Friday 20 April 2012

e.l.f. haul!

I have read so much about how affordable e.l.f. costmetics brand is, I had to make a little order and try some products out for myself. I had heard that shipping with this company to Canada can be a bit dodgy, but I had no problems. I placed my order on April 11th and I received it on April 18th. If you keep your purchase order under $20.00, you do not have to pay any customs fees, so I ordered $19.00 worth of stuff to try out!
e.l.f. haul! 
 Here is my lovely $19.00 haul! Shipping with e.l.f. is not free for Canadians, but I used a coupon code for 'free US shipping' and it took $6.95 off my shipping price, so I ended up paying $8.00 in shipping. Standard Canadian shipping is $14.95 which I find to be quite high. I personally wouldn't pay that rate, being as the products themselves were only 'worth' $19.00! I am sure if I searched around the web, I might've found a better shipping coupon code, but being as everything I ordered was already so cheap, $8.00 didn't sound too outrageous.
e.l.f. nail polish in Plum, Mint Cream, Smoky Brown, Nude ($2.00 each)
Thanks to all you lovely nail polish lovers who are always tempting me with your blog posts, I had to order four polishes. The packaging on the polishes is very aesthetically pleasing. They're only $2.00 each but look like they could be high quality. I have only opened Smoky Brown, and even though it came sealed in plastic wrap, somehow a bunch of polish had leaked out around the neck of the bottle and it was very difficult to get open. I like the applicator, however. I have swatched Smoky Brown and it looks true to colour on the nail. It dried very quickly. I did two coats, and the colour looked great and glossy on the nail. However, it is not very chip-resistant! I painted my nails in the early evening and by the late evening I already had some chips. It doesn't measure up to higher end brands like OPI, but for the price tag what can you expect? I didn't use a base coat or top coat, maybe that would help.
e.l.f. pressed powder in Buff ($3.00)
I am almost out of my MAC pressed powder, so I grabbed an e.l.f. powder for a mere $3.00! These prices are just shocking to me. The colour is a touch dark for my skin tone at the moment but I've been using it and enjoying the added colour on my skin! It applies beautifully and it lasts just as long as my MAC powder. I have no complaints about the product, however it comes with a very cheap and flimsy application sponge that is just garbage. I've been using my Kabuki brush to apply it instead.
e.l.f. Slant Tweezer ($1.00)
These little tweezers are lovely! They aren't as great as my high-end tweezers but they'll do for keeping in my handbag for emergency tweezing situations! You can't go wrong with the price tag, either.
e.l.f. Kabuki Brush ($6.00)
My most expensive purchase was an e.l.f. Kabuki brush! I had read the reviews on their website and most people were very impressed with the quality of their brushes. I have to say, I am one of them! Does it shed? I've noticed a few stray hairs shedding, yes. The brush itself is incredibly soft, attractive and effective. I have Aveda brushes that are much stiffer and very scratchy- this brush is feathery soft. I love its small size too, it fits great in my makeup bag.

Overall, I am very pleased with my first e.l.f. order! I would be hesitant with some of their products. Things like lip gloss or mascara probably wouldn't be the smartest to buy from this company if you are concerned about consuming a lot of chemicals or potentially toxic ingredients. I was even hesitant to purchase the powder for this reason, but I decided to let the price tag win out. As always, be diligent in checking the ingredient lists on all your cosmetic products!

What are your must-haves from e.l.f.?
--S
PS. MAKE SURE YOU ENTER MY 50-FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY by clicking HERE

42 comments:

  1. I've been wanting to order from e.l.f. but like you, I've heard lots of nightmares about their shipping to Canada. I did put through an order and I noticed that they were going to charge me 7.5% for taxes, which I thought was a little odd (I did have my province and country selected) because my province only has 5% taxes (yay for Alberta! hee hee!). Did you notice anything like that on your invoice or when you were checking out?

    Thanks for the post! I may have to check out their website again.... :( Blogging is making me broke. :P

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    Replies
    1. I didn't have any taxes on my order! I just paid the purchase price plus $8.00 in shipping.

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    2. I just realized- it is probably because your order was over $20.00! The site notes that if you order over $20.00 internationally they apply custom fees/taxes.

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    3. yeah, that would be it! Thanks for the info!

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  2. I use their mascara. I think I get it from Target for only $3. All in all I really like it. The waterproof one says on really well, but also comes off easily with eye make-up remover. Sometimes in the summer I use their bronzer too. Not sure the price. I don't have any complaints for it either. It has a subtle shimmer to it that really catches the light. I refuse to spend much money on make-up so I'm a fan of elf's small price tag.

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    1. yes it is a great inexpensive brand! I am pleased with the quality based on price point!

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  3. I have always wanted to try to order from ELF but heard horror stories about shipping. But after reading your post, I may give it a try. Smart tip of placing the order under $20 to avoid paying taxes. Thanks so much!

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    1. for how cheap it is, you can get plenty for under $20.00! I had a great first experience, I would definitely order from them again.

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  4. great haul:)

    http://www.themake-upcounter.blogspot.co.uk :)

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  5. Thanks for the follow :) - following you back, by the way, i love ELF!

