January 14, 2022

Hey, Can We Take a Second Today To Talk About How E.L.F. Cosmetics Used to Cost A $1 and Does This Mean We’re Old?

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Remember when E.L.F. Cosmetics cost a dollar? Remember when they used to send those annoying e-mails comparing their version of a product to some high-end version? It used to kill me when they’d promote their $1 blush to NARS Orgasm. Remember when the Studio Collection was, GASP, outrage, horrifying, was $2!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you remember all this you’re old.

Don’t worry E.L.F.’s dollar pricing was that long ago…

Or was it?

It’s probably 12-14 years since E.L.F. actually has had anything for a dollar and I can’t say I rightfully mind the fact the prices changed! The only E.L.F. products I actually owned and loved when it was delightfully cheap were the Studio Blushes and the Studio Concealer Brush. Both these items were $2 each and totally awesome. I’d pay more for them to be honest.

The blush is now $4 and still available but as you can see it nearly doubled in price but hell, it’s still cheap as day-old chips!

So, why don’t I mind the fact that many items are $5-$10 (or sometimes a touch higher)? Because let’s be honest the formulas have approved considerably over the years. E.L.F. has a consistent release of fantastic launches lately that perform quite well and aren’t too badly priced in the least. I don’t mind paying more of the quality is good and E.L.F. has some misses for sure but a lot of items are hit and worth the extra $$ you have to lay down for them.

That being said I have to be slightly critical in my thoughts here.

One thing that I noticed about E.L.F. is their cream products expire very, very quickly. I love the Ride or Die Lip Balms and when you initially open one they have a gorgeous thick, creamy consistency but store them for a few weeks and the oils and pigment separate and they become a gross separated, liquid mess. As for anything potted for eyes or lips, it tends to harden very quickly once upon. And I find some of the glosses and liquid lipsticks give off a very weird scent after opening and storing for a few weeks.

So, I don’t mind the higher prices at all but I do wish the formulas don’t go off so quickly for me. Has anyone experienced this?

Do you miss the old E.L.F. $1 days?

Or are you cool with the higher prices?

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About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Karla B

    I totally remember this! My brother was the first one to tell me, i think he knew the owner because it was very random of him. He came home with a shit ton of items. I was not in love but i didnt hate it. Everything was online and i bought a few items from their sale that year.
    It was all about minimal looks and i was more of an urban decay gal back then.
    I do still enjoy their brushes.
    They have improved a lot! Because it all reminded me of kids pretend makeup.

  • Bleu pepper

    I miss the cheap elf stuff but I am glad they are not a dollar now because that makes me Worry about what�s in the formula . I did love to fill my cart though it was amazing . I still have some of their stuff and like it .some of the brushes were great !

    • Isabella Muse

      I AGREE! Some of the brushes were amazing! I still have the concealer brushes that I adored ;-D But yup, I did question the formula at a dollar haha!

  • Christina

    LOL! I have never used any ELF products except for a face brush. I remember the prices, but I was snobby back then (still am, I guess), and just stuck to the higher end counterparts. Why? Probably because the stigma of “made in China” had me questioning the safety and quality. That’s not so much an issue now with made in China cosmetics, but ELF and Wet n Wild never really wowed me with their offerings. I truly love luxurious packaging and presentation (HAH! It’s the only “designer” thing I can/am willing to afford), and that’s just not something drugstore products can offer me.

    But I do remember the prices being $1. I think their pricing now is pretty good considering how expensive everything is nowadays. And, I agree, I’d rather pay a little more for quality than save some money for something that doesn’t perform as well.

  • Randi

    I totally remember when everything was 1.00. I loved the highlight face stick in persimmon. It was so good. Someone is selling a USED one on Mercari for 8 bucks. They are HIGH I tell ya.

    • Isabella Muse

      OMG MERCARI! I hate it so much! LOL! People jack things up to the max over there!

  • KAREN MCKINNEY

    Any ELF product that has a pump NEVER works for me with the pump.
    Wonder if any one has a fix for this –
    Seems universal across the entire line.
    thanks

  • Jill

    100% I used to order their $1 products all the time. Those little shimmer sticks. Then they added their mineral line and then that pro one. I remember the pan shadows stick out and their palette to put them in.

  • Lisa

    I remember the $1 elf cosmetics! I also remember the cheap elf eyelash curler that pulled out most of my lashes… I actually like some of their stuff, but I agree with you in regards to the shelf life of cream products, especially the putty eye primer.

    • Isabella Muse

      LOL that everyone tried to convince me was a dupe of Shu’s eyelash curler! It’s a shame because some of the cream products are brilliant but the shelf life is soooo bad!

  • Colleen

    Their prices have crept up but as noted their quality has also increased with time (though some things are still hit or miss for me). Most of their stuff is solid or at least workable with a little extra effort and I appreciate that they�re able to remain cruelly free while being affordable (side-eye at you WetnWild). Elf brushes are still among my favorites even as I�ve branched into more expensive tools I find myself consistently reaching for their face brushes especially. And damn if I haven�t owned at least a dozen pairs of their basic b tweezers they�re great workhorses!

    Has anyone noticed that their new Cookies & Dreams palette appears to be a double version of their $3 bite sized palettes but they�re charging $9 for it?Things that make ya go hmmm�.