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¥100 Beauty: Princess Pretty Party

Get pretty on the cheap with Ellefar Princess... my Japanese makeup product review from Daiso Harajuku.

By 3 min read

I know when you go through Daiso you’re wondering the same thing as me: All of this super cheap makeup… is any of it any good? It’s all so cute and shiny and yeah… 100 yen… you’re tempted to try it, but don’t want to break out in a horrid rash or waste yen that could be better spent on things like rent or bar-hopping.

Well ladies: I got you. I decided to test-drive some of the fab goodies from Daiso Harajuku (the four-story wonderland of bargain randomness).

Here’s what I found this week: Ellefar Princess.

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I’m a sucker for packaging. I went for Ellefar strictly based on the faux Anna Sui/Majorica Majorlica compact in the powder foundation. It’s freaking cute. But Daiso is full of cheap-o cute plastic… I think that’s what Daiso actually means in Japanese. How’s the quality?

First up: Ellefar Liquid Eyeliner – Brown.

The brush is what you’d expect… a hard thin point without a lot of brush. But it goes on smoothly and the color is a rich coffee brown. I’ve seen some decent reviews of Daiso eyeliners so my hopes were managed. Does it take the place of my other cheap favorite, Cezanne?  In a pinch, yes, but the staying power doesn’t seem to be there. Cezanne stays on all day. In short: it does the job. Layer it with a dark shadow (always put dry over wet to set eyeliner) and you should be good.

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Next: Ellefar Chiffon Shadow Quad, Bronze.

This one made me happy. I love bronzy browns and golds, and the bronze shade in this quad is highly wearable. My biggest fear with cheap eyeshadow is it’s going to look cheap—too sparkly or cakey, but this bronze is reason enough to get this quad. It’s sheer and has a nice pink undertone… not orangey at all. The white and charcoal are mediocre at best… the charcoal can be a top layer with black liner to soften a smokey eye, but if you have brown eyes or really dig golds for summer… this one will work. I’ll use it.

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Finally: Ellefar Powder Compact, Light Ecru

First off, I hate the color name Light Ecru. I don’t want to put Ecru on my face. That said… this one didn’t rock my world for a face powder, and truthfully I probably wouldn’t put 100 yen powder all over my mug anyway. But it IS good as an eye base. After you prime your lids, take a fluffy brush and sweep this on before putting on your shadow. It has good coverage and is super dry, which creates a nice base for color and liner. And because you’re only using it on your lids, this compact should last you 10,000 years.

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So for less than 400 yen, you get to indulge a bargain temptation and play with some new colors for summer. I personally stay away from the face makeup simply because my skin can be temperamental- for me, spending more on foundation is worth it. But if you want a cheap and cheerful eye party, I say go for it.

Daiso Harajuku has it all… Go have a pretty party!

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