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    Replies
    1. hurray, love your blog! thanks for following me.

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  6. I've only ever tried one item from ELF and that was a contour brush and I wasn't impressed. But you may have sold me on that kabuki brush!

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    1. yes I have heard their things are hit and miss, I am happy with my choices though!

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  7. Hi! I just found your blog and I really like it, I'm following. I like how your reviews are honest and that you post alot. I love elf as well, I have that Kabuki and it's soooo soft!

    _Aly
    www.seventhingsbeauty.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. thank you for checking my blog out :) I will follow you back!

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  8. i tihnk the nail polish colors you got were gorgeous. elf polishes are my favourite for the cheap price and the wide selection of colour!

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    1. yes I would consider buying more potentially. They're very cheap in price! I hate easily chipped polish but I will experiment with base coats and see if that helps.

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  9. You got some great stuff! I ordered from elf a little while ago and shipping for me was only $5 ( I live in centralish Ontario). I totally agree with your opinion on elf. It's crazy how cheap it is but you definitely pay a price for the inexpensive products in their quality and ingredients... I bought a bunch of eye brushes and love them though. I got one of their blushes and while I like the colour..it is super chaulky and makes a mess everytime I try and use it. I also have two of their palettes which are good but again.. nothing to special. I think I'll reorder brushes from them but not much else.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hm I wonder why my shipping was so high, it was listed as the standard shipping. Did you order from the elf official site, or perhaps another vendor that sells elf? I want cheap shipping too! haha.
      I would definitely purchase more of their brushes!

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  10. I don't know if elf has changed things, but I used to order from them A LOT back in 2008 and I had the same sort of shipping charges that you had, but I ordered like $75 worth of stuff every time and had it delivered no problem without any extra customs or duty fees. Believe me, with every order though I was bracing myself for extra fees, but Canada Post never charged me anything. I have the Kabuki Face Brush too and I use it religiously every morning!

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    1. when I went to pay, there was a notice at the bottom saying elf adds an extra $5.00 in brokerage fees plus you should expect duties from Canada Post. :(

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    2. I ordered like 145 cad nd know worry about the extra duties from canada post
      As i don't know that they imposed now i can't cancel my oder any one know how much i iave to pay

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  11. I love the quality of elf products, especially at their price. As long as you understand that you always ultimately get what you pay for, it's a great brand! I love some of their brushes.
    Sharleena xx

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  12. I love the mint polish! Was it runny and thin? I usually use OPI polishes but it's getting expensive!

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    1. I actually just used the mint cream polish ! I painted my nails last night, worked a double at work (10 hour shift) washing my hands a ton without a single chip! It held up much better than the brown polish, and the formulation is thick but went on a tad streaky.

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  13. Can you also get elf at Winners? I'm glad your package shipped ok - $3.00 for powder is amazing!!

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    Replies
    1. I have never seen elf at Winners. I think its too cheap already, not a brand Winners would sell!

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    2. I bought elf nailpolish at winners, so yes they do get stuff in..which is shocking.

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  14. Hey! I found you through the blog hop :) Great blog!! I LOVE ELF :) I live in Ontario, Canada and I never had a problem with shipping. I order up to $50 and never have to pay extra taxes, so you can try ordering more next time :P

    Can't wait to see more from you. I'm now following you, hope to see you around my blog. :)

    Also, I'm having my first giveaway on my blog! I am giving away a Gold Glitter Polish from ELF too! I'm giving away other nail polish & jewelry made by my sister. Come check it out :)
    SPILLEDPOLISH | Yellow & Pink Themed Giveaway!

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    1. I am following you too now, thanks for stopping by! And thanks for the advice on ordering more from elf- they had a notice at the bottom on my order that if I ordered over $20.00 they'd charge me a $5.00 international brokerage fee and that I would also have to pay duties, though. Hmm.

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  15. Those nail polish colours are fab xxx
    Was hoping we could follow each other on GFC and Bloglovin xxx
    Drop by my blog and leave a comment - I'll be sure to follow back xxx

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  16. I heard the ELF pressed powders are dupes of the MAC blot powders now I'm sure of it!
    Definitely do swatches of the nail polishes, I'll look forward to them! :)

    Jane, lifesentropy.com

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  17. I love your chose of nail colors and review style.

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  18. I just received an order this month from elf that was about $95-98 and I didn't have to pay any additional duties.

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    1. did elf add on a $5.00 brokerage fee though? when I went to check out it said if my order was over $20.00 they would charge me an extra $5 on top of my shipping charges and that I would also have to pay duty (which I think is just luck of the draw if your package gets dinged or not by customs).

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  19. Hey! I'm planning to order from ELF and was wondering if splitting my orders to be less than $20 each would help me avoid any custom fees and other things like that... Would that work?

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    1. Hi Luca! see what it says at check out- on my check out it said that if I kept it under $20 they wouldn't add on brokerage fees etc. That policy could've changed since then, I am not sure! If shipping is low, it might be smarter to do that, but if shipping is high it might not be?

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  20. Do you know any stores that sell ELF products? So I don't have to pay shipping.. Thanks!

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