Essence All About Eyeshadow Palette

Very surprised with the quality!

Very surprised with the quality of these shadows! I first got this “nude” version and after trying it went back and got the two other palettes in this line. Really don’t know why more people aren’t talking about these. To start off, these are made in Poland and “Essence” doesn’t test on animals, so that is one of the reasons why I’m always curious about any new products this brand comes out with. Secondly, all their products are very affordable, so you really can’t go wrong here. And the quality of most products I’ve tried is very comparable to some of higher end products I have. These eyeshadow palettes are definitely underrated. The mattes are a tiny bit powdery, but only because they are actually very soft and pigmented, so it’s not a negative quality in my opinion. Also, the pigmentation of both, matte and shimmery colors is equally good, which is not always the case with many of the other palettes I own (I’m sure we all know that). Some of the shimmery colors in the other two palettes have quite noticeable particles of glitter. If you are not a fat of that, those palettes are not for you. I personally don’t mind it at all because I often use those colors as a tiny bit of highlight right in the middle of my eyelid, after finishing my eye look. Those are just perfect for that. But in any case, this “nude” palette mostly contains colors that I would consider “satin”, as opposed to “shimmery” and one completely matte color. It is a very good, cool toned palette. There is a soft pink, matte color which you can use as base, a very dark, greyed taupe for the crease, a dark berry color to give some dimension and a couple of cool light satin shades to highlight with. I would definitely recommend this palette, especially if you are on a fence about it.

June 19, 2018

Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascara

Great tinted brow gel! Very comparable to Benefit's "Give Me Brows".

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago, and I do like this eyebrow gel. It is very comparable to Benefit’s “Give Me Brow”. The color of this one (I took the darker one of the two colors available, “Browny Brows”) is slightly darker than the Benefit’s Medium Deep, but they perform in a very similar way and both are cool toned browns. If you need to outline the shape of your brows (as opposed to just filling them in), this wouldn’t really work, but for filling in this gel work really well. The brush is slightly harder and bigger than the Benefit’s one, but it’s still small enough for you to be able to work with it quite comfortably. I personally prefer to use my liner brush with shadow first, because I need to correct the shape of my brows before filling them in. So after doing that, I use this gel to make my eyebrows look fuller and more natural. It adds volume and defines and separates each hair, so my brows look more natural than just with the shadow alone. This gel takes about 5 minutes to fully set and when set, passing your finger over your brows (without pressing excessively) will not remove any of the product. It kind of acts like a stain/tint, but at the same time it comes off very easily with a makeup remover or a cleansing soap. There is no flakiness of any kind throughout the day. The scent is very light and definitely non-offensive in any way. To me, it smells a bit like scotch tape, which I don’t consider to be an unpleasant scent. Also, I think it’s amazing that we get .8 ml more product here than we do with Benefit’s “Give me Brows”, which is almost 30% more. And if anyone wants to know, this brow get is made in Italy. Would definitely recommend to anyone, looking for a tinted brow gel.

February 14, 2016

Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow

Very good quality but a bit pricey for this line

I purchased this eyeshadow in “Cashemere Coat #50” about a month ago because I was looking for a perfect cool tones crease color, and I have to say that I’ve been reaching for it almost every single day. Before I say anything else, I would just like to mention that I had originally purchased a shimmery color as well (“Under The Cover”) because of how finely milled it was. I had swatched it next to Becca’s “Pearl” highlighter and found that “Under The Cover” was almost a perfect dupe for that, so I had intended it to use as a highlighter. The smell turned out to be just awful and I had returned it within three days. The mattes in this collection though don’t seem to have that scent which I’m very grateful for, so lookout for that!  So the pigmentation of the color I purchased (and the ones I had swatched in “Sephora”) is very good. These shadows are pressed relative hard, but they still retain their buttery quality. You don’t have to be too careful when you dip your brush into it and the color payoff is great. I don’t find it patchy in any way and it blends very well with the other colors I apply. I find myself using this color (“Cashemere Coat”) almost for every look, even on my “no makeup” days. It’s very subtle but can be built up if you need more intensity and it’s just a perfect crease color in my opinion. It could even be used as a contour if you love cool contour powders. The shade of this is almost identical to the Sephora Face Powder in the color “Tranquil”, which many people use for contouring. It is just a tiny bit warmer than “Tranquil”. The only thing I don’t like is the price, because I do find these pretty pricey. But if you are on a lookout for that one particular color and you have found it in this collection – I would definitely recommend it because you won’t be disappointed with the quality. And these are manufactured in Italy, by the way.

February 14, 2016

Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin

No bueno (at least not for me)! :( Very cakey and looks like a mask!

