Review: Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep

Another post on Essence cosmetic products. Seriously, I don't know how this wallet-friendly brand (like super super friendly) manages to churn out great-quality products! I have tried so many products from Essence and most of my experiences has been surprisingly pleasant. 

I'll be in Berlin end of February and I can't wait to get my hands on many many more new Essence products there! 

This post will be about my current favourite cream eyeshadow - Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep. Yes, it has shoved Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel Shadows aside. Personally I think this works better than the Maybelline one. 

I bought this for S$3 at the Essence Private Sale and I don't think it's available in stores any more (Sorry! Do correct me if I'm wrong though!). Let's hope Essence comes out with more cream eyeshadows in future launches! 

As expected, I got the neutral/brown shade (03 Oh De Prep) because I'm a sucker for such shades.

Packaging: The packaging of the Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow is slightly smaller than the Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel Shadows, however, the container is deeper. Overall, a good product to bring while travelling.

Colour: 03 Oh De Prep is a richly shimmered and metallic taupe-brown shade. When concentrated, the shade is more metallic, and when blended, it is more shimmery. It's not a unique colour, but it's definitely a gorgeous one - especially for those with brown/green eyes.

Swatch taken with normal daylight condition

Swatch taken with camera flash activated

Blended out swatch with normal lighting condition

Blended out swatch with camera flash activated

Pigmentation: Great pigmentation and great colour pay-off! What you see in the pot is what you will get after application. I really am very impressed. There are more expensive brands out there who still can't figure out how to make a well-pigmented cream eyeshadow. Essence, on the other hand, gives you highly pigmented cream eyeshadows with a cheaper price tag. Two thumbs up!

Application: I normally use my middle finger to apply cream eyeshadows. I refrain from using brushes because I don't like how my eyeshadow brushes become slightly damp after application, and also because I think blending out is much easier when using your finger than when using a brush. The Essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep is a dream to apply and it blends out easily. Another thing that I like about this is that the colour is very buildable because the cream eyeshadow dries fairly quickly after application. When you apply a second layer, you get a deeper colour effortlessly. No streaks at all! More thumbs up!

Longevity: For those with very oily eyelids (ME ME), I will suggest topping up with a similar shade powder eyeshadow. The first time I used it, the eyeshadow creased on me within a few hours. After a quick dusting of a similar-shade powder eyeshadow, it stayed on really well and creasing was minimal.

Will I buy it again? Yes please! Essence, please launch more cream eyeshadows like this! PLEASE PLEASE!

Hope this review has been useful and informative! Have a great day guys! 

Review: Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen

I think my current mission in the beauty-related part of life is to collect all pen eyeliners from every brand. It's a really bad habit. But I use eyeliners every single day and I go through eyeliners so quickly! It's always good to have backups; I get a panic attack when one pen eyeliner starts to dry up and I have no other pen eyeliners to turn to (of course, I have plenty of gel eyeliners and pencil eyeliners, but pen eyeliners is MY LIFE). 

As of now, I have 2 go-to pen eyeliners. The first one is the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen and the other one is the Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen. 

Essence is doing a marvellous job with their eyeliners!! I'm officially a fan and I will definitely repurchase these eyeliner pens! 

As with the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen, the Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen is also not entirely perfect. It definitely has its flaws. However, the positive traits of this eyeliner pen definitely outweighed the flaws and I'm a happy camper!

I bought the Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen during the Essence Warehouse Sale not long ago, and I got it for S$3. SO CHEAP RIGHT?! The retail price should be below S$10, so it's still affordable without the discount! 

What got me excited:

• Precise line (yay!)
• Colour intensive (yay yay!)
• Extra longlasting (triple yay!)
• There's no statement of it being waterproof or smudgeproof, which somewhat lowers my expectation, and will make me feel more impressed if the eyeliner proved to be quite waterproof or smudgeproof. 

