Stranded in Target! A Spontaneous elf Haul

Recently, I was driving home after visiting with friends and meeting their sweet little baby. Unfortunately, my journey was westbound during a March sunset, where the sun was so low and bright that it felt like I was driving directly into the center of the sun. I made it as far as I could, but about halfway through, I had to pull over and wait until the darn thing finally set. Luckily, there was a wonderful Target that I could take shelter in, and really, who doesn't love a good wander through Target? I didn't intend to buy anything, but of course I found myself in the beauty section and got some awesome deals on clearance elf products, plus a few I've been wanting to try!

I'm a hesitant fan of elf Cosmetics, where I think their products are inconsistent in quality, but for every bad product there is another fantastic item that is worth its weight in gold. I'm always disappointed when I get a dud, and swear to never buy from elf again, but I always seem to end up buying and trying more and more. For makeup that's generally $3 or less, I can't help but take the risk.

Here's what I picked up!

EX-tra Lip Gloss (Brian): I thought this was such a pretty shade of pink, but it is a bit softer than it appears in the photo. I love the gimmick of this gloss, where every shade is the name of an "ex" boyfriend. Super pigmented and not too sticky, this lip gloss is perfect to throw in my purse. My only worry is that when I took it out of the package, the outside of the tube felt oily, like something had leaked out from the inside. Makes me a bit nervous, but haven't noticed the oily feeling since opening.

Flawless Eyeshadow (Beautiful Browns): This mini-palette reminded me of the new Neutrogena collections that have come out in the past few months. I love the warm browns, with a touch of gold shimmer in the crease shade. Plus, it was on clearance and was less than $1!! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited to rip it open.

HD Blush (Headliner & Encore): I've been wanting to try these ever since seeing them on the elf website. Granted, these are much smaller in person than the photo on the site led me to believe, but you need literally a pinhead-sized amount to apply, so these tubes will last forever! When I first pumped out some product, my heart stopped a bit because it was incredibly pigmented, and I had dispensed way too much. It was a complete mess! Plus, it is very long lasting, so even after I tried washing it off my hands there was still a bit of a stain. Here's the trick to apply this blush: on the back of your hand, pump out the tiniest amount you are able to, then use your finger to spread it out a bit. Using a stipple brush, dip it into the product lightly, and then blot and blend it onto the cheeks. It creates a beautiful, flattering glow that lasts all day. I love this stuff! Plus these were also on super clearance!

Prism Eyeshadow (Naked): This was my splurge item, and it was what drew me into the elf section in the first place. I had seen YouTuber CoffeeBreakwithDani rave about this eyeshadow, and I don't have any eyeshadow that is foiled like this, so I took the plunge and spent the $10 on this palette. From what I hear, it's totally worth the price because the quality is comparable to high-end shadows. I'm not sure how to effectively use such metallic eyeshadows, but I'm looking forward to experimenting!

Have you used any of these elf items before? What are your thoughts, comment below!