I CUT OFF ALL MY LASHES!!

What a way to grab someone's attention, eh?? Sadly, this wasn't just something to get your attention, I did accidently cut my lashes off, but not all of them, thank God!

Hello Lovees! I am happy to bring you all this amusing post, it was highly requested and I hope it makes you laugh! :)

Some may remember, I have complained about this so much; but, I HATE the ELF lash curler! Every time I use it, it some how manages to cut my eyelashes! No, I did not pull them out on accident with the curler, nor did I pinch myself and pull my lashes out. I cannot understand why this keeps happening and I don't plan on investigating and losing more lashes!

Basically, this is what happend.
I'm getting ready for New Years and I have finished my makeup look for the night. All there is left for me to do is curl my lashes and apply mascara. I can't find my everyday, drugstore lash curler, so, unwillingly, I turn to my ELF one. Rubber in place, old mascara goop wiped away, I place it along my lash line and clamp down. And I hear it. That scary, easily recognized sound of hair being snipped. My heart is suddenly beating loudly in my ear as the panic sets in. "Oh no.. Oh my God, not again!". I pull the lash curler away and look closer in the mirror. Yup. In the center of my lashline, I have a bald spot. *le sigh*

You can imagine what happens next. I tossed the curler for good and whipped out the ol falsies and lash glue.

RED arrows: my bald spot, oh no!
BLUE arrow: My peely eye rash! (Post coming soon on that)

It took me 3 months to grow out my lashes the last time this happened. Only, last time I somehow managed to snip my entire lashline on both eyes! So, hopefully it won't take as long to grow out this time around.

Go ahead and have a laugh at my bald spot, its ok! I have to admit, it is so ridiculous that I even laughed at myself this time :)

What do you think? Have you had a similar accident happen to you before? I would love to hear it!
Also-- has anyone else had this happen with their ELF curler?

Love and Lipstick,
Monique

E.L.F Studio HD Powder & SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection

To finish off my E.L.F Cosmetics haul, I've got the Studio Loose Powders. The picture on the left is the High Definition Powder, and the picture on the right, with the amazingly long name, is a SPF loose powder. These powders have 3.5 ounces of product and are available for $6 each; they are worth the price.

The SPF powder only comes in one color, although it does have a light brown tint to it. This mineralized powder is infused with aloe, grapeseed extract, and vitamins A, C and E. The color applies transclucent but it does come off a little too pink on some darker skin tones. I wore this powder on my recent vacation and it worked so well while on the beach and at the campsite! This provides light coverage and blocks sun damage.

The High Definition powder is translucent and creates what is called a "soft focus" that covers all imperfections. This is designed for those who work with cameras. A TV interview, broadcast, or a photoshoot can sometimes highlight blemishes, but with this powder that is all blurred and softened away. I loved this powder so much, it really makes your complexion glow and look flawless! The first time I tried it I took a picture just to test it out, and this really does wonders in front of cameras. I recommend using this powder very lightly or you will get a ghostly complexion. Another great thing about this product? It is an EXACT dupe for Smashbox Cosmetics' Photo Set HD finishing powder, which retails for about $28! Save some money, get the same results.

Both of these powders control shine very well, but these are not packaged for travel. These are so bulky, I actually had trouble storing them at first and I had to move some of my other things around to fit them. They are just plain big. They have a really nice sifter, though, and a large powder puff. I use the puff to pat the product on, and then I buff it out with a face kabuki.  

E.L.F Studio Mineral Infused Mascara

Hey everyone, here I have for you the only mascara I dared to try from E.L.F cosmetics. I was a bit hesitant to try these because they are discount and I have had bad experiences with discount mascaras. Buying cheap could cause damage to your eyes and lashes!

But for $3 this actually turned out to be a really nice mascara!

It is "supposedly" miniral infused but the ingredients are mostly everyday mascara ingredients.

