Essence is a little tricky to get your hands on in the UK. I purchase their products from Wilko.com, however, their new releases are often out of stock or only available in stores. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on their new Camouflage Concealer but I did pick up the new #Insta Perfect Liquid Makeup (£4.50), Glazed Donut Highlighter (£3.50), Stay Cool Llama Take It Easy Highlighter (£3.50) and You Better Work! Gym-Proof Primer (£3.50).
The #Insta Perfect Liquid Make Up is a matte foundation with a medium to light coverage. This tiny, squeazy plastic bottle (30ml) contains a foundation with a very runny consistency very similar to that of my Wet ‘n’ Wild Photo Focus. Cool Porcelain (shade 10) is currently the lightest shade available and is almost a perfect match for my skin tone, it might actually be a touch too light which is a rarity for Essence foundations. #Insta Perfect is surprisingly long-wearing but does require a lot of building to get my prefered coverage which is why I don’t think this foundation will last very long at all. It blends easily with a wet beauty sponge and has a matte finish. I can still see some discolouration and pores through this foundation but it’s perfect for days I want something easy to apply with a light coverage that helps to even out skin tone.
I’d been wanting to try the You Better Work! Gym-Proof Primer for months but it was always out of stock. This creamy, green tinted primer contains SPF 20 and has a cooling effect on the skin. Its formula is sweat-proof and it helps to smooth and prep the skin for makeup application whilst correcting redness. This would have been the perfect product to use during the heatwave we just had and I wish I’d gotten my hands on it sooner. It helps prevent your makeup from moving around and breaking down throughout the day.
I’m a sucker for some pretty packaging so I couldn’t resist adding the Glazed Donut Highlighter and Stay Cool Llama Highlighter in Take It Easy to my online basket. Glazed Donut is a frosty white highlighter packed full of glitter. It’s really pretty but a little on the chalky side. It’s a great shade for pale skin tones and instantly gives a sparkling icy glow. The Llama highlighter is a bizarre product that I’ll probably never use again despite the adorable packaging. It’s such an odd combination of shades. The bronzer is very dark and almost metallic, the pink shade is pretty but difficult to use on its own due to the size and shape of the pan, and the white shade has a blue/lilac sheen to it which looks completely out of place.
Essence has released some really exciting products recently including a stunning range of Melted Chrome Eyeshadows, Cosmic Cuties Liquid Highlighters, Glitter On Glitter Off Peel Off Nail Polishes, Insta Care Lipsticks, All About Me Silky-Matte Fixing Powder, Electric Vibes Eyeliners and I Need a Miracle Volumizing & Strengthening Mascara; all of which I’m desperate to try…
What’s your current favourite Essence product?
5