Do you know which cosmetics brand is number 1 in Europe? According to budget brand Essence, it is Essence. Number one in Germany and market leader in some other European countries, in the UK Essence can be found in Wilko. This brand is extremely affordable. Foundations which are often the most expensive item in a make up range come in at less than five pounds. There is a full range of products, from BB creams, eye shadow palettes and a vast range of nail items. If you have an olive, tan, rich, dark or deep complexion don’t bother to look at the foundations and concealers as there are no shades for your skin tone. I fail to understand how providing four complexion shades for the diverse range of women in the European market makes ANY sense… but I am not running the company (side eye)
Anyway… I have been testing lots of product from the range and the quality varies significantly. First up powders.
Essence All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder (£3.00)
You get eight grams of product which is pretty hefty. It is a fixing powder, to help the make up stay put. I tend to use it on my eyelids to set eyelid primer and or foundation. It works well when applied with a fluffy powder brush. It also does a good job on under eye highlight. I was a bit concerned about I leaving an ashy cast on my skin in real life and in photos but it is fine. The packaging is basic but very very compact. It is definitely worth picking up next time you are in Wilko’s as this product works.
Matt Touch Blush Berry Me Up (£2.50)
Another hefty amount product at five grams. For context, my Tom Ford blushers come in at eight grams and a MAC blush is six grams and the mineralise blushes are three and a half grams. This shade isn’t really berry. If you prefer your blush not to be too pigmented, this blush is great. It means that you can really build up the colour. This colour is very natural on my skin tone but my favourite way to wear it is as a transition colour on the eyes. It is perfect with every shade and as the colour is buildable you don’t put too much on the lid at any time. When you wear this as a blush you really need to use quite a dense brush to build up the colour. They are not the longest lasting product but they are very compact in size so definitely one of the make up bag.
Eyeshadow – Keep Calm and Berry On (£1.60)
This colour is gorgeous BUT you really have to build up the colour. The texture is soft compare to the fixing powder and the blusher BUT you don’t get a lot on your finger when you swatch it or on your brush when you dip it into the pan. You have to work pretty hard to get the payoff that you want. A dampened brush helps but be prepared to spend a bit of time on your eyes. All that said, the colour is lovely and purpleish tone, but it takes a lot of works.
If you are looking for affordable powder products, Essence is an option, but beware the wear time. Essence is available on line and at Wilko stores nationwide. Prices for powder products start from £1.60
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