Disliked this foundation from the moment I applied it onto my face!  I was so excited to try this foundation because of all the hype and I didn’t really need another foundation, but my curiosity won and I caved in. Definitely wrong move! Honestly can’t believe that so many people rave about this foundation. I have normal to oily skin, which I believe is the skin type this product is intended for. Purchase this in the color “Buff” which was actually a pretty good color match for me. I have yellow undertones and found that this color was not too pink or too yellow, but more on a neutral side, which is what I prefer. So I applied it on my face and immediately regretted trying it. And I have to mention that I never go overboard and apply the smallest amount of foundation I can get away with. This, however, immediately felt like a mask on my face. It emphasized all the dry patches on my face ( I have a bit of dryness around my nose sometimes, especially in the winter), caked up in all my pores which made them look twice the size that they actually are, and made me look about 5 years older. I just don’t know… Maybe there is a special way to apply it that I’m not aware of, but at this point, after trying it twice – I don’t want to be bothered to find out. Basically, I tried once with a brush and once with a sponge (not a beauty blender). So yes, I haven’t tried this with the beauty blender, but I really doubt that the magic is in the beauty blender, so I will not be using this again. Definitely wouldn’t recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a more or less natural looking product.

February 14, 2016

N.Y.C. New York Color Lovatics by Demi Eyeshadow Palette

Amazed by the quality of this one (and the other three in this collection)!

First of all, I would like to say that there are four eyeshadow palettes that came out in this line (“Lovatic by Demi”) by NYC. I was able to get my hands on all four of them, but for some reason, they are not yet widely available everywhere in North America. These are by far the best drugstore eyeshadow palettes I own. I had originally purchased only two of the four in the collection and after trying them, got a backup of one of them and purchased the other two. The pigmentation is amazing! All four palettes have a combination of mattes and shimmers and the quality is very consistent with all four palettes: the mattes are buttery and very richly pigmented, and the shimmers don’t disappoint either. I wasn’t surprised that the shimmery colors are that good because they are the least problematic ones in most palettes manufactured in China, but I never expected the matte colors to be as good as they are! I really have no negative things to say about these shadows, other than a little fallout if you “stab” the eyeshadows with your brush (that’s how soft they are). What you see in the pan is what you get on your eyelid, which is almost never the case with palettes in the price range. If you are looking to get only one palette in this collection and you already own a good nude palette, I would recommend getting “Night Out” for those who like rich cool shades. It’s got some amazing berry, olive and taupe shades – all very pigmented. The “Natural” palette is an amazing option for those who need a good “nude” palette and don’t own one yet. Honestly, if you are not on a budget, I would recommend it either way, because you can never have too many “nude” shades and the quality of these is outstanding. So far, all the colors I’ve tried blend very well, aren’t patchy at all, can be built (although with this pigmentation – there is no need) and last at least full working day (with a primer). There is no fallout after application, the shimmery colors don’t have chunks of glitter in them or anything like that and remain very gracefully exactly where they were applied. This is a really amazing product by “NYC”. Definitely two thumbs up!

February 14, 2016

N.Y.C. New York Color Lovatics by Demi Mascara

Very good drugstore mascara!

This mascara really surprised me. I got it simply because I fell in love with the eyeshadow palettes that came out in the same “Lovatics by Demi” collection by "NYC". By the way, I would highly recommend all four of those palettes; they are probably the most pigmented drugstore eyeshadow palettes I own! This mascara has a very unique shape. It’s not exactly a cone, but more like an exaggerated pear. I got the color 900, Black. So it claims to “extend lashes one by one for extreme volume and audacious length”. To be honest, I find that it does give a bit of extra length and volume, but certainly not to a degree that I would call “audacious”. But! It does both of those things well and in a very natural way. There is no clumping or chunks of mascara left on my lashes. The shape of the brush is such that you never “stab” yourself in the eye while applying mascara to the lashes in the inner corner of your eye. This happens to me (and definitely other people as well) quite often with some other mascaras I’ve tried. This one gets the tiniest lashes with the first swipe and it is very richly pigmented. Almost too black for my fair complexion, but I still love it. It lasts all day without flaking off and comes off easily with my “Garnier Micellar Water” or just regular face soap. To sum it all up, I would say that the best qualities of this mascara is its pigmentation, natural finish and ease of application, which is exactly what I’m looking for in an everyday mascara. And by the way, I was surprised to see that it is made in England. Will definitely be getting a backup and recommend to anyone in need of a good drugstore mascara.

February 14, 2016

E.L.F. Lip Exfoliator

Like it very much! Does the job and feels good on the lips...

