I just love essence. They are one of the few truly affordable brands that still manages to put out really good products. Out of everything I’m going to share with you today, only a few things weren’t great. I went a little blush crazy so let’s talk about that first!
The Pure Nude Baked Blushes are $6.00 apiece. I picked up two shades, Berry Cheeks and Bold Heart. Berry Cheeks, swatched on the left, is a berry and Bold Heart, swatched on the right, is a coral red. From what I can tell, some of the blushes in this range are more glowy than others. The two I have are on the less glowy side but they leave behind a gorgeous satin finish.
In the pictures above, I’m wearing Berry Cheeks on the left and Bold Heart on the right. I truly have nothing bad to say about them. They’re pigmented but not overly so. Even though they are two of the deeper shades in the range, I still had no issues using them on my skin tone. The formula is creamy, blendable and just very easy to use. I highly recommend these.
The Baby Got Blush Cream Sticks are $5.00 apiece. I picked up two shades, Rose All Day and Tickle Me Pink. Rose All Day, swatched on the left, is a warm rosy pink and Tickle Me Pink, swatched on the right, is a bubblegum pink. While these blushes have a cream formula, I wouldn’t say that they are dewy or glowy. They dry down to more of a satin finish and are not sticky.
In the pictures above, I’m wearing Rose All day on the left and Tickle Me Pink on the right. Just like with the Pure Nude Baked Blushes, I have nothing bad to say. These little stick blushes are so easy to work with. Cream products can be intimidating at times but these were super easy to apply and blend out with my fingers or a brush. I did have to build up the Tickle Me Pink shade quite a bit but I would prefer that over it being too pigmented. These blushes do have a watermelon scent. I personally enjoy that but others may not. If you’re looking for an easy to use, satin finish cream blush, pick these up.
This blush is simply named The Blush and it’s $4.00. I have the shade Bespoke, a warm brown with a rosy undertone. I have tried this formula before in the shade Believing and you can see that review here. I already knew that I loved this formula because of how creamy and easy to use it is but I was slightly nervous about this shade. I was worried that it would look like too much of a bronzer but somehow, it doesn’t. I apply it lightly and it just gives my cheeks a glowy warmth. On my skin tone, it’s like a bronzer/blush hybrid. I truly love it for warm toned looks and was pleasantly surprised by it.
I also bought an actual bronzer, the Sun Club Matt Bronzing Powder. This bronzer is $5.00 and I have the shade 01 Natural. This shade is a light tan that isn’t overly warm or orange. I bought this from Ulta and I think this was the only shade available. I noticed on the essence website that they have three shades and the pans have a different imprint. That leads me to believe they may have updated the formula.
Anyways, I’m fairly new to wearing bronzer but I’ve really been enjoying this one. It adds a slight warmth to my skin but I do wish it was a tad bit darker. I didn’t post a picture of me wearing it because you honestly can’t tell that I have it on except in person. It’s super easy to use, though. It also smells like coconut scented sun tan lotion, a detail I love. I do recommend this bronzer but this shade is best for very fair skin.
The Pure Nude Highlighter is $5.00. This is the only product I’ve ever decluttered then purchased again. I always loved the formula. It’s super creamy and gives a natural glow with NO glitter or shimmer. I decluttered it, however, because I felt it was too dark for me. It’s a champagne shade and honestly, it’s still a bit too dark but I apply it with a light hand and have no issues. It’s been my go to highlight lately.
I bought two new lip products, the Holo Bomb Shiny Gloss for $3.00 and the Extreme Care Hydrating Glossy Balm for $5.00. The Holo Bomb Shiny Gloss has a blue tint with blue shimmer but it looks clear on the lips; why I didn’t add a picture of me wearing it. It’s a comfy, hydrating lip gloss. It’s not sticky but that means it doesn’t last a super long time on the lips. It also has a sweet scent that makes my throat slightly uncomfortable. I wouldn’t say it’s an allergic reaction but it’s just… weird. I like the formula but this isn’t one I would repurchase.
I have the Extreme Care Hydrating Glossy Balm in the shade Soft Peach. I love the color of this gloss but the formula is strange. It’s very comfortable and hydrating but has an odd grittiness. The gritty particles can be seen in the swatch picture. They do go away when blended with a finger but that makes this gloss more of a hassle to wear. This gloss is also the type to sink into lip lines and it needs to be blended into the lips. I like the color so I plan to keep using it but I could see myself decluttering it eventually.
Last but not least is the primers and mascara. I bought two of the newest primers, Redness Reducer and Poreless Partner. Both primers are $5.00 apiece and you get one fluid ounce of product. The Redness Reducer claims to use green tea extract to calm the skin and reduce redness. The Poreless Partner claims to reduce pores and prevent the formation of new ones. I have combination skin with an oily T-Zone and both of these primers did the same thing for me, nothing. They didn’t help my skin, blur my pores or make my makeup last longer. In fact, each time I wore the Redness Reducer Primer, my makeup wore away faster and I got super oily. I plan to declutter both of these and do not recommend them.
The I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Waterproof Mascara is $5.00 and you get 0.40 fluid ounces of product. This mascara is everything it claims to be. It adds volume and length to my lashes while being completely waterproof. I only wear waterproof mascara if I know I’m going to be in water or sweating a lot and this one is exactly what I need. My only slight complaint is that the wand is HUGE. I have to be very careful when using it but if you’re looking for a budget friendly waterproof option, this one is great.
Final Thoughts:
While all of these products weren’t perfect, I think I found some true gems. If you’ve tried any of them, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
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