First Look | Essence Cosmetics New Collection Autumn 2019

A lot of you look forward to seeing the new releases from Essence every time they come out with a new collection so here goes a peek into the latest products launches from the brand!

The packaging is all very colourful, typical for Essence which is loved by adults and teenagers alike. I was sent two of the Crystal Power Palettes, one with highlighters and blushers and one with eyeshadows, my favourite being the latter. I love the faced crystal look of the palettes, indicative of the colours inside.

The eyeshadow palette has 9 shades of warm hues, perfect for the transitional season while the blush and highlight palette has 4 shades - gold, white and two warm pinks.

The palette is not the only new release as far as blush and highlight is concerned; there is also a new series for the core collection which is equally pigmented and perhaps, more travel friendly. No new Essence collection is complete without a contouring palette and this duo for lighter skin looks like it's going to be perfect product for skin that will lose its tan soon.

Lastly, I have a new mascara which I have already used and I highly recommend! It gives the lashes volume without clumping them and I love that fanned out look it gives! There's a new range of lipsticks too as well as a shimmery clear gloss with a plumping effect that can be used on its own or paired with your favourite lipstick for a cushy lips look.

Anything you will be running to the stands for?

PR Samples

It's a Glitter Party! New Limited Edition Palettes from Essence & Catrice

Remember the face and eye palettes collaboration between sister brands Essence & Catrice earlier this year? Well, they did it again, bigger and better! 

12 palettes revolving around a royal theme have just hit the shelves of the following outlets:
Gozo:

Arkadia, Body Needs Victoria, Ta' Dirjanu Ghajnsielem & Rabat

Malta:
Fleming Pharmacy Paola, Felice Phamacy Zabbar, Brittania Pharmacy and Health Plus Pharmacies B'Bugia, Lucy Plaza and Baystreet, Milia's Zurrieq and Birgu, San Filippu Senglea, Fgura Pharmacy, PAMA, PAVI, Pick & Go Ghadira Bay, The Label Swatar, Brooklyn and JB St. Paul's Bay, JB Iklin, Fgura & Hamrun, Gerada Pharmacy Zejtun, Tony's Pharmacy Gzira.

I was sent the Supreme Party Palette which contains 28 nude and smoky eyeshadows with different finishes. First, let's have a word about the packaging. Everything about it screams princess - from the glitter on the front to the eyeshadow names and the cute stickers that come with it, this palette has everything to achieve a tiara-worthy party look! The size of it, although bulky, shouldn't be a problem to fit an a drawer because it is sleek and even if it didn't fit, it would make a gorgeous decorating piece!

Let's have a look at the swatches. All of the swatches are without primer and most of them have excellent pigmentation. Some of the lightest shades need some work to show up and some of the darker ones are on the powdery side.

I have already tried this eyeshadow palette and the shades have good staying power and pigmentation as can be seen from the swatches. Do however be mindful of fallout and I would advise applying your foundation on last when using this palette.

Here's the makeup look I did for an event last weekend using the shades You're Invited, Living The Dream, Princess Diary and Lady Like.

Which ones will you get? If I were you, I'd get a couple extra ones to give as stocking fillers at Christmas 😉

PR Sample

Essence & Catrice Spring 2019 Update

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know how much I love budget cosmetic brands Essence and Catrice and I always look forward to attending the events they host locally, for the local brand manager really pulls out all the stops and always manages to find attractive venues and host us in grandeur. This time was no exception!

The event for the Spring/Summer 2019 update took place at Domus Zammitello right in the heart of our capital city, Valletta. The building is centuries old and has recently been restored to its former glory and transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful boutique hotel!

The stunning interior of Domus Zammitello

Angelique from Cosnova, was flown in specifically for this event and she explained some of the new products which are yet to launch and the ones which were launched just last February. Let's have a look at Essence first.

The highlights of the new collection are without a doubt four eyeshadow palettes, each inspired by a metropolitan city; namely, Paris, Rio, Sydney & New York. My absolute favourite is hands down the Salut Paris! one, Paris being my favourite city, followed closely by G'Day Sydney and it's bright summer hues! I have to say that Essence have really upped their eyeshadow game recently, more specifically with the introduction of the palettes, and everything from packaging to pigmentation is on point!

They have also added some new products to their You Better Work range which they claim to be practically life-proof! At the time of writing this post, I have already tested out all three new products and can vouch for their longevity. I have found the Tinted Day Cream to be a very good match for my skin tone and the fixing spray and mascara are both very good as well.

The nail polishes have also gotten a makeover and of course, new colours have been added. I love Essence nail polishes for their colour range and price tag! Lastly, there are also some new lipglosses, dip eyeliner and #insta perfect liquid highlighters.

