Review | Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks 04 On The Catwalk & 07 Natural Beauty

Good morning lovelies :) The first product review of 2014 will be all about these two lipsticks from Essence Cosmetics' latest range, namely their Long Lasting Lipsticks. I bought these last November and have been playing around with them ever since. I even featured them in my December favourites but they deserve a more in-depth review.

 

Essence have introduced the Long Lasting Lipsticks range a few months ago to be part of their permanent line. Apart from the packaging, these lipsticks differ quite a lot from the other lipsticks Essence has previously marketed. To be honest I much favour this kind of  packaging as it looks more sophisticated, sturdy and expensive.

 

Black packaging as far as cosmetics are concerned, has sleek written all over it for me and the little coloured ring in the middle and the colour coded sticker on the bottom make it easier to pick up the colour you want, no matter the way you store your lipsticks. Another thing that belies these lipsticks' price tag, is the Essence logo embossed on the actual bullet. I actually think it lends them a high end feel.

 

The texture is very creamy for both shades that I own, namely 04 On The Catwalk and 07 Natural Beauty and it is what makes these lipsticks unique. More often than not, long lasting formulas tend to be very drying on the lips, these however, prove to be a moisturising treat throughout the duration of wear. On me, I find that shade 04 lasts longer, over 6 hours actually while shade 07 lasts a little less. Pigmentation wise, they each provide a very good colour payoff and glide easily on the lips.

I would describe shade 04 On The Catwalk as a dark claret red which would look good on any skin tone while 07 Natural Beauty is a pinkish nude and would suit pale skin tones better. Neither of these lipsticks carries a particular scent.
 

Top: 04 On The Catwalk
Bottom: 07 Natural Beauty

 

I would recommend this range of lipsticks to anyone basically as you are getting an amazing product at a ridiculous price!

Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks are available from various pharmacies and outlets across Malta & Gozo and they retail at €2.30 each. For more information regarding stockists, please check out the Essence Cosmetics Malta Facebook page.

The Exit Interview Series | Volume #27

Over December I didn't use up much products mainly because I had a lot of new products to try out but more of that in my favourites post which will follow up soon :)

 

First up is Montagne Jeunesse Iced Crystal Exfoliating and Cleansing Facial which proved to be a treat in keeping my skin in tip top condition during party season. I love the refreshing feel of mint and ice on my skin plus the dead sea salt makes a very good exfoliant without feeling too harsh or abrasive on the skin. Definitely one of my fave facial treatments from the brand!

 

 

Next is a sample of Lierac Huile Sensorielle. I am adding this to my wishlist just because it smells so nice and leaves the skin feeling soft, smooth and lightly fragranced with 3 white flowers. It feels very silky and is rapidly absorbed by the skin for 24 hour worth of moisture. Definitely a must have from this luxury French skin care brand! On a side note, it can also be used on the face and hair but I cannot comment on that as I haven't used it that way.

 

The last products are Impulse Hint of Musk deodorant and a sample of Paco Rabanne's Black XS. I'm hooked up on this perfume these days. It is very feminine and has a sensual note to it... just the perfect scent to drift me to happier places instantly. I guess I will soon have to give in and buy the bigger version!

Monthly Favourites | December

The last post I had to catch up on is of course the December favourites. I had the opportunity to discover a lot of new products last month and consequently this will be a somewhat lengthy post.

 

First up I have this Easy Body Scrub by Guinot. I have had this for quite a while but I found myself reaching for it more over December. I love the loofah extracts in it and the gel texture which lathers up on wet skin, making the scrub easier to work into the skin. I love how smooth my skin feels after using this scrub and it is mild enough to be used everyday, which is practically what I was doing just because I love it so much!
 

 

Next are a ton of cosmetics! I will start with face products first. Mum and Dad gave me The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream as part of their Christmas present. I have used it straight away and I loved it from the first try! I am in shade 01 which is a perfect match for my skin and sometimes, I just put this on, no concealer or anything and I'm good to go!   

 

The next face products are the two blushes I have been using everyday ever since I got them. They are Milani Baked Blush 03 Berry Amore and Sleek Makeup Blush Antique. They are both wintery shades that although they may look scary against pale skin, I promise they are very buildable and give a nice warm glow to the cheeks with their berry tones which are very suitable for this time of year. They are both shimmery but neither of them translates to a very shimmery blush on the skin so they can be used for both day and night.

 

Moving on, I have some lip products to share. I have discovered a new range of favourite lipsticks that I am sure will be a hit with every budget queen. I am talking about Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks which are part of the latest additions to the brand's extensive makeup repertoire. I have two shades, both of which I have used multiple times since I got them. The first one is 04 On The Catwalk, a nice deep red that lasts ages. The second is 07 Natural Beauty which I have used more. What makes these lipsticks different is that they are very moisturising even though they are long lasting.