I like this exfoliator a lot. I know that a lot of people complain about it becoming too grainy when you get closer to the end, but it’s never been a problem for me. So this lip exfoliator comes in a black tube and I think that the packaging is identical to “e.l.f.”’s “Studio” lipsticks. You will immediately notice how amazing it smells (for those who don’t mind fragrance in their lip products, of course). It smells like a mixture of vanilla and caramel. When you twist it up it looks like a taupe colored lipstick with grains of sugar in it. I’m not sure if the grains are made out of sugar, but they definitely taste like it and they do melt if your lips are hot. Therefore , I would not recommend using this exfoliator in the shower. I tried it once and realized that my lips didn’t exfoliate at all because the heat was melting the grains as soon as they touched my lips. I think the best time to use this product is right after you come out of the shower. With that being said, it still works amazingly even if you use it in the middle of the day or just before applying your lipstick. Do be careful though, because it is possible to over exfoliate with this. I loved the feeling of it on my lips so much that the first couple of times I used it, it actually made my lips soar… It just feels so stimulating for the lips as well - you almost feel like you are massaging them for the first time in your life... And after you finish exfoliating with this product, your lips are left very soft, moisturized and tasting a bit like sweet vanilla. I actually wish that they would sell another version of this without the grains just for the purpose of moisturizing your lips because it feels really nice on. So yes, I do recommend this product to everyone. I actually think that it’s very comparable in quality to some higher end versions of “stick” exfoliators.

January 26, 2016

Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen

Amazing! Definitely underrated! Extremely long-lasting!

Amazing! These are by far some of the most long-lasting eye pencils I own! I got these in all colors because I fell in love with the first one I had purchased and I can’t say enough good things about these pencils. By the way, “Essence” does not test on animals which is an added bonus and makes me love these even more! These pencils – OMG! Right before writing this review, I picked out three colors (brown, black and navy blue) and swatched them on the back on my hand. I made three lines with each color, starting with the brown and finishing with the navy blue. But the time I finished swatching the navy blue, the brown one was completely set and passing my finger across those three lines didn’t do ANYTHING. And believe me, I am not exaggerating. This could actually be a huge “con” if you need to smudge your liner and don’t work quickly enough. So yes, this is definitely something to keep in mind. These do set very quickly. The swatches I just made will need to be scrubbed off with a sponge, because even a cotton round with makeup remover doesn’t take those off, just fades them away a bit. So the pigmentation is amazing. They glide on smoothly and effortlessly and stay on all day. They twist up. What more could you wish for? The only tiny little “con” I have is that I would that the pencil itself was a bit thinner. It can sometimes be difficult to apply the liner neatly and given the fact that they set so quickly, it would be easier to eliminate any kind of mishaps if it was possible to start with a thinner line. But you can’t have everything, so overall – I definitely love these and would recommend them to anyone who need a new liner or just a fun color to try out.

January 3, 2016

Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder

Great pressed translucent powder!

Love this powder! I was recommended this product by someone from Australia (where I think it has been discontinued). About a week after purchasing my first compact I went back to the store and got two more (as backups) because I was afraid that it will be discontinued everywhere. Anyway, there really isn’t too much to say about this powder. It is basically a very finely milled, pressed translucent powder. I believe that it is comparable to the “Makeup Forever” version of this type of product, although I can’t speak from experience because I don’t own that one. I feel like I need to mention that if you are looking for the pore minimizing effect you would sometimes get with some loose translucent powders – this isn’t the one you need. This will just mattify your skin without adding any more color to your face or changing the color of the makeup you had already applied. If you have a fair or very light skin tone, you can also use it to set your concealer to prevent it from creasing. Another thing I’ve noticed with this powder is that it just lasts “forever”! You can use it every single day and one compact will probably last you for at least 6 months. It’s probably due to the fact that the powder itself is very fine, so in a pressed form – not only you get a lot of it, but it also doesn’t kick off any excess product when you use it with a brush. And yes, I personally prefer to use with a large powder brush, all over my face, to set my makeup, but my friend used to use it with a puff, just to take off the excess oil from any areas on her face that would get oily. She loved it because it never feels cakey, even after regularly re-applying it throughout the day. Added bonus – “Essence” doesn't test on animals! 

January 3, 2016

Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil

Very good moisturiser.

I've been using this lotion on a regular basis for about 6 years now and I have to say that I love it. This, together with the “Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream” is my two favourite product from “Aveeno”. The very first time I had purchased this lotion, I remember expecting it to be a lot oilier, since it’s called “moisturizing oil”, but the consistency is similar to that of facial cleansing milk. The sent reminds me of sweetened almond milk; that is the only way I could describe it. Sweet almond oil is actually one of the ingredients. The sent isn’t offensive in any way (not to me at least) and goes away within minutes of applying the lotion. Some people comment that they found it not very absorbing. I have to say that in my case it is completely the opposite. I find that it absorbs into my skin very quickly, which is one of the reasons I like it. It almost feels like some sort of nourishing almond milk solution. My skin feels very soft all day when I use this lotion and it never feel greasy or oily in any way. The craziest thing is that when I had run out of my facial moisturiser I had started using this on my face and was very surprised at how much I liked it. So for about 2 months, this was the only moisturiser I used for my face. It never broke me out and worked perfectly well under my makeup. If I hadn’t been gifted a very expensive jar of cream for my face, I would have kept using this lotion. I really can’t say anything bad about this product. This only thing I wish is that “Aveeno” would become cruelty-free. But overall, it is a very good moisturiser and a little bit goes a long way because of its thin (yet emollient) consistency.

January 3, 2016