New in #130: Essence Spring 2023

Multitask Concealer

05 Cool Porcelain

I was hoping Essence finally made an attempt to dupe Touche Eclat, though I knew that was a stretch. All the did is put a matte, heavy formula in a twist up pen. This is the type of concealer that's usually most popular - high coverage and matte, but I find it too dry for my skin. It doesn't look terrible, but it is somewhat heavy-looking under my eyes and it doesn't blend easy because the formula is thick. It needs the warmth of the fingers for it to "melt" better into the skin. Petra from Adjusting Beauty told me that it separates on her oily parts, so it looks like it's not a good formula for that skin type either. The brush will likely "eat" a lot of product and they put only 3 ml in the tube, which is almost half less than their Camouflage + Matte formula. I still prefer their Camouflage + Healthy Glow concealer, it's my favourite formula from Essence (including foundations). Shade 05 fits me ok, it's a warm toned pale shade. This is called Multitask not because it covers and highlights/brightens, but because it has caring ingredients. It's only caffeine and hyaluronic acid, which a lot of concealers now have anyway, so it's not as impressive in terms of caring like Clinique Even Better or Revlon's Skin Awaken concealers. 

Luminous Eye Tint Liquid Shadow

03 Shimmering Taupe 

As beautiful as this is when swatched and metallic-looking when first applied, it's only a bit better than the Catrice's version. Both crease on me. This one less, but it's not the type of liquid eyeshadow that would stay in place well and move with the eyelids. While it's passable on its own (if you don't focus on it being separated in places), it works better in a thin coat as a eyeshadow base. Instead of swiping it all over and blending the edges, I apply one dot on the centre of the lids and blend it/sheer it out with fingers. It doesn't look metallic, but it looks better overall and can act as a base. The way Essence presented in a reel, where it looks beautifully even and metallic is not how my experience went with this eyeshadow. Shade 03 Shimmery Taupe is the deepest in the range of three and it's a brownish-grey with silver shimmer.   

Super Fine Brush Liner Waterproof

Essence has very similar eyeliner which has a felt tip and is one of my favourite liners (aside from Catrice's). This one has a brush instead, which doesn't make a difference based on my experience with both, except it glides on the skin easier/faster. Both are equally precise. However, formula doesn't appear to be as good, as it's not as black or feels more watery at times. It becomes more apparent it's not as good in time because it doesn't last as long, fades and wipes of quicker compared to the felt tip one. Don't get me wrong, it's a good drugstore liner, Essence clearly knows how to make a great one for an affordable price, but not as good as their felt tip version or Catrice's Liquid Liner. I've used this over powder and liquid eyeshadows and it never loses colour, which is great because felt tip ones can sometimes temporarily dry out if there's powder involved. 

Lift & Curl Volumising Mascara Waterproof

A very dry formula, this one won't be everyone's cup of tea. I much prefer dry or fast drying formulas, as otherwise they don't hold the lashes curled. What you're sacrificing at such formulas including this one is the volume and they also don't apply as smoothly as regular ones. Lift & Curl is a mascara that creates a more natural result, creating a slightly lengthened and emphasized lashes that look like there's nothing on them, but when I start to layer it, (for now at least) it doesn't leave the lashes separated nicely. It's not spidery looking, however, I prefer a more fanned out look. For me the most important thing is that my lashes stay up and curled, as not amount of volume shows if my lashes have dropped. It an ok mascara for me, but not as good as Essence's I <3 Extremes. The brush is thin and I find it's clumsy, as I manage to get mascara on my lids and it's hard to get it off, since the formula is so fast-drying and waterproof, so I apply this mascara before all other makeup. It's a formula that needs a good oily remover and it is truly waterproof, tested under a shower and it doesn't budge.  

Tinted Kiss Hydrating Lip Tint

03 Coral Colada

A lip gloss/tint hybrid. It's an opaque glossy lip colour with a more liquid gloss texture than standard glosses. I don't find it as hydrating as those Catrice Boost glosses I like and it starts to set on the lips quickly. Once the glossy part wears off, which is quick, for a while the colour stays opaque, but then it wears off to a stain. The stain from this shade is a light pink. It stains the inner part of my lips more because that's where they are usually drier. There are four shades of these and I recommend you go see these in person and swatch them, as none of the shade looked on me like on swatches Essence has on the website. Based on those I'd buy 02 or 01, I didn't even consider 03 in the running, but 01 is a very bright, pale Barbie pink when swatched and 02 a darker mauve pink than on their swatches. These have a subtle sweet scent. The cap cracked very soon after first opening it. 

8h Matte Liquid Lipstick

07 Classic Red

One of the most beautiful reds I've ever tried. It's very similar to my favourites, Colourpop's Lippie Stix Trust Me and Maybelline's Matte Ink Pioneer, a red that's more on the cool side, but not already leaning to pink. Formula is creamy, fully opaque with one swipe and fast drying. It sets to a nice matte finish, it doesn't look heavy even with a second layer and it moves with the lips, so it doesn't feel like a tight lipstick nor does it crack or peel. I don't find it drying, but I don't find most matte lip creams uncomfortable. It's impossible to apply nicely at the edges because the applicator isn't precise, so a lip liner is needed with this shade. 8h promise surprisingly isn't overly ambitious, but that's only provided you don't eat or drink - which likely doesn't happen with most people. After eating a reapplication is needed and you're only left with a ring of colour. That leftover colour can actually be wiped off with fingers/hands, which usually can't be done with a good matte lip cream. This shade leaves a stain on dry parts of the lips when you take it off. 

This is still so worth it for the shade and the way it looks on the lips, so what if it needs some reapplication after eating of drinking. 

It's been impossible to get the cream stick blush and bronzer, which are still on my wishlist. 

This is from the previous Essence update: 

Algae Lip Oil

I love the formula of cranberry version, but don't like it tints the lips into a magenta shade (it's a pH reacting one). Their other version with ginger tingles, which is my other pet peeve, but Essence sure loves to persist with those two trends. I hoped this is the middle ground - that lovely smooth, oily glossy formula in a clear non tingly version, but no. Essence made this into a gel formula, which is just not the same and I'm not a fan. It doesn't feel as silky smooth on the lips and it fades faster. Disappointing. 

Posted in: Skincare