Essence is a brand originally from Germany. Their products are inexpensive and all are not tested on animals. Many of their products are also vegan. So it’s a great choice for people who don’t want to spend too much on makeup, or whom just started out to try makeup and wanted to test colors and such before they head for more expensive options. This time I will be having color swatches of the matt lipsticks, lip liners and lip glosses.

Essence Matt Matt Matt Lipstick

Shades:

• 01 Natural Kiss – a hint of coral tone to nude lip color
• 02 Perfect Match – a slight hint of rosy pink color but this one is very close to the original color of my lips
• 03 Wow Effect – a rosy pink color
• 04 Pink Up Your Life – a super bold and highly saturated rosy red, I think it looks better on dark skin color
• 06 Kiss Me If You Can – a beautiful bright red
• 07 Purple Powder – a purplish plum color
• 08 It’s a Statement – a dark wine red color with more red tone

Ingredients:

ISONONYL ISONONANOATE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, OZOKERITE, CERA MICROCRISTALLINA (MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX), VP/HEXADECENE COPOLYMER, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX, OCTYLDODECANOL, OCTYLDODECYL STEARATE, ISOPROPYL PALMITATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, BHT, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), HEXYL CINNAMAL, LINALOOL, CI 15850 (RED 6 LAKE), CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 15850 (RED 7 LAKE), CI 77492 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 45410 (RED 27 LAKE), CI 42090 (BLUE 1 LAKE).

VEGAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS.

User Experience:

The texture feels a bit dry (like most matt lipsticks!), but easy to spread on lips. It has a nice matte finish, but if your lips are generally very dry, do use some primer first. Those products are heavily perfumed, it’s pleasant but I would prefer it to be lighter.

I personally would pick 01 as my everyday color, 06 as the red lip, then 08 when I want to go bold or cosplay a vampire for Halloween.

Package:

The package is made of silver plastic base and matte plastic cover of relevant color to the lipstick color. It looks very down-to-earth, almost like a lip balm.
Use within 12 months after opening.

Price: Per item (3.8g): 3.99 USD | 2.96 GBP | 3.34 EUR | 4.97 AUD | 31.97 SEK | 26.21 RMB
Per gram: 1.05 USD | 0.79 GBP | 0.89 EUR | 1.31 AUD | 8.41 SEK | 6.90 RMB

Essence Long Lasting Lipliner

Shades:

• 01 Ready for Red – a beautiful red color
• 02 Sweetheart – a nice pink color
• 05 Lovely Frappuccino – a brownish mauve color
• 07 Plum Cake – a rosy mauve color
• 08 Girl Next Door – a nude color with slight coral tone
• 10 Berry on My Mind – a beautiful raspberry color
• 11 Be a Game-Changer – a dark brownish red color

Ingredients:

RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, OCTYLDODECANOL, OZOKERITE, CARNAUBA (COPERNICIA CERIFERA) WAX, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX), LANOLIN, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, VP/HEXADECENE COPOLYMER, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, BHT, METHYLPARABEN: CI 15850 (RED 6 LAKE/RED 7 LAKE), CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 77491, CI 77492.

VEGETARIAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS.

User Experience:

All colors are pretty nice actually. The crayon is creamy and easy to apply.

Package:

I especially like the automatic swirling design as I had bad history of destroying my lipliner or eyeliner so quickly. The product in wooden pencil always got stuck or broke in the pencil sharpener, or small wood debris would easily get mixed into the product. I appreciate that now I don’t need to deal with the frustration.
Use within 12 months after opening.

Price:

Per item (0.23g): 2.49 USD | 1.84 GBP | 2.09 EUR | 3.11 AUD | 19.96 SEK | 16.36 RMB
Per 0.1 gram: 1.08 USD | 0.8 GBP | 0.91 EUR | 1.35 AUD | 8.67 SEK | 7.11 RMB

Essence Shine Shine Shine Lipgloss

Shades:

• 01 Behind the Scenes – colorless gel which adds wet-look shine to your lips
• 09 One Woman Show – a super daring highly saturated bright pink color
• 11 For a Night Out – a warm-toned mauve color with glitter
• 12 Runway, Your Way – a purple color
• 13 Red Carpet Starlet – a bright red

Ingredients:

POLYBUTENE, OCTYLDODECANOL, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, DEXTRIN PALMITATE, MICA, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, SILICA, SODIUM SACCHARIN, TIN OXIDE, ALUMINA, PHENOXYETHANOL, AROMA (FLAVOR), CI 45410 (RED 28 LAKE), CI 77492 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 19140 (YELLOW 5 LAKE), CI 15850 (RED 7 LAKE), CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77742 (MANGANESE VIOLET), CI 42090 (BLUE 1 LAKE).

VEGAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS.

Note the shade called Friends of Glamour (not included here) in the lip glosses contains carmine, which is not vegan. The ones tested here are vegan.

User Experience:

I personally don’t use lipgloss. Those are thinner than honey but highly pigmented. It does give you a gel-covered “wet look” finish after you put it on. It’s also heavily perfumed, and I don’t quite like the smell of this one.

Package:

The package is simple and sturdy, and the tip is easy to use. Although as a girl with thin lips, I found it a bit too big so I have to be careful when applying it.
Use within 12 months after opening.

Price:

Per item (5 ml): 2.99 USD | 2.22 GBP | 2.52 EUR | 3.74 AUD | 24.02 SEK | 19.66 RMB
Per 1 ml: 0.60 USD | 0.44 GBP | 0.50 EUR | 0.75 AUD | 4.84 SEK | 3.93 RMB

Post done in collaboration with Essence. Samples were provided by the brand but opinions are my own.