Moving on to Catrice, there are some new nude nail polishes, translucent ones as well as full coverage nail stickers.

As far as face products go, this is the area Catrice focused their Spring update on with the introduction of the 1-minute Face Perfector, Glow Illusion Loose Powder, Golden Dust Liquid Highlighter Drops, One Drop Coverage Weightless Concealer and the Bouncy Bronzer. There's also the HD Active Performance Primer and the Liquid Camouflage Under Eye Primer.

They have also introduced three new eyeshadow palettes as well as another Glam & Doll Mascara which promises lash growth and a boost in volume. The Pret-a-Volume mascara is another volumising mascara that has been added to the range along with the It's Easy Eyeliner pens in waterproof and standard formulas.

For the lips, it's another party with the inclusion of matt and glossy liquid lipsticks and a plumping lipstick range. I have already used one of the Plump & Shine Liquid Lipsticks and it has already become a colour I reach for almost every day.

Lastly, Essence & Catrice have just launched a collaborative limited edition collection of eye and face palettes and brushes. I haven't seen them yet in person, but they have just started being distributed to stores and pharmacies.

Of course, I couldn't resist and just had to try out some products immediately so here's a simple look I created with products from both brands!

What will you try first?

What's new at Essence Cosmetics? | Overview & First Impressions

Essence Cosmetics is everyone's favourite budget makeup brand and as they usually do at this time of year, they have released a whole new array of products for the colder months, think warm colours, chrome and holographic effects and you're there :)

In today's post I am going to show you some of the items from the new collections and my first impressions of some of them which I have already tried.

This is probably my favourite bunch of products. If I had to pick just one favourite from the ones in the picture below, albeit a hard decision, I'd go with the Go For the Glow Highlighter Palette. The incorporation of three different hues of highlight in one palette is genius especially for travelling and the pigmentation is insane; definitely one of my must-haves! Another must-have is the Prime+ Studio Primer which gives my face a nice, matte look ready for a smooth makeup application that will last all day.

 

Next we have the #instaperfect foundation. While I like the texture and finish of it, I'm not sure about the colour. It's a little too pale for me and you only need a little because it might end up looking cakey. The same applies for the concealer. While it is a great product, for me it is a bit too light and the formula is very thick. It does have a matte finish and offers great coverage though, but neither of these two products are must-haves for me.

Wearing all the above products

For the star of the package, the Too Glam To Give A Damn palette. I'm head over heels in love with the packaging of this palette and I feel that with their latest palette releases, Essence are really upping their packaging game! The eyeshadows do take a bit of work to achieve the desired intensity but they blend easily and once they're on, they will last for hours on end. I'd say defintely give this a shot.

Another two favourites are the Colour Boost Mad About Matte Liquid Lipstick and the Melted Chrome Liquid Lipstick. Both of these have excellent colour payoff and they last for a really long time without the need for touch-ups! The Melted Chrome eyeshadow is also highly pigmented and I like to use this one as an inner corner highlight mostly.

I'm going to have to dismiss the I Need A Miracle Mascara though. This doesn't do much for me and Essence have far better ones in my opinion. I haven't tried the lipstick yet so I cannot really comment on it.

Wearing the Colour Boost Mad About Matte Liquid Lipstick

Lastly, we have the Cosmic Lights and Glitter On Glitter Off nail polishes. While I love the colours and the concept behind the peeling glitter nail polish, I don't think these are something I would buy more of. The Cosmic Lights one chips off after a day and the chunky glitter and glue-like formula of the other one make for a somewhat tricky application.

I hope these first impressions have been helpful and I look forward to your feedback on any new products you try from Essence :)

PR Samples

Top Red Lipstick Picks

I do love a red lip and I have always believed that red lipstick gives you a confidence boost - as long as you're wearing the right shade of course! If I have an important meeting or a big night out, more often than not, you will see me sporting a red lip for sure.

Of course, being a lipstick junkie and a beauty blogger, translates to being constantly on the hunt for more lipsticks to home. At this precise moment in time, I own 22 red lipsticks. There was a time not too far away when I owned way more but I had to clear out my stash for lack of space mainly.

Without further ado, here are my top pricier red lipsticks, their drugstore dupes and matching lip liners ;)

You probably already guessed the first one up...it's MAC Ruby Woo. The cult favourite matte pillar box red needs no introduction as it suits a variety of skin tones. A dupe for it would be Catrice Matt Lip Artist 6hr in 050 Fashion Reditorial. It provides the same matte finish and the colour is pretty close. To seal the deal with these two, Make Up Store Lip Liner in Burlesque has a matte finish and is an exact match.

