"ELF" is not just a movie title!

Hey FashionSISTAS!  (It's like "fashionISTA- but with a spin!  You know,  fashion sister= fashionSISTA Get it?!?  French class, ha! << Name that movie!  Oh, I tend to throw in random movie quotes in my everyday life.  Just something I do.)  Here is another blog on some makeup products that I tried out for the first time this weekend.  As stated before, now that the blog is up- I am eager to "blog" away!!  Let's see how long this lasts! LOL

  Anywho- for those that follow our instagram page, I mentioned that this past weekend I got to try some ELF products!  For those of you that don't know what ELF is, it is a makeup brand that stands for Eyes, Lips, and Face!  Pretty clever, huh?  I first heard about the brand on everyone's favorite- Pinterest!  I am not sure where else to buy it, but I found these items at Target.  (Otherwise known as "tarjeet"- silent "t".)

No, we don't have a Target on Maui- I went back to Tacoma for the weekend for my good friend- Aiza's Baby Shower.  Doesn't she look great?  Babies are such a blessing.  Hard work but fun!

Sisters!  Let me tell you!  I was SHOCKED to see the prices for this brand.  All brushes are $1!! And everything else is $3!  When I say- "everything else," I mean everraayythang.  Everraaaythang?  Everrayythang!  Lipstick, foundation, blushes, concealers, etc.  All $3.  Have ya'll ever seen this brand before?  I've been to Target numerous times, not to mention their makeup section- and I have never noticed the ELF section!  

At first, the prices kind of threw me off.  A brush for $1?  Will it work?  Will I have to throw it away after I use it once?  I was hesitant, to say the least, on purchasing from their line.  Rightly so, because if you have ever bought makeup brushes- you know it is a far cry from $1!  I got 2 brushes, a makeup mist setter, red lipstick/pencil, and a blush/bronzer palette.

These are the 2 brushes I got.  

I give the foundation brush "3 stars" from a star scale of 1-5.  A "3" because it was ONLY a $1 and did a pretty decent job.  I did not like how it felt a little rough on my skin and it did not smooth the foundation out enough.  I give the Kabuki brush  "4 stars." (Remember Star Search?  I feel like Ed McMahon saying, "Our Challenger received 3 and a quarter stars!" LOL)  Again, the quality is pretty good for $1.  Also, I forgot my blush brush at home- so I used this to apply my blush and it went on pretty well!  Honestly, these brushes are pretty good for $1.  If you are on a budget but need more tools- this line is actually decent!  I mean, really!  What can you get for a $1 nowadays?? 

Below is the blush/bronzer palette I got.  I forgot which one it is exactly.  Oops.  

 Anyway, this little bad boy was $3.  Yes, $3.  It cost less for this palette than a coffee at Starbuck's and it lasts longer than a drink!  I give this "5 stars".  Yes, 5 stars.  The blush was actually a pretty color on my face.  And easy to apply.  I should have gotten more of these.  I dabble in putting makeup on other people, so these would be perfect to use on others and again, hellooo- $3!!!

I also got this makeup mist setter. 

How much you ask?  Oh ya know, just $3.  Anyway, this is to be sprayed on your face AFTER you finish applying all your makeup.  It is suppose to help set your face and your makeup stays on longer.  Kind of like hair spray for your face.  I didn't really use one before, so I don't have much to compare it to.  The initial "spray" on my face did feel good, though.  It felt cool and refreshing.  And I think  my makeup stayed on longer than usual.  I did not really check though out the nite at the Baby Shower- so I don't know for certain.  I give it "3 stars" just because I am not too sure if it really helped my "face" stay on. 

Since ya'll know I like my red lips, I got the "Rich Red" lipstick/pencil.  

I took a "selfie" because I always feel weird "posing" for pictures by myself! LOL (I mean, I do it most of the time, so that people can see how certain clothes look on- but I feel weird without other people in the pic. LOL)  Anyhow- this is the lipstick on, which is actually a stick.  When you apply this- you literally are "coloring" your lips.  For $3- I rate it "4 stars!"  I was surprised at how nice it looked on!  I love a good lipstick or lipgloss and this was pretty decent for the price.  It looks more matte-like in real life.  When I go out (which is rare), I like to bring my lipstick or lipgloss with me for a quick touch up.  Sometimes, I lose them.  So next time I go out, I won't really worry if I lose it because it was only $3!  So this is definitely a must buy next time I go to the "mainland"; since Maui does NOT have a Target! (Boo.  But it makes up for the lack of with beautiful weather and beaches!) 

Last but not least- is my review on this!

This is NOT an ELF product- but I have always wanted to try this! Behold, "Garnier's Anti Puff Eye Serum!"  For those that have babies, you know that 'sleeping in' is simply not in our vocabulary.  Remind me, again, how it feels to sleep past 8am and for more than 6-7 hours straight?  Since I feel like the bags under my eyes can be seen a MILE away- I use the "Clinique- All about Eyes Serum," which is a roll-on that is suppose to eliminate the puffiness under your eyeballs.  Bags for dayysss- lemme tell you.  Anywho, the Clinique one is about $25 from Sephora.  Recently, I saw a post on Pinterest- on how this (pictured above) is the "dupe" for it.  This was only $11 from Target.  I think it works just as good! I use the word- "think," because it could just be me wishing/hoping that it works!  Knowhatimean?  (aka-  KWIM <My acronym for that word>).  Regardless, I will be getting this from now on- since spending $11 or so sounds better than $25!  Especially, if it does the same thing!  I love saving money when I can.  Don't you?  

Well, there you have it Fashionsistas!  My review on a few ELF products and the eye serum.  I give the WHOLE line "5 stars!"  For the price of most of the items- the products were pretty adequate.  Geez, it only took me 2 days to write this! LOL  In fact, I am holding my sleeping Princess, Kailea, as I finally finish this!  I swear, the minute I sit down, my girls need something!  KWIM?? (See how I did that there? teehee.)  Perhaps, if I stand up and do work- they won't cry for Mom.  I'll experiment with this today. Ha!  The life of a Mommy.  

 <<SIDENOTE>>

-The brushes I currently use are from MAC, my foundation from MAC and Benefit, lipstick from MAC and Sephora's brand, blush from MAC, and bronzer from Benefit.  So when I "rate" these items that is what I am comparing them to.

-The "mainland" is what those that live in Hawaii, call North America.  Obviously, we are islands 'seperated' from the rest of the the 48 states by a vast ocean.  So whenever we visit the "states"- we refer to it as the "mainland."  (We tend to stock up at stores when we go to the "mainland." KWIM?!?  If you see a "brown person" buying loads of cookie butter from Trader Joe's- 9 times out of 10- they are from Hawaii! LOL)