E.L.F. Haul!

The last couple of weeks have been so hectic. I had last-minute exams two weeks ago, and finals were this week, but I'm done with this semester! Yay! Now, I don't know about you, but I don't really have to have an excuse to buy new makeup, so I had a mini shopping spree to celebrate the end of this semester.

At the beginning of this month, e.l.f. had a fun deal on their website where if you spent $20 online you got a free $20+ mystery bag with your order. (Click on the link to go to their website and see what kind of deals they have going right now.) First off, let me start by saying that I LOVE e.l.f. brand cosmetics. Most of their items are under $3, which is fantastic. (One dollar eyeshadow? Yes, please!) Only a few items are over $3, with their most expensive item, their 144-Piece Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette, topping out at $30. And even that is usually on sale for close to half off. This brand is one of my favorites for trying out trends and colors. Who wants to spend twelve bucks on a crazy-colored eyeshadow or lip color when you can get almost the same thing for three dollars? And not only are they cheap, but they also have pretty good quality. While some of their eyeshadows aren't super pigmented, you get a pretty good bang for your buck with everything else. I think one of the best things about e.l.f. is the packaging. For me, packaging is a VERY important factor in my liking makeup. It's one of the main reasons I like L'Oreal so much--they have fantastic packaging. While e.l.f.'s "essential" ($1) beauty items' packaging are pretty cheap looking, but their other items have packaging similar to NARS' packaging. Very chic-looking cosmetics for a fraction of the cost--it's no wonder I'm a big fan!

So, I ordered $20-worth of products on May 1st and impatiently waited for my 5 to 7 business days to pass so I could get my goodies. Well, it came in today and boy was I surprised to see how much extra stuff I got!

Below are the things I actually ordered: Matte Lip Color in Nearly Nude ($3), Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara in Black Brown ($3), Baked Eyeshadow Palette in California ($10), Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky ($3), and a Dramatic Lash Kit ($1).

And this is all the free stuff I got! (Sorry, this picture is a little blurrier than I thought, but I've already de-packaged some of these goodies) In my mystery bag was: Flawless Eyeshadow in Smoky ($2), Cream Eyeshadow in Natural Glow ($3), Gem Tweezer with Pouch ($4), Natural Lash Kit ($1), Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight ($1), All Over Cover Stick in Ivory ($1), Studio Blush in Fuchsia Fusion ($3), Shimmer Lip Gloss in Dream ($2), Liquid Eyeliner in Stardust ($1), Primer Eyeshadow in Sexy Silver ($2), and a Contour Brush ($3).

So I basically got $43-worth of makeup for $20 +shipping! This has definitely made me less stressed about having to take a minimester next week. I'm so excited about all the funky-cool things I got. Reviews of all this awesome stuff will be up throughout the next week or so, so be on the lookout.

What's your favorite cheap makeup product? Comment below and let me know what products you love that don't cost very much.

Love and lashes!
-Annie