Next is one that I've had in my stash for a few years now and it is still one of my most used lipsticks. My parents had gotten me the Givenchy Rouge Interdit 20 Illicit Raspberry one Christmas, making it the first high-end lipstick in my collection. A less costly alternative is Max Factor Marilyn Lipstick, 4 Marilyn Cabernet. The perfect matching lipliner for this pair is Essence Lipliner 08 Red Blush.

Next is another MAC matte lipstick - D For Danger. This is one of the darkest reds I own and I love how such reds look paired with a classic smokey eye. The dupe? No other than Flormar Extreme Matte Lipstick 07 Haute Burgundy while for lipliner, I would recommend Flormar Waterproof Liner in No. 205.

I cannot not mention the Christian Louboutin Lipstick in Rouge Louboutin. Of course the price of this one may not be what everyone is willing to spend on a lipstick but I'm going to justify it by saying it is one of the most beautiful pieces in my collection and that the colour lasts throughout the whole time I wear it. A very affordable dupe come from Italian makeup brand KIKO - Glossy Dream Sheer Lipstick 206. Of course you will need to build up the colour to achieve the intensity of the Louboutin lipstick but they are a pretty close match. To achieve the look with a little less effort, applying Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil Waterproof 130 Prince Cherry all over the lips underneath the KIKO lipstick will definitely help!

Those were the top red lipstick picks from my collection. Are there any more red lipstick fans out there? 

Review | The Body Shop Drops of Light Pure Translucency Essence Lotion

Skin care is one of my favourite areas in the beauty world and I really like to keep abreast with what's new and right now, essences seem to be all the range.

What are these essences? I hear you ask. Not to be confused with cream moisturisers, they are somewhat watery fluids which help the skin maintain its moisture levels. Many skin care brands recommend you apply an essence right after cleansing to seal in moisture and prepare the skin for the treatments to follow.

One such product I am currently using in my skin care routine, is The Body Shop Drops of Light Pure Translucency Essence Lotion. It comes in a clean white bottle, which may I add, looks very nice in my bathroom. The lotion has a very watery consistency and is transparent in colour.

The Body Shop Drops of Light Pure Translucency essence lotion contains red algae extract which are known to be rich in Vitamin C as well as other nutrients and minerals that are beneficial for our skin's well being. These same extracts also help brighten the skin, giving it a more even tone.

I like to apply it with my fingertips, smooth it onto my skin, then gently pat to help it get absorbed and boost circulation. It is recommended to use this essence lotion day and night on cleansed skin, which is exactly the way I use it and I feel my skin looks much plumper ever since I started using this product. I have also noticed a decrease in sebum production as my skin is always thoroughly moisturised.

If you get one thing from The Body Shop's skin care range, make sure it's this essence lotion which is also suitable for sensitive skin.

The Body Shop outlets are located in Paola, Valletta, Bugibba, Sliema and Arkadia, Gozo.

PR Sample

December Collective Haul

I meant to publish the December posts before departing to London but I didn't manage for I was all over the place for the whole month of December so here is the third post for the day to show you what I bought. There will be a separate post for what I got for Christmas and all the things I bought while in London so do watch out for that in the coming days.

First up are the fashion items as I do not have that many for I tried to save money to spend in London. I got this River Island bag and scarf from their online sale as they were really a couple of nice bargains and I can get a lot of uses out of them.

I also treated myself to one of the Ganutell scarves from local designers Charles & Ron and I have already worn it a couple of times and got a good number of compliments on it. I admit it is a little pricey for a scarf but there is nothing wring in splurging every once in a while ;)

I also bought this set of earrings from Accessorize mainly because of the large snowflakes which are my favourites from the whole set and I also bought this dainty gold Fossil necklace from Sunlab.

Moving on to the beauty items, I want to share with you what I got from the Pupa Milano Christmas Collection Stay Gold! Of course I couldn't pass up the Diamond Dust and Golden Plumage nail polishes so I got those as well as this beautiful burgundy Multiplay Eye Pencil in shade 67. I was also given this cute lip shaped I'm keyring with my purchase :)

I also have something from each of this year's The Body Shop Christmas collections - Glazed Apple, Frosted Plum and Frosted Cranberry and I also got a bottle of Lightening Drops to adjust darker foundations.

I placed an order on kosmetik4less.de along with Marija from Pocalocca and I got some items from Essence & Catrice which I cannot wait to review for you guys. I also bought a backup of the La Roche Posay Ultrafine Scrub and a bottle of China Glaze Don't Get Elfed Up from their Christmas 2015 collection.

More nail stuff from Born Pretty Store which includes new nail art decorations, a new stamper and scraper and a stamping plate, some nail vinyls, chrome nail polish, holographic nail polishes and a makeup palette and spatula set.

That's it for my December haul ladies! Keep your eyes peeled for the London haul ;)