If you’ve been to Shoppers Drug Mart, you might have seen a stand selling essence cosmetics. This brand originated from Europe and has a full collection of super affordable makeup. I first introduced the brand 1.5 years ago and I’m so excited to share much more of their collection.
Today’s post is featuring their lip products line up. There’s tons of photos, swatches coming up, so brace yourself!
Longlasting Lipstick
I’ll start off with their traditional lipsticks. Each of these had medium pigmentation and although the formula wasn’t super creamy they were smooth to apply. There is a little bit of scent but disappears once worn. The lipsticks are not drying but they are also not hydrating. They wear for about 3-4 hours so maybe not for you if you want your lipstick to stay on all day.
For some reason, the nude beige shade both had less pigmentation and exaggerated my lip lines while the other two shades were the opposite. Overall, a good drugstore option (except the light shade) for a no frills lipstick.
16 i am yours!- medium berry red with cream finish 5/5
07 natural beauty- medium pink with cream finish 5/5
15 oh so matt!- light beige nude with satin finish 1/5
Longlasting Nude Lipstick
These have the same formulas as the original longlasting lipsticks but are in a range of nude shades. Similar to above, the light shade seems to go on patchy, is less creamy, and less pigmented.
01 wearing only a smile- baby pink with a pearl finish 1/5
05 cool nude- brown toned berry 5/5
Sheer & Shine Lipstick + Liquid Lipstick
These two formulas are new for spring and summer and so far I’m loving it!
The sheer & shine lipstick ($3.49) claims to have a smooth yet sheer formula that goes on like a balm and deposits buildable color with fantastic shine. It is available in 9 shades.
There is definitely a lot of shine and the lipstick is very comfortable to wear. It is very creamy and smooth to apply and has a shiny finish. There is more of a scent which is a mix of vanilla and traditional lipstick parfum. I’d say it’s medium pigmentation. It smooths over lines and creates a really attractive plump look! It lasts about 2-3 hours on me. I have the shade 03 BFF which is a medium dusty rose. I love this type of color as it is a shade darker than my natural lip and gives the perfect MLBB look. 5/5
The liquid lipstick ($3.99) claims to unite the coverage of a lipstick with the moisturizing shine of a gloss. The silky texture goes on smoothly and dries shiny, not sticky! Available in 6 shades.
The texture of lipstick is very much like a thick lipgloss. It has a bit of stickiness but not as much as MAC lipglosses. There is medium pigmentation but I would say this is more of a pigmented lipgloss than a liquid lipstick. It doesn’t really ever dry down, and stays glossy looking. It also doesn’t last as long as liquid lipsticks usually do. Only about 2 hours before reapplying. I have the shade 02 beauty secret and it’s a light rosey pink. It actually is very flattering and looks great although it doesn’t quite live up to it’s claims. 4/5
XXXL Nude/Longlasting Lipgloss
essence is now selling at Loblaws and these two lipglosses are exclusive to Loblaws.
The XXXL nude lipgloss ($3.49) is available in 3 shades and claims to be moisturizing with a mirror shine finish. It’s the same formula as the longlasting lipgloss but just in nude shades!
The lipgloss has sheer pigmentation of color and a shiny glossy finish. The gloss was not sticky at all and comfortable to wear! It lasts around 1.5-2 hours before reapplying. The lighter shade sunk into my lines for some reason, but the slightly darker shade glossed over the lines. There is a light sweet fruity scent. The applicator is a standard doe foot applicator and works well.
05 just nude- light beige true nude 4/5
03 taste the sweets- medium toned dusty pink 5/5
The XXXL longlasting lipgloss ($3.49) is available in 7 shades and claims to be moisturizing with a mirror shine finish. Six of the shades have a shiny finish and one has a matte finish.
The shade I have is a matte and it’s a completely different formula as the previous two lipglosses. It’s actually more of a mousse texture than a gloss. The scent is a caramel flavor which is different as well. The color is extremely pigmented and the applicator can reach more precise lines. Once applied, it is not sticky, feels weightless, and not drying. It doesn’t quite give a matte look but very comfortable to wear. It lasts about 3-4 hours.
07 silky red- orange based red 5/5
Pencil Lipliner/Longlasting Lipliner
I don’t normally wear lipliner, but if you want your lipstick to last all day or to define your lips, make sure to add lipliner to your routine! Essence has a selection of traditional pencil eyeliners and twist automatic liners.
I have the shades 05 soft berry and 12 wish me a rose in the traditional pencil lipliners. The colors were pigmented and true to what you see. I found the formulation a bit hard although it applied smoothly. It’s on the dry side. I used 05 soft berry in the photo below and tried to expand my natural lipline. Both colors were flattering. 4/5
They also have these longlasting lipliners that twist up so you do not have to sharpen it. The formulation of these are softer, more pigmented, and smoother to apply! I definitely prefer these to the traditional lip pencils. The only con is that since these are more creamy, it is a bit harder to be as precise. I used shade 02 sweetheart and went inside my liplines to create a more delicate looking lip shape. 5/5
Thanks for sticking through me in this huge post! Hopefully this gives you a good overview of all the lip product offerings in the essence cosmetics brand. I love the affordability of the products and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite drugstore brands! The sheer & shine lipstick is a must have as it has great pigmentation and is comfortable to wear on a daily basis! Other favorites include the longlasting lipstick in 05 cool nude, and XXXL lipgloss in 03 taste the sweets.
You can find these products at Shoppers Drug Mart (it’s usually at the end of an aisle) or at Loblaws!