The people behind e.l.f. cosmetics are either geniuses or malicious enablers who’ve brought me one step closer to peak vanity/insanity. I say this in regard to the invention of the e.l.f. Pore Refining Brush and Mask Tool, an item so smart, so simple, and so wholly unnecessary yet so convenient, I don’t think I could live without it now that I know it exists.
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This thing is a game-changer, and I’m not just saying that because I like it. I love a good face mask, but I dread applying them: It’s messy, and so much of the product ends up wasted, swirling down the drain rather than on your skin where it belongs, not to mention the fact that the entire process necessitates washing your hands, like, three times (the first-world problem to end all first-world problems).
The flexible silicone spatula on this multi-use tool eliminates all of those very real concerns. All you do is coat it in your favorite mask and spread the product all over your face, which is … strangely enjoyable? Almost fun? And there’s no mess or mask left behind, so nothing gets wasted, and it makes it super easy to apply an even layer to your whole face. So good!
You may be wondering, but is the pore-refining brush on the other end good, too? I do not know the answer to that! It could be a game-changer in its own right, but I’ve been so enthralled with the spatula that I haven’t been particularly interested in anything else. I haven’t slept or eaten since I started using it, let alone tried to figure out what the little brush thing is for. Get with it.
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Like all things e.l.f., the tool is absurdly cheap at 500 cents, or $5, but honestly, if the handle were gold and there were French words somewhere on the packaging, you could probably trick me into paying $30 for it. But it’s way, way affordable, which probably has something to do with why it’s sold out right now. I’m marking this down as a must-have—plus, if you haven’t done dishes in a while and find the need to ice a cake, it could really come in handy in a more practical sense.