Swatches - Elf - Disney's Snow White - Fairest of Them All Collection

A few nights ago, I regrammed a picture of the new elf and Disney collaboration for the new Snow White collection.  Tonight I was lucky enough to find the collection at my local Walgreens before any of the pieces were missing.  There are several pieces to this collection, just like it's predecessor the Ariel collection.  I spotted makeup bags, the beauty book, an eyeshadow palette, a lipstick trio, a brush set, and a face powder (or blush/contour).  I picked up everything but the brush set and face set, though the packaging was pretty enough I may end up rounding out the set.

A quick aside about the brush set though.  The brushes appear to be from the $1.00 elf line.  They are not the best brushes in the world.  It retails for $9.99, which isn't bad, but I wouldn't pick up the set thinking that you were going to get MAC quality brushes.  Elf brushes are hit or miss.  I would pick up the brush set because the brush holder looks so awesome, not for the brushes.

I am actually quite happy with the purchases I made.  The packaging is gorgeous.  I personally like it better than the Ariel set, but I'm a sucker for red, white, black, and gold.  There is just a timeless, classic look to it. This is Snow White we're talking about, it is meant to be timeless and classic!

Here is what I got:

Look at that packaging.  Beautiful!

Let's start with the bag.  This was not the only bag in the collection.  It was the largest and had a different design than the others.  The other bags had the black and white style.  The picture is adorable and the inside of the bag has a design similar to the one on the other makeup items in a deep blue.  The pictured scene is also one of my favorites from the movie.  I couldn't help not getting it.  It's large enough to be a good carry bag for my makeup or my brushes.  Suffice to say I'm excited about it!  This bag retailed for $9.99.

(Outside of the bag)

(Inside of the bag)

There is a lip trio in this collection.  Red, red, red.  Very red.  The lip gloss is an elf Essential Shimmer Lip Gloss in "Ruby Kiss".  The lip stain is named "Crison Crush".  That is not a typo, but what the sticker on the bottom of the tube states.  A quick look at the elf website does show that this should be "Crimson Crush", which is a permanent shade by the brand and can be found here.  Lastly, there is a elf Essential Lip Balm tint in "Berry".  This is part of the permanent range as well and can be found here.  I have heard pretty good things about the lip balm tints, so this might be worth it to try.  The lip set retailed for $4.99 and is pictured below.

Next there is the eyeshadow palette and mascara.  The eyeshadow palette has six colors, while the mascara is the standard black.  I was surprised by the way the palette swatched.  These shadows were pretty smooth and swatched nicely without primer.  The clear miss is the darkest shade, but with a primer it will probably be workable.  All the shades appear to have shimmer, not a matte in the bunch.  The eye collection retails for $4.99.

Last, but not least is the Snow White story book.  Again, I am very taken by the artwork on the front.  And surprisingly, I am not completely disappointed with the quality of the products on the inside.  The eyeshadows were not quite as great as the one in the eye collection palette, but most of the shades are workable.  The darkest shade, again, was lackluster, but the rest would work well with a primer.  Beyond the eyeshadows, the story book includes a lip gloss, eyelid primer, a black eyeliner, and a pinkish/coral blush (which I could not get to photograph without it coming off completely orange which was not the true color at all).  The story book retails for $9.99.

There we go folks.  The Snow White collection by elf.  What do you think?  Will you be picking up any of the products?

It's time for another ELF Treasure Hunt

Every year ELF gives us a treat by doing 75% off certain items.  Here is a round up for everyone:

Studio Matte Eyeshadow - $1.65 - All Colors
Essential Beauty School Eyeshadow Book - $2.25 - Nude
Essential Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara - $0.70
Studio Eyebrow Kit - $1.80 - Light
Essential 5-Piece Get the Look Eye Set - $2.25 - Purple
Essential Beauty School 5 Piece Eyeshadow Set - $1.75 - Night
Studio Kabuki Face Brush - $4.20
Mineral Revitalizing Mist - $4.20
Studio Shimmer Palette - $1.80
Studio Contour Brush - $2.10
Studio Lash & Brow Comb - $0.75
Essential 4-Piece Nail Polish Set - $3.00 - Trendy
Essential 3-Piece Nail Polish Set - $1.80 - Mysterious

So as you can see this is a very small list.  With orders over $35.00 you can add on free shipping.  Compared to some of elfs better deals, I think your money might be better saved.  But if there is something on this list you have been waiting for, you have 28 hours from this post to do it in.

Happy shopping!!!

~Kratrina

elf Deal : They Just Keep Coming!!

Along with the Trick or Treat sale you can use code TREAT at checkout for an additional 50% off during the elf sale.  Code good until 10/15!

e.l.f Trick or Treat - Treasure Hunt

e.l.f. announced their Trick or Treat Treasure Hunt this morning.  Various items on their website can be purchased for up to 80% off the original price, though you have to hunt them down.

If you go looking for items, you will find this image:

 if one of the items is discounted.  You will then have to find which item is discounted further.