I was a little bit unsure of using it because of the "stains the skin" disclaimer, but then again, my favourite K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Eyeliner stains the lids like nobody's business, so yes, I decided to go ahead and use it. 

Packaging: Nothing to fancy and frankly nothing much to talk about. I kind of wish it has a pop of colour on the packaging though because it takes me a while to grab this eyeliner pen because it's stored in an eyeliner box with other eyeliners with similar packaging.

Applicator design: The Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen has an applicator that's extremely similar to a permanent marker/slim whiteboard marker. The applicator is not filmsy at all and it's very sturdy. It's not a good applicator for beginners who want to try the winged eye look because it's not easy to use. Those looking at a simple eye look will be able to create it within seconds.

Top: one swatch of eyeliner pen. Bottom: double swatches of eyeliner pen

Pigmentation: Yes, yes, yes! One swipe is enough, but if you're looking at drama, two swipes will be the way to go! It's extremely pigmented and I like how a second coat will not scrunch up the first layer and cause nasty messy flakes. It has a semi-glossy finish as well.

Application: I did a simple eye look in mere seconds with the Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen. Super user-friendly! If you want to get that flattering winged eye look, you have to practice a couple of times before getting the grip and the flow right. Be careful not to make mistakes though because this eyeliner stains your lids and even when you try to erase the mistakes using a cotton bud+makeup remover, you will still see a greenish tinge on your lids.

Top: one swatch of eyeliner pen. Bottom: double swatches of eyeliner pen (a good smudging after 5 minutes of application)

The Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen did not claim to be smudgeproof or waterproof, but I decided to give it a test anyway.

Smudgeproof: Surprise, surprise! After waiting 5 minutes, I gave the swatches a good smudging and they did not budge! A very welcome pleasant surprise!

Top: one swatch of eyeliner pen. Bottom: double swatches of eyeliner pen (a good smudging with water)

Waterproof: The eyeliner pen is certainly not waterproof. A few drops of water disturbed the consistency of the eyeliner pen and a slight touch smudged the swatches. But Essence didn't claim for it to be waterproof, so all's well in this review because I don't feel cheated.

Top: one swatch of eyeliner pen. Bottom: double swatches of eyeliner pen (after removal with makeup wipes)

Staining power: The Essence Semi-Permanent Eyeliner Pen really does stain your skin. The above photo shows how much it can stain even after I tried to remove the swatches with makeup wipes. It works the same as the KPalette 1 Day Tattoo Eyeliner - it will stain when you remove the first time, however when you try to remove it again a couple of hours later, the stain will come off. Strange but yes it's something that I noticed after using eyeliners that stain the eyelids.

Longevity: Full marks for this section. FULL MARKS. Applied at 730am, and removed at 8-9pm with no smearing/transferring throughout the day. The trick with this eyeliner pen is to just let it chill and not touch it.

Will I buy it again? Most definitely! It works almost similarly to the KPalette 1 Day Tattoo Eyeliner (but not waterproof), but it's so much more affordable!

Hope this review has been useful! Have a great day guys! :D

Review: Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen

There are 2 makeup products I cannot live without: concealer and eyeliner. Without these two, I don't think I will feel confident walking out of my house. 

I have already found my HG concealer (L.A. Girl PRO.conceal HD Concealer). I have also already found multiple HG eyeliners (Urban Decay's, K-Palette's, etc.), but I'm more open to trying out new eyeliners from various brands than concealers. Concealers are more tricky. You apply concealers straight to your skin and when you have a lot of blemishes, once you find a great one that has amazing coverage + doesn't break you out, you STICK WITH IT. Eyeliners, on the other hand, allow me to be more adventurous and experimental since I don't really have sensitive eyelids/eyes. 

This post will be about my current go-to felt-tip eyeliner - Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen. I got it during the recent Essence Warehouse Sale for S$3-S$4? Ya, damn affordable. Normal retail selling price is also still affordable when compared to other drugstore brands! Definitely less than S$10 for one eyeliner. 

