Is Elf Makeup Bad For Your Skin

This mail may incorporate affiliate links, which means we may receive a committee if you buy through our links. Please read our total disclosure here.

east.50.f Cosmetics is a makeup make we all know from adolescence, and because of this, information technology's often misjudged every bit a make meant for preteens experimenting with clay-cheap makeup.

Up until a twelvemonth and a half agone, even I was guilty of being too bossy to give e.50.f. a fair shot. I'm so glad I finally did.

e.l.f., short for "Optics Lips Face up", was founded in 2004, a cruelty-free visitor created for the purpose of providing women with high-quality makeup at depression prices.

My favorite YouTube dazzler guru (KathleenLights) has ever raved most east.l.f. Cosmetics' ability to kick barrel when compared with makeup x times more expensive.

But does e.l.f. actually produce high-quality makeup, or are their low prices indicative of the mode their products perform? And what are the best and worst e.l.f. products?

Keep reading to find out. I've tested pretty much everything, and here's where the products stacked upwardly:

Primer:

For me, e.l.f. primer has not simply done its job, but held its ain against several other drugstore primers I own and employ. I love the primer I accept from e.fifty.f.

Maybe e.l.f. primers are made solely to complement e.l.f. foundations and I haven't tried my Tone Adjusting (Brightening) Primer with plenty other foundations. It's possible. Still, when something pairs so well I try non to push my luck.

Even if e.l.f. primers don't stack up to pricey ones, they all feel high-end on the peel and have relatively non-offensive odors to them.

For $6 y'all tin't expect the e.50.f. Hydrating Primer to work ameliorate than the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Primer ($32), but yous can sure equally heck save some money by choosing e.l.f..

Verdict: If you, like me, prefer spending on foundations and saving on primers, get buy an e.l.f. primer. For simply $6, you might even desire to try i with skincare effects, like blemish command or hydration! At the very least, these primers will add healthy multifariousness to your drove.

Course: B+

Foundation:

I have ever been skeptical of cheap foundations, which is why I was hesitant to believe the hype surrounding e.50.f. foundations. After all, your base determines how the rest of your makeup volition expect. It needs to be good!

After giving e.l.f.'southward Flawless Finish Foundation a whirl, however,I am officially a truthful believer in $six foundation.

Non but did this foundation compete well with my $40 foundation, but it survived the ultimate examination: an outdoor summer concert.

Pre-concert (around 2pm), I practical my foundation. So I went to the prove. I didn't have my makeup off until 1am, and when I did, I was surprised to observe that my foundation looked merely as good s it had when I first applied it! And did I mention this foundation has SPF 15?!

Though I've only tried "Flawless Stop" other e.l.f. foundations, such as the Acne Fighting Foundation, have gotten rave reviews online.

For those with oilier pare, I'd but recommend being cautious of the Beautifully Blank Foundation Serum because it's a thinner consistency and may not attach to the skin equally well every bit the others. Otherwise, y'all're good.

If in that location's one product e.l.f. makes consistently well, information technology'south foundation.

Verdict: Speaking as someone with very dry skin, the Flawless Finish Foundation looked refreshingly natural (like my peel, but improve) and didn't cling to my dry patches equally much as other more expensive foundations.

The but complaint I have most e.l.f.'s foundations is about the lack of a decent shade range. Otherwise, for an impressive $6-$8, eastward.l.f. foundations might be your skin savior.

Grade: A+

Concealer:

As much equally information technology pains me to say this, e.l.f.'s concealers have let me down.

Time after fourth dimension, powder after powder, eastward.fifty.f. concealer proves to crease much more than easily than comparable drugstore concealers. If yous spend the extra money to get the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, for instance, you'll be infinitely more than satisfied.

Verdict:As much as I wanted to like this formula, eastward.fifty.f. concealers only aren't flattering, especially in the under-eye region. Spend your money on a more dependable concealer that won't do y'all dirty.

Course: D

Face Powder:

e.l.f. face powders are just similar their foundations in the sense that the shade range isn't great.

If you're lucky and you can actually find a powder that closely matches your skin tone, e.l.f.'due south pressed powders are great for setting and mattifying the face, and giving actress coverage if information technology is needed.

Translucent powders from the brand also aid in setting your makeup to give it a more airbrushed upshot, and are not supposed to cause flashback.

Co-ordinate to the east.fifty.f. team, using their High Definition Powder sparingly and applying information technology to the face in circular motions with a castor is supposed to prevent unfortunate flashback from happening.

Though I oasis't used the regular HD powder, I accept used the HD Undereye Setting Pulverization religiously and take never had a problem with applying it or flashback in photos.

Verdict: due east.l.f. powders are finely milled into an impressive formula that could definitely exist sold for a higher toll. Considering of how great a deal they are and how well they perform,these powders are a dandy value, especially for the amazingly low cost-point.

Grade: A

Blushes/Bronzers:

Much like the formula for the pressed face powders, e.50.f. has an equally impressive formula for its blushes and bronzers. The bachelor shades are flattering and blend easily on peak of foundation or bare skin.

The single blushes and bronzers are great, merely to go the well-nigh blindside for your buck I recommend the blush and bronzer palettes, which come with four shades each.

Verdict: You tin't go incorrect with most east.fifty.f. face up products, and the blushes/bronzers are no dissimilar. If you find a shade you lot dearest, don't hesitate to pull the trigger and buy it!

Course: A+

Contour/Highlighters:

east.l.f. contour and highlight palettes are another neat addition to your makeup drove. The packaging for these palettes is identical to the blush and bronzer palettes, and the formulas are pretty much identical likewise.

The baked highlighters that due east.l.f. sells are also extremely popular, especially the shade Moonlight Pearlswhich is perfect for fairer skin tones.

