ELF Smudge Pots

If there is one affordable brand that many people rave about in the beauty community it is ELF Cosmetics or Eyes Lips Face. Easily to get a hold of in the US, it is far more difficult to find in The Netherlands. Their Dutch website is currently out of stock of almost everything and that is a shame, because the brand has some great products. I decided to try some of their products a while ago and today I am reviewing their infamous Smudge Pots for you.  

E.L.F. Smudge Pot
Cruisin’ Chic, Cocoa Cutie, Wine Not

I first encountered ELF through Youtube where I saw many beautygurus rave about the affordable products the brand has. At that time, everyone was up in arms about their $1 range and later the Studio Line. Since then, the brand has definitely branched out, but many of their newest products have not yet become available on the Dutch website. I would love to try one of their foundations, I love their Hydrating Primer and their eyeshadow palettes are definitely not shabby either. A Smudge Pot retails for around the €5 euro mark a piece.

The Packaging

The Smudge Pots fall under ELF’s cheaper line. These used to cost a mere €2.50, but the price has since gone up and doubled. That still makes these cream shadows more affordable than a Maybelline Color Tattoo. But it’s a good thing to know I guess.

Packaging wise these aren’t anything special. The plastic feels cheap and my main issue is how hard it is to get to the actual product. The rim of the container is quite high, which makes it difficult to stick your finger in. With a brush it’s fine, but I prefer using my fingers when I’m working with creams. The oils and heat of your skin allow the product to blend much more nicely in my opinion.

Cruisin’ Chic

Cruisin’ Chic is a stunning shimmery taupe shade. Unfortunately I already owned about a million other shimmery taupe colored eyeshadows, so I decided to declutter this. So I no longer own this. It is a great shade though if you are looking for something neutral and easy to wear. A stunning shade to wear if you’re in an office or going to school and can’t wear too much makeup.

Cocoa Cutie

Cocoa Cutie is best described as a chocolate brown. When I spotted it online, it looked to be a matte, but when I got it I detected very small golden shimmer particles running through it and that wasn’t what I was looking for. Needless to say, in that same declutter I mentioned above, I decided to declutter this one as well.

Wine Not

My favorite of the three is Wine Not. Because I didn’t declutter the other two because I don’t like the product: the formula of this is rich, creamy and easy to blend. Yet, the shadows set and stay put all day. Those other shades, just weren’t for me.

Wine Not, on the other hand, is my cup of tea. It is a deeper than Cruisin’ Chic and has a much more intense shine. This is stunning buffed all over the lid with just mascara and it is a go to shade in the summer time. The shimmer gives this much more dimension and the hint of plum brings out my hazel eyes nicely.

The Swatch

As you can see all three shades swatch beautifully. The trace of sparkle in Cocoa Cutie is a little more noticeable than in the pan and the difference between Cruisin’ Chic and Wine Not is easier to see.

The swatches also show that I had difficulty getting enough product out of the container with my fingers, hence the smudges at the bottom of the swatches. It’s difficult to get the product out of the container, which can make for a bit of a mess.

The Application

To show you how these apply and blend out on the eye, I of course created an eye look with these. I put Cocoa Cutie in the crease, Cruisin’ Chic is on the lid and Wine Not is on the lower lash line. I love how Wine Not and Cruisin’ Chic have a nice sparkle to them that really draws attention to the eye. Because Cruisin’ Chic is quite light though, I found it blended a little too easily and needed two layers to really show up well. Cocoa Cutie and Wine Not didn’t have this issue.

The Conclusion

I really enjoy the ELF Smudge Pots. Not all colors were unique to my collection or suited my makeup tastes, but the product itself performed well across the board. The lighter shade had a little bit of an issue once blended out, but with a second layer that was easily resolved. I ended up decluttering 2 out of 3 simply because they didn’t add anything new. However, I did keep the one shade that I felt was truly unique and I would continue to get more wear out of. Wine Not is currently on sale on the Dutch ELF website and still available. Get it while you can!

What cream eyeshadow do you prefer?