elf Cosmetics Blog

Flirty, Fun Summer Nails!

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

As I sat at my desk staring at my short, naked nails I decided I needed a serious Summer nail makeover. I cleaned and filed these babies up and got 'em in tip top shape for the perfect Summer mani! All the polishes used can be found in our Nail Cube in 'Brights'. Feel free to try this look with any color combos- I just thought a neutral and a neon were the perfect balance. Here's how in 5 easy steps:

Step 1: Groom your nails using our Nail File and Nail Block.

Step 2: Apply your base color. I used the light pearl pink Nail Polish from our 'Brights' Nail Cube and applied two coats.

Step 3: Next, I took the neon orange polish and started to slowly draw a triangle. You want the lines to be as straight as possible, so do this slowly and make sure your hands are steady!

Step 4: For a little extra bling, I added some of the gold glitter polish to my ring finger, just on top of the light pink shade.

Step 5: Clean up any edges and apply your clear top coat!

What's YOUR favorite summer nail trend?

Patti

Good Girls Gone Bad: Emma Watson

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Emma Watson is finally playing the bad girl in her new flick 'The Bling Ring'! The movie is about a few teens who decide to break into celebrity homes and end up going a little too far (this movie is based on true events). I cannot WAIT to see this movie!! Anyway she looks incredibly gorgeous as usual and we wanted to do a how- to of her makeup from the movie. Here's how:

Step 1: Apply our Matte Eyeshadow in 'Brick' to the lid and blend it up to the crease so there are no harsh lines.

Step 2: Line the inner rims of the eyes with Kohl Eyeliner for a sultry effect, then coat lashes with two coats of our Lash Extending Mascara.

Step 3: Apply our Lipstick in 'Sociable' to the lips to finish off the look!

Are YOU going to check out 'The Bling Ring'?

Patti

Movie: The Purge

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The low-budget horror film recently hit theaters and became the number-one hit at the box office this weekend. Set to be the summer's best scary movie, the plot of the purge is different from the normal "killer on the loose" horror films.

In this movie, a new political regime attempts to control the amount of violence and crime by giving the citizens one night a year where all criminal activity becomes legal. No police can help and all the hospitals suspend service. James Sandin (played by Ethan Hawk) and his family live in a gated community and plan to ride out the night in their home. However, when the son lets in a stranger, begging for help, their lives suddenly change as they quickly realize a dangerous group is after the man.

You can watch the trailer here but you'll have to wait to watch the movie to figure out the rest! Will The Purge be on your must-see movie list for summer?

How to Cover Acne in the Summer Heat

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

I always receive questions from customers asking how to properly cover acne. Now that Summer is rolling around, I'm going to guide you through an easy, lightweight routine that'll keep your skin looking clear and fresh!

Step 1: Start by priming the skin using our Mineral Infused Face Primer. This will ensure that the makeup will last all day through the heat.

Step 2: Apply our Acne Fighting Foundation using a Stipple Brush or a damp sponge for light/medium coverage. The key to looking fresh faced is to use a light foundation and then conceal any remaining blemishes with a concealer. This yields the most natural looking results, plus who wants to walk around in this heat with a mask?!

Step 3: Correct any red spots using our HD Lifting Concealer in 'Adjusting' (the green shade counteracts redness) and blend until the redness is reduced and the product is blended. Then go in with the HD Lifting Concealer in whichever shade suits you and conceal any blemishes, spots or under eye circles by patting the product onto the skin.

Step 4: Set all of your hard work using our HD Powder in 'Translucent'. The key to this application is to tap the powder onto the skin instead of swirling, this way none of the makeup will move.

Step 5: For extra staying power, set the makeup using our Makeup Mist & Set for a dewy, long-lasting complexion.

What's YOUR Summer skin routine?

Patti

How To: Summer Glow

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

We had our friend Sarah come all the way from Connecticut to our studio in NYC and do an awesome Summer Glow how-to with us! This look is quick, easy and perfect for Summer, especially desk-to-happy hour!

Step 1: Start by hydrating the skin with our Daily Moisture Stick. Apply all over the face, concentrating in dry areas. Next, apply your foundation and concealer where needed.

Step 2: Prime the eyes using our Mineral Eyeshadow Primer for makeup that wont crease or fade all day.

Step 3: Using our Flawless Eyeshadow in 'Beautiful Browns', apply the 'base' shade to the lid all the way up to the brow bone. Use the 'crease' shade, a gorgeous copper, on the outer edges of the eyes.

