Beaut.ienomics: E.L.F. Cosmetics

The name e.l.f. will probably ring bells with lots of you, and that's likely to be because they're raved about in blogs and magazines from here to the back arse of Timbuktu. Despite what the name might suggest, this isn't a brand dedicated to the beautification of pixies and flower fairies: the acronym stands for Eyes Lips Face (although I still can't help picturing garden gnomes coming to life and making each other over and saying things like "Ooooh Norm, I tell you what, that blush is only fabilis on you!" in a Scouser accent.)

Launched by make-up artist Scott Vincent Borba (nope, me neither, but apparantly he's also the man behind Hard Candy cosmetics) in Noo Yawk in 2004 and in the UK in 2007, e.l.f. are famed for producing seriously low cost make-up that doesn't scrimp on quality. The prices are totally budgettastic - no individual product from their main lines costs more than £1.50, be it a plumping lip gloss or an eyelash curler. Their mineral make-up line is fractionally dearer, although you still wouldn't need to go begging to the Credit Union to have a little splurge. We're talking £3.50 for a pot of talc free mineral foundation, like. And they're not looking to crucify you on the postage front, either: shipping is a flat £3.95 for standard European delivery.

I have my beady little eye on a rake of the nail varnishes, which are free from nasties like toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (or DBP to its friends) but are decidedly more purse friendly than Butter London's 3 Free offerings.

Has anyone tried any of their stuff? What did you make of it?