Would you ever guess I wear cheap makeup?

For years.. I've been told MAC is the best makeup to wear on TV. Oh joy, $30 makeup I can't afford because I barely make enough to feed myself on a daily basis.

So, for the first couple of years I was in TV I would head to the MAC counter. Sure, it's great makeup. I've tried other brands and nothing seemed as good.

Recently, I was told that a brand called E.L.F started making HD makeup. Ok, if you know anything at all about ELF you know it's CHEAP! You also know, that isn't always a good thing. Cheap makeup can be some of the worst things a woman can experience.

So, I thought ok why not try this stuff. What will it hurt?

Yes, I know I need a manicure. Don't pay attention :) lol

I started off with the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation. It's SPF 15 (great for sunny days) and Oil Free (great for not breaking out.)

I was very skeptical. But, I was very impressed. It goes on smooth and lasts a shockingly long time. I have pretty neutral skin as far as dryness or oily goes. It makes me a little shiny but for $6 I can't complain. At Target they only have it in 4 shades. I buy mine a little dark so I look like I have some color on tv. However, it doesn't give me that orange-ish color. I give it an A! It's wonderful.

Next, I bought the ELF 3-in-1 Mascara. I really enjoy the MAC mascara and I really liked the ZUZU Luxe one. I hate mascara that bunches. I already have pretty long lashes so I need something that just makes them stand out. Is this my favorite mascara? Probably not. But for $2 or $3 bucks it does its job.

Ha, so recently I've been breaking out. I haven't had a breakout this bad since probably high school. Why? Frankly, I'm just incredibly stressed. I was at Target and found the ELF Zit Zapper. I couldn't help but laugh. It was a $1. So, hey why not I'll give it a try. I've only used it once so I can't give an accurate review. It has salicylic acid in it.. so beware of the burn!!

ELK Makeup Lock and Seal: Ok, I sweat my makeup off almost every day. So, that means I have to reapply 2-3 times a day! What a pain!! So, I saw this and crossed my fingers it would work. You basically put 2-3 drops of this stuff into a little tiny jar. Then, dip your brush into the stuff and then into your eyeshadow. YAY! Not only does this stuff help your eyeshadow last longer but it also brightens the color. Very cool! I only use it for eye shadow.. I tried doing it with my blush... lets just say that didn't go over well.

I've tried 2 different kinds of ELF eyeshadow. The more expensive, baked one is on the left. The cheap one is on the right. I love the baked one. It works well and lasts a while. The one on the right just gets everywhere and that drives me nuts. With the Lock and Seal it works better but it's still not great. It transitions as a typical $1 brand eyeshadow to me. I'd probably stick with MAC or another expensive brand for eyeshadows.




I also have something called ELF HD Powder. Really good for us TV people. It's $6 and works just as well as MAC or any other brand. It just makes you look flawless.

All in all, it's trial and error. But, for a couple of bucks you can afford to do all this!