Just look up e.l.f. on TikTok and you will be inundated with effusive praise for the brand’s “dupes”, which provide staggeringly similar versions of mega-popular makeup products for a fraction of the cost. Some recent viral bangers include the Halo Glow Liquid Filter (the more affordable twin to Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter), and the Glow Reviver Lip Oil, which gives Dior’s £33 version a run for its money at a mere £8. Ahead, our editors have tested the brand’s buzziest recent makeup and skincare drops, along with longtime favourites, to see which of them are deserving of a spot in your beauty bag.
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Venus Wong, Senior Writer
e.l.f. Products she tried:
Camo Liquid Blush, £7
Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray, £10
Holy Hydration! Gel-Yeah Moisturiser, £12
Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen, £8
Photo: Courtesy of Venus Wong.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo Liquid Blush
“If you’re looking for an affordable liquid blush that has great colour payoff and lasts all day, this is an obvious choice. A little bit goes a long way: I dabbed two tiny dots of Comin’ In Hot Pink, the bright fuschia colour, and was a bit shocked by how pigmented it was — I looked like a Barbie impersonator! Luckily, the blush blended out beautifully with my fingers, and I was impressed by how long-lasting the colour is; my cheeks were still glowing pink at the end of the night. Overall, it reminds me of the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, £22, in terms of how pigmented it is, but with a more fluid, buildable consistency. The fact that it’s a third of the price has convinced me to replace my liquid blush with e.l.f. when my Rare one runs out.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo Liquid Blush, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray
“I’m a big believer that a good makeup setting spray should be seen (via strong results), but never felt on your face. I tend to apply a very liberal amount, so ideally, it shouldn’t cost a fortune, either. This offering from e.l.f. has checked all my boxes. I can barely notice the hyper-fine mist when I spray it on, but it does a wonderful job at holding up my makeup in place, even during sweaty, grueling journeys on the train. Remember to give this a shake before use, since it’s half oil (which moisturises your skin).” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gel-Yeah Moisturiser
“My skin always gets extra dehydrated and itchy during the summer, and this jelly-like moisturizer has been a total godsend. I think of this as an elevated version of the aloe vera gel I used to put on areas I’d get sunburn. It’s packed with squalane, which helps trap moisture in the skin, and allantoin, an ingredient that soothes itchiness and irritation. The prickly pear extract also tops up the moisture levels in your skin. The formula is so lightweight and feels cooling on the skin, making this a great product to slather on yourself when every other moisturiser feels too greasy in the heat.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Gel-Yeah Moisturiser, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen
“I can never own too many tinted lip balms. I’ve seen this compared to Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Plumper, £20, and I was especially excited to give this one a go. While it doesn’t feature maracuja passion fruit, Tarte’s famed moisturising ingredient, it does have similar plumping qualities, and gives a slight tingle so you know it’s working. A variety of fruit extracts, including blueberry, watermelon, and pomegranate, keeps my lips nourished and luscious. I appreciate how this tucked away the fine lines and cracks on my lips, and gave my pout a very kissable sheen. I will say that the formula is more satiny compared to Tarte, and carries considerably fewer shimmery particles. For the price of £8, I’ll happily carry this around whenever my lips need a wash of colour.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
Humeara Mohamed, Contributing Writer
e.l.f. Products she tried:
Sun Boss Gloss SPF 25, £7
Brow Laminating Gel, £8
Bronzing Drops, £12
Photo: Courtesy of Humeara Mohamed.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Sun Boss Gloss SPF 25
“I’ve never really paid much attention to sun protection for my lips, despite religiously applying it to my skin elsewhere. While I should know better, it’s never really appealed to me; the thought of sunscreen on my lips makes me shudder. The Sun Boss Gloss, however, managed to sneak its way into my kit without me noticing its SPF 25 rating. I applied it and simply fell in love with the formula: The pigment! The moisturisation! The texture! It wasn’t until afterwards that I realised it’s also an SPF. It’s perhaps a little thicker than other, more oil-like glosses that are dominating the market right now, but I quite like that. It doesn’t taste of anything (which is a good thing), and the staying power is impressive.” — Humeara Mohamed, Contributing Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Sun Boss Gloss SPF 25, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Brow Laminating Gel
“My brows have a mind of their own. I never tweeze them and they’re thick and bushy in all directions. Each lone hair is strong and brow gels often fall short, failing to lift and sculpt anything at all. Or if they do, it’s only with copious amounts of product, which then turns into a white, flaky mess midway through the day. This brow gel, however, does nothing of the sort. I apply it onto clean brows straight after applying my skincare and before applying the rest of my makeup. It comes with a small spoolie to initially apply it (I do this in an upwards motion and a downwards motion to really coat every single hair from all angles), as well as a comb and brush to then style the hairs into their final resting places. This is the ultimate dupe for the REFY Brow Sculpt, £18, and, in fact, I think it has better staying power.” — Humeara Mohamed, Contributing Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Brow Laminating Gel, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Bronzing Drops
“I’m always a little bit sceptical about bronzing drops. They’re either too glittery, too sticky, or too pigmented and muddy. Just call me the Goldilocks of bronzing drops – waiting for one that’s just right. Enter: e.l.f.’s iteration in Pure Gold, which is the most beautiful shade of bronzed gold, rather than the bright yellow shade that the name suggests. It’s not orange at all, which is another of my pet peeves, and it blends out effortlessly whilst lending the tiniest bit of coverage — but not too much! I like to use this alone or under makeup, with or without a primer, to give my skin the healthiest, just-back-from-holiday glow.” — Humeara Mohamed, Contributing Writer
