I've heard lots of good AND bad things about Elf and by the sound of it they really are a mixed bag. Lots of people talk about how they're high quality and inexpensive, yet others bang on about cheap looking packaging and products that are 'hit or miss'. I went for two cheek products, the contouring blush/bronzer in St Lucia and the Studio Cream Blush in Tease- both in peachy colours without shimmer.
Contouring Blush/ Bronzer in St Lucia*
This is the Elf item I was most eager to try, the blush colour is gorgeous and is nicely complimented by the slightly warm toned bronzer. The pigmentation is unreal, one little swipe gives huge colour payoff and so there's no need for layers upon layers to build up to the colour you're after. There's no doubt that I have to be careful with a bronzer in this colour on my pale face, but a quick bit of blending out and it looks surprisingly natural (and not like I'm rocking a full mud-pack face mask). I initially had this in mind as a handbag topup product, but with such intense pigmentation I think it's much safer to use sat in front of a proper mirror with the right tools. I can imagine this would be perfect with a tan; it's definitely something I'd bring with me if I was off on holiday, and with it being a two-in-one product it would be ideal for saving on all important makeup bag space. I actually really like the packaging of this, it might not have the same high end feel as the similarly packaged Nars blush/bronzer duo but it's not cheap looking by any means.
Cream Blush in Tease*
I definitely wouldn't describe this as a 'cream blush', the formulation is almost like a dry mousse that leaves a smooth powder finish on the skin. I do find this quite hard to work with, but I think once you've had a play around with different brushes you can work out an application method that suits you best. I find Real Techniques contour brush (a fairly small, domed fluffy brush) distributes just the right amount of product on the cheeks with Real Techniques stippling brush also working quite well. I absolutely love the colour, it's more vibrant than the blush of St Lucia with more pink undertones but still a very flattering peach shade for people like me who are terrified of pink clown cheeks. I wish the formula would have been a bit more creamy which would have made it easier to apply, but I do think the finished look on the skin is worth the extra bit of effort. There's a huge 15g of product here for less than £6- compare that with Bourjois 2.5g cream blushes costing £8 each and you can see the huge price/ value difference. Although the Bourjois cream blushes are nicer in my opinion, the actual finish on the skin isn't even that different.
If these products are anything to go by, I can honestly say I like Elf a whole lot- both are amazing value for money and overall are just really nice.
