Whenever the e.l.f. displays in my local stores get new products, I have a pretty intense urge to try them out. The thing with e.l.f. for me is that while not everthing is going to be a hit, there are always gems from the brand that completely blow their price point out of the water. I feel like this is true for a lot of people, particularly those of us who have tried a lot of things. Recently, I've picked up some new products from the brand there are definitely some hits and misses for me!

Keep reading for more!

e.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls

HIT! HIT! HIT! Now, at first this product can seem like a serious miss, because initially that first layer is dry and chalky and has very little pigment, so it absolutely needs to have that top layer removed. I used a really stiff, flat contour brush to just scrub away at the top of the product and get to the goodness underneath. Honestly, the layer really isn't that thick, so it brushes away fairly easily, and it really is like a completely different product underneath.

The texture of this product is gorgeous, it's lightweight but the texture is really creamy. My preference is definitely a light weight highlighting product because it doesn't add texture to the skin. While all highlighters will have a tendency to call attention to texture on the skin, I definitely find that the heavier highlighting products actually add texture to my face and keep me from looking as smooth as I'd like, so I definitely prefer this type of texture.

For me, this is a great shade that would work on a lot of different skin tones because it is more sheen than actual pigment. The tone is a neutral champagne that leans a little bit warm, but not too golden for my fair skin. One huge plus of this powder is that there's no actual shimmer or glitter in it. It's all sheen and glow and it really does catch light without the need for glitter particles in it.

This is definitely the biggest winner of all of these products for me and one that I've been reaching for constantly. I actually think this is probably the closest in formula that I've found at the drugstore to my beloved Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. The tone is quite different and I wouldn't say it's a dupe by any means, but I think it performs quite similarly and it's the closest the drugstore has gotten thus far. LOVE this powder. And for like $3? Amazing!

So far, e.l.f. hasn't really impressed me with their base products. I've enjoyed many of their cheek products and their Tone Correcting Powder, but foundation and concealer have really been a miss for me so far. I picked this up because I'd heard pretty good things about it and after having tried it I actually feel pretty neutral about it so I want to go into some of the pros and cons, from my perspective.

One good thing about this is that it's under $10, which is actually becoming somewhat rare in our Canadian drugstores. However, you do only get 20ml of product, so a full ounce of product - which is what most foundations contain - this does actually come out to $12. Another great thing about this is the packaging, which is pretty perfect, in my opinion. Not only is the bottle really beautiful for the price point, but it also has a really nice pump. 

Now onto where I think it becomes more about preference and skin type. For me, this is definitely a light to medium coverage and I haven't been able to build it to full. When I finish applying this, regardless of whether I use a brush or a beauty blender, you can still see some pigmentation peeking through, so for me this doesn't live up to its full coverage claim. This isn't a deal breaker for me, because I don't always want full coverage, but I do think it definitely bears mentioning. I do like the finish on the skin, which I would say is a kind of natural, skin-like finish that doesn't look heavy at all. The biggest issue for me with this foundation is that I don't find the wear time to be all that impressive. While it doesn't get particularly oily on me, by the end of a work day I definitely find that there has been significant fading.

Overall, I think this is a good, but not great drugstore foundation. I'll continue reaching for it, particularly on days where I want a less coverage and don't need a real workhorse foundation that lasts all day, but it hasn't blown my mind or anything.

e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Smooth Matte Eyeshadow in Blushing Rose

I was really, really excited to try this product out - and pretty disappointed by it overall. I love the shade, which is a mid-tone rosy brown that is a favorite of mine for a matte, one shadow look and that's what I was hoping I would be able to use this for. Unfortunately, this has just not been what I was hoping it would be. Positives about this product are definitely the shade itself, which is gorgeous and would work on a lot of different skin tones, and the packaging, which is really pretty and functional. 

For me, a liquid or cream eyeshadow lives and dies by the formula and unfortunately this one just isn't good. The texture is quite light and moussey and looks pretty good when you swatch it, but when applied to the eyes I found it a little bit patchy and in need of blending. Unfortunately, when you blend it, it pretty much disappears so that you have a light wash at best. If you can manage to build this up, it ends up both creasing and fading fairly quickly.

Overall, this product just really didn't do it for me and it doesn't get my recommendation.

When this was released in the US, there was some definite hype and I had been wanting to get my hands on it for quite a while so I grabbed it as soon as I saw it on the shelf. Now, unlike the Beautifully Bare eyeshadow, this is definitely more of a lid shade and I think that's definitely the better way to use this type of formula. I actually like to use this to finish an eye look rather than as a base, because it has such a beautiful sheen to it. One thing that I think makes this quite a different formula is the texture, because it's light but it isn't as moussey, so I think it hangs on a little better to the skin.

I mean, look at that shade! There's so much glow to this formula that this really brings a lot of light to the lid. One thing that I will say though, about this formula, is that it really calls for a lid primer to hold it and help keep it from creasing. However, if you do have any creasing, I find that just quickly tapping it with your finger will really just smooth things out and get them looking fresh again. Overall, I think this is a really gorgeous product and would recommend it.

Admittedly, I bought this on a bit of a whim and it isn't something that I had the highest of hopes for because I'm just not actually that much of a brow cream kind of a girl. Still, I did test this out a few times and, while I'm still fairly neutral on it, I definitely have some thoughts. So, unlike a brow pomade, which are generally quite stiff, this is a VERY creamy formula in the way that a lot of cream eyeliners. I find that this type of formula is actually a bit of a double edged sword. The positive is that it really sets and doesn't budge, but the negative is that it's hard to get a really natural look with even the smallest brush. 

The tone of this is really nice for me, because while it doesn't skew too grey, it also doesn't skew too warm either, making it a really natural looking shade for my hair colour. This comes in 4 shades, so I think a lot of (but probably not all) people will be able to find something to work for them. While I really like the tone of this and the wear time, I don't think this product is for me because I definitely prefer hair like strokes with my brow products, rather than a wash of colour. 

Now, this does say that you can also use it as an eyeliner, but I haven't really felt inclined to test it out in that way, because this shade doesn't really scream eyeliner to me. That said, I do think that I will try it that way next because it could be a way to put this product to use in my collection even though it isn't quite right for me. 

Overall, I feel very middle of the road about this and think it'll really depend on preference whether or not this will work for someone. It's a good formula, just not quite right for me.

Honestly, the Must Have in this collection of products is definitely the Baked Highlighter, which has swiftly become one of my absolute drugstore product favorites, followed by the Aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eyeshadow. The foundation and brow cream aren't my favorites, but I do think that they have their good qualities and would likely work for some people. And the Beautifully Bare Smooth Matte Eyeshadow is just a fail for me. Like I said at the beginning of this post, there are definitely hits and misses from e.l.f., but the winners win super hard!

I'd love to hear about your e.l.f. gems in the comments - because I'd love to try them myself.

Thanks for reading!