Beauty on a Budget

E.l.f. Studio Blush and Studio Blush Duo

By Lauren Kelly, Assistant Editor

I’m not someone who uses many blushes, as I have trouble applying most colours I’ve tried and having them look natural. I wanted to write about blushes for this column, and I also wanted to discover a good blush for spring. So after doing a bit of research I decided to test some of E.l.f.’s more popular blush options due to their favourable reviews and cheap prices. The colours I chose are the Studio Blush single in “Tickled Pink” and the Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzer Powder duo in “St Lucia.”

As someone with a very light skin tone, I found “Tickled Pink” to be an incredibly natural colour on me, and it will definitely be something I’ll be using often. It’s a very warm, neutral pink that blends out well. It does have some shimmer, but I didn’t find it very noticeable on my skin. It had fairly long wear time as well. The E.l.f. blushes come in four neutral shades that range from peach to pink, two pretty deep mauves, a bold bubblegum pink, and white and gold shimmer highlight colours.

The contouring duo comes in four different colour pairs, each with one blush and one bronzer. “St Lucia,” the most popular choice, is said to be a dupe for Nars’ famous “Orgasm/Laguna” duo. However, when comparing them myself as I use the Nars palette daily, I found that the E.l.f. blush was lighter and pinker, while the bronzer was much deeper. Although the blush was a very pretty colour on me and one I’ll be wearing in the spring, the bronzer was much too deep and pigmented for me to use as a convincing contour. It would be perfect for people with deeper skin tones than mine, though. It could also be lightly brushed on to the face to warm it up for spring for those who want a bit more colour coming out of our dreary winter months. The “Fiji” duo would be better for people with lighter skin, as the bronzer is a softer colour than the other palettes.

I’m happy with the “Tickled Pink” blush, and with the product quality in general. However, I’ll definitely be going back for a different colour in the duo. Either way, I would recommend the products to anyone—just make sure you find the right shade! Both the single and duo are available at London Drugs for $3.99.