Step 4: Apply black eyeliner to the upper lash line and mascara to the lashes for definition.

Step 5: Define the lower lash line by applying that same copper shade using a Flat Eyeliner Brush.

Step 6: Grab our Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder and apply the bronzer where the sun would normally hit the face- to the cheekbones, forehead, and across the nose. Using the Mineral Powder Brush, apply the blush to the apples of the cheek for a rosy flush.

Step 7: Add some 'glow' to the skin using our studio Body Glow. Apply using a fan brush to the tops of the cheekbones for a gorgeous Summer highlight.

Step 8: Finish off the look with our Super Glossy Lip Shine in 'Goddess'.

What's in YOUR Summer makeup collection?

Patti

Get Iman Eyes!

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Iman is a beautiful woman, there's no denying that! But her makeup looks absolutely amazing and does a great job of reversing any signs of aging, especially around the eye area where wrinkles tend to show up more. Here's how to achieve her look:

Step 1: Start by applying a Matte Eyeshadow to the whole lid in a dark shade for a smoky effect. Matte formulas will hide any fine lines and wrinkles because it doesn't reflect light.

Step 2: Open up the eyes by popping a light gold eyeshadow to the inner corners of the eyes. Try our Pigment Eyeshadow in 'Golden Goddess'.

Step 3: Apply our False Lashes in 'Dramatic' for a wide eyed effect and you're good to go!

How do YOU reverse signs of aging with makeup?

Patti

1920 Fashion

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Source: Warner Bros.

The Great Gatsby is classic tale that has all the fixings for a great story, and great fashion. This season's movie release has re-cast the light on the jazz age, bringing about many Roaring 20s themed parties. We love the flapper dresses, dazzling headbands and "bobbed" cuts the women wore back then! Here are a few of our favorites!

The intenstly dark eyeliner

Cloche hats

The headbands

Actually, we love all the 1920s head pieces!

And of course, flapper dresses!

What was YOUR favorite fashion icon from the Jazz Age?

Era Makeup: The Great Gatsby

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

This weekend me and the hubs went to see The Great Gatsby! What we thought of the movie wasn't important, but the clothing and jewelry in the movie made me want to fly back to the 20's and go on a MAJOR shopping spree! Carey Mulligan played Daisy Buchanan (Gatsby's love interest) and she looked absolutely breathtaking in every scene. Here's how to get her look:

Step 1: Porcelain girls, play up the pale! Apply your shade of foundation to the skin using a Stipple Brush for an airbrushed effect.

Step 2: Prime eyes using our Cream Eyeshadow in 'Dawn' on the lid and lower lash line. Apply our Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Miss Popular' over the cream eyeshadow and blend well.

Step 3: Apply 2 coats of black mascara for definition.

Step 4: Grab our Cream Blush in 'Tease' and apply to the apples of the cheeks and blend down for a flushed look.

Step 5: Instead of applying lipstick straight from the tube, grab your red lipstick (try our Mineral Lipstick in 'Cheerful Cherry') and apply color to your finger. Pat the color onto the lips for a rouge-stained effect.

What did you guys think of the Great Gatsby?

Patti

Cheryl Cole's Fiery Eyes

Thu, 30 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

After coming across a photo of the GORGEOUS Cheryl Cole, i had to recreate this look. Although the colors look a little dark, it's perfect for a spicy summer night out- especially for darker skin tones. Here's how!

Step 1: Apply 2 layers of Individual False Lashes across the whole upper lash line. Coat your lashes with 2 coats of our Volume Plumping Mascara.

Step 2: Apply our Kohl Eyeliner to the waterline for drama.

Step 3: Grab our Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in 'Gala' and apply it to the lower lash line for a pop of burgundy.

Step 4: Conceal those under eye circles! This is especially important when using burgundy eyeshadow.

Step 4: Finish off the look with our Glossy Gloss in 'Berry Blush'!

Would YOU wear red on your eyes?

Patti

NEW e.l.f. Studio Retail Store!

Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Photo Source: Guest of a Guest

We finally did it! We opened our very own retail location in the heart of NYC at 741 Broadway!

e.l.f. Studio offers many products from our Studio line, as well as a small selection from both our Mineral and Essential lines, all with the same low prices that make it easy on your wallet.

Our expert makeup artists in the store offer free consultations and are always there to help you shop! Each product also has a tester so you can swatch the color and see the product before you buy!

