E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper Review

E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper

Hey there!

Blushes have this beautiful way to sculpt and focus parts of your face that you want people to see. It can conceal the big zit on your forehead by merely changing the things that people notice when they see you. All without touching the zit! :p

elf hd blush showstopper

Due to its transformative powers I have this almost crazy affinity for them. I have cream to powder formulas, liquid formulas, powder formulas and even mineral formulations. The blush I am now going to review has been on my wish list for eons! Ever since I saw many beauty bloggers rave about this product and touting it as the affordable alternative for MUFE blushes my magpie like eyes have been on the lookout for it. I managed to get two blushes from this range, Encore and Showstopper, shades that have been on the wish list for dark skinned beauties everywhere. While Encore has already been reviewed on this website (one of the reasons I bought the blush!) I will now proceed to review Showstopper.

Price:

$3

Claims:

Naturally sculpts and highlights for a soft-focus effect that is great for everyday use. The Vitamin E enriched formula conditions and hydrates the skin for a healthy glow. Velvety soft, lightweight and highly pigmented color creates a long-lasting result for all day wear.
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Ingredients

Isododecane, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Nylon-12, Barium Sulfate, Mica, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate (Ve), Propylparaben. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red No.27 Lake (CI 45410), Red No.7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow No.5 Lake (CI 19140), Red No.40 Lake (CI 16035), Blue No.1 Lake (CI 42090), Ultramarine Violet (CI 77007), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)

Quantity

0.34 fl.oz (10ml)

Packaging

The blush comes in a very pretty bottle with a dispenser. Maybe it looks pretty due to the blush in it, because quite frankly it’s just a plastic bottle with a dispenser. The pump dispenser allows you to have a very high amount of control over the dispension of blush, thereby reducing inadvertent wastage. It also keeps everything hygienic, by no chance of double dipping and the like. No applicator is provided, and please don’t even think of going without one because I guarantee that you will look like a clown on crack! This intensely pigmented blush needs a brush for application and with a price tag of $3 one can’t expect it to come free with the blush.
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My take on E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper

When I first saw this blush in person I was more than a little intimidated, it is so purple that I had an instant mini nightmare of having two purple racing stripes on my face. Once I snapped out of it, I decided to swatch it on my hand and instantly fell in love with the colour; a deep burgundy plum that’s just so rich and luscious! But once I tried to blend it out I realized that I had been staring at it too long and that it has almost partially dried up and it wasn’t blending out properly.

I decided to start afresh and went to wash my hands; that’s where another nightmare awaited me. It wasn’t going away! I scrubbed at it with my bare finger, added handwash and rubbed my skin raw but it refused to come out. I cleaned my hands and then removed it with an oil based remover and learnt a very valuable lesson in the process. It stains like nobody’s business! You have to be careful or else you can end up looking like you were in a very bad fight and you decided to cover the bruises with shimmer. :p
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After many such disastrous trials, I finally got the way to actually use this blush and get the “soft focus effect” that it claims to give. And boy! The blush is worth the effort.

First off, you need a decent applicator I would suggest a stipple brush but if you are in a bind even a kabuki blush will do because blending is the key. Blend, blend, blend and then blend some more!

Take a pin head sized amount on a palette, don’t go pea sized that is enough to paint an average Indian family’s face; all of them, not only the females. 😉 Take a stipple brush and dip it, stipple it a little on the palette to get rid of excess blush and then bring it to your face. I would suggest blending inwards, start from the sides of your face and work inwards so that the intensity is diminished as you work forward. I assure you that even with a stippling brush, the first time I tried this I ended up with two racing stripes on my face so don’t be intimidated by failure try once again!

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This blush is best used as a contouring blush, even though it has microshimmer because the shimmer tends to get diffused on your face due to all the blending and just leaves a sheen. The blush lasts my entire college day, a decent 6-7 hours with some fading. This isn’t a blush for the kinds that just like to slap it on, this isn’t an everyday blush. This blush requires patience and a little practise to look as good as it is supposed to. So I wouldn’t suggest this blush to a person who has no time for their makeup routine, but for those who take time…. Go for it! Try a blush from this range, any colour that strikes your fancy and I am sure you can totally rock it.
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Pros of E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper

1. Inexpensive
2. Shade collection
3. Pump Dispenser
4. Versatile
5. Long lasting
6. Very light on face
7. E.L.F. Cosmetics are not tested on animals
8. Intensely pigmented
9. Beautiful colour for dark skinned beauties
10. Travel safe packaging
11. Hygienic application

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Cons of E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper

1. Can be garish if not used properly
2. Stains!
3. Application requires time
4. Contains parabens
5. Unavailability in India
7. Contains shimmer, oodles of it
8. Colour cannot suit lighter beauties, unless using with a very-very light hand
9. No applicator provided
10. Dries lightning fast

Would I repurchase E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper?

In another colour! ‘Coz this ain’t ending anytime soon! *gangsta* :p

Would I recommend E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper to friends?

Wholeheartedly so!

IMBB Rating:

4.5/5

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11 thoughts on “E.L.F. HD Blush Showstopper Review

    1. *thankyou* My brother is doing his PhD from Atlanta, Georgia and I managed to get him to bring me this and tons of other products from e.l.f. when he last visited Delhi.
      *happy dance* *happydance* *hihi*

    1. The e.l.f. website is the easiest way to purchase e.l.f. cosmetics but they don’t offer shipping outside US territories.

  1. it looks like made for people who’re pro at make-up
    not for beginners like me *nababana* *nababana* *nababana*
    lovely colour though *happy dance* *happy dance*

    1. I am certainly no pro at makeup and I am able to do justice to this lovely colour don’t worry about it; a little practice is all you need! *jai ho* *jalwa*

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