Claims:

• 24hr wear
• maximum waterproof formula
• maximum smudgeprood formula
• precise line

Some of the claims are definitely far-fetched. It's like a newbie trying to throw darts for the first time - MISSING THE BOARD ALTOGETHER. Ok, maybe not so bad lah, I sometimes exaggerate. :P  

But I still like to use it. Strange I know. READ ON. 

Packaging: Fuss-free and minimalistic. I don't like the blue fonts but it's not going to affect my usage so I'm not going to dwell on that too much. It's compact and the perfect size for your makeup bag.

Brush/Tip: The Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen has a refreshingly sturdy felt-tip applicator. The usual felt-tip eyeliners in the market endorse the more flexible and bendable applicator (going for flexibility + control), but such eyeliners are more suitable for those who are already used to applying eyeliners. I think beginners will be more comfortable using the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen! The tip is not bendable and a shaky hand will not cause the tip to accidentally swerve from the line of application and mess it up. This kind of tip actually makes application a breeze and to be frank, quite fool-proof. It's only when you venture into the realms of cat-eye eyelining that you will meet some challenges. Overall, great brush/tip for beginners who are looking at a simple eyeliner look.

Pigmentation: I got the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen in 01 Ultra Black, and no joke, the pigmentation is certainly ... ultra black. I especially like it because there is no downtime when I use it. Sometimes, the tips of felt-tip eyeliners/pen eyeliners get really dry, and when you open the cap to use it, you have warm up the product at the back of your hand first to make sure you get maximum pigmentation on the first swipe. This eyeliner needs no warming up! I opened the cap and applied it straightaway and I got the below pigmentation after two strokes. Quite remarkable! Saves insignificant seconds but makes a lot of difference when you are in a rush.

Swatch after two strokes

Smudgeproof? Not really. I don't see the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen as a smudgeproof eyeliner. After 5 minutes of application, I tried to rub my index finger back and forth the applied area, and some of the eyeliner was smudged almost immediately. Maybe it's not fully dry yet, but 5 minutes should be enough time for eyeliners to dry during application! This is an indication that you SHOULD NOT rub your eyes when you use this eyeliner. There was one day when I suffered from a really itchy right eye and I subconsciouly rubbed it - good bye front half of eyeliner!! Fortunately I brought the eyeliner pen out and I could reapply right after I realised the disaster.

Swatch after a smearing attempt 5 minutes after application

Waterproof? This depends on how you define waterproof. As a product name, it's claimed to be "splash-proof", but in the description, it's described as "waterproof". I agree that the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen is splash-proof; I dripped some water on the applied area and the eyeliner didn't budge. I ran it under running water and I have no melting mess to handle. So yay for that. HOWEVER, the slightest swipe after it has touched water will cause the eyeliner to go haywire. Below is a photo of the swatch after I SLIGHTLY slid my finger down the wet area. It's almost gone! WHAT?!

This only mean one thing - you can cry all you want with this mascara. You can even be caught in a thunderstorm with no umbrella. But you have to make sure you don't touch your eyes AT ALL while crying or being trapped in the rain.

Swatch after a smearing attempt with water

Application: Easy peasy for a normal eyeliner look (no cat-eye, no winged look). Extremely quick application also. I think I used less than 5 seconds per eye for a normal eyeliner look. When it comes to the more elaborate eyeliner look, the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen will not be as user-friendly. Because the tip is sturdy and not as flexible, it's difficult to get the perfect winged look. If your hands are still shaky while applying eyeliner, that's it man, you cannot use this for your cat-eye look. I apply eyeliner almost every single day and I had trouble matching the winged eyeliner on both eyes. Aiyoh. But of course, practice, practice, practice! I'm now very comfortable with using this eyeliner!

