ELF Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows

ELF Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows

Hey everyone!

Hope you're having a good day! This morning on Beauty Broadcast Live I mentioned these eyeshadows from ELF, but the webcam never does swatches justice- so I wanted to blog about them so you can really see what I'm talking about! :) These "Long-lasting Lustrous Eyeshadows" are part of ELF's studio line, and cost $3 apiece on ELF's website. There are a total of 7 shades available. They have a very unusual texture- which the website describes as "whipped gel". The product feels very lightweight- almost spongy to the touch. Texture-wise, they kind of remind me of Maybelline's Dream Bouncy blushes only a little lighter & more like a mousse.  

The shades I have are Soiree (a pinky-mauve), Gala (shimmery brown), and Party (black with silver sparkle).  

Here are the swatches for Soiree, Gala, and Party. As you can see, these are really sparkly products, and they swatch with the full color you'd expect from a cream product. Normally I'd use a cream product as a base for a powder, but these shades have such a dazzling sparkle, I actually prefer to use them to top off different looks. I just tap my finger into the product and it leaves a very pretty effect on the center of the lids. While I very much agree with the word "Lustrous" in the name of this product, the "Long-lasting" claim is pretty questionable. I don't have any problem with the staying power when I lightly tap these onto an existing eye-look (keep in mind, I'm not using LOTS of product with that method), but I do experience creasing if I wear them alone. They don't set to be completely smudge-free, and I feel like the glitter can easily transfer upon contact. 

Bottom Line- if you're looking for a pretty way to top off a special occasion look, these are gorgeous! If you plan to use them alone, you may notice some fading, creasing, or glitter transfer. They're not as long wearing as other cream shadows like Maybelline Color Tattoos, or Milani & Jordana shadow sticks. If you look at these as an employee in the office... these shadows aren't the workhorse of the group, but they will hang out and look pretty!  

Watch Emily on QVC's Behind the Beauty!

Watch Emily on QVC's Behind the Beauty!

I'm am SO EXCITED to tell you about an incredible project I'm taking part in later this week! If you're a fan of beauty, chances are you've heard about QVC's annual Customer Choice Beauty Awards. Well... I'm going to have a role in the awards show this year! I'll be appearing on air and online throughout the show-- keep reading for the details! 

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Here's the low-down: Thursday night from 9pm to midnight Eastern, you can tune-in to the beauty awards on QVC-- but this year QVC is trying something new in addition to the live awards on tv... they're doing a webcast throughout the show called "Behind the Beauty", and I'll be hosting it! I'll be sitting down with the award winners (some of the biggest names in beauty!) after their presentations to talk about their inspirations, new projects, and all sorts of things! I want to dig deep and find out more about the people heading up the world's biggest beauty brands- this is going to be SO FUN! I would LOVE to have your input-- what kinds of questions should I ask the beauty award winners? Let me know in the comments section! You'll also be able to tweet your questions throughout the show! :) 

Here's the schedule for Thursday night:

• 9pm EST: Customer Choice Beauty Awards Begins on QVC - I'll also be on QVC (on TV) at this time, introducing Behind the Beauty!
• 9:30 to 11:30pm EST: Behind the Beauty webcast! I'll spend 2 full hours (LIVE) with the leaders in the beauty industry! Check QVC.com at this time for the link to the webcast! If I get a specific link sometime this week, I'll insert it here. 
• Midnight EST: I'll be back on QVC (on TV) at the end of the beauty awards to wrap up with the host! 

 Here's a pic from my first visit to QVC when we shot the Fall into Beauty videos! Can't wait to go back for the Customer Choice Beauty Awards, which I typically watch every year at home on the couch! :) Now I'll actually be in QVC's studio chatting with the people I've watched for years! Unbelievable. Can you tell I'm excited?! Any tips to keep me from being too star-struck? I hope you'll tune in for the on-air show to see who wins the awards, as well as the webcast for the inside scoop! :) It's going to be an unforgettable night! 

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One more thing: 

Just thought I should pass this along- in case you're interested in owning EVERY WINNING PRODUCT from each of the 37 categories in the Customer Choice Beauty Awards! QVC is hosting a sweepstakes called Pin It Pretty where one lucky winner will get that incredible prize. I know there are a lot of Pinterest ladies out there! Click here for all the details on how to enter (it's super easy) and GOOD LUCK! :) 

Wet n Wild "In The Spotlight" Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes

Wet n Wild "In The Spotlight" Holiday Eyeshadow Palettes

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a good weekend! It seems like every time I turn around, I'm talking about a new limited edition collection from Wet n Wild! The company recently sent me the "In the Spotlight" holiday collection of Color Icon eyeshadow palettes known as Eyeshadow Medleys. I haven't seen these out in my area drugstores yet, but I wanted to go ahead and share this post with you, so you can know what to expect! 

This is what the in-store display looks like. Each palette is $4.99- the same price as the regular Color Icon 8-pan palettes. Like those palettes, these include a dual-ended applicator with a sponge tip and brush, and they do contain 8 different colors. There are three distinct finishes in each of these palettes... the top shadows are super frosty, the middle section ranges from a pearly to satin finish, and the bottom shades are matte. While the matte shades in all of these palettes seem consistent with the quality of the matte shadows in the regular Color Icon line, the other shades seem a bit more hit & miss. I'll sort it out for you in the pictures below (and you can enlarge any of these pictures to get a closer look!) Also, these swatches were done without using a primer. 

A Great Glistener

This palettes combines neutrals and blues in several different finishes. While the top shades give off a lot of sparkle and shimmer- very little color actually shows up. They become more buildable and vibrant when used on top of a primer or base, but alone they are just kind of all over the place and flakey. The middle section includes several shades that have a little bit of shimmer- but aren't overly metallic. The blues look so much alike- one is just slightly deeper than the other- and then you have a mid-toned bronzy brown. I love the inclusion of a matte black and brown at the bottom- wonderful basics, and they are so richly pigmented! Overall, it's probably the most neutral kit of the three. 

No Neutral Ground

Quite a bit of color variety in this palette! The top row of shimmery shades has better color payoff than the first palette. With all of these palettes, I feel like the middle row of shades pretty good, but not AMAZING and soft/buttery like the regular Color Icon palettes. The purple is a bit sheer, but I do enjoy the gold and green. And the deep brown and forest green matte shadows at the bottom are great. Just for the overall color variety and quality of the shadows- this is my pick of the three! I'm going to have fun creating some green looks with this.  

Lights, Camera, Attraction

If those top three shadows aren't cotton candy colors, I don't know what is! They're really shimmery/powdery and much like the shimmers in the "A Great Glistener" palette, the color doesn't pop much. As I've said, a primer will help the situation, but even then, it's kind of hard to distinguish the different colors. In the middle row, the blue is nice, but I was pretty disappointed by the pink and especially the purple. So very sheer compared to the Wet n Wild shadows I'm used to. And once again, the matte shadows are nice! You're getting a deep blue and a deep blue-ish purple color.

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So if you've read the whole post, you can pretty much see where I stand with these! I don't think they're must haves, and if I were to rank them in order of favorites, I'd say No Neutral Ground is the best, followed by A Great Glistener and then Lights, Camera, Attraction. I truly think No Neutral Ground is pretty and a fun collection of colors. I will say- I've made VERY cheap shadows work in the past by layering them on top of primers/bases-- it really makes a difference. But I'm holding these to the standard of Wet n Wild's regular line of shadows- so that's where my critique is coming from. I feel like whenever Wet n Wild comes out with new shadows I compare them to what I know and love! Have you seen or tried these palettes yet? What did you think about them?