Elf was, for the lack of a Laser card, one of the few budget brands I had not tried out til recently. Despite the largely glowing reviews I’d heard from just about everyone, I’d never got around to taking the plunge – but I have to say, I now get what all the fuss is about.

Firstly, I love Elf’s packaging. It’s very like MAC and it may be my inner snob, but nice packaging just endears a product to me from the get go – Prestige, take note! The formula of the Minty Lip Gloss (1) was slightly disappointing – I think I was expecting something along the lines of California Kissin, but got more of a deathly-pale-lip effect. Still, the smell and tingle was yummy and the promise of fresh breath was definitely fulfilled.

Sacrilege aside, the Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths (2) were aaaaaamazing! I wouldn’t use them every day, just because my skin would probably blow up, but for a quick fix these are the best makeup wipes I’ve used. One does for your entire face and leaves it nicely moisturised. They’re quite lily-scented, which I didn’t like, but I’d put up with smelling like a garden centre if it meant not looking like a panda. No black eyes with these wipes!

It might be overly enthusiastic to say that the third time was the charm for my bronzer escapades, but this was the best of the bunch I’ve tried out. Warm Bronzer (3) comes in a sturdy palette with a great mirror and actually gave a bronzed effect as opposed to my recent mud-bath experiences. Three colours with a slight shimmer are just the right mix of light colour and sparkle.

Lastly, I trialled Mineral Lip Liner in Rose (4). This was my perfect liner colour, very similar to a MAC liner in Dervish that has graced my makeup bag for years. Great quality and minimal packaging won a thumbs up from me for this.

All products are €4, excepting Mineral Lip Liner which is €3.50, and can be bought online from eyeslipsface.co.uk.