Mini Essence Haul

Essence is a brand that I think often gets overlooked. Yes, the packaging is not the most aesthetically pleasing, but the products are really affordable and very often good quality. I was lucky enough to try some products when the brand first came to the UK, which I loved, and I thought it was about time I saw what else Essence had to offer in my local Wilko store.


I'd heard a lot about their The Gel nail polishes and really wanted to see how they compare to my favourite Barry M Gelly Hi Shines. I'm all up for getting a gel like manicure without paying the salon prices and not having to stick my hands under a lamp. I opted for the shade 35 Engaged, which is a beautiful nude with a hint of shimmer to it. If I like this I'll definitely be picking up more colours, as they are a bargain at just £1.60 each.

 Of course I couldn't go without picking up any lip products. I went for two in the end, not too dissimilar in colour with them both being quite nude pinks. The Long Lasting Lipstick in shade 23 promises to be long wearing without drying out lips, so I'm interested to see how it lives up it those claims. The lip product I'm really excited about trying though is the new liquid lipstick, which I picked up in shade 02 Beauty Secret. I'm a huge fan of liquid lipsticks at the moment, so I want to see how this compares to others in my collection, though I think this one will be more like a pigmented gloss from initial swatches.

I'll be honest, there weren't too many of the eyeshadows that took my fancy. I was initially looking at picking up one of their palettes, but after swatching there was nothing that I wanted to part with my money for, so I turned my attention to the single shadows. I spotted the shade 18 All I Need, and after swatching I was so impressed with the pigmentation. It looks nothing like the photo on the Wilko website, it's much lighter, and what I'd describe as a silvery taupe. It's a really smooth formula, which I have to say a lot of the shadows I swatched weren't and has quite a bit of shimmer to it, which looks gorgeous when reflected in the light. I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this shade.