Two things about me – I like small-sized eyeshadow palettes and I love berry shades! So when I saw ELF Cosmetics come up with their bite-size eyeshadow palettes and launch it in my country, I knew I needed to get one too. And of course, I picked the shade Berry Bad. It has been months since I bought this palette and it’s one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes for a quick makeup look or to travel with.
In this review, I will share my thoughts on the product quality, a beautiful eye makeup look I created using all the colours, and whether I recommend buying this palette.
Price: USD 3 | INR 350 | EUR 5 (why is it more expensive in Europe? *cries*) for 0.12oz or 3.5g
Availability: ELF’s website (globally), Nykaa (India)
My Thoughts On ELF Bite-Size Eyeshadow Palette – Berry Bad
About the brand: They have always been known for making ultra affordable beauty products but lately, they have also upped their packaging game. It’s not luxury but much better and convenient at the price it’s offered. The entire line is vegan and the brand is cruelty-free.
BTW, if you’re a student, they have a 25% discount for you the details of which you can check on their website.
Product description by the brand: Ultra-pigmented eyeshadow quads that deliver creamy, bendable color in perfect mini compacts. Um, No?
The bite-size eyeshadow palettes come in 10 different shades – Orange Dreamsicle, I Love You A Latte, Cream & Sugar, Rose Water, Berry Bad, Pumpkin Pie, Hot Jalapeno, Acai You, Truffles, Carnival Candy.
Packaging
True to its name, the palette IS bite-sized. It comes in a plastic packaging with a transparent lid. There’s no mirror or brush whatsoever but what more do you expect for something that costs $3? It requires very less space and you can even slip it in the tiniest bag.
This reminds me of Wet N Wild’s Color Icon Eyeshadow Quad but the Wet N Wild one had a terrible quality, comparatively!
Texture
The texture of the shadows are a hit and miss for me. They aren’t the most pigmented and creamiest shadows I have used but they do get the job done. Some tested my patience when I was trying to blend while the others left me impressed. The metallics are soft and reflect beautifully, and are not too stark, while the mattes made me deal with a ton of fallout.
Berry Bad Shadow Colours
The palette has 4 shades – 2 mattes, 2 metallics – none of which have a name. You get everything you need to get a complete eyemakeup look – crease shade, deeper shades to intensify the eyes, and some metallics for the lids.
left to right –
Shade 1 : Looks like a dusty rose matte. It’s a crease shadow but is not pigmented enough. I had to go over with this shade multiple times for it to show up on my brown skin because it kept disappearing. On lighter skin, I think it would look much better. For me I could probably use it as a transition shade to blend other colours but yes, not very useful. Not a fan!
Shade 2 : It’s a beautiful copper shade that’s the creamiest and most pigmented out of the lot. Reminds of the shade “Bling” in Colourpop Yes Please Eyeshadow Palette. The ELF one is slightly deeper but they look similar on the eyes.
Shade 3: A berry pink shade, it’s not as shimmery or creamy as the previous one but gorgeous, nonetheless! I remember letting out a big sigh when I put it on my lids for the first time. So pretty!
Shade 4: Deep brown (more like a burgundy shade) matte, good for deepening the outer corner or lining the eyes on lighter skin. For mine, I use it light-handedly to define the crease, and use it with damp brush to get higher pigmentation. It’s not patchy or dry, quite soft hence a lot of fallout, but overall, gets the work done.
Both the mattes are very soft and have quite some fallout so try to do your eyes first, or just clean it off afterwards. For metallics, I always use my finger to pack the colour for maximum payoff, then use the brush to blend and make it look seamless. I feel the metallics here have saved the game, ELF could sell them each for $3 and I’d probably still buy!
elf Berry Bad Eyeshadow Look
STEPS:
- Shade 4 to define the crease and on the outer corner as well as lower lash line
- The berry metallic shade 3 in inner half of the eyes and outer half of lower lash line
- Copper metallic shadow (shade 2) on the center of the lids and blended outwards
- Used some setting spray on brush and dipped into shade 4 to get an intensified berry/brown on the outer corner
All the pictures are absolutely untouched and you can see skin texture, fine lines, and facial hair. 🙂
I went ahead and added a black eyeliner and intensified the metallic berry. Also, added the copper shade in the inner corner! It looks nice but I think I should’ve left the look as it is in the 4th step with just some mascara. What do you think?
ELF BERRY BAD BITE SIZE EYESHADOW STAYING POWER
The mattes seem to fade after 4-5 hours but the metallics save the night because they really do stay put the entire day. There is some fading when it comes to the reflection of the metallics, though! I don’t use an eye primer (because I don’t have one).
Conclusion
Whether you’re a beginner or someone who lacks certain shades in their eyeshadow collection, the ELF bite-size palettes are worth trying, if you’re under a budget constraint! The shadows perform decently, just enough to give you a beautiful eye look, without causing a hole in your pocket. However, if you already have similar shades or money to buy slightly expensive brands, feel free to skip – there’s nothing outstanding here.
PROS
- Very affordable
- Decent quality
- Compact sized/ travel friendly
- Vegan & Cruelty-free brand
- Good staying power
- Gorgeous metallic shadows
CONS
- First shade doesn’t perform good on brown skin
- Mattes are soft and have fallout
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