Longevity: I have never tried leaving this on for 24 hours, so I'm not sure how factual this claim is. However, the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen has a great longevity. The longest I had it on was from 730am to 11pm and it stayed put throughout. You must be careful not to rub your eyes though, if not the eyeliner will FOR SURE rub off. This is not the eyeliner for people with oily eyelids and looking for a longlasting eyeliner. Even though it's splash-proof, it's not oil-proof. It will 100% smudge in presence of oil.

Will I buy it again? Surprisingly yes. It's not the most waterproof. It's definitely not smudge-proof. But...I use it every single day. I think the breezy application process won me over. Moreover, the Essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen is REALLY cheap. So yes, I will buy it again!

Hopefully this has been a good read! Have a great Friday guys! :)

Essence Cosmetics Private Sale Haul

Essence Cosmetics is currently having their Private Sale (1st to 3rd November 2013, 11am-8pm) and when I got to know about it through their facebook page, I knew I had to take a look. Fortunately I did make a visit and I bought so many things!! :D I went at around 1145am and there were less than 20 people at the venue (Concorde Hotel, Level 3, Studio 3!) and most of them were first-time cosmetic users who were preparing for prom. So clever ah these kids, so well-informed!

This time round, the sale is definitely bigger. There were other brands on sale too! I bought items from Adidas and Catrice as well. There were also a lot of perfumes on sale. It's a definite must-go if you're a fan of perfumes and good-quality cheap cosmetic products. So many nailpolishes too!

Anyway, here's my haul! In total I spent S$82 on 32 products. SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!

1. essence Home Sweet Home Blush in 02 Wool-D You Cuddle Me? - S$4
2. essence Gel Eyeliner in 02 London Baby - S$2.50
3. essence Soft Touch Eyeshadow in 03 Oh De Prep - S$3

3 for S$10

4. Catrice Gel Eyeliner in 050 Black Jack with Goldie Hawn

5. Catrice Better Than Waterproof Mascara

6. Catrice Evolution to Revolution Ultra Black Volume Mascara

7. Catrice Liquid Lip Tint in 020 Wine-Tastic - S$3
8. Catrice Eyeshadow Base - S$3
9. Catrice Eyeliner Pen in 050 Black Blue - S$3
10. Catrice Re-Touch Light-Reflecting Concealer in 030 Rosy Beige - S$3

11. essence I Love Runway Highlighter - S$3.50
12. essence Eyeliner Pen (Semi-Permanent) in 01 Came - Saw and Conquered (LOL??) - S$3
13. essence 100% Splash-Proof Eyeliner Pen in 01 Ultra Black - S$3
14. essence Rebels Spiderlash Mascara in 01 Punk Royal - S$4

15-20. Assorted Adidas deodorants for kengyang and I HAHAHA. Tiny ones were 4 for S$5 and the 2 huge ones were 2 for S$5.

21. essence 24h Hand Protection Balm (Repair) - S$2.50
22. essence Show Your Feet Foot Protection Stick - S$2

23. essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cracking Top Coat in 05 Delicate but Determined - S$2.50
24. essence Ready for Boarding Nail Polish in 04 Via Airmail - S$2.50
25. essence @holografics.com Holographic Nail Polish in 01 Gagalectric - S$2
26. essence @holografics.com Holographic Nail Polish in 04 Prism@tic White - S$2
27. essence Nail Art Magnetics in 04 Mystic Wish! - S$2.50
28. essence Snow White Nail File - S$1

4 for S$10
29. Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer in 600 After Eight
30. Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer in 33 In The Armee Glow
31. Catrice Ultimate Nudes in 050 Moulin Rouge Light
32. Catrice Absolute Eye Colour in 070 Mr. Copper's Fields

Crazy bargains!! Can't wait to play with my new items. I just swatched the eyeliners and they are SUPER PROMISING. YAY! :)

Have a great weekend ahead guys! :D I'm going for Halloween Horrors 2013 on Sunday and I can't wait!! :D

Review: essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Highlighter Powder in 01

Along with my essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cream Blush in 01 purchase from JEM's Watsons, I also bought the essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Highlighter Powder in 01 The Great and Powderful. This retails for S$6.90.

