKS?! Say what! This primer from ELF comes with a sponge-tip applicator similar to a lip gloss, which I like because I can apply the product straight to my lids and then blend it out using my finger tips. 


It's a bit thinner than other eye primers I've used, but I actually liked that! It didn't feel gluggy on my lids and was very easy to blend. And as you'll see in the next set of pictures, it actually did a pretty good job of bringing out the colour of the eyeshadow!



Verdict:
My Urban Decay Primer Potion has been acting up lately and I think it's split inside the tube, because every time I go to squeeze some out, I have to drain some sort of oily liquid before anything useable comes out. So I think I'll be using this until I buy a new one!

Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in 'Gala' - $8.00

I picked this up assuming it was a cheaper alternative for the Maybelline Color Tattoos and it is pretty much the same product. The main difference is the colour range (there were only three to choose from at my local KMart), and the texture. This ELF shadow has a spongy-like feel to it.


The colour itself is a gorgeous, dark metallic brown with golden shimmer, which would look rad as a smokey eye for night time. Below you can see two swatches; on the left is with the ELF Eyelid Primer, and on the right is without.


I just applied it using my finger tips as I do with most pot eyeshadows and it was very easy to apply and blend out. I created a very simple smokey eye in less than a minute by applying one wash of colour to my entire lid, then applying a second layer to the outer third of my lid to deepen the look.


Verdict:
This didn't have the same level of pigmentation as the Color Tattoos from Maybelline, but for the price, it was pretty great! If you find applying powder eye shadows difficult, this are perfect for you because it easily created a pretty eye look with very minimal effort. Very impressed!

MUD Make Up Design 

(available at Safeway / Woolworths)


Gel Liner in '001 Black' - $8.00

Like most gel liners, the MUD one comes in a little pot with a brush that clicks into the lid for convenience. The packaging is pretty similar to the Rimmel London one and you get a lot of product for what you pay for, which are pluses in my mind. 


On the packaging, this liner claims to be waterproof and smudge proof. I agree to some point. The swatch below took ages to remove when washing my hands with soap and water, and you do have to use eye makeup remover to take it off your eyes. BUT, I must have had some left on my eyes because when I got out of the shower, I looked like a panda! So I agree that it's waterproof and smudge proof, but I wouldn't recommend going swimming or anything with it on. It'll be fine in the rain though!


The pigmentation is really impressive; it's a dark, true black that is easily opaque with only one layer, which is rad! The brush isn't completely flat so creating an even line or cat eye is a little more difficult than usual, but once you've got it, it looks pretty good.


Verdict:
I very rarely use gel liner (liquid liner represent!), but I'm really impressed with this. The colour payoff is awesome and it lasted all night when I wore it on a night out without smudging (even in the rain!) so I'd be more than happy to use this again. Definitely recommend this one!

Slim Lipstick in '016 Chasing Chili' - $5.00

With cheaper lipsticks, you don't usually get to try them or swatch them in store, so I just picked this based off the colour of the sticker on the packaging. I was lucky that the colour of the lipstick matched it pretty well, but I didn't know it would have that 'sheen' to it. 


The product itself is very sheer and is more of a tinted lip balm than a lipstick. The colour that I picked is more of a magenta than a chilli red like the shade's name suggests, but I actually quite like it on! It's not sticky, it's moisturising and has a really nice fruity scent. My lips were a bit dry in the below photo as well, but you can barely tell! #lovealipstickthathidesdrypatches


Verdict: 
I won't be rushing out to buy all of the other shades in the range, but I will definitely continue to use this one. Overall, I was pretty happy with the colour payoff; it's subtle but very wearable, and it's really moisturising for a lipstick. Plus it applies really smoothly and evenly, so you could easily use it on the go without a mirror. 

Which product from this post impressed you the most? Let me know in the comments below and stay tuned for part three, featuring products from Essence, BYS and BOE!

Check out part one where I tried out products from Daiso, ulta3 and FACE.
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3 comments

  1. I love that Elf eyeshadow primer. And it's so funny you also mentioned the UD Primer Potion because I actually have an upcoming blog post that compares those two primers! It's kind of a battle between high end and drugstore primers.

    Great post!
    Meghan
    www.todaysbeautyobsession.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. The ELF Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow looked super cute on you and the W7 bronzer is a great colour for your skintone. I have the ELF eye primer and I prefer it over more expensive ones I've had.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! There certainly are some cosmetic gems that don't cost a bomb :)

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