Got "Spring Fever"? Lets dream of the beach!!! Essence Surfer Babe Powder Blush Review (and rave!)

Essence Surfer Babe Powder Blush: Big Wave Surfer (lol, love the name!)

Hello my beauties! In honor of spring and fantasizing about warm summer days, here I am with a Beachy-themed review!

So, as many of you know, I love the German Essence cosmentics brand! What good quality and affordable makeup! It reminds me a bit of a lower priced Stila with its cutesy cartoon images and trendy packaging. I am so glad that Essence is available here in the US! Check out some of my other essence reviews and raves here:  Denim Wanted Collection, and Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish.

The Surfer Babe Collection was released in Summer of 2010, but the products are still available on a small display at my local Ulta. The display at  has an eyeshadow palette, nail polish, and blush (you can check out the full collection here.

For my review and a swatch photo, keep reading after the jump!

Essence: Denim Wanted Collection (review) and EOTD!

Hello lovelies!

Here I am with another *total rave* essence review! This review is for the Essence "Denim Wanted" shadow duo, glitter eyeliner, and lipgloss. Seriously, essence is one of the best low-priced cosmetics lines out there! All of these items cost me just less than $5.00 *total*! :) I found these on special display at my  Ulta. There was also a denim cuff bracelet and a few polishes on the same display that I did not purchase.

I also apologize in advance for the lack of skill in my photography! I have been wanting to try to do EOTD (Eye of the Day) and other makeup photos, but my self-photography skills need some improvement! lol! I am attempting to show you some looks below with the "photo booth" on my computer, but the makeup does not show up really well. But, you might get the idea!

The items:

My attempt at an EOTD photo!!! lol at my photograhy skills 

(this is the best I could do with photobooth, you can kinda see the blue shadow/ liner?)

Essence: Denim Wanted! Eyeshadow duo in 02 My Boyfriend's Jeans:

• What an adorable little eye shadow duo! This is actually what drew me in to the whole collection! The duo is packaged in a Stila-like cardboard compact with magnet closure. 

• The two shadows are inside with an applicator and also a "how to" picture with tips. I applied the shadow almost exactly like the "how to" photo. :) 

• The shadows are soft (but not chalky) and quite pigmented. Very "buttery" feeling shadows. Love them!!! They applied and blended extremely well and looked great paired together. 

• The sliver color is just gorgeous applied all over the lid. It appears as a soft whitish silver. Nice shimmer! 

• The blue, while it looks navy in the pan, actually looks more "purple" once applied. So, a purplish blue, if you will. Beautiful!!! I applied this navy to the "outer V" as well as the outer upper and lower lash line. 

• Interesting side note: The color of my eyes can be somewhat chameleon-like. My eyes are baby-blue, but depending on what I wear and what shadow colors I use, they can look either baby blue, steel gray, or greenish blue. This blue/purple color really brought out the green in my eyes. Cool! 

• I "finished" off this look with Wet n Wild's Creme Brulee eye shadow single (my latest fav: a matte cream color that is just slightly darker than my skin tone): used on my brow bone and to blend corners of the blue color and inner tear duct corners. 

• What a great deal for $2.00!!!

Essence: Denim Wanted: Glitter Eye Pencil: 01 My Boyfriend's Jeans

• This navy liner applied more like a true navy (unlike the shadow that looks purplish when applied).

• Formula is slightly "drier" in consistency than my other essence pencil liners. This might be because it is a "glitter" liner. The glitter is slightly "chunky" (not micro fine) and silver. You can see the glitter in the pencil and the glitter also shows up upon application, but is quite subtle. Pencil tugged a bit on the eyes and required some smudging. 

• An "okay" liner. Not my fav, but will continue to use paired with these shadows. 

• To intensify color and increase the wear of the eyeliner, I topped the liner with more of the dark blue/purple shadow from the Denim Wanted shadow duo. 

• This liner was $1.00

Lipgloss, liner, and shadow duo swatches

Essence: Denim Wanted: Lipgloss in 02 I Like Your Shorts:

• This little squeeze tube lipgloss keychain is adorable!!! And, WOW, it has turned out to be my fav product of this mini Denim Collection! 