Our fabulous store staff can't wait to welcome you so come on in and visit us!

To make sure you're always in the know, "like" our e.l.f. Studio Facebook page!

If YOU were in charge, where would you decide to put our next e.l.f. Studio store?

Make Any Lip Matte!

Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Everyone has their favorite shade of lipstick, but sometimes we want to try and pull off the trends that pop up on the runway. Heres a way to make ANY lipstick color matte, with just a few easy steps.

Step 1: Apply your favorite Lipstick- try our Essential Lipstick in 'Sociable'.

Step 2: Grab our Blending Eye Brush and dip it in an eyeshadow the same shade as the lipstick (we love the hot pink shade in our new 80 pc Day to Night Palette, or even our HD Powder in 'Translucent'. Pat the powder onto the lips to set the lipstick and give it a matte finish.

Step 3: Don't forget to clean your brush before and after! You don't want any lip product or germs on your eyes and vice versa!

What shade will YOU rock this summer?

Summer WEARABLE Teal Eyeshadow

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

We saw this gorgeous look on Ginnifer Goodwin and thought- WOW what a perfect, wearable way to rock blue eyeshadow for the summer! Keep reading to learn how...

Step 1: Start out by priming the lids with our Eyelid Primer in 'Sheer' for long lasting sweat-proof makeup.

Step 2: Grab our Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Dreamy' and apply it to the lids stopping right before the crease. The higher the eyeshadow is applied, the less wearable it becomes. Keeping it just on the lid will add the perfect pop of color without going overboard. Make sure the eyeshadow is blended!

Step 3: Apply our Lash Collections in 'Flirty' for a dark contrast. Apply two coats of mascara to bind your natural lashes with the false lashes.

Step 4: Bring a bit of the eyeshadow under the lower lash line for an extra pop of color.

Step 5: Finish the face and lips off with matching neutral shades that wont compete with the blue eyeshadow. Try our Cream Blush in 'Tease' and our Glossy Gloss in 'Sweet Salmon'!

What do you guys think of this look?

Patti

Taylor Swift sweeps the Billboard Music Awards

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Whether you love her or hate her, Taylor Swift stole the show at the Billboard Music Awards this year. The young star won eight awards, including top artist, top female artist and the night's top honor, artist of the year.

Rihanna was also a big winner in the R&B category, taking home four awards including best song ("Diamonds"), best artist and best album ("Unapologetic") and top radio songs artist.

And Justin Bieber was booed when he accepted his fan-voted milestone award.

(Photo credits: Getty)

Did your favorite music artist win an award? Tell us!

Bridal Makeup

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

We've gotten tons of requests for a Bridal Makeup how-to for darker skins, so we called our friend Sophie in and did a gorgeous look on her. Here's how!

Step 1: After priming the eye with our Eyelid Primer, apply our Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Celebrity' to the lid.

Step 2: Next, apply our Mineral Eyeshadow in 'Elegant' to the inner corners of the eyes, as well as under the brows for a highlight.

Step 3: Grab our Glitter Eyeshadow in 'Shopaholic' and apply it to the outer 'v' of the eye using our Contour Brush for precise application.

Step 4: Grab your waterproof eyeliner (we're using our Cream Eyeliner in 'Black') and line the upper lash line. Apply the liner to the lower waterline as well, blending the color onto the lower lash line.

Step 5: Apply one coat of mascara, and apply some false lashes! We used our Studio Lash Collections in 'Dramatic'.

Step 6: Apply our Mineral Infused Face Primer for long lasting makeup. Then, apply your foundation and concealer to even out the skin tone and hide any blemishes or dark circles. We used our Flawless Finish Foundation in 'Almond', our Complete Coverage Concealer in 'Medium', and we set the look with our Studio Pressed Powder in 'Caramel' just on the areas that needed to be shine free. Lastly, we applied our Baked Blush in 'Rich Rose' to the apples of the cheeks, blending the color back into the hairline.

Step 7: For lips, we paired our favorite go-to bridal lipstick, our Mineral Lipstick in 'Fiery Fuchsia', with our Studio Glossy Gloss in 'Berry Blush' for the perfect pout.

What do you guys think of this look?

Patti

How to Rock the Punk Trend

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

This years Met Ball was FILLED with punk themed looks! Some of our favorite celebs rocked the hard-core look, while a few experienced some Sid Vicious faux-pas. Our favorite look was Cara Delevingne- the perfect smoky eye. It was just glamorous and edgy enough for a Ball, but wasn't cartoon-ish. Here's how to get her look:

Step 1: Start by applying our Cream Eyeshadow in 'Smoke' to the lids using your fingers. Don't be afraid to get messy with this look- the edgier the better.