Verdict: Contour and highlighter palettes on the market can cost upward of $45, so it's refreshing to meet such expert quality versions at such a depression price. If you lot're in the marketplace for new contour or highlighter shades, you'll want to snatch these up.

Course: B+

Eyeshadow:

due east.l.f. eye products are all over the map in terms of quality and performance, but in that location are a number of solid products that work really well and are definitely worth your difficult-earned money.

The Mad for Matte eyeshadow palettes are a swell value, and incorporate gorgeous colors that accept decent pigmentation and are easy enough to blend. This palette currently comes in three shade families (Nude Mood, Summer Breeze, and Holy Smokes), and like their name suggests, they simply contain matte shadows.

The Prism Palettes consist of 6 shimmery shades, but feel even more than luxurious than the Mad for Matte shadows and look cute on the eyes. If you were to buy a single eyeshadow production from due east.l.f., the Prism Palette in "Naked" should be it.

Another standout heart production past e.l.f. is their Smudge Pots, which are basically gel-like foam eyeshadows. My favorite Smudge Pot shade is "Wine Non" because of its unique majestic/grayish tone (not just because of the name, I swear!)

The single baked eyeshadows are also nice, but stake in comparison to the previously mentioned products.

Verdict: Because of the variations in quality of eastward.fifty.f.'south eyeshadows, you should do your research before ownership certain products.

As I said, the Mad for Matte Palettes, the Prism Palettes, and the Smudge Pots are worth the money, only all other products are iffy. With products this cheap, you either get what y'all pay for or you lot become much more.

Grade: B

Mascara:

Because the packaging on individual due east.l.f. products is then generic (and sometimes doesn't fifty-fifty state what the production actually is), information technology's specially hard to tell their mascaras apart from one another.

This is also how I feel about the actual mascara formulas. Despite what each mascara claims to do for my lashes, they all always requite me the same mediocre results.

On the other hand, eastward.l.f.'s new Mascara Primer is a standout production — it really does piece of work to lengthen and volumize lashes earlier y'all even utilize your mascara!

Verdict: Not worth it — there are many ameliorate drugstore mascaras out there. Fifty-fifty though e.fifty.f. mascaras only cost $2-$3, I'd rather spend an extra $3 for other drugstore versions that volumize and lengthen better.

Grade: D

Eyeliner:

Much like eastward.l.f.'s mascaras, their eyeliners are generally not popular in the dazzler community.

The felt-tip liquid liners and the pencil liners are just OK. For me, they sit down on the lower-quality end of the drugstore liner spectrum.

The saving grace of e.50.f.'s eyeliner collection is their Foam Eyeliner that comes in a small pot with a tiny brush (which I don't intendance for). The creaminess and pigmentation of this product are hard to believe for such a low price-point, and it glides on the eyes with little effort.

Verdict: Even for such low prices, I suggest passing on the liquid and pencil liners from e.l.f.. The cream eyeliner is the only product in this category that I recommend, especially in the funky teal colour above!

Class: C

Lip Products:

e.l.f. Velvet Matte Lipstick in Bold Berry

e.l.f.'southward lipsticks are consistently good, regardless of the finish or color.

The Velvet Matte Lipstick formula in particular, although non every bit long lasting as I would similar, is amazing for the price point. The non-drying, crazy pigmented formula feels luxurious on the lips, and it'due south only $3!

e.50.f.'s Lip Plumping Glosses and Liquid Matte Lipsticks are also worth mentioning.

Fifty-fifty though the new lip glosses don't increment the volume of your lips, the shiny even so non-mucilaginous formula gives the illusion of fuller, juicier lips.

Their new liquid lipstick range, however, isn't as great. It boasts beautiful colors, yeah, only it is definitely a dry out formula and will heighten every line on your lips.

Verdict: e.l.f. has a lot of reliable lip products and many great colors to cull from. And the quality is great for the price. Get e.l.f. lip products if you want to experiment with colors exterior your comfort zone for cheap.

For me, the lip plumping glosses are a must-accept.

Class: A-

Brushes:

e.l.f. Beautifully Precise Brush Collection

eastward.l.f. makes some of the all-time inexpensive makeup brushes out there.

The eyeshadow Blending Brush, the Ultimate Blending Brush (for the face), and near of the Beautifully Precise Brush Drove (with clear handles) are my favorites, but almost all of their brushes (bated from the $1 brushes, which shed), are awesome.

Although it'southward non a castor, I do want to mention that the e.l.f. blending sponges don't alive upwardlyto the other e.fifty.f. tools. due east.fifty.f. sponges are much denser than most other sponges out at that place, so they don't offer great blending results.

Verdict: You can rarely go wrong with a brush from e.fifty.f. and I highly recommend trying as many of their brushes as you can. I would, withal,be wary of the $1 brushes from e.l.f., since they tend to shed similar crazy.

Equally for blending sponges, only stick with the $6 Real Techniques version.

Grade: A+

Overall Brand Review:

Overall, e.l.f. is a dependable brand for good-quality makeup, which is surprising considering how inexpensive their products are.

eastward.fifty.f. has continued to prove that higher-terminate makeup doesn't necessarily come with a higher-end price tag, making it my favorite drugstore make of all time (sorry, Moisture due north Wild!)

While not every product is a winner, e.l.f. as a brand has a lot going for it and is absolutely worth trying.

With all the cool new products east.l.f. simply released, I tin't expect to run into what else they have in store. Count me amongst your biggest fans, east.l.f.!

What are the best and worst e.50.f. products?

Now I want to hear from you: Which east.l.f. products were wins? Do you lot agree with my reviews? And which products were fails for you? Sound off in the comments below!