Makeup Review: ELF/NARS Duo Duplicate

With the steadily warming temperatures, I have been on the lookout for some good bronzers and blushes that will transition into Spring and Summer. Since I wear SPF on my face every day, my face tends to be lighter than the rest of my body. So, I like to have a good bronzer to even it out or even fake it a little bit :) I also like to have a blush that adds a nice pop of pretty color. Here is one of my first trials this year!


         ELF Blushed & Bronzed                                          NARS Orgasm & Laguna

ELF (Eyes, Lips Face) is a very inexpensive brand carried by Target and you can also buy it online on the ELF website. Their Blushed & Bronzed duo is said to be a duplicate or "dup" for NARS Orgasm Blush and Laguna Bronzer (shown on the right) which you can purchase at Sephora. There are a few differences, the biggest being that the ELF duo is three bucks and the NARS will run you 41. Although they don't look very similar in these pictures, they seem to be similar shades with a few differences:

Blushed vs. Orgasm:

ELF Blushed seems to not be as pigmented as Orgasm. It also seems to be a bit lighter, a little too light if my olive skin gets any darker. It's a pretty peachy-pink color with some shimmer. I think it would work on most skin tones and would be a pretty shade for spring/summer, especially if you have lighter skin. The NARS Orgasm may be worth the money for those of us with darker complexions in the summer, but I am still going to keep looking.

Bronzed vs. Laguna: 

Contrary to the ELF blush, the bronzer seems to be very pigmented, moreso than NARS Laguna. I do like the color of Bronzed and it seems to be very close to Laguna if you put it on lightly. I gently tap my brush in, dust a little off and then brush lightly on my face until I get desired color. Bronzed does tend to get a little spotty on the face, so be careful not to apply too much.

Overall, the ELF product is good and is definitely worth the $3 to try it out. If you have a little extra money or just want to treat yourself, NARS is a great brand with good products and Orgasm and Laguna are two of their top selling colors.

I hope this helps start transitioning you into your Spring/Summer makeup routine!

xx,

Jaime