Inexpensive, Good Quality Makeup

If you're a mom, then you know that money you used to spend on things like makeup, go towards diapers, baby food, and other child necessities now. That doesn't mean that you have to give up your love of makeup! You just need to find a cheaper alternative to that great MAC eyeshadow. Well, if you've never checked out E.L.F. Cosmetics, you need to...now! E.L.F. stands for eyes, lips, face, and they have amazing quality for the price! You can purchase them directly from the website, or from Target. I've also heard that some Kmart stores carry their products, but I don't have any Kmart's near me to confirm that. Sorry that this post is so long. I didn't plan on that, I just wanted to include everything I could.

They offer three brands of cosmetics:

Studio - This is the highest cost cosmetics that they offer. The majority of single products in the Studio line is $5, which is still a steal.

Mineral - This is the neutral cost cosmetics. Most of the single products in the Mineral line are $3.

Essential - This is the cheapest line of cosmetics that E.L.F. offers. There are some great products in this line and they are mostly only $1 for single items. How awesome is that?

Now I'm going to go over some of my favorites from each line.

Things I Have and Love

Studio Cream Eyeliner ($3)

Studio Line:


Cream Eyeliner - This eyeliner is amazing! You can use it to create thin or thick lines and it lasts for hours. It comes with a slanted eyeliner brush, but I prefer the Small Angled Brush. It works fine, I'm just used to the Small Angled Brush. This is available in 11 different shades.
                   

Studio Blush ($3)

Blush - This stuff is great! I was never really a huge blush fan, until my mom gave me one of these and told me to try it. Oh my gosh, I love my blush now. This blush has great pigmentation and is easy to blend, so you don't look like a porcelain doll. It's available in 11 different shades, from coral colors, to rosy colors, to pinks. My favorite is Mellow Mauve. It looks great on brunettes, which I am. I use the Studio Blush Brush to apply this blush, and it works great.

Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 ($3)

Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15 - This stuff wears like a lipstick. It is so pigmented and wears great all day. It also has the SPF, which is great if your in the sun at all during the day. I love the Nice & Natural color, because it just accentuates the natural color of your lips, but the Blissful Berry is also very pretty. It comes in 5 different shades, and a nice little pot, so it's easy to take with you.




I know a lot of women are very picky about the brushes they use to apply their makeup. I never really had a great deal of extra money to spend on brushes, so it's not like I could go out and buy a $25 Sigma brush, but now that I've found some great E.L.F. brushes, I'm never trying anything else that costs more than $3. Lol...

Small Angled Brush ($3)

Small Angled Brush - This is the brush I mentioned that I use for the Cream Eyeliner. It works great at making thin or thick lines and it's easier for me to use then the brush that comes with the eyeliner, since the handle is longer. I feel like I have more control over it.

Blush Brush ($3)

Blush Brush - Let me tell you, if you don't have a good quality blush brush, then your blush is never going to look the way you want it to. This blush brush works great for me, and does a great job blending.

Complexion Brush ($3)

Complexion Brush - This brush is a favorite of mine for bronzers, and blending all of my powders. I know a lot of people use this for applying their blush, but I'd rather use my blush brush for that. This does work great for blending though.

Powder Brush ($3)

Powder Brush - I have tried all different brushes for my mineral powder foundation, and this is the best brush I have found to work as well as I want it to. Kabuki brushes are super awkward for me, so I need that longer handle to work with. This brush does the trick. It works great.





Mineral Line:


I've only ever tried one item from the Mineral line, but it is definitely worth mentioning if you struggle with breakouts.

2-Piece Blemish Set ($5)

2-Piece Blemish Set - This set is amazing! You can use it as a blemish concealer, and as a daily or nightly cleansing routine. I use it as a concealer, and after I've washed my face at night, I use it on my blemishes. It works great at concealing any imperfections. It also comes with the concealer brush. The powder is translucent, so it's great for all skin tones. It's actually on sale right now for 25% off, so instead of $5 it's $3.75.






Essential Line:

Eyelid Primer ($1)

Eyelid Primer - If you've never used an eye shadow primer, and always have trouble with creasing or your eye shadow wearing off throughout the day, you need to try this. For only $1 this stuff works! Not only does a little bit go a long way, it makes your eye shadow last a good 6-8 hours, and it makes your eye shadow colors more intense. It's great. It's available in 4 different shades as well. The Studio line also makes a primer, but this one works for me, so I'll save the $2 and stick to this.

Bronzer with Brush ($1)

Bronzer with Brush - I am not a die hard bronzer girl, but every once in a while, when I want that glow, I'll use it, and for the price of bronzers these days, this $1 bronzer won't break the bank. I use the shade Glow, which is the lightest of the 4 shades available. I don't use the brush that comes with it though. I use my Studio Line Complexion Brush, and it works great.

Luscious Liquid Lipstick ($1)

Luscious Liquid Lipstick - I am a fan of lipsticks that look like glosses, and that is exactly what this is. It wears like a lipstick (great staying power), but looks like a gloss. It has a twist up foam applicator. My favorite shade is Maple Sugar. It comes in 11 different shades, and it's only $1, so you can buy a few and decide which you like best.

Mechanical Eyelash Curler ($1)

Mechanical Eyelash Curler - This little tool is much different than the ones you can buy at the drugstore for under a few bucks. This one has a much wider eyelash shaft and the rubber pads are made out of silicone so they are much more comfortable. Also, I have never accidentally pinched my skin using this one, unlike the cheapo ones from the drugstore. The handle also has this extra finger rest, which helps to give you more control when curling.

Eye Shadow Brush ($1)

Eye Shadow Brush - This is my number one E.L.F. product ever! I have tried so many different eye shadow brushes, and none can compare to this $1 baby. It does exactly what it is made to do, and does it good! I have read so many reviews of this brush being compared to $15-$25 brushes, so I made sure I bought 5 of them in case they decided to discontinue them or increase the price. They are amazing! A lot of people who have tried the $3 Studio Line Eye Shadow Brush, still prefer the $1 Essential Eye Shadow Brush. Yeah, the Studio Line brushes are prettier and sleeker looking, but the Essential Eye Shadow Brush functions just as good! If you do not have this brush, go get it now!


Just because your a mom, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice beauty for you kids all the time. And with these  prices, is doesn't hurt to splurge every once in a while. :-)

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