• I am soooo picky about lipgloss scents! This one is wonderful! It is a very subtle vanilla scent. Yummy!!!

• The gloss is quite thick and moisturizing. It wears very well. 

• This is a clear gloss with whitish silver/irradecent shimmer. Just makes your lips look slightly paler and shimmery. 

• Really love this gloss!!! And, it was only about $1.50! Can't beat that!!!
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Overall, a *total rave* for this essence denim collection!!! I got this on a "whim"...and do not regret this purchase one bit! I know that I will recreate this eye-look many times! It is just such a quick, easy, and flattering eye. The lipgloss is going on my key chain, so I know it will get constant use! What great quality and "fun" items for a very low price! Love, love, love essence!!! 

Hope you enjoyed reading! And let me know if you have any self photography tips! (lol at myself!)

XOXO!

Pammy

Coming soon:

-Redken Blonde Glam Line: Review

-My Thanksgiving recipes and prep! Yes, we are *hosting* Thanksgiving this year! :) 

Essence XXXL nudes lipgloss in Nude Kiss: A "close dupe" for Too Faced Pillow Talk!

Hello there lovely readers! While browsing at Ulta yesterday, I was so excited to discover a "close dupe" for my beloved Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Pillow Talk (from the Enchanted Glamourland Collection, and seriously, Pillow Talk has become my new fav gloss)! Yes, the essence gloss is "pinker"...but, for the look and effect and yummy scent...very similar (especially over my very pigmented lips)! Total rave for both of these glosses!

As you all know, I totally love essence cosmetics line, so I was happy to pick up the gloss as it was only $1.99! What a steal! The essence gloss is the XXXL Nudes Gloss in Nude Kiss.

*both photos show TF on left and essence on right. 

Here is my comparison of the two glosses! I *totally* love both glosses!!!

Similarities: 

• Same scent! Both glosses have a very sweet scent...it is a very "vanilla" cake-like scent with a hint of mocha? 
• Both shades wear as a lovely nude (with the essence more a "pinkish" nude...but, really, the same effect)
• Similar packaging
• Both glosses wear well as they are thick enough to be lasting without being sticky. Good texture on both glosses!
• Both gloss have good pigmentation. 

Differences:

• The Too Faced has a more "milky" finish
• The Too Faced is more a peachy nude and the essence is more of a pinky nude. You can see the difference in the arm swatches, but over my pigmented lips...the shades are *very* close (with the essence just being ever so slightly pinker)
• They are both thick (yet not sticky) glosses. The Too Faced gloss is slightly more dense. 
• The Too Faced has a brush applicator wand and the essence has a doe-foot applicator wand. 
• Too Faced has gold/iridescent micro fine gitter and the essence has silver/iridescent micro fine glitter...but, neither of these glosses look nor feel overly glittery. And despite the essence having silver not gold micro glitter, again, the effect is very similar on the lips. 
• Probably the most major difference is that the Too Faced gloss is a plumper and has a "minty"/mildly tingly or "cooling" feel upon application and the essence gloss does not have this feel. 
• The Too Faced Gloss retails at $18 and the essence gloss retails at $1.99!!! :) I got my Too Faced Glamour Gloss in the Enchanted Glamourland Set (which is a good value for the price!).

So, if the price for the Too Faced gloss is too high for you, then you can get a "similar" look with the essence gloss!!! Yay for a near-dupe! It is not an exact dupe, but the overall effect is similar enough to give you the same "look" with your makeup. I really love both glosses equally! Also, there are about 3 other shades in essence's XXXL Nudes line, so there are some other lovely nudes to try...and I bet if you mixed a few of them together, you could get an exact dupe!

I was very excited to find this essence gloss at Ulta!!! The essence display at my Ulta has a ton of new products...so, I am tempted to try more! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading!!!

XOXO!
Pammy

Coming Soon:
-Profusion Beauty Wallet: a fail!
-Wet n Wild Holiday Palettes: Night Elf :)