If you read this blog regularly then you may know that I am girl who is on many quests. I’m on a quest for the perfect mascara, a quest to learn contouring, a quest to find something I love more than crop tops – I am basically the Zelda of the fashion and beauty blogging world. I am also on a quest to find brilliant nude lipsticks. I have raved before about what a fan I am of them, being an avid lover of all things neutral (except for Switzerland) (this is a joke; you Swiss girls have got it going awwwwn).
A few months ago I invested in MAC’s (probably) world-famous Crème D’Nude shade. I absolutely, undeniably, unequivocally LOVE it. I wrote a full Creme D’Nude review that you can have a little read of if you would like the reasons why I fell so madly in love with the product. But I was getting through it far too quickly and using it every day, which, at £14 a go, was not a purse-friendly habit.
So, during our E.L.F haul last month, I couldn’t resist giving their nude lipstick offering a try. I chose their mineral lipstick in the shade Natural Nymph (no, I don’t know why the word nymph was deemed appropriate). For £5, this was much more suited to my pauper budget and so I hoped and prayed that it could perhaps be a match for my beloved Crème D’Nude.
As you can see, the shades are really not that dissimilar. They’re both pinky-toned nudes, with E.L.F being a bit more pinky; and also have quite a sheen finish, with MAC being a bit more sheeny. They have a slightly different turn-out once applied to skin:
(E.L.F. to the left, MAC to the right)
So how do they compare once actually on the lips? E.L.F. is actually a nice colour and consistency once applied. The difference, however, comes in as it begins to wear. I find that it becomes quite drying, and can begin to look a bit cakey. When re-applied, it also lacks the dreamy smoothness of MAC and instead can drag a little on the lips. As I’ve said in the past, this is something that I find with a lot of lipstick brands due my STUPID lips, so other people might not experience it. It also lacks the vanilla smell of the Crème D’Nude, which I really like because it makes me feel expensive.
With all that nonsense being said, I have to then conclude that E.L.F. does not compare to MAC’s Crème D’Nude. I suppose in all honesty it never stood much of a chance; it’s a bit like trying to compare Mandy Moore to Britney Spears – it did a good job of imitation, but was never going to really stand a chance.
