In a makeup era defined by dewy skin, glossy lips, glow-from-within blush, and TikTok-popularized dupes, e.l.f. has emerged as a frontrunner. The cosmetics company offers a variety of makeup options for your eyes, lips, and face at affordable prices (hence, the brand name). A deep dive into the e.l.f. website revealed that its most expensive makeup product (the Hydrating Camo CC Cream) will run consumers $15 — an “e.l.f.ing” impressive feat in today’s beauty world.
In an early-morning examination of my makeup routine, I realized that e.l.f. products inadvertently occupied most of the space in my makeup bag. As someone with relatively primitive makeup skills (because no number of beauty guru YouTube videos could save me) and a college-girl budget, e.l.f. has singlehandedly saved my beauty game by offering me functional and cost-effective products for each step of my makeup.
For those looking for a daily makeup refresh, a new makeup errand list for their next Ulta trip, or a glowy complexion to complement those incoming summer tans, here’s my step-by-step GRWM, all things e.l.f.-related:
- power grip primer
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The Power Grip Primer may best be described as glue for your face. With its tacky yet lightweight consistency, this primer offers a sticky base that allows your makeup to adhere to your face and remain intact during all your busy college girl activities.
The primer also helps plump and hydrate your skin, and my favorite TikTok For You Page beauty gurus have taught me that skin prep is the most vital step to a glowing makeup look. For my future repurchase of this $10 product, I plan on purchasing the niacinamide-infused variation of the primer, so I can fight acne and lock my makeup in place (and have a pretty pink primer, because what else would I do?).
- halo glow liquid filter
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As one of the most iconic items in e.l.f’s viral “Halo Glow” product launch, the Halo Glow is a sheer, low-pigmented skin tint that primes the skin with a glowing, radiant finish for your makeup application. This product is the key to my signature dewy makeup look, and it gains some brownie points for its convenient doe-foot wand that makes application that much easier.
My TikTok research has revealed that the Halo Glow will (purportedly) offer similar results to high-end products like the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter for a $14 price tag.
- Hydrating Camo Concealer
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With coverage that’s apparently enough to conceal tattoos, e.l.f.’s Camo Concealer is my go-to for masking breakouts and creating the illusion that I got a few more hours of sleep than I really did. The hydrating version of this product helps ensure that my makeup doesn’t crease or flake while making for a smooth and efficient application — because nothing is worse than trying to blend out a dry or stubborn product with your beauty sponge.
As someone who doesn’t wear foundation and has consequently searched high and low for a good concealer, this product has become the perfect option for a lightweight yet high-coverage finish that leaves no eye bags or surprise guests peeking through.
- halo glow setting powder
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A quality setting powder can help fight the ever-present threat of your makeup melting off in the Florida heat. The Halo Glow Setting Powder mattifies any oily regions of your face while preserving a dewy complexion, which helps preserve your makeup look and prevent any creasing.
I apply my setting powder with a powder puff (which e.l.f. conveniently offers many options), let it sit and absorb oils while finishing my makeup routine, and brush off the excess at the end of my GRWM with a fluffy powder brush.
- halo glow blush and contour wands
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I’m starting to understand why men gravitate towards two-in-one products. They’re efficient, cost-effective, and oddly satisfying in their “killing two birds with one stone” effect. e.l.f.’s Halo Glow Blush Wand is no exception, acting as the perfect combination of a rosy blush and a radiant highlight.
The Contour Wand is a similar product, with its liquid bronzer offering users a sun-kissed glow at all times of the year. These products have also been hailed online as a dupe for certain high-end complexion products, with the common gripe that they can get pretty messy as you continue to use the product. So, make sure to clean these wands or, my personal favorite, keep them in plastic bags in your makeup collection.
- brow lift
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As a former adherent to the soap brow trend, the Brow Lift has allowed me to reel in my eyebrow look (I may have taken the soap brows to an extreme) and give my eyebrows a neat, clean structure. This product is a pot of clear eyebrow gel, which users can apply with a spoolie to achieve a natural, feathered eyebrow look that locks in place.
Let me offer extra emphasis on the final part of that sentence: I’ll warn you that this product is very sticky, so you may want to use it sparingly or you might end up like me in my first stint with this product (with globs of gel in my brows which resembled mohawks more than they did eyebrows).
- lash n’ roll mascara
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A $6, high-quality mascara is a rarity in today’s beauty aisles, and e.l.f.’s Lash ‘N Roll seemingly fills that void. This mascara not only lengthens but also helps curl and separate your lashes. With its curved brush giving your lashes the perfect lift, no curler or actual lash lift is needed.
The product is branded as a “curling mascara,” which is perfect for people like me with an irrational fear of eyelash curlers (if you get it, you get it). This mascara and a spritz of setting spray are the perfect step to top off your full face of e.l.f. makeup and roll out the door, no pun intended.
e.l.f. has been my right-hand brand for all things beauty since middle school. Their affordable prices, wide product selection, focus on clean beauty, and recent rebrand to tap into the growing market for dupes and dewy makeup have earned their way into my makeup bag. For your next makeup restock, consider adding some of these e.l.f. staples to your routine!
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