March 22, 2016

By Nayah James

Makeup is trending all over social media from Instagram to Pinterest and the most expensive and exclusive brands give consumers this sense of elite status. However, the makeup brand Eyes, Lips and Face (e.l.f.) won’t break students’ bank.

Little do students, faculty and staff know, e.l.f. Cosmetics are now sold in the Stephan bookstore.

Fans and avid users of the brand feel it’s a great addition to the bookstore and have returned a few times throughout the semester to purchase new products and/or old favorites.

Stephan bookstore sales associate Jayme Martin stated that most students aren’t aware that e.l.f. is carried by the bookstore.

Martin believes e.l.f. is a nice addition to the bookstore and allows for a well-rounded experience.

“e.l.f. is a good choice,” Martin said. “If it was CoverGirl, it would not be as affordable for students. I think it’s great revenue for the bookstore, too.”

Assistant Manager Sarah Holliday explains that e.l.f. prices are very affordable.

“That’s why I buy it,” Holliday said. “If students come in here never having seen it before, they have this reaction of ‘Oh my god you sell e.l.f.!’ and then they’ll spend a good ten minutes checking everything out. I think our best-sellers would probably be gel eye liner, the makeup wipes and the setting mist.”

The only downfall of the cosmetics line is that the foundation isn’t available for all skin colors.

“The only downside I see to it is when an e.l.f representative comes to adjust things, all the foundations shades are really ‘fair’, Holliday said. “There’s nothing darker and that’s something we’re trying to get changed. We understand our demographic and we want to supply to everyone; we don’t want customers to feel like they can’t get anything.”

Sophomore Ashlynn Hill feels that although e.l.f is affordable and available to students, the brand needs to have more variety.

“The eye shadows and some of the lipsticks are very bright and predominately for people of fair and lighter skin tones,” Hill said. “The foundations and blushes are not for my skin tone, there isn’t a dark foundation, and they go from pale to tan tone.”

Juniors Malea Miller and VanTayshia Knox expressed how they feel limited with e.l.f.’s product line because there isn’t makeup available for their skin colors, as well.

“e.l.f. Cosmetics do not reflect people of color,” Miller said. “I don’t feel that I can easily find something for my skin tone. That’s why I usually only use their makeup remover or brushes. I don’t use any of their lipsticks, eyeshadows or foundations because I feel they’re too light for my skin tone.”

“I can’t really try anything else because they don’t have my skin tone when it comes to concealer and foundation, both liquid and powder,” Knox said. “I try not to buy their cosmetics unless it’s a makeup brush or mascara.”

jamenaya@my.dom.edu