There's probably nothing I love more than good quality make up, that's not too expensive. However, over here in New Zealand, it's not so easy getting brands such as ELF, NYX or Jordana, just to name a few.  So after a bit of googling, I came across iherb.com, which had a great range of ELF products all at the regular US price, without the 'New Zealand' mark up.

Best of all, they had an $8 shipping option - that's fully tracked. Perfect. I picked up all these goodies for the same price I could have got two of them through an NZ site.  

ELF Professional brush collection, US$10
I've heard quite a bit about the ELF brushes and all with positive reviews. I've lost most of my make up brushes (I didn't have that many - and they weren't very expensive) so I picked up this set as a temporary measure until I can afford some more expensive better quality brushes. I've not used them on my face, but I 'sweeped' them over the back of my hand. The eye and lip brushes are nice and soft, but the larger face brushes do feel a bit scratchy. But for $10, you can't complain.

ELF Eyelid primer, Sheer, US$1.99
For two dollars, I couldn't turn this down. After a quick google, I learnt it's a possible dupe for the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so it was a must buy. It's a matte base in a very neutral colour, and I can't wait to use it on my eyes and see how it lasts.

ELF Matter Lip colour, Natural, US$3
I have an obsession with matte lips. And when I saw this, I couldn't say no. It's a very wearable 'not wearing lipstick lipstick'. It lasts even through eating breakfast, and tastes nice. All you need in a lipstick. The packaging is simple and there is a lot of product in this, for only three dollars.

ELF Baked blush, Peachy cheeky, US$3
I loved this colour in the pan on the website. And when it got here I fell in love with it even more. It's very shimmery - not so much pieces of glitter, but the whole thing shimmers. It is a pale peachy colour, that could work well as a highlighter for darker skin tones.

ELF Contouring blush and bronzer powder, St Lucia  US$3
The picture on the iHerb website is scary. It looks bright. Very bright. But, it is much more muted in the pan. After a quick google, I read many reviews comparing this to NARS Laguna and Orgasm. Next thing I knew, it had snuck itself into my basket. What a shame. The blush is a lot less shimmery than the baked blush and is a darker peach colour.  The bronzer is dark, with a slight shimmer. I'm a bit dubious about getting it to work with my ghost complexion, but I can't wait to try it. 


SWATCHES: The're not the easiest to see - thanks to the light shimmery nature of the products. But, from top to bottom - St Lucia Bronzer and blush, Peachy cheeky baked blush, 'Natural' lip colour and the eye lid primer.

Have you used any ELF products before - are there any others you recommend? 

xx