Step 2: Grab our Kohl Eyeliner in 'Black' and line the upper and lower lash lines and water lines. Smudge the liner our using a Smudge Brush for a smoky look.

Step 3: Apply two coats of mascara to finish the look. Apply lashes for a glamorous look, or leave as is for an authentic take on this grungy look!

What did YOU guys think of the makeup on the Met Ball carpet this year?

Patti

What's Hot: Cutouts

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Source: FabSugar.com

The minute this hot trend hit the runways we knew it was love at first sight. Cut-outs expose skin in a sexy, yet not slutty way. Whether it's a simple backless shirt, a dress with cut-outs at the hips, or a sleek button down blouse with cut-out shoulders its sleek and perfect for the Spring weather. Here are a few great examples:

Source: Re-CarpetFashionAwards.com

Source: WomenAroundTown.com

Do you like this trend?

-Madeleine

Luminous Skin Is In!

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Glowing skin is the key to looking youthful and healthy! Luminosity can be feigned easily and unnoticeably with every girls best friend, makeup. The trick to achieve this fresh, bright look is to apply highlighter to specific areas to illuminate our features. Grab our Studio Angled Blush Brush and swirl it around the Studio Blush 'Gotta Glow'. Tap the brush to remove any excess product and apply the highlighter to high points of the cheekbones (just above where you'd apply your blush), under the brows, and to the cupids bow (just above your top lip) for a gorgeous glow!

Which do look you prefer- Luminous or Matte?

-Madeleine

e.l.f. Studio Blus--kjsjds

Whats Hot: Bright Colors for Spring & Summer

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

(Photo source: http://blog.goshcelebrityfashion.com.au/2011_11_01_archive.html)

We're liking pastels for the Spring, but we're LOVING bright colors, prints and patterns even more! Wear a whole outfit full of electric, exploding color or wear a single accessory that will stand out and look ultra-chic. Like Lauren Conrad, we adore cute sun dresses that just scream "perfection!" Be bold. Try color blocking, putting together solid colors like orange and purple, hot pink and orange, blue and yellow. Color blocking can look sleek and effortlessly cute, just be careful with how you pair your pieces together. If it's done wrong you can end up looking like a rainbow and thats a definite Fashion DON'T. Try sticking with one to three hues at most.

(Photo credit: Celebrity Style Guide)

Its Bold, its Bright, its Beautiful Do you think you can pull it off?

-Madeleine

Do or Don't: Orange Lips

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Orange lips are a total DO! Celebrities have been rocking this bright lip all season long at the Golden Globes and MTV Movie Awards! This hue adds elegance and refined beauty to any nighttime look, plus it's the perfect alternative to the Winter berry lip. To successfully wear orange lips you have to apply with careful, precise application- we like to trace concealer around the edge of the lips for a crisp look. Try this daring look for yourself using our Matte Lip Color in 'Coral' if you have a lighter skin tone, or 'Praline' if you have a darker skin tone. Not a fan of matte lips? Just apply our Essential Super Glossy Lip Shine in 'Honey Do' in Hoedhjskdj or our Mineral Lip Gloss in 'Fierce' to finish off your look. Our go-to product is our Essential Lipstick in 'Captivating' for a quick one step tangerine pout!

Will YOU rock the Orange lip this Spring/Summer?

-Madeleine

Trend Alert: Teal Eyes!

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

As seen on the runways of Dior, Micheal Kors and Moschino, this Spring trend is no subtle look. Just about ANYONE can pull it off with our help! The many turquoise and aqua filled runways inspired us to create this FRESH, vibrant look. It's perfect for Spring when you want to add a pop of color into your every day makeup and works to beautifully enhance just about any eye color. For a more dramatic look, apply the color all over your eyelids, or line your waterline and both upper and lower lash lines. For those of you who prefer an all-out glamorous eye, add some shimmery sparkle using our Glitter Eyeshadow! You can achieve this beautiful look using any of these amazing products:

e.l.f. Essential Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in "Twinkle Teal"
e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in "Teal tease"
e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in "Teal"
e.l.f. Studio Pigment Eyeshadow "Tropical Teal"
e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeshadow in "Teal Party"

Are you daring enough to try this hot trend?

--Madeleine