 

I was so intrigued by the different fonts on the surface of the highlighter powder! The name of the shade also made me chuckle a little. "Powderful" - how Singlish is that? I still remember those days (maybe nowadays too haha) when we will say "Your english very powderful ah?" to someone whose mastery of English language was really .. erm .. powerful. HAHA. 

 

I DIGRESS WAY TOO MUCH.

 

Let's continue with the review!  

 





Packaging: Not expecting anything fancy because essence is such an affordable brand after all. I thought it was all planned out cleverly though. Clear upper case + pretty fonts on powder surface = attention grabber. Good one!

Sadly, the words are only imprinted on the surface. After a few applications, it will look just like normal highlighting powder.

Swatch taken with normal lighting

Swatch taken with camera flash

Pigmentation: To be frank, I thought the essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Highlighter Powder can be a little bit more pigmented. I had to apply 3-4 layers of the product to achieve my desired look. I adore the micro silver shimmers though. I don't think it will be visible under normal sunlight but it will definitely show when you use the camera flash!

Application: It's definitely on the powdery side but it's not unmanageable. The positive thing is the powder almost has no colour after one application, so even if it's powdery, you won't be able to notice much. Also, this highlighter powder will be good to use on your neck and décolleté too!

Longevity: Honestly, I didn't even notice it when it's applied, and so I can't really tell you whether or not it lasted me well. :S

Will I buy it again? Nope. I fancy the packaging, but other than that I'm not a believer.

Have a great Thursday everyone! :)

Review: essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cream Blush in 01

A recent visit to JEM's Watsons proved to be quite fruitful. I really like JEM in general! For those who don't reside in Singapore, JEM is the newest shopping centre in the west Singapore and it's mega awesome because it houses a lot of brands that are usually only available in town! So we have stores like H&M, Sephora, Topshop and many many more in the west now! YAY!

Anyway, we visited Watsons and woah the Watsons at JEM is MARVELOUS. Spacious and everything's not cramped. The store's very brightly lit too. I felt really cheery browsing the store. Definitely going back to JEM's Watsons! :D

 

I stocked up on toiletries at Watsons and while browsing around, I saw that essence launched a new line of products - Oz: The Great and Powerful collection! I am always intrigued by essence's new collections and so I grabbed a couple of things to try. Another reason why I purchased them was because of their cheeky names!

 

The essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cream Blush in 01 Beware the Wicked Witch retails for S$5.90.

 

I always look out for cream blushes because if you find the right one that suits your skin, it can act as a terrific base for your favourite powder blushes! This combination will ensure that you have pretty, flushed cheeks all day long!

 

Packaging: The product comes in a tube with a pump dispenser. The design on the tube is simple and the only thing that catches your eye is the GORGEOUS shade of the cream blush. And maybe the cheeky name if you look closer. The pump dispenser is an A+. It is not one of those filmsy dispensers that dispense too much product with a slight pump. This pump dispenser is firm and solid enough, and yet it dispenses the product easily. It allows you to control how much product you want to use and that's always a plus in my books. Also, plus points for the cheeky name, LOVE IT! :)

Colour: 01 Beware the Wicked Witch is a glorious mixture of coral and shimmery gold. It has a coral orange base and the addition of gold shimmers creates this beautiful sheen under the sunlight. This colour will definitely suit women of all skin colour, but it will especially suit those with fair-medium skin because it gives that extra radiance to your face.

Swatch taken with camera flash

Swatch taken with camera flash

Pigmentation: The essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cream Blush has that highly sough after "just-nice" pigmentation. It's not so lightly pigmented that you don't know what you are paying for, and it's also not so heavily pigmented that application becomes a nightmare. This cream blush looks highly intimidating when you first pumped it out of the tube, but the colour spreads evenly to create this wonderful glow, as seen from the swatches above! Since it's not crazily pigmented, you have more control in deciding how much you want on your cheeks. Want more colour, then apply a second layer!