 I love the wand on this; it's silicone and bends to hug every lash; even the hard to reach inner lashes. The brush has many alternating rows of tiny bristles. The bristles seperate lashes really well and add great definition without the clumps.

This applies evenly and gives lashes that long and awake look. Do not confuse this with a volumizing mascara, though. This does nothing for thickness.

I recommend this for that natural makeup look because it brings out your lashes but doesn't make them look overdone or like you're wearing a lot of product.

The formula is very leightweight, which I like because the wetter formulas always make my lashes clump up and lose their curl.

I even use this mascara as a base when I don't want to pile on a thickening mascara. Simply apply this to lashes for definition and lenght and then apply a second coat of a thicker formula. This saves you from using up to three or four applications of that more expensive brand!

This is definitely one to try out!

E.L.F. Studio Blushes and Blush&Bronzer Duo Compact

Im still working on my E.L.F haul! I bought two blush compacts and a blush and bronzer duo. I was satisfied with all three so lets get right into it and I'll tell you know why.

This blush here is in Giddy Gold. I bought this for a glowy and bright look on my cheeks, perfect for the summer time. This blush was very bright in color; I was expecting it to be a little more wearable for the face ,but it was just too much. I didn't throw this out right away and I use it instead as a highlight. Just a small and light swipe above my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose gives me the dewey look without using an expensive highlighter.  If used sparingly, this could also be used as a highlight for the decollete area when wearing some more revealing tops; if done right, it could look sexy, not skanky!

This next product is the Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in Blushed and Bronzed (how original). E.L.F is definitely trying to dupe Nars' blush and bronzer compact! The encasing is almost the same, only this packaging has a non sticky coating, unlike the Nars compacts. The E.L.F one also has a sturdier and larger mirror. However, as far as the quality of the product goes this is not a dupe at all. Don't let it mistake you, though, these are still really great blushes for a wonderful price. The blush is a corally light pink with hardly any gold shimmer in it. The bronzer is a matte dark brown and it is perfect for contouring. I advise using this bronzer especially lightly and sparingly as it is a little difficult to blend.

This last blush I purchased is in the shade Candid Coral. If you compare it to the photo above, you can see that this blush looks exactly like the blush in the duo compact! I think they might be the same shades so this was a bad buy; only becuase now I have two of the same shades! The only difference is, this one has more gold reflects in it and it definitely not as matte as the other one above.

The blushes are $3 each and the duo compact is also $3. These blushes are very soft and it does not take a lot of product to get a good color payoff. I recommend tapping your brush into the pan and lightly tapping off any excess to avoid fallout. Rubbing or circling your brush will result in way too much product and crazy amounts of fallout. These come in 11 colors and I recommend trying them all!

E.L.F Luscious Liquid Lipstick and Mineral Mousturizing Lip Tint

I ordered some lip products from ELF and I will start by saying that these are actually really good products.

The first I want to talk about is their Mineral Mousturizing Lip Tints. These are intensely creamy and have a great color tint to them. They do include SPF 8, although I'm sure it will not make much of a difference with out it. When I first placed my order I got the color Cherry because it was the only one they had, but now I really want to get all of their 7 new colors. These are $3 each and are great products.

The other product I ordered is their Luscious Liquid Lipsticks. I heard these were great from another Guru friend and I ordered 3. From left to right the shades are Brownie Points, Caramel Candy, and Maple Sugar. These are a dollar each and have a great formulation. They are not overly sticky or shimmery. These add just the right amount of color. They work great for sheer color or to add shine over a lipstick. When I first opened them I spent about a minute cranking the applicator until the product came through. This is one of those annoying crank applicators that do take forever! They have doe foot felt applicators which I am not a huge fan of, but they are all minty flavored so that makes up for it; as you all know, I love mint beauty products! Brownie Points is a red toned brown, Caramel Candy is a sheer nude color, and Maple Sugar is a sheer pinky toned nude color. I love all of these and plan on ordering all 12 shades soon! I definitely recommend picking these up; they make great gifts for favor bags, stocking stuffers, or just as finishers for your collection. Happy Blogging and God Bless!

