Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Review: e.l.f. Mineral Lipsticks

Yet another e.l.f. review for today! As you know from the title of this post, I will be reviewing lipsticks from elf's Mineral line that I own. 

Let's start with the packaging of course... each lipstick comes supplied in a clean white thin carton box on which there are written the ingredients and a glossy swatch of the actual lipstick colour.  The lipstick itself is encased in this sleek and very pro-looking black case on which there's the elf logo on both the bottom part and on the lid:


I like the glossy touches as they give a nice contrast to the satiny feel on the rest of the cases.

Now for the actual lipsticks. To date, I have three shades from the whole 16-shade range. Mine are Natural Nymph, Rosy Tan and Ripe Rose. To be totally honest with you, I was a tad disappointed with the actual colour of the latter two lipsticks because from the swatches on the site, they look more pinkish. None the less, I still like the colours; I just wish elf would have more accurate swatches. See what I mean:

Swatches from elf UK site for (left to right) Natural Nymph, Rosy Tan & Ripe Rose


The actual lipsticks I have (from left to right) Natural Nymph, Rosy Tan & Ripe Rose
and their
swatches (from left to right) Natural Nymph, Ripe Rose & Rosy Tan

From the swatches, you can see all three lipsticks are very pigmented. My favourite is Natural Nymph. I have been looking for a nude lipstick for ages so as to re-create that nude-lip look you see on various make-up and fashion ads, and this, is the right lipstick for the job. I would say steer clear of it if you're either too pale or too dark though. Applying it with a lip-brush and popping on a slick of clear gloss or Goddess Super Glossy Lip Shine from elf saves me from looking washed-out. 

All three of these lipsticks glide on smoothly and last for a good amount of time. Their sleek packaging also makes them easy to carry around for touch-ups as necessary.

One thing I really like these lipsticks for is their list of ingredients:
Simmondsia Chinensis, Cocos Nucifera, Candelilla Cera, Ceresin, Cera Microcristallina, Carnauba Cera, Paraffin Wax, Ricinus Communis, Butyrospermum Parkaii, Olea Europaea, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Mica.

May contain: CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI77742

And here is the explanation of some of the main ingredients:
Jojoba Oil soothes, moisturizes and softens the skin. Coconut Oil is a moisturizing remedy to prevent wrinkles and sagging. Candelilla Wax protects the skin against moisture loss. Castor Oil is soothing, rich in antioxidants and helps to prevent aging. Shea Butter is deep penetrating and long acting. It is needed to restore the skin's moisture balance and prevent visible signs of aging and wrinkles. Olive Oil combats aging and locks in moisture. Tocopherol is a Vitamin E derivative and is a powerful antioxidant helping the skin look younger and promotes skin healing. Ascorbyl Palmitate is a Vitamin C derivative that promotes healthy skin and vitality. Retinyl Palmitate is a Vitamin A derivative that is a powerful anti-oxidant that increases skin elasticity, yielding younger looking skin and helps to smooth out fine lines. Mica ingredients impart a soft focus effect that creates a natural, healthy, and youthful glow that instantly fills facial lines to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Titanium Dioxide is also an important ingredient because of its ability to provide sun protection to the skin.
(all from e.l.f. website)

Therefore, it is easy to see that these lipsticks, being mineral, contain no preservatives, parabens or chemical dyes and they are rich in moisturizing ingredients. In fact they do leave lips moisturized all the time you are wearing them!

I am more of a lipgloss person than a lipstick person but after discovering these lipsticks, I am positively sure I will start a lipstick collection hehe. These mineral lipsticks retail for £3.50/€4 on elf cosmetics website and you get 3.8g of product.

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