An amazing (bargain) haul from E.L.F.
We truly respect our colleague Sali Hughes’s opinion – and even though we get a gazillion products to try ourselves, we have been known to go out and buy something that hasn’t made its way to us, on the strength of her recommendations.
That’s how come Jo ended up wanting to try E.L.F. Holy Hydration Face Cream. And while on the E.L.F. site, with free postage if you spent just £25 (not to mention the opportunity to try out two free products) – well, it seemed just the lockdown treat she needed.
And what a haul it’s proved to be. Unbelievably good value, which is brilliant news for anyone on a real shoestring budget. Here are Jo’s thoughts on the haul…
E.L.F. Holy Hydration! Face Cream
This was the E.L.F. product that Sali Hughes hooked us with via her The Guardian page – and now we really are hooked. Originally, E.L.F. focused just on make-up, but this proves their skincare is definitely worth exploring. It has a wonderful cream-gel texture, plumping yet non-greasy and reminiscent of creams three times the price, delivering really enduring hydration. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, squalene, niacinamide (for a great brightening action) and collagen-boosing peptides. The version Jo bought is fragrance-free – actually, it smells like almost any Clinique unscented cream, which isn’t to say it’s entirely scentless, but nothing, absolutely NOTHING not to love.
£12 for 50g – buy here
E.L.F. Monochromatic Multi Stick
E.L.F. say this can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks – but we’ll skip the eyes, thanks. A swivel-up, sheer cream-to-powder stick, it’s brilliant for a quick smoosh of blusher and lip touch-up – very blendable with a finger, even without a mirror. Jo chose Luminous Berry, a sheer berry shade that gives a real just-got-back-from-a-blustery-walk glow.
£4.50 – buy here
We're really not surprised to discover that this long-wear matte blush won a 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award in the States. Seamless, not over-pigmented (so no harsh lines), and stays put really well when applied with a blusher brush. Jo’s chosen shade was a soft rosewood, Pretty Punchy.
£6 – buy here
We are long-time devotees of using metal rollers to disperse eye puffiness – and this does that at a really, really affordable price, gliding icily over skin while dispensing the merest film of cooling gel-like product. To be honest, the film is so fine we weren’t even sure if there WAS product coming out – but apparently the light gel is infused with pomegranate, green tea, rosemary and cucumber. Completely fine on normally touchy eyes. As we say, incredible value.
£4.50 – buy here
This was one of the freebies Jo got to choose with her order. And wow. We hesitate to compare this to the Bobbi Brown cream eyeliner – oh, no, actually, we don’t hesitate at all; it’s ace. Just use a fine or blunt liner brush to deliver budge-proof eyeliner in as fine or thick a line as you choose. And oh, the fun of the Virtual Try-On tool, for this – you turn on the camera on your computer and it shows what you’d look like with the liner on; this is available for most of the make-up – as it is, um, on the Bobbi Brown site. We’re completely addicted! (Jo got the Coffee shade of cream liner, BTW, but is tempted to buy the Black.)
£4.50 – buy here
E.L.F. Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil
Another fab find (and it was also FREEEEEE!) This is much quicker to use than Jo’s usual Laura Mercier cake eyeliner, and stays put through her daily swims.
£5 – buy here
Brilliant budget buys, every one. And next time we’re feeling like a little spree, we know where we’ll be headed.
For the full E.L.F. line-up click here