E.L.F Mechanical Eyelash Curler

After watching some of my favorite Guru reviews on youtube, I was sold and had to order ELF's eyelash curler! I was very excited to get this becuase my lashes, like my hair, cannot hold a curl to save my life. This is also only one dollar and comes with an extra pad and a plastic clamp that holds the curler closed when not in use. When this came in, my excitement dropped and flopped to the ground. I may have just gotten a bad batch (considering everyone else's wonderful raves) but this lash curler sucks, simply put. The rubber pad is always falling out and it falls apart. When I clamped the curler down it cut the rubber in half. That is not the worst part, just how it cut through the rubber, it also cut my lashes! Yes my lashes are now half their length, and I already had short lashes! However, this was about a month and a half ago and my lashes are slowly but surely growing back. I caution everyone when buying this curler, becareful!

E.L.F Liquid Eyeliner & Water Proof Eyeliner Pen

Hey everyone! I have tons of new reviews coming soon and I would have posted them sooner, but it is the summer months and it is around this time that I get extrememly busy! So without any further delay lets dive right in!
Today I have for you all the two eyeliners I ordered from ELF cosmetics. These are both only a dollar so I figured why not give them a try.
The liquid eyeliner comes in 6 colors, plus 3 new shimmer colors. The packaging is very simmilar to Revlon's Color Stay Liquid Eyeliner; it comes in an inkwell with a long handle for easy glide application.
The eyeliner pen is "waterproof" and comes in 5 colors, along with 2 new fall colors. I recommend storing the pen upside down in a brush holder otherwise the liner won't come out as fluid.
Both of these have very fine tips but the fibers are always coming loose and staying on my eyelids. These are actually terrible liners in my opinion. They are not waterproof and smudge amazingly easily. They do not stay black, in fact these eyeliners actually end up picking up the pigment in my shadows (may be a good thing for some of you?). These are not long wearing and the formula is extremely  runny. It reminds me of the kindergarten days when the water color paints looked like water with paint instead of paint with some water in it. Bottom line, I will not be buying these again. Stick with the drugstore brands and you're garuanteed quality product.

E.L.F Studio Stipple Brush

I really love stippling brushes. Of any face brush, they are my favorite and when I go shopping I always convince myself that I can never have too many stipple brushes! So, of course, as I was shopping through ELFs online store I decided to get another stipple brush. This is available for only $3 so I thought it was a pretty good deal considering my favorites have ranged from $16 to $34. This type of brush is great for applying liquid makeup because it gives a light and even application, making your makeup look smooth and air brushed. It can also be used to apply face powders, blushes, and bronzers when you want a very light and sheer amount. Now, ELFs Taklon brush is standard size but very light. I like my brushes to have a little weight to them because they apply makeup better. A light brush makes it easy to apply too much makeup or gives you a streaky finish. I have never seen a brush with bristles that shiney? Im not sure why but that was a red flag for me; quality brushes dont have shiney bristles. Another thing I didnt like about this brush was that it had a very ygly smell to it when I first opened it. It was strong and "chemically" and didnt come out after the first few washes. This is not a good stipple brush at all, there are not enough bristles to make it that air brushed tool. Over all this brush is a miss for me. It may be that I'm just used to a sturdier brush and this couldnt compare? If you are just starting out your collection then it is an "okay" brush, but for someone who's looking for great brush this is one of those hits and misses thing. For $3 it is really all you can ask for. I hope this was helpful! Happy blogging and God bless! :)

E.L.F Studio Small Brush Holder

Tired of keeping my brushes all mixed up, I bought one of ELFs brush holders, this is the small one for $5; although now I wish I had bought the larger one for $15 because they are just so chic. This little cutie is made of a plastic covered in a rubbery coating? Im not sure how to explain it, its similar to the coating on NARS blush compacts which becomes hard to clean sometimes but eh, I guess some dish soap takes care of it. This can hold quite a lot of brushes for its size. I like to keep my daily-use brushes in it for easy reach. It says Eyes Lips Face on the front; although it cant be seen in this photo. It looks cute sitting atop a desk or vanity!

