Showing posts with label elf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elf. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2013

Budget Buys: NARS 'Albatross' VS E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow'


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left to right: NARS 'Albatross' // E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow'

As most of you should know, I'm NARS obsessed. I's the one higher-end brand that I'll allow myself to splurge on & I truly feel like they have really great products. HOWEVER, I'm also a penny pincher so I love finding cheaper alternatives to expensive things I love or want. Many of you may be asking "why the hell would you buy two products that are so similar?". Well one, because I can. And two because I had the expensive version first & when E.L.F. was having a sale I decided it might be fun to see if they were dupes of things I already owned. And at $3 a piece, why the hell not!?

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close ups of each on my cheekbones

Color: Both are a cream colored powder with gold micro-shimmer and golden undertones. They look nearly identical in the pan.

Consistency: Both are powders that apply smoothly over the skin and require very little blending to look natural. The ELF version actually seems to be a bit more intense on the cheeks but I think that may have to do with the amount of product that comes off with each swipe of your brush. It appears to be much softer and less tightly packed.

Fallout: NARS Albatross has nearly zero fall out. When you swish your brush across the color it only goes onto the brush. ELF 'Gotta Glow' has a LOT of fall out. When swiping it, use a super light hand or you'll end up wasting a ton of product.

Similarity on cheeks: They look identical on the cheeks. I applied one to each side of my face and was unable to tell the difference. When swatched on my arm the ELF version appeared more opaque when applied heavily.

Price: NARS 'Albatross' is a whopping $29 USD in comparison to ELF 'Gotta Glow' at $3 USD. You could buy nearly 10 ELF blushes for the price of ONE NARS blush. Ridiculous.

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top to bottom: E.L.F. 'Gotta Glow' // NARS 'Albatross'

In conclusion, you might run out of the E.L.F. blush faster due to fall out and softness but you could replace it 9 times before paying nearly what you would pay for a single NARS blush. Ultimately, I would choose 'Gotta Glow' over 'Albatross' if you're looking for a beautiful highlighter with a seriously expensive counterpart. Plus they look identical on the cheeks & nobody will know the difference.


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-Becca

Monday, September 30, 2013

September 2013 Favorites



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l'oreal evercreme shampoo & conditioner // l'oreal telescopic mascara // katy perry 'meow' perfume // brazil nut body scrub // e.l.f. face primer // wet n wild coloricon trio in 'silent treatment'


L'oreal Evercreme Intense Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner

THIS STUFF! I'd used the Everpure range for about a year & I really liked it but wished it provided more moisture for my curly & color treated hair (the driest combo--oops) so I picked these up at the beginning of the month & have been loving them! They smell rather sweet- sort of a caramel scent so if that's not you cup of tea, definitely smell them before purchasing. I like the shampoo because it makes my hair feel soft but really clean & the conditioner is super thick and creamy and makes my hair so so soft and manageable. The range is made without sulfates and harsh salts so it's good for your hair & prevents product build up. Plus it's affordable! Often time if you time it right you can get BOGO 50% off at CVS or Walgreens. And they put coupons in the newspaper fairly regularly.Definitely try these out if you have the chance!


L'oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black

I was couponing at CVS & bought this on a whim because I had a CVS coupon for Loreal & a manufacturers coupon so I got this essentially for free. I normally go for a very different kind of wand-- I like my mascara wands big and bristly and my mascara formulas on the drier side. This is neither of those things, the formula is rather wet and the wand is thing with little teeth that catch each eyelash. It doesn't do much for volume really (which I need) but wowza does it make your eyelashes look long and flared out. It's not clumpy and you really only need a coat or two for the desired effect. I recommend this for girls with lots of lashes that want more length. I probably won't repurchase it since I want more volume, but I've enjoyed using it and I think it's a really nice mascara.

Katy Perry 'meow' Perfume

Normally I'm not one for celebrity scents but I really liked the smell of this so when I saw it on sale in TJMaxx I snatched it up. I didn't get the full size since I wasn't sure if I would wear it much...BUT I wore it most of September & can see myself wearing it again next spring so it was a good buy. Now, this is a very sugary perfume; it reminds me of cotton candy & a bit of coconut. I really like it but if you're not one for sweet scents, it might put you off especially since it can come across as a scent for younger girls-- but I like it since it's quite different from most of the other perfumes I own. Sometimes you just wanna smell like cotton candy, man.


The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Scrub

I'm a huge fan of the brazil nut body butter from The Body Shop but after trying the body scrub from the shea butter range, I realized I'd never tried the brazil nut body scrub. What a travesty, am I right? Well, now I'm obsessed. The shea body scrub made my skin feel great and exfoliated and soft but a little greasy (which I personally can't stand) so I was hoping that the brazil nut version would be a little less greasy & I was right! My skin feels smooth and soft and exfoliated without feeling like I'm all greased up. And it smells great! It's got a subtle warm nut scent with a bit of sweetness that makes it so pleasant to catch a whiff of. I love the way the whole brazil nut line smells though so I guess I'm biased? I'm super excited to use this as the weather gets cold and dry because I always need a little extra moisture & this makes shaving my legs a breeze!


e.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer

I've bought and tried lots of different face primers in my time & this is by far the most affordable. It's also really similar to all of the ones I've previously used. It smoothed over my skin & made my makeup go on smoother and blend better--only difference is it cost $6 as opposed to $30 or $40. It comes out as a clear gel & has a pump which is MUCH preferred to a pot you have to stick your finger or a spatula into. I've only been using it a few weeks but so far I haven't had any acne flare-ups from it or anything so I'm giving it my seal of approval. If you're looking for a budget friendly primer--definitely check this one out!


wet n wild Coloricon trio in 'Silent Treatment'

I don't really wear much eyeshadow but when I saw this in my local CVS I knew I needed it. I mostly wanted it for the greyish-purple lilac color at the bottom of the trio. I've worn it out a few times and I feel like it's a great way to add some color into my routine without going overboard or overwhelming myself. I normally wear very neutral eyeshadow if any so wearing anything this purple is way out of my comfort zone. I think it looks really really pretty with my grey-blue eyes but I'm sure it would look pretty on anyone. wet n wild eyeshadows are always super buttery and pigmented, the only issue I have with them is they tend to have a bit of fall-out but for 2.99 I can't really complain.
 


Sorry I've been pretty much MIA on my blog this summer. My interest in makeup really waned when Ryan moved out. I just got into a slump where I was just wearing the bare minimum and stopped purchasing makeup because I was sort of depressed and didn't really enjoy talking about it or wearing it or anything. I was more focused on trying to make sure I ate and slept enough and made it to work on time. I'm feeling much better as I've started a new medicine and Ryan is living with me again so things should slowly get back to normal. I've already taken a bunch of photos and started writing posts so expect new content soon!

-Becca