I’ve got a review of a few first impressions from the continuous makeup binge I’ve been on lately. And the first in the line up is………..

e.l.f Halo Glow!

I recently purchased the e.l.f Halo Glow Liquid Filter. Upon opening it I learned it has a big doe foot applicator just like the e.l.f Camo Concealer that holds alot of product which can make it easy to put on too much of it. But it is helpful if you want to be able to good bit to be able to mix evenly with foundation before you apply it.

Here it is swatched to show how much product it puts down and the color. It looks like its a bit lighter than my complexion in this lighting but it is the correct shade. And its supposed to blend in like a natural golden filter over your skin.

I got shade 6 Tan/Deep.

Here is Halo Glow worn under foundation.

I liked it immediately since my preference for makeup is subtle glow and golden and bronze tones. For this first time trial, I put my L’Oreal True Match Lumi foundation over it. It looks good this way and it even looks good worn alone. But I didn’t take any photos with just the Halo Glow on because it isn’t enough coverage to cover my hyperpigmentation. It came out nice and even and not too shiny. And after some experimentation I’ve learned that I prefer to apply it by mixing it with foundation. I’ve been wearing it every time I wear makeup since I got. It gives a healthy glow to the skin that isn’t too overpowering or too golden. And it looks like an actual filter on your skin. It’s also versatile in that you can apply it before foundation, mix it in, layer it on top of foundation, or just add some to the high points of your face like you would apply a highlighter.

On the e.l.f display I noticed their Cream Glide lip liners. They are only two dollars each so I bought one to try. The one I choose is called Spill the Tea. and I’m wearing it in this photo. It is a muted golden brown tone. When i put it on I noticed that the pencil was very soft and went on very easily without tugging. And it didn’t dry my lips out. Its only two dollars and the quality is very good for the price.

Here is the swatch of it. It pretty much blends in with my skin tone and you can hardly see the color. Its a nice natural color for brown skin and because the texture is soft it can be worn comfortably alone.

Maybelline Cheat Heat Blush in the color Nude Burn is another product I tried out. Here it is in the packaging pictured below.

It is a very faint color on my skin tone. But I like it because I usually prefer more toned down colors that enhance subtly. It is a very sheer muted pink color that takes a lot of building up before the color actually shows up. It is nice for if you want a natural look. Since it is a cream blush it looks more skin like than a powder blush would giving it that natural “barely there” finish.

I took a picture of myself wearing it the firs time I tried it. And you’re not gonna get see it. It was not a very flattering angle. My camera wasn’t doing its job and captured my second chin instead of the actual color. So, I’ll just let the swatch speak for itself.

Next are two blushes I bought this past week. You can never have too many blushes right?

Just agree with me so I don’t feel like a blush hoarder…..Thanks

Anyway, the two colors I got are Mac Coppertone and E.L.F Primer Infused blush in the color Always Rosy.

I had second thoughts right after I bought them — I was worried the shades might be too similar. Not that I don’t already own other products in nearly identical colors with different finishes! I justified this one because it’s just not the same shade of brown. At first glance, they look more alike than they really are, but once applied, the difference in quality and color payoff is actually very noticeable

Here they are in the pan. E.l.f is the one on the left and it is a deeper rose color with more red and to me it even comes off a bit orange. And coppertone is the other one on the right. It is more brown than rose. I guess I should’ve expected that since the color is called copper which is brown. Duh.

Here it is swatched. The elf blush was very pigmented and only took one swipe to pick up a decent amount of color. Now, the Mac blush was a whole other story. As you can see the Mac blush is fighting for its life. I had to add an arrow on the photo to show you where it is! I kept building and building the color and it just never showed up.

I thought it would be a copper that was more rich than this but sadly it isn’t. The e.l.f. blush isn’t exactly rosy. To me, it looks like a muted orange with brown undertones. It’s definitely more orange than it appears in the picture. It’s not my favorite shade to wear since I tend to avoid colors that lean too orange or red. But it’s worth the purchase for someone who likes wearing colors like this. As for the MAC blush, it might work better on a lighter complexion. It looks okay on me if I build it up enough but to get to the point of “enough” is a lot of work that doesn’t justify the price.

And there you have it. These are a few of my recent purchases that I’ve tried out and my honest thoughts on them.