ELF Haul 6.15.11

I hope you all have been doing well! This is actually a couple of days late, because I had to be put Photoshop back on to my computer. I really excited for this haul, because I picked up a bunch of stuff from ELF that are brand new to their line of products, as well as one that has been out for a while, but I still hadn't tried it.

First, I bought one or their Studio blushes, which I had never actually tried before. I got the one in Peachy Keen, which a peach color with a slight sheen. I got this one because I wanted to find a shade that would  warm up my skin when I don't feel like using pink. This is a really pretty summery shade.

Next I got two of their new Glitter Glosses. I got the ones in Glam Guava and Crystal Cranberry. Glam Guava was actually sent to me by mistake. I ordered Twinkle Pink, and I sent them an email asking them if something happened. I'm not going to make a big fuss about it, because Glam Guava is a really pretty shade anyway. It's a nice medium peachy pink with gold glitter. The color reminds me of Nymphette by MAC, but Nymphette is a little more peachy and it has shimmer, rather than glitter. Crystal Cranberry is a reddish magenta. These are fairly pigmented, but they don't last very long. You can also feel the glitter on your lips a bit, so if that bugs you, I would skip these. I'm not bothered by it, and I'll probably check out some more shades of these. They also released "Glossy Glosses" right after I had already made my order, (go figure, right?) which are supposed to be like these, but with no glitter. Those might be worth a try.

I bought their Radiance Enhancers in Sunrise and Golden. I've been seeing more and more of their click up highlighting products. Just about every brand has their own version. ELF has three shades. I didn't get the one called Spotlight, because it looked like a pale pink and I already have one like that. Sunrise is a medium beige color. It is a LOT darker than I thought it would be. I thought it would be more pale, so that is a little disappointing, because I don't think it works with my skin tone. Golden is exactly that: a shimmery gold. It's really really pretty. It suits my skin better than Sunrise does. The consistency of these are thicker than my beloved Nars Illuminator. It is nicely pigmented, so a little goes a long way with these.

The thing I think I was most excited about was the new Smudge brush from their Essentials line. ELF has had a "Smudge Sponge" on their site for a long time, but I never got it because I wasn't about to buy something that I normally throw away. I've been back and forth about getting the Sigma version of this, but when I saw that ELF had finally made a $1 dupe for it, I snatched it up. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I do imagine that it's not quite as dense as the Sigma or the MAC versions of this brush. But it's good enough for me, and I'm really liking the results I get from using this. I use it to smudge liner and shadow on the lower lash line.

Let me know if you've tried any of these or if you think you might pick some of these up!

Monthly Favorites: May 2011

There are a lot of products, but since I didn't have a monthly favorites post last month, I guess it's alright. I'm really excited to talk about these things, so lets get right down to it!

• Nars Orgasm/Laguna Duo - I've had this for almost a year, and have used it almost everyday ever since. I usually alternate between MAC Pinch O' Peach blush and Orgasm. I've been using Orgasm a lot this month, and I use Laguna for an all over bronzed glow.
• Nars Copacabana Illuminator - I'm in LOVE with this highlighter! It's a gorgeous pale pink shimmer color, and you only need the teensy tiniest bit to highlight your entire face. I use it on my cheekbones, down my nose, on the browbone, on the eyes, on the cupid's bow and on my decollate. It's amazing, and I definitely enocurage you all to try it.
• MAC Harmony Blush - This is a really great contour color for me. It's about 3-4 shades darker than my skin tone and a nice neutral color. 
• Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in Fair - I really liked the Instant Age Rewind Concealer, so I was encouraged to try out more of Maybelline's concealers. It's the perfect consistency for the summer. It's a liquid formula so it's nice and light and perfect for the under eye area, while still being opaque enough to cover any blemishes (which I have had plenty of this month. LAME!).

• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden - This is a really really great eyeshadow primer. My eyelids are naturally really oily, so a good primer is a necessity. I do have to set it with a powder, and my eyeshadow last for 12+ hours.
• MAC Reflects Antique Gold Glitter - This glitter is BEAUTIFUL! I either use this as an all over lid color, or just lightly over told of a shadow to liven up any look. It's just beautiful and I will definitely repurchase it.
• MAC Eyeshadow Quad - I know I got my 15 pan palette this month, since I depotted all my shadows into it, I was able to pick my favorite fun colors (Burmese Beauty, Twinks, which is another monthly favorite, Skintone 2, and Satin Taupe) and bring it along to Florida. I took this and my Physicians Formula Matte Quad, and I had all the shadows I needed for the entire week.

• Real Techniques Brushes by Samantha Chapman - I've been really impressed with these brushes!! I brought these with my to Florida and I only needed 2-3 extra ones to be set for the week. I like them all, but I feel like these in particular stand out from the rest. I use the Stippling brush for my foundation (since the weather is getting warmer, I want to get in the habit of using less foundation). The Deluxe Crease Brush is perfect for blending, and the Accent Brush is great for smudging as well as lining the eyes. I want to try more of these brushes sometime soon.
• ELF Angled Contour Brush - I've had this brush for a long time and have usually just been using it for blending on the brow bone. But I have found that it is perfect for my Maybelline Mineral Powder Concealer. It's nice and fluffy and blends the concealer effortlessly.
• Aerie Superfruit Vitamin Gloss in Coy - This is a really nice color that just adds a little interest to my lips without being too much. It's a sheer peachy beige color, with multicolored micro-glitter. If you have a chance to find these at an Aerie store, pick up a few. I got mine for $2.50.
• Johnson's Melt Away Stress Lavender and Chamomile Lotion - Lavender and Chamomile is probably my favorite scent combonation ever. I use the body wash, the body oil, the spray and now the lotion. I bought this because I wanted to bring a small tube of something on my trip, and this is a really lovely moisturizer. I'll probably end up getting the full size soon. 

What have been your favorites this month?