Today, I've a brand that's loved by a lot of people I know. It is Essence Cosmetics, a German drugstore brand which has an extensive and trendy collection of color cosmetics & fragrances. Some of its products are much raved about by everyone in the blogosphere and I've been wanting to try the brand for the longest time. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea that it was being sold in some select supermarkets in Kuwait, so when I chanced upon its counter in one of my rare trips to UTC Kuwait sometime last year, I immediately got a couple of products to try.
When I first tried them, I was super impressed with their quality and wanted more. Obviously. In the following months, I found MSMBox sold it in India as well, at an even cheaper price which prompted me to stock up on more products.
So let's talk lipliners first. My first purchase was their Long Lasting Lip Liner in Lovely Frappuccino (KWD 1.5, UTC/Carrefour) and let me get this out there. It is my favorite nude lip liner ever since I bought it last year. I reach for this most often when I want to wear a nude lip. It is the perfect mix of dusty-pink, brown, beige with warm undertones. What's more appealing is it is creamy and applies very smoothly. ABSOLUTELY NO TUGGING. And to be very honest, I really didn't expect much from it when I first bought it. This is definitely a repurchase.
From my MSM order, I picked 2 more lip liners. These are from their 'regular' range I guess as they have different packaging from the Long Lasting ones. Also they are in wooden pencil form which you'll need to sharpen obvs, while the Long Lasting range comes in twist up style. The colors I have are In The Nude and Satin Mauve. In The Nude is a beautiful peach brown and extremely warm in tone. It is the great base for any nude lip look. This is best suited for pale to medium skin tones. Satin Mauve is a mid-tone mauve shade that looks amazing in swatches but I hate how it looks on my lips. Don't get me wrong, the color is great and it happens to be one of their popular shades, but I can't like it. Maybe it has something to do with my own lip pigmentation which clashes with it and somehow the end result does not appeal to me. As you can see from the swatches, it is very similar to Lovely Frappuccino, (and even to Barely There lipstick) however Satin Mauve is a lot cooler in person.
Moving on to eyes, I only have one Long Lasting eye pencil in shade C'est La Vie!. A shimmery silver. I got it because it has been a while since I had a silver eyeliner. This eyeliner is nicely pigmented (a bit patchy though) and once you apply it, it does not budge for the most part. The glitter does move around a bit here and there but the overall line doesn't fade. Works on waterline too. Me likes.
Next we have something for my Ball Face. This Silky Touch blush in Adorable (KWD 1.5, UTC/Carrefour) is a light pink color and has a satin finish. The (shimmer?) is so, so fine that it gives a seriously adorable glow to the cheeks. Besides the color is light so it makes cheeks look natural. However, I have to admit the product is super pigmented and buttery soft BUT does fall out a bit when you swipe your brush across the pan which is a shame.
Finally I have two lipsticks from their Long Lasting range in shades Barely There and Natural Beauty. Barely There (KWD 1.750/INR 299, UTC/Carrefour/MSMBox) is a deeper, browny nude which looks nice but not a color I'd reach for blindly. I like having a bit of pink or peach in my nudes. And funnily enough, this shade also looks slightly mauve on me but guess what? It looks pretty good. Natural Beauty is a pinky nude and swatches opaque in one swipe. The color is still subdued which makes it perfect for grocery shopping when you don't wanna look too made-up but still wanna look decent enough to be out and about. LOL. Out of the two, Natural Beauty wins for me hands down.
So there you have it, my current Essence collection. I do have another Long Lasting lip liner somewhere in the house, but I couldn't find it duh. As of now, I am extremely happy with my current stash, except Satin Mauve, and their quality and packaging is good too. All of the products are nicely pigmented. There is one con though, I don't think the lipsticks are that "long lasting" and they do transfer. Overall, Essence Cosmetics is cruelty free, and affordable and it gets a big thumbs up from me*.
Have you tried any of these products and which did you like the most? I'd love to know what are your Essence favorites so I may check them out next time.
Love,
Fayha
xoxo
*based on products I currently own.