 

I have been favouring a neutral lip combination lately and my favourite products to use were Pupa Princess Limited Edition Shiny Lip Fluid 001 Princess Nude, Revlon ColorStay Lipliner Nude and the Essence Long Lasting Lipstick 07 Natural Beauty.

 

Lastly, it is time for eye products. Sleek Vintage Romance i-Divine palette has been my most used palette last month especially the shade Lust in LA. It has all the right shades to complement party outfits, has excellent pigmentation and stay power, what more could u want?

 

To keep glittery eyeshadows in place, E.L.F. Glitter Primer came to the rescue and it proved to be an excellent product to keep glitter eyeshadow from straying! Way to go E.L.F.!
 

 

Next are the finishing touches! You probably already know how much I love Pupa Vamp! Mascara in the shade 300. Well this time I had the opportunity to try the black version of this mascara and I love it! It is simply the best mascara ever! Also, from Pupa, is the Made To Last Eyes Long Lasting Automatic Eye Pencil, again in the shade 100 which is a deep black. I use this on the waterline and it lasts ages, definitely my favourite eye pencil!

 

The last favourite product is MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. This is seriously the best gel liner I have ever tried. I love how pigmented it is and it lasts all the time I am wearing it!

 

And that concludes my December favourites. What did you enjoy most during the last month of the year?

December Collective Haul

Continuing from the Christmas Gifts and Haul post, here is what I bought over December.

Starting with cosmetics, the NYX store in Sliema had a one day special offer of 20% off all purchases for 1 day only for users of the Vouchercloud mobile application and it couldn't have come at a better time as I almost ran out of their HD Foundation. I took the opportunity to also buy another one of their amazing quality lipsticks. I chose the shade Fusion which is a unique fuchsia purple. I ended up paying less than if I bought the foundation alone (I think with discount applied, I paid €18.88).

 

Moving on, my dear friend Marija from Pocalocca, went for a short trip to the UK and asked me if I wanted anything. She was kind enough to get me what I asked for, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. It is seriously the blackest and most durable gel eyeliner ever and it is worth every cent of the €20 I paid for it!

 



 



I managed to fit in a few nail polish purchases this month as well. First up, I bought two bottles of the Essence Gel Nails At Home Clear Gel Top Coat. I heard very good reviews about this range and I can confirm this is a must have top coat for every collection! They cost me €4 per bottle.

 

Next are two shades from Essie's Shearling Darling Winter 2013 Collection. I bought the shades Sable Collar which is a very particular shade and my favourite out of the two and Warm And Toasty Turtleneck (gosh that's a mouthful!). I paid a little over €6 per bottle.

 

Lastly, I have two beautiful accessories. I got this Accessorize bracelet as a Secret Santa gift for a colleague at work but I loved it so much I decided to get one for myself. It goes with anything and adds a dainty and sophisticated feel to any outfit. The statement necklace is from Suiteblanco and I only paid €11 for it as they had a special promotion going on.

That's it for the last collective haul of 2013! Looking forward to see what 2014 will bring my way :P

Christmas Haul and Gifts

Hello everyone :) Finally I have some time to blog again.  Hope you got to spend Christmas in a special way with your nearest and dearest :) I spent more than half the day at work as I was on day duty but my colleagues haven proven to be the best on days like these and they make it all tolerable :) Then in the evening I had Christmas dinner with my family and Johan. Sadly me and Johan broke up on the eve of New Year's Eve but I still wanted to show you all the gifts I got and catch up on blogging once again :)

 

So, we opened the presents on Christmas eve and all I can say is a huge thank you to everyone :D I love everything I got though the highlight would have to be the Coccinelle bag that Johan himself gave me. I'll leave you to the pictures of everything I received and what I treated myself to :)

 

 

First up are this pewter metal bracelet and ring from Mango which my brother got me. I love them as they lend and edge to any outfit and they go with a lot of clothes in my wardrobe. Next is The Body Shop Coconut Butter, an all time favourite which reminds me of summer and the All-In-One BB Cream which I have already tried and love. I'm in shade 01, the lightest available and it is a perfect match for me when my skin is on its best behaviour. 

 

Mum and Dad got me the cheesiest gift this year...three Yamamay undies which I had been eyeing for some time. I ended up getting the matching bra for the colourful one just because their underwear fits perfectly. How cute is the puppy one? :)

 

Moving on, my aunt got me this cosy midnight blue snood, something I have been looking for for some time now. Another gift I love is what I got from my Secret Santa at work is this beautiful organic cotton scarf in a very beautiful colour combination and a Belgian Chocolate soap.

 

 

And obviously I cannot skip the treats I bought for myself. I decided to go for some clothes from Mango this year. I love the store, they always have very cool stuff and I got to wear everything over the past month (except for the pants - they still have their tag on :P). The coat is my favourite piece and I even got it for a promotional price. The grey dress may look oversized but in reality it fits fantastically while the flowered one is more figure hugging and I love the leather details on the shoulders and around the neck.

That's it for Christmas gifts :) The last collective haul of 2013 is coming up shortly so stay on the look out for it!