[Originally posted on tumblr on 03/04/2015]

Hey lovelies!

First review of the year! Yes, it’s been two months in and I haven’t exactly posted anything, but better late than never! Right? Hahahaha…?

Anyway.

I just wanted to share this-not so new-product I got last January and it’s pretty much in line with the whole skin/bare-faced trend I see in makeup now. It’s the e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Cream!

I happened to be browsing Metro department store in Alabang Town Center and I saw this thing and I had to try it. I really didn’t like the Blush/Bronzer powder that e.l.f. carries (So… Much… Glitter…) so I had my doubts. But! When I saw the tester, it was devoid of any glitter or shimmer! It was really just a color cream. So I bought it, road tested the thing, and now here we are.

Product Details:

What is it? According to the back of the packaging, this is a lightweight cream-to-powder formulated blush and bronzer duo that creates a sheer-buildable wash of color on the skin.
What does it look like? The shade I got was St. Lucia. The blush is a matte, mid-toned coral color that is suitable for fair-deep skin tones. The bronzer is a medium brown color with orange tones. This is suitable for medium skin tones.
Where can I buy it? Any e.l.f. retailer. I bought mine from the e.l.f. inside Metro dept. store in Alabang Town Center.
How much is it? This product retails at P249.00

I actually like this product. Which I don’t usually say about e.l.f. nowadays because some of the recent products I’ve tried (cough eyebrow treat and tame cough) hasn’t exactly been worth it. This product, however, was a pleasant surprise to me; it’s actually quite nice. Here are reasons why:

It’s actually blendable. Surprisingly so for a “cream-to-powder” formulation. Even if I leave the product on my face unblended for more than a couple of minutes, it still smoothes onto the skin pretty well. The consistency is very much like Stila’s Convertible Colors minus the tackiness.

It’s actually buildable. I’d say this can go from sheer to medium coverage. Don’t expect it to cover scars or pimples without a foundation underneath.

The color payoff is great. It’s true to pan, and actually quite pigmented for a sheer product, which means a little goes a long way.

It DOESN’T cake. Crazy right?? It has all the makings of cakey makeup. Heck, cream-to-powder formulation is pretty much the number one cause for most cakey faces. You’d think this will crease and cake on the skin, but it actually doesn’t. It’s lightweight and I have tried it on my 40-something mom and it looks great and is pretty easy to work with. Yay!

Large mirror included! I love that the mirror on this thing is huge. Most packaging skimps on nice mirrors. This one is great especially if you’re on the go.

Of course, this product also has it’s downsides. I have some serious beef with this burger and this is why:

Y U SO ORANGE FRIEND? Confession time; The first thing I did when I got this was tested it out on bare skin. I looked like I had a stripe of orange going down the side of my face like a Bengal tiger. I mean, I get that it’s a bronzer and not a contour cream, but you’d expect something a little more neutral toned or at least not so blatantly orange.
That being said, it’s not terrible. It just looks unnatural-like I have makeup on. Proper application and use of foundation make a huge difference when using this product. The bronzer would definitely look good on more tanned skin but probably won’t show as well on morena or deeper toned skin.

Limited color range. Seriously, only one shade was available. I asked if they released any other colors in the Philippines, apparently this is the only one they’re carrying so far. Which is sad because as a product this is actually quite nice! I’m hoping they release more colors.

"Long-wearing" Yeah right. I wore this from eight in the evening and I didn’t take it off until two in the morning. That’s just six hours and the blush faded to about 30% visibility, while the bronzer was at about 50%. Not great especially if you have a full face on and you want it to last.

Product Application

(I’m using Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation with Koh Gen Doh loose powder to set. Excuse my jacked up lips!!)

(Using the bronzer)

(Blended onto the skin)

(Slightly out of focus, sorry! Swatched the blush on my other cheek to show you what the color looks like on my skin.)

(Another out of focus shot! graaargh. Here is both bronzer and blush blended onto my skin.)

(After six hours. Everything pretty much faded at this point.)

Final thoughts:

I like it for myself and I can see myself using this as an everyday product. I would not use this on my clients because it’s not reliable as a long-lasting bronzer or blush. The formulation feels great on the skin and it’s very pigmented, but it lacks staying power. While both bronzer and blush apply sheer enough to look natural on the skin, the bronzer can come off as unnatural and made up. The blush, however, is actually a really nice coral pink that works on most skin tones.

BOTTOM LINE: would I buy it again? Probably not for the bronzer. The blush I actually like! If they come out with more shades this could definitely become my everyday natural look staple. But this color I would definitely not buy again.

~*~
So that’s my review! If you guys have any questions, just send me an ask or tweet me at @arianahmua. If you guys have anything you want me to review, let me know!