Elf studio line mini haul and review

I finally ordered from Elf, an American brand that first launched in 2004 with the goal to provide good quality products with low prices. I have been reading a lot of positive reviews about Elf products and a lot of youtube gurus use them. I decided to try a few at first and then I'd decide if I like them or not. So I got two eyeshadows, a blush and two brushes, all from the Studio line collection. The regular collection didn't look very appealing to me, mostly because of the packaging. So, for now, I am voting for the Studio line!
I got mystic moss, a greyish green with a bit of shimmer. A beautiful colour that goes nicely with green eyes (like mine), but will also compliment brown or hazel. I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but I am out of camera (again) and I had to use my cell phone's.



I also got amethyst, a really nice dark purple with a bit of shimmer.



Both eyeshadows are pigmented and they blend easily. On my oily eyelids the last up to 5 hours, which is satisfactory for me (primed with mac paint pot). I will re-purchase these or other eyeshadows from the same line and I would also like to see some matte colours (there aren't any at the moment).

Next, I got a blush, the candid coral. As it's name states, it is a coral coloured blush with a bit of gold shimmer. I am not very fond of shimmery blushes but this is quite subtle so it doesn't put me off. It blends nicely and gives a nice glow to the cheeks.



I also got two brushes:

1. A kabuki face brush, which is very soft and is ideal for a light dusting of powder all over the face. If you take under consideration how much a decent kabuki costs, this is a very good buy at only £3.50. And it does the job pretty well!



2. A flat round powder brush, which is also very soft and also very dense. You get a good coverage when using it with powder and it can be a good bronzer brush. You could also use it for applying blush depending on your face shape (not suitable for small faces like mine!).



Again, sorry for the awful pics, I promise to post better ones next time!

xoxo!

PS. I did a tutorial using mystic moss and candid coral if you'd like to see:


HERE

Korres Alpine herbs anti-stress & anti-ageing cream for oily-combination skin

My skin is very difficult to “satisfy”! I wish it could speak and tell me exactly what it needs because most of the time I don't have a clue! It is super oily, yet the products that are aimed for oily skin dry it out. I have the occasional breakouts and my pores are clogged and large (OMG that sounds disgusting!). I have a great difficulty finding a moisturizer or a cleanser that suits me. And to top all that, I have to take anti-ageing into consideration because I am thirty something and I prefer to prevent than cure (wrinkles for example). If I were a chemist or a cosmetic company owner I would make it my goal to make the perfect moisturizer for skins like mine. But I guess my case does not constitute a large target group...

Anyway, it's not as dramatic as it may sound, especially since I found Korres Alpine herbs anti-stress & anti-ageing cream for oily-combination skin (that's a big name for a cream isn't it?!). I have been using it 3 weeks now and I think that maybe (I say maybe!) I can see a light in the tunnel!!! It's consistency looks thick, and when applied - although a bit sticky for the first seconds - it is soon totally absorbed. My skin feels soft and moisturised without any hint of oiliness. It lasts at least 5 hours, which for me is phenomenal. And when I say “lasts” I don't mean that 5 hours later my skin looks exactly like when I finished my make up (that, is a mission impossible!). I mean that I don't look like someone dabbed olive oil on my face, like I would normally look with the wrong moisturizer, or with no moisturizer at all!!! So, thumbs up for Korres cream so far...

I must add that I have been using the cream after applying Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher and I'm guessing that these two work well together, because when I use one or the other with other products the result is not the same. But I need to test that a little bit more...

And as for the anti-ageing, I have to take Korres' word for it because I don't have any visible signs of ageing (thank God!) so I cannot see any effect.

Conclusion: you oily – oily but dry – go figure - skin people out there, there is hope for us!

For normal, or normal to dry skin I wouldn't recommend using this because it might make your skin drier.

Sorry for the “essay” writing, but it was my first blog review and I got carried away...

xoxo!

This is my first post at my brand new blog! I finally got around to make one. Now all I have to do is to start blogging and find people to read my ramblings....!!!!!