I have compiled a list for everyone here.  Happy shopping!

Single Eyeshadow: Buttercream $1.50
Mineral Eyeshadow for $1.50 : In Outdoorsy, Dreamy, Beachy, Smoldering, or Flirty
Eye Brightener $1.50
Glitter Eyeshadow for $1.00 : In Nature Girl, Beachy Chic, Party Animal, Night Owl
Shimmering Facial Whip for $0.60 : In Camilia
Cream Eyeliner for $1.50 : In Copper
Eye Primer and Liner Sealer for $1.50
Shimmer Eye Liner Pencil for $0.50 : In Blissful Blush
Mineral Infused Mascara for $1.50
Mineral Eyeshadow Primer for $1.50 : In Sheer
Eyebrow Stencil Kit for $0.60
Dramatic Length False Eyelashes - Limited Edition for $0.60 : All colors
Dramatic Full False Eyelashes - Limited Edition for $0.60 : All colors
Silver Box Eyelash Kit - Limited Edition for $1.20
Individual False Lashes for $0.50 : In Brown
Mechanical Eyelash Curler for $0.60
Mineral Eyeliner Brush for $1.50
Mineral Lash & Brow Comb for $1.50
Mineral Smudge Brush for $1.50
Studio Pout Perfecter for $1.50
Plumping Lip Glaze for $0.60 : In Baby Doll
Mineral Lipstick for $2.50 : In Runway Pink and Rosy Tan,
Luscious Liquid Lipstick for $0.60 : In Ruby Slipper and Maple Sugar
Soothing Lip Balm for $0.50
Corrective Concealer for $1.80 : In Neutralize & Conceal
Translucent Matifying Powder for $1.80
Mineral Kabuki Blush for $3.20
Shine Eraser for $0.60
Powder Puffs Set of 4 for $0.60
Mineral Glow Kit for $9.00
Mineral Face Line Filler for $2.50
Shimmer Sheets for $1.50 : All Colors
Elements Custom Lips for $0.20 : All Colors
Elements Custom Face for $0.20
Signature Case for $4.00
Signature Train Cases for $6.00 : All Colors
Nail Polish for $1.00 : In Pearl, Cranberry, Mango Madness, Plum, Party Purple, Purple Dream, Royal Purple, Dark Glitter Purple

That's all the deals I found.  Let me know if I am missing one.  Thanks!

Review - e.l.f Studio Eye Enhancing Eyeshadow Blue 2

I recently made a large purchase from e.l.f. during their sale on free nail polish.  With their exceptionally low prices on good drug store makeup, it is easy to splurge.  The affordability of their products makes it easy to try out new items in colors that I would not have picked up while out shopping at the store.

Case in point is the new Eye Enhancing Eyeshadow palette in Blue 2.  The palette retails for $6.00 on their website.  I purchased it because it has a good range of colors and I did not have any eyeshadows that I thought would duplicate the blues or the terracotta in the palette.  I do not normally wear blue eyeshadow, so this was just something to play with.

The palette comes in a sleek, small case that is easy to open.  In the clear window opening, you can clearly see all the eyeshadows.  From here they looked well pigmented.  The package includes a mirror when the case is opened and a sponge tip applicator.

There was already some fallout just after opening the palette that got along the outer edges of the pans.  More fallout was to come as I swatched each eyeshadow.  The palette includes six colors.  The dark navy blue has blue glitter in it, while the gold/tan color has red glitter in it.  The sky blue and gray blue have a little shimmer to them, while the linen white and terracotta color have little to no shimmer, but I believe it would be a stretch to call them purely matte.  After seeing the sparkle in the dark blue, I was very excited as I had not seen anything quite like it before and thought that it would be fun for a "night on the town" sort of look.

After swatching however, I wasn't nearly as impressed.  The navy blue does not hold the pigmentation or the sparkle once used.  The glitter came out in chunks and ended up everywhere but on the swatch.  It was messy and hard to work with, even on my arm.  The lighter blues were not as bad, while the linen shade took several applications to get it to stand out.  The golden and terracotta colors were nice, but the sparkle in the gold color did not translate either.  The eyeshadows are powder and very dry, they do not feel buttery and smooth like other drugstore eyeshadows I have tried.

I tried the three brownish colors on my eye, but the results were less than wonderful.  There was a lot of fallout, both in the pan and on my cheeks.  The golden color, which I used on my eyelid, did not show up after trying to build it, which was disappointing.  The linen color would work well as a highlighter with other neutrals but would not hold up on its own.  The terracotta did standout, but after a short time of wear it was very dull and faded.

I believe all the colors could be enhanced with an eye primer, though I don't think that will help the navy blue.  It seems very unworkable, in my opinion.  It would take some work to build the colors and blend them.  If anyone is looking for a navy blue color Wet n Wild has two blue palettes that contain one and it may work better.

In summary, I would pass on this palette if anyone is looking to get it.  The pans are small and the pigmentation in the palette doesn't quite translate to the eye, only leaving a powdery mess all around.