Application: A dream to work with. The essence Oz: The Great and Powerful Cream Blush does not dry that quickly so you have time to spread it evenly on your cheeks. It also has a pleasant cooling sensation when applied.

I don't recommend those with combination-oily skin to only have this product on your cheeks though. Even though it gives a really beautiful look on its own, the combination of the skin oiliness and the horrid humid Singapore weather will kill its magical effect after a few hours. I tried it on its own and it turned really ugly. Yikes. My cheeks became really shiny and you can actually see streaks of product. I can't really blame the cream blush though because the majority of the mess was caused by my oily skin and by the fact that I had to walk under sunny (and terribly hazy) condition.

My suggestion will be to use this cream blush as a base, and then apply your favourite coral powder blush on top. Not too much though because you would still want the cream blush to shine through!

Longevity: A complete failure when worn on its own. Not blaming the product though because of abovementioned reasons. However, when coupled with a powder blush, it goes on for an entire day, give and take around 10 hours or so with no touch-ups. Quite impressive right?

Will I buy it again? This is a limited edition product, so I assume even if I want to get a back-up in the future, it'll be quite difficult. However, if essence were to launch other cream blushes, I may get them! :D

Hope this post is helpful and have a great Thursday guys! :)

Review: Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes

I ran out of my HG (Holy Grail) makeup remover cleansing wipes last weekend (Biore's Cleansing Wipes) and I decided to be bold and try something new! I spotted the Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes at BHG and decided to get two at one go because it was so affordable! It retails for S$3.50 and on top of that BHG had a 20% off deal for all the cosmetic products, so I ended up paying only S$2.80 for each pack of Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes! The Biore wipes are amazing but they cost almost three times more! 

If this proves to be as good, then it's definitely a cheaper alternative. Let's see then if the Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes perform up to standard! 

(Pardon the grainy photos, I used my iPhone 5 camera to capture them because my G11 is wonky these days. D:)

Packaging: Economical packaging with no fancy design. I prefer it this way because it looks professional. The adhesive opening is also commendable because it doesn't seem to lose its stickiness! I used it for the past one week already and the adhesive part still covers the packet strongly. Major plus points because this means the cleansing wipes will not dry out so quickly and easily. 

Cost: Too affordable to be true. Essence is really a brand that challenges the high end brands. Some of its products are worth so much more and yet they are priced so lowly! Every time I see an Essence counter, I cannot resist not buying anything!

Makeup removing effectiveness: The Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes work beautifully in removing makeup. Not so much for waterproof mascaras, but the rest of the junk is off after one wipe (even waterproof eyeliner!). Usually, I will use one side for the entire face, then I will fold it in half, squirt some Bifesta Cleansing Lotion and then proceed to remove my waterproof mascara.

Scent: I bought the Pomegranate and Bamboo type and the smell can get a little overpowering. I definitely will not recommend this to those who get headaches from strong smells. It does not smell of pomegranate or bamboo, sadly, but instead it smells of floral chemicals (if that makes sense).

Gentle on the skin? For those with sensitive or scne-prone skin, I think this product is safe for you. After one week of removing makeup with the Essence My Skin Caring Cleansing Wipes, I have no break-outs and no other skin problems. One thing to note though - the packaging indicates that no rinsing is required after you use the wipes, but I will highly recommend users to double cleanse, meaning after you wipe off your makeup with the wipes, you cleanse your face again with your preferred cleanser. This way, you can be sure that all the junk is removed from your face. The slightest leftovers will accumulate and sometimes lead to tiny bumps appearing!

Will I buy it again? Definitely. It's a great dupe for my favourite makeup removing wipes and it is amazingly affordable. The strong smell is a turn-off but since it does its job quite well, I'm not pushing away the product entirely.