Tag: makeup dupes

ELF Brand Review: The Best ELF Products That Feel High-End (Glow Reviver Lip Oil, Prime & Stay Finishing Powder, Lip Exfoliator, Halo Glow Liquid Filter, Sheer Slick Lipstick, Cream Glide Lip Liner, Liquid Blush)

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If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I usually reach for high-end products, especially when it comes to makeup. But every now and then, a budget-friendly gem comes along that completely surprises me—and ELF has been delivering some serious winners. These products generally perform just as well (if not better) than some of my pricier favorites or are so inexpensive that they make a great option if you need one. In this post, all links are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own!

ELF Halo Glow Liquid Filter – I’m a huge fan of “shimmer goos,” and this is one of my absolute favorites. I mix it into my primer or foundation for an all-over glow, use it under my eyes before corrector/concealer for extra brightness, or tap it on as a liquid highlighter. It works beautifully in every way I’ve tried, and I always get compliments when I wear it. I actually prefer it over Hollywood Flawless Filter—it’s smoother on my skin and, most importantly, it doesn’t break me out (which the Flawless Filter eventually did).

ELF Liquid Blush in Sauve Mauve, Dusty Rose, Bronze Bombshell – This formula is lightweight, ultra-pigmented, and blends out effortlessly to a soft, dewy finish. A little goes a long way, but it’s super buildable, so you can control the intensity—from a subtle flush to a bold pop of color. The texture melts into the skin without emphasizing texture or disrupting any other products under it. I’ve been really impressed with how well this wears throughout the day—it stays put without fading or getting patchy. If you’re looking for a beautiful liquid blush under $10, I can definitely recommend these. As far as shades go, Dusty Rose is very peachy learning orange on me so I wouldn’t recommend that particular shade if you happen to have an olive undertone, but I love Bronze Bombshell and Sauve Mauve on me.

Bronze Bombshell, Dusty Rose, Sauve Mauve

ELF Prime & Stay Finishing Powder (Fair/Light) – This powder completely surprised me. It’s under $5 but outperforms some of my high-end powders. It has the slightest hint of luminosity, so it sets everything beautifully without making your skin look flat or overly matte. It’s the perfect mix between a finishing and setting powder. I love using it all over to set my cream products while keeping that dewy look. I even used this on my friend for her wedding day (I was doing her makeup and needed something that would last), and her makeup held up flawlessly through the ceremony and all the dancing—well past midnight. I’m continually impressed by how well this works!

ELF Cream Glide Lip Liner In Baddest Beige and Mauve Aside– I can’t say I like these better than my favorite lip liners from Thrive or Victoria Beckham, but if you’re looking for an affordable, high-quality lip liner that competes with higher-end options, this is it. The formula is creamy enough to glide on effortlessly without tugging or patchiness. I was super impressed given these are $2, and really like the semi-matte finish that works beautifully on its own or as a base under lipstick. They wear surprisingly well without drying out my lips. Both shades I got work really well for the types of lip colors I like to wear and for $2, this would be a great option for bolder colors you don’t wear really often.

ELF Sheer Slick Lipstick in Black Cherry – This is clearly meant to dupe Clinique Black Honey, and not only does it nail it—it’s better. The Clinique version always dried out my lips, but this one is slightly moisturizing. The color is nearly identical (at least to my eye), giving that perfect deep cherry tint. It’s sheer without being too sheer, making it easy to throw on without a mirror. For $5, this is a must-have, especially if you love berry lips as much as I do.

ELF Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Jam Session and Honey Talks – If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I usually lean toward high-end lip products (still obsessed with my Hermès and Givenchy lipsticks). So, I was genuinely surprised by how much I love these. Honestly, I’d take them in every shade. They’re the perfect balance of pigment and sheerness, making them super versatile—wear them alone, over a lip liner, or layered with another lip product. The formula is shockingly hydrating for a lip oil, and it’s become my go-to when my lips need extra moisture. It’s not sticky, has a gorgeous glassy shine, and while it doesn’t last long, for $8 and how nourishing it is, I don’t mind reapplying. Heads up: there’s a slight minty tingle, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to skip these.

