Name: Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
Brand: E.L.F. Studio Line
Size: 14oz/4.0g
Price: £3.50
From E.L.F.’s website:
Create a healthy and natural glow all year long. The Blush highlights the cheeks to add a flush of color, while the Bronzer accents and contours cheekbones for beautiful definition.
What I liked:
- very pigmented
- blush gives a healthy and glowy look
- bronzer is great for contouring
- the packaging
- the price
What I didn’t like:
- bronzer not suitable for pale skin
The ELF studio line was finally released in Europe at the end of July and after hearing so many great things about it I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of the products. The Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in particular has been on my wishlist for ages and I was really excited to finally be able to play with it.
The compact, which contains a blush and a bronzer, looks very sleek and similar to Nars’ packaging. But the E.L.F.’s one isn’t rubbery, which makes it easier to clean. It comes with a big mirror but no brush. I don’t mind that since I never use those brushes that come with products. They are never good.
Both the blush and bronzer have a slightly soft texture. The powder is finely milled but not very well pressed and can end up all over the compact after a while. Both shades are very pigmented too and a little goes a long way.
The blush is peachy pink with gold shimmers. It’s a very wearable color that gives a glowy, rosy-cheeks look. Because it is so pigmented it needs to be applied with a light hand. It starts fading after several hours and needs to be retouched a couple of times throughout the day.
The bronzer is a dark brown shade with shimmers but they can be hardly noticed once applied. As soon as I saw how dark it was I knew it wouldn’t be suitable for pale skin. Still I decided to try it. I dabbed the brush in with a very light hand, tapped off any excess and very gently swiped it on.
But it still made me look dirty and muddy. A lot of blending, time and powder later I managed to make it look decent but I still wasn’t comfortable wearing it outside so I just washed my face and removed it.
While the bronzer would work great for contouring darker skin, I’m not sure I’d recommend the duo to pale-skinned ladies since the bronzer is useless to them. But overall, £3.50 is a great deal even if you only use the blush.
Summary:
Overall, I like this duo a lot. It’s very cheap, the packaging is sleek and the colors are very pigmented. The blush is perfect to achieve a rosy cheek look but fades throughout the day, while the bronzer would work well for contouring, but is not suitable for pale skin.
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: the item was purchased by me for both personal and review purposes. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks nice, good review
.-= celeste´s last blog ..Barry M dazzle dust LE neon pink =-.
I miss this duo! I should take mine out and start using it again
.-= Connie´s last blog ..Get a Free Gift from I Nuovi Worth RM60! =-.
I guess the bronzer could be used as a nice neutral eyeshadow shade … no harm trying
You should layer the blush over a cream blush of some sort for longer wear. Is your blush ultra shimmery? For some reason mine is. The pink doesn’t realy show up on my skin much, haha.
.-= Dee´s last blog ..EOTD – Gold & Burgundy =-.
That ELF duo DOES look like Nars’ duos!! :O
I really like the blush, it looks very easy to wear and flattering for both dark and lighter skins
.-= Eru´s last blog ..Dior Purple Jazz Total Eyelook Makeup Clutch #002 =-.
I love the colors. Long time ago I used to have a duo that included almost the same colors. In the last year I’ve been using pink and brown combination a low. Even a smoky eye is fun to try for an everyday look.
.-= Tavia´s last blog ..Chic style – Bracelets =-.
Wow, the blush looks great on your skin! I’ve heard it looks a lot like NARS Orgasm. Thank God ELF is finally available in Europe.
.-= Dao´s last blog ..Beauty Literotica: Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy =-.
Celeste: thanks, and it really is nice
Connie: yes, you should!
It’s a great duo esp if, unlike me, you can use the bronzer too.
Jasmine: I think I’ll try that, thanks. I need some neutral shades as I don’t have many. I’m more into bright colors but neutrals can be very useful!
Dee: really? I’m so pale the blush makes me look like a clown if I’m not careful when I apply it lol. Mine is quite shimmery too but I like that. And thanks for the tip, I’ll try that
Eru: I heard it looks like Nars’ too. I love the blush, it’s a beautiful color and I agree it would suit most skintones. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for the bronzer though.
Tavia: the colors are really pretty. And I love smokey eyes looks. Some of them can be very wearable and perfect for the day too.
Dao: thanks. I heard that too, but I don’t have Nars Orgasm so I can’t compare. I’ve wanted to try it for ages but the price is putting me off so I’m really happy I finally got a cheap dupe for it
Seems like it very popular product for now. I saw a lot of reviews about this Elf stuff. Also if you don’t like bronzer shade on your face you can use it on your eyes
.-= Anastacia (MyMakeUpMania)´s last blog ..Neutral Brown look or Bella Swan Inspired Make-up + My Accessories =-.
oh dear, i left my duo in the closet for too long.
haven’t even use it. gotta find them!
Anastacia: I think it’s so popular because apprently it’s a dupe for a Nars duo. And it’s great quality too! I think I’ll try it as eyeshadow, thanks
Plue: yeah, you have to! I’m sure you’ll have fun playing with it, it’s a great duo
Why not use the bronzer as an eyeshadow/eyeliner?
Scarlie, I think that’s a great idea, thanks.