ELF Studio Kabuki Face Brush

As I was moving my collection, I was looking through all my brushes and realized I didnt have a full sized kabuki brush. I took the chance of buying one from ELF and now I only wish I had bought an extra one for my sister! This brush is $5 and is made of synthetic Taklon bristles. This is supposed to be antibacterial, but really I dont see how that is possible. Just clean your brushes regularly to be safe and keep your complexion clear :) This brush is so soft, I was shocked because after all it is from ELF. It works great and only shedded a strand or two which is absolutely wonderful. The ferrule is metal and quite sturdy; it keeps the bristles fully packed together. This brush is nice and thick, and it is great for full coverage with face powders. For the price, I would consider this a steal :)

E.L.F Studio Mineral Face Primer

To kick off my ELF review, I have here their mineral face primer available for $6.00. If you havent heard of ELF cosmetics before, get on this stuff! This company sells their drugstore brand at the lowest prices ever! These products are available at Target starting from $1, $3, and $5!! I had huge orders so I shopped online. This silicone based primer goes on before makeup to make your face a flawless canvas for your foundation and concealer. Meant to fill in lines and pores, this base will make your face smooth and help your makeup last all day long. This is a great product for the price. This really does apply smoothly and help makeup glide on. It is silicone based which will need to be exfoliated off when washing makeup off. I have no complaints because for only six dollars, it works well and does what it is supposed to do, and its better than paying up to $24 for a smaller amount of Smashbox primer. My only caution is that silicones may make the face oily; however, I have oily skin and this was not a problem for me. Another caution: The pump on this product (genius!) is faulty (not so genius..) It squirts out way too much product in just one pump and the pump is very tough to push down. I recommend carefully pumping half a pump onto finger tips, rubbing finger tips together, and applying a dot on the chin, forehead, and both cheeks before rubbing in with your fingers. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, here is your fix.

Coming Soon: E.L.F

Boxes with tissue marks an open box day (the day I open boxes)!! I got my ELF orders in, and reviews are soon to follow. The shipping took longer than most places I order from; ELF partnered with USPS and FedEx took about two weeks to get my orders to Cali from NY. They packaged everything very nicely though, and nothing was damagaed on the journey to my home. Here is a sneak peak of my orders...

I won't be reviewing every single thing I purchased because half of the order belongs to my sister. You can see reviews of her products on her blog at sparklemepink94.blogspot.com
Keep reading for ELF reviews in the upcoming weeks!

ELF Cosmetics!

I remember back when I was in seventh grade, ELF cosmetics made their first debut in my local Dollar Store. I was new to makeup and my mom bought me one of their eyeshadows and I loved it to death; used it until I hit pan. My friends were all trying out makeup too but they all made fun of me for using ELF because it was "cheap dollar store" makeup. I never used it again and everyone considered this stuff poor quality... Now here I am almost seven years later and I'm seeing ALOT of ELF makeup everywhere, even Target. And what surprised me most was that so many gurus love their products! I guess this stuff is no longer considered cheap qaulity? Anyway, since there were so many good reviews out there, I decided to do a haul. And by haul I mean HUGE haul. I think I bought about... close to 60 studio line products and about 40 essential products. Thats about 100 things give or take! I just put my order in maybe a few minutes ago, I cannot wait for this stuff to come in so I can show you guys!If you use ELF well here is another few reviews for you to enjoy and if your on the fence about it like I was then the both of us will have to wait for the order to come in to see if its worth the money. Keep reading for the updates! Happy Blogging, and of course God bless :)