Jam Session and Honey Talks

ELF Lip Exfoliator – I’ve been using this for years, and I still swear by it. It’s also one of my husband’s favorite skincare products. The stick format makes it so easy to use—no mess, no digging into jars. It exfoliates really well without being too harsh and actually leaves my lips feeling moisturized. We keep them all over the house, and I’ve yet to try a scent/flavor I didn’t like. These are also super easy to travel with because they’re small and won’t spill.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

5 Functional Dupes I Bought of Makeup I Already Had

by liftbakelove1 Comment on 5 Functional Dupes I Bought of Makeup I Already Had

My no buy is giving me lots of space to explore my collection, and one thing I’m starting to notice is how many things I own that basically look exactly the same once they’re on my face. I’m calling these pairs of products functional dupes because they may not be the exact color or formula, but once I have them on, no one could tell the difference. I definitely didn’t need to buy both! When my no buy is over, I’m going to make sure I think about whether I have something that can be used for that look in my routine even if it’s not exactly the same – as Hannah Louise Poston would say, if I could “dupe the vibes”. This is not meant to be a “this or that” kind of post so I won’t be saying which one I’d get or keep – they really are that similar, but if you want me to choose, feel free to ask in the comment. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in 0.5 and Salt New York Sculpt and Bronze in Light/Medium – Both of these are cream bronzers that give a super natural look in about 2 seconds. They are both super blendable and easy to build up to the opacity I want even though they go on a bit sheer. As you can probably see from the swatches below, the Tom Ford is slightly cooler and slightly dewier, but once they’re blended out on my skin, I can’t tell the difference between them. They both apply in exactly the same way and work great with a brush, sponge, or fingers. They’re also both great for travel (Salt New York because it pops right into a palette that I can customize and Tom Ford because it’s a compact duo).

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in 0.5 and Salt New York Sculpt and Bronze in Light/Medium

Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip Color In Azalea and Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balm in Simmer – If you’re looking for an opaque, warm-toned pink blush, both of these are perfect for that. Both formulas have are thick and creamy and a little goes a long way. They both blend super seamlessly and easily into the skin, leave an impact with very little product, and stay all day. Because they’re so pigmented, they don’t need to be built up but absolutely can be layered. The finish is just glowy enough without being sticky even though they both have a balmy, moisturizing texture. Azalea has a bit more red in it, but on the skin, I can’t tell the difference between them especially once they’re blended with bronzer, highlighter, and other blushes.

Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Cheek & Lip Color In Azalea, Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balm in Simmer

Flower Lights Amazon from the Jungle Lights Palette and Pat McGrath Sextrovert from the Sublime Palette (discontinued) – While I chose these two to compare, this is a great example of how many shimmery and glittery gold, bronze, and brown shadows end up looking the same even if they have lots of little differences in a swatch. I’m sure I have over a dozen of these kinds of shades, and they basically all do the same thing. These formulas are very similar in that they both have a bit of a warm leaning shift to them, are very soft, and are very flaky and shimmery. I actually forgot which was which and had to swatch them again underneath (you can see a bit in the corner) because they look so similar in real life. I would also say that these two color stories fill the same gap in my collection with the darker purply and green shimmers and lighter and bronzier golds. I definitely didn’t need both of these palettes and would happily only have one in my collection.

Flower Lights Amazon from the Jungle Lights Palette and Pat McGrath Sextrovert from the Sublime Palette

Glossier Ultralip in Villa and Lisa Eldridge in Kitten Mischief – These two are probably the most different in terms of formula, even though the colors are almost exactly the same on the lips. The Ultralip formula is much glossier (pun intended) and hydrating whereas the Luxuriously Lucent formula has a much more natural finish that I find to be more drying over time. Even with that though, I end up with basically the same look while wearing these, especially after it’s worn in a bit. Because I love this color, I would bet I have a bunch of other lip products that do exactly the same thing, and I’m going to remind myself that I already have the perfect lip products many times over in my collection.

Glossier Ultralip in Villa, Lisa Eldridge in Kitten Mischief

Pat McGrath Taboo from Midnight Sun and Natasha Denona Freckle from Biba – Unlike the earlier eyeshadow comparison, these entire palettes aren’t the same. This is more an example of how all medium, neutral brown eyeshadows look the same once applied even if they look a bit different in the pan. I use these kinds of colors as my crease shade, and since there’s one in most palettes, I have so many of them to choose from. I also played around with the darker browns and greys that I have and as expected, those are all virtually identical. Given that I love natural eye looks, what I’ve learned from this is I don’t need any more eyeshadow palettes. And even though these palettes are different in terms of their color stories, I do end up gettting very similar looks out of them (dark brown in the inner corner, lighter brown in the crease, glittery shade all over the lid, lighter shimmer in the inner corner), so I do think I could have gotten by with just one of these even though I love them both.

Pat McGrath Taboo from Midnight Sun and Natasha Denona Freckle from Biba
Pat McGrath Midnight Sun, Natasha Denona Biba

Do you own any functional dupes that you imagined would be totally unique to your collection but do basically the same thing? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.