“I believe all women are pretty without makeup – but with the right makeup can be pretty powerful” – Bobbi Brown
Makeup is one of those things that has the ability to bring us together. Like sports, good food and the latest movies, makeup is something that people of all ages can chat about anywhere, anytime. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve spoken to a complete stranger in the check out line of Sephora to chat about the products we’re buying or the times I’ve stopped someone to ask what lipstick or perfume they’re rocking. Whether you’re a lipstick fanatic like I am or find yourself crushing hard on highlighter, there is no doubt about it, millions of us are completely fascinated with beauty products and understand the pure joy that comes from it. Since creating my blog and starting my @lipstickandbubbly Instagram account, I’ve connected with dozens (yes dozens haha) of makeup addicts from all over the globe to talk about our favourite products and trends.
Makeup has the power to transform us, the way we see ourselves and the way we express ourselves. It has the ability to make us a little more comfortable in the skin we’re in.
So, where am I going with all of this?
I’ve decided to start my own little series on this blog and I must admit, I’m pretty pumped about it!
Each month, there’ll be one brand & 4 product reviews.
So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
Ridiculously affordable. Super cute packaging. A full range of colours & products for the every day makeup wearer. Cruelty free. No, I’m not making up a brand, I’m talking about Essence Makeup. I think I’m fair in saying that most of us don’t actually have any specific qualities that we look for when buying a certain makeup brand. Take a minute and look through your makeup collection. What brands make up most of it? Now, what draws you to those brands? I would argue that social media drives the majority of our motivation when buying makeup.
Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to makeup, I would consider myself to be a bit of a snob. Tom Ford, Dior, Nars, Charlotte Tilbury & YSL. While my makeup collection is filled with many high end products, more often then not I find myself reaching for the more affordable brands.
Founded in 2001 in Germany, Essence Makeup has quickly made its way around the world, becoming one of the most unique makeup brands that I’ve ever come across. The brand finally made its way to Canada (thank goodness!) in 2012 and currently can be found in Shoppers Drug Mart & Pharmaprix. The line has everything from nails polishes to lash primers, cuticle tattoos to eyeshadow palettes. Products range from $0.49 (yes you read that right!) to $14.99.
I’ve decided to start my first brand review with a product from the line that I’m very familiar with. In the 6-ish months that I’ve known about the brand, I’ve gone through 7 (YES 7!) tubes of mascara. The makeup line has over 24 different kinds of mascaras, ranging from “I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara” to “The False Lashes Mascara Dramatic Volume Unlimited”. The two that I have tried are the “Lash Princess False Lash Mascara” and “Instant Volume Boost Mascara”. Without sounding too dramatic, the two have been pretty life changing & frankly have set the bar pretty high for all other mascaras. For this months brand review I picked up the “Volume Stylist 18h Curl & Hold Mascara” hoping that I’d have the same luck as the previous two.
This mascara retails for $4.99 and is available in only one shade (black). The first thing I noticed and that kind of threw me off was the curved applicator brush. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve poked myself in the eye with it, I’d be able to buy myself a couple of nice large Tim Horton’s coffees. I’ve used many other mascaras with similar brushes so I’m not sure what it is about this one that is causing me so many issues.
Unlike the other two that I’ve had great success with, I found the consistency of this formula to be much more “runny” than the others, which were considerably much thicker. A few coats of the “Lash Princess False Lash Mascara” made the lashes appear MUCH thicker, almost giving the illusion of falsies. I could spend an hour layering on the “Volume Stylist 18h Curl & Hold Mascara” and it would not have the same effect as the others.
While I may not recommend this particular mascara, for $4.99, the quality of the “Lash Princess False Lash Mascara” & “Instant Volume Boost Mascara” far exceeds anything I would expect from a drugstore brand.
What makes the perfect makeup brand for you? Have your tried any products from the Essence makeup line?
Thanks for stopping by and until next time,
xo