I love lipstick and lipstick shopping. Do you?
I inherited my lipstick hunting genes directly from my mom. When I was little, no trip to the grocery store or Walmart was complete without my mom ducking down the makeup aisle to scope out the offerings and see if there was a compelling new shade or formula for her to try. She used to say that she was hunting for her signature shade that would perfectly match her complexion, but part of me, now that I’m an adult, thinks that she just loved the ritual of it. There’s something beautiful about knowing you have a fun new lipstick to try once you’ve finished buying groceries for your family, fighting the crowds at the store, making small-talk with the clerk, loading and unloading. It all feels easier if you know you have a little reward waiting when it’s all over. Plus, is there anything more fun that breaking in an untouched stick for the first time, swiping it over your lips and oohing and aaahing about the way it can instantly transform your face?
I recently went to Target and found myself, just like my mom, in the makeup aisle. Specifically, at the ELF section, looking at all of the different formulas and wondering what the difference was between the various options. I decided to undertake important research in the name of this blog by buying the full line of ELF lipsticks and trying them out for you so that you can do your next lipstick shopping trip armed with a little bit of inside knowledge. So, here’s a review of five ELF lipsticks currently for sale at Target. Let me know if you give any of them a try!
First up: Elf Matte Lip Color in Scarlet Night for $4.
This lipstick is strikingly similar to the Nars Lip Pencil I once got for my birthday Sephora VIB insider gift in both color and in application. I tried this lipstick first in the bunch it was my runaway favorite of the group. I loved the way it rolled on and I was obsessed with color. It reapplied quite well and the color transfer wasn’t too bad. For $4, I’d definitely recommend that you give this bad boy a try.
Look at this sexy selfie of me wearing the lipstick on bart with my wired headphones because I am too cheap to spring for the airpods:
Second up: ELF Tinted Lip Oil in Pink Kiss for $6.
My first thought with this lipstick was ‘what the heck is a lip oil?’ I had never even heard of the concept. I envisioned opening up this stick and feeling like I had just spread some olive oil on my lips. Needless to say, I was dreading trying it out. Imagine my surprise when I applied it and realized that lip oil is just a fancy, modern way to say lip gloss. This is a good, simple gloss. It doesn’t impart much in the way of color, but it has a robust shimmer alongside a subtle fruity flavor. I know glosses are back in style lately, but when I think about lip gloss, I think about the sticky messes that we used to wear from Victoria’s Secret in the early 2000s. They were so uncomfortable, acting as a magnet to our hair the moment a wisp of wind swept by. This gloss is a much better formula, especially for $6.
Here’s a picture of me looking like I’m about to cry while wearing it:
In hindsight, this was the day I was unwittingly coming down with a cold. No wonder I looked so tired!
The third lipstick I tried was firmly in my wheelhouse: the ELF liquid matte lipstick in Red Vixen.
I recently wrote about my favorite red lipstick, so you know I’m a huge fan of the matte look. I love a stay-all-day lipstick in a pretty shade, so I was pumped to try this one. I rolled it on before heading out to the Warrior game. It didn’t apply as easily as my favorite formula, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Here I am with the color on my lips right before I left to catch the BART:
It’s a pretty shade, right?
I got to the game to hang out with friends for a couple of hours before tip off. As soon as I started drinking my beer, I knew things were going downhill fast. I could see the color transfering to my glass like crazy. I was scared, but I tried to play it cool. I surreptitiously applied another swipe to my lips while I was in line for my dinner. I ordered a hot dog with lots of toppings. It’s a tall order for any lipstick, but I had to live my life, you know? Plus, I wanted to give the most honest, unfiltered review I could. Things got messy the moment I started eating. Everytime I used my napkin, it had loads of lipstick transfer on it. I was dabbing at my mouth like a thirteen year-old-boy dabbing on a sporting event jumbotron but it was still a hot, hot mess. I downed my hot dog as fast as I could so I could excuse myself to the bathroom.
When I got there, I was greeted with this look:
The splotchy lip line of death! I was mortified! Can you see the anger in my eyes? The worst part about a lip stain is that once you apply it, you’re committed for the night. There’s no going backwards. I kept having to excuse myself to go to the bathroom all night so I could reapply.
So, as you can imagine, this product gets no recommendation from me. Spring the extra $8 and go with the Sephora collection if you’re looking for a great matte lipstick.
The fourth lippie I tried this week was the ELF Day to Night Lipstick Duo in I Love Pinks shades.
I like a good lipstick duo, so I dutifully applied the ‘day’ version for our Thanksgiving feast yesterday. High fives all around. It was a smooth, subtle formula with a great fruity taste. It didn’t stay for hours like a matte, but I didn’t expect it to. It was a lovely, comfortable yet subtle lipstick that I know I’ll wear again.
The other side, though? It’s a bright Barbie pink that’s just not my vibe. I’m sure it would look great on someone who likes to wear that shade, but it just doesn’t suit me. I wasn’t going to even show you a picture, but then I decided that in the interest of my journalistic integrity, I had to take one for the team. Here is me wearing the brightest pink imaginable while home sick with a cold. Keith was like, ummm, are you going somewhere? When he saw me wearing this lipstick.
Last, but certainly not least: we have the ELF Lip Plumping Gloss in Sparkling Rose for $6.
Can I tell you that Keith was seriously mortified when he heard I was going to be trying a ‘lip plumping’ lipstick? He had no idea that such items even existed in the world. Oh, to be a man. I think he was afraid that I was going to apply this lipstick and come out looking like Kylie Jenner. Little did he know that us ladies have been trying these products that promise lip plumping action for years now. Whenever we put them on, we feel our lips tingle a little bit and then look in the mirror and have to talk ourselves into seeing some sort of difference. Long story short, they don’t work. I know this, you know this, but we still buy them anyway.
Keith kept asking me all week if I was wearing the lip plumper, but I saved it for last. I even did a before and after for you:
Before:
After:
Do you notice a difference? Neither do I and neither did Keith.
Aside from a slight tingle upon application, this lip plumper is a simple gloss that resembles that much-hated Victoria’s Secret glosses from days of yore. I’d definitely recommend the lip oil instead.
So, there you have it! All the thoughts I never knew I had about ELF lipsticks, gathered in one place. I hope you enjoyed this review. It was a blast to put together.
Are you interested in any ELF lipsticks after reading? Let me know if you decide to try one! Or, if you have a much-loved drug-store lipstick that you’d like to share, I am all ears!
No Comments