Essence & Catrice Cosmetics: Haul & First Impressions

I'm so excited to share this haul with you guys! It's rather small as I only picked up a few products to try out Catrice which is a brand I have waited for the longest time to be launched in Malta!! So earlier this week, the largest stand was set up at Tony's Pharmacy and on Thursday I met up with Martina, Dyna and Maria for some make-up shopping :D This is what I picked up:

Essence Express Dry Drops

Color & Go nail polish in Time For Romance

Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipsticks in The Nuder The Better & Pink Me Up!

(notice the different bullets) 

Catrice Intensif'Eye Wet & Dry Shadow in Black or White Swan?!

Colour Show Colour & Stay Lipgloss in Toast With Champagne

Now I can end the torture of not trying out the products before I take pictures but I can still give you some first impressions on the products as there were testers available and I could swatch the products before buying and that is always great!  In general Catrice is more 'expensive' than Essence with prices ranging between €4 and €6 for most items and it also looks more professional overall. 

The lipsticks are very creamy and pigmented and I like that the colour pay-off is intense from the very first application.  I am also a big fan of the sturdy packaging as it looks sleek and doesn't feel like it will break any minute.  In fact, these lipsticks are quite heavy when compared to others I have and I like that!  I have not yet tried the lipgloss but I'm quite fond of the colour and applicator and I like the fact you get a decent amount of product (5ml).  I think the lip products were all €4.50 each.  Lastly the eyeshadow is very pigmented and shimmery so it is more adapted for a night out.  I think it is best used wet rather than dry and make sure to use a very good base as it will stay in place longer than if used dry.

So that is all for now... I wish I got something out of the Legends of the Sky collection but nothing really stood out to me.  Overall I really do like Catrice so I will be purchasing more stuff from their range for sure.  What are your recommendations?