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e.l.f. Bronzing Drops (Pure Gold), $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
e.l.f. Products she tried:
Soft Glam Satin Foundation, £8
Lash XTNDR Mascara, £7
Photo: Courtesy of Jacqueline Kilikita.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Foundation
“I’m telling everyone that’ll listen: e.l.f.’s Soft Glam Foundation is the best base so far this year. The texture occupies a cozy space between a gel and a cream so that it feels like skincare but with the added benefit of medium coverage. It glides onto my skin, blends in a dream and tucks away redness, hyperpigmentation and dark circles. Perhaps this is a testament to how good it makes my skin look: I went for a facial the other day and the aesthetician asked me which foundation I’d used to achieve such an even, glowing base. She couldn’t quite believe it when I told her it was £8. It’s now a staple in my makeup bag.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
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e.l.f. Soft Glam Satin Foundation, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Lash XTNDR Mascara
“This is my new favourite mascara and it’s all down to the brush. It’s much thinner than the others inside my makeup bag currently, but that makes it much easier to manoeuvre, so you can capture each individual lash — even the teeny tiny ones in the corners. It lengthened and beefed up my lashes all without a single clump or eyelid smudge. So much so it has replaced a £30 designer version in my kit. Besides the nifty brush, the formula dries quickly and doesn’t budge until I see fit to take it off at the end of the day. Even better, it’s a tubing mascara, so it comes off easily with just water. Don’t underestimate it, though. I touch my eyes a lot but not a single flake ever transfers onto my fingers. You might not be able to from my selfie, but I accidentally picked up the brown version. Now I’m a convert. It looks so natural!” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Lash XTNDR Mascara, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Writer
e.l.f. Products she tried:
Liquid Poreless Putty Primer, £10
16HR Camo Concealer, £7
Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand, £9
Power Grip Primer, £10Photo: Courtesy of lauren cunningham.
e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer
“This is a close match to more expensive primers I’ve used before; I’d actually liken it to Benefit’s The POREfessional Face Primer, which rings in at £32. A little silkier in texture than the Power Grip Primer, it does as it says and seamlessly stamps out the appearance of pores. To get the right balance across my face, I used this primer on my cheeks and nose (where my pores are most visible) and the Power Grip Primer on my forehead and chin — together, they make the perfect pair.” — Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Writer
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e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics 16HR Camo Concealer
The brand claims that this concealer lasts for up to 16 hours and it does — if you use it alongside the Power Grip Primer. On its own, I’d say the most I got out of it was an average of 10 hours of wear, which is still quite impressive. There are 26 shades to suit a range of skin tones, although when you consider Fenty Beauty’s 50, there could always be more. What I love about this concealer is that it covers my dark under-eye circles and red patches without too much effort. It also buffs out easily with a brush so you can cover slightly larger areas if you want to. It can settle in fine lines and wrinkles, though, so set it quickly with e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder if you’re after a more airbrushed look.” — Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Writer
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e.l.f. 16HR Camo Concealer, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand
“There’s no denying that this is a dupe for Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Light Wand, £30. It looks the same and applies the same. Although I love CT, it is really hard to tell it apart from the real deal. It’s incredibly easy to apply — just dab onto the face and blend out. The result is more of a highlighter effect than a pretty pink flush, but the shimmer finish is quite beautiful. I’d recommend this Beauty Wand to anyone, whether you’re a makeup newbie or a seasoned pro.” — Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Writer
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e.l.f. Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer
“I’m not normally one for a primer, but I was genuinely impressed by this one. This isn’t sticky or greasy in the slightest; it actually feels like you have nothing on your face thanks to a gel-based, hydrating formula containing hyaluronic acid that makes this more like a moisturizer than any powdery primers I’ve used before. It absorbs almost instantly so you’re not waiting around for ages before going in with concealer and foundation. Most importantly, it did hold my foundation on for a lot longer than usual — I found myself wiping almost all of it off at the end of the day, rather than a slight sheer tint. It also added a soft-focus finish that helped to blur any blemishes. What more can I say? I’m sold.” — Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Writer
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e.l.f. Power Grip Primer, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer
e.l.f. Products she tried:
Glow Reviver Lip Oil, £8Photo: Courtesy of karina hoshikawa.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Glow Reviver Lip Oil
“This is a really pretty lip oil, and it checks most of my boxes: The shade Honey Talks is a stunning rosy brown, and the texture is very plush and comfortable — I can see why people call this an affordable dupe to the iconic Dior Lip Glow Oil, £40. I only wish that it lasted longer! But for the price, I can feel okay about reapplying as needed. It adds a beautiful kiss of colour on bare lips, but also is a gorgeous glossy top coat when applied over my favourite lip pencil or lipstick for a more pigmented look. It also feels cushiony and hydrating, which is what I’d expect from a lip oil. For me, I’d choose this lip oil over an expensive alternative any day of the week — it truly exceeded my expectations and had I to guess the price, I’d definitely match it with some of the pricier lip oils I’ve tested.” — Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Glow Reviver Lip Oil, $, available at e.l.f. Cosmetics
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