Essence Haul and Mini Reviews

After a great many days I happened to venture into the local beauty mart. I was not really expecting anything new, but Essence had a few new products on display. Some things I had already read reviews on, and most reviews were all good. A couple of items were on sale at half price. Most Essence products are priced between 12 and 22 dhs, which is a very good price, especially for the price. I am glad with all the products in my haul and am generally pretty impressed with the brand.

So these are the things I bought:

From L to R: Waterproof eyeliner pen, XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Matte Effect in 05 Velvet Rose, Rebel Soft Matte Lip Glosses in 02 Rebel Delight and 01 Mauve Like a Rockstar, All About Matt Oil Control Make-up Base, Essence Blush Up in 10 Heat Wave

A close up of the products open....

Avon Magix Tinted Face Perfector in Light

Another review on yet another face primer. If its the one thing I've learnt over the years is that a good primer can make a world of difference to your look. This caught my eye because a. it was in a compact form and b. it was tinted so it could serve as a single product for those days when you don't have time to put on layers.
So how did I think it fared?

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser (Primer)

I've always been a fan of The Body Shop, I especially love their Vitamin E and Vitamin C range of skin care products. Back in the day of the acne and break outs, the tea tree oil face wash was a staple on my bathroom counter. As my skin matured, it settled and became less oily, so now I alternate between the Vitamin C and Vitamin E ranges. So when a friend of mine asked me to recommend a primer I immediately thought of their mattifying silicon based primer, which is also pretty good. But as I was admiring the impressive array of products in each range I saw this particular product...

Since my friend has pigmentation issues and pores, it made more sense to go for this though I didn't even know this product was on the market. It seemed like a better fit for her. So she bought it. 

Loreal Studio Secrets Professional Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

I'm always excited to try out new face products, and face primer has become quite an obsession in the makeup department. Indeed, if used right, and if you can find one right for you, it gives several advantages. This particular one, which I am not going to take the liberty of typing down again (just look at the length of the name of the product), was so hyped up about, and since I was in the market for a good primer, I bought it.

This appealed to me for several reasons: the packaging, the marketing, the product being in cream form. 

So how did it fare, what was my impression...

Guerlain L'OR Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Makeup Base

Who would have thought it? Gold in makeup...as if gold jewelry wasn't enough, they take the lure of this precious metal and put it in a makeup base claiming that it enhances the look of the skin and tightens fine lines. Does the gold really do anything? Keep reading to find out what my thoughts are on this product.

Guerlain L'or Makeup Base

Guerlain is a super luxury makeup brand that is most famous for its range of bronzers, its meteorite powder (that comes in little multi colored balls) and its meteorites primer. It is more slightly more expensive than other luxury brands like Lancome or Illamasqua. 

Modelco Face Base Skin Primer

My first primer ever. I can't forget while looking through a magazine, I saw this primer featured in and ad spread, further more a Modelco outlet was opening in Mall of the Emirates and they said things would be on a limited time offer sale.

The feature also said that this was the secret to the flawless skin you always saw on models but just could not recreate yourself (hello photoshop?) So this is the stuff that makes the magic I thought...I had not yet dipped my toes into the waters of primers...

But boy did I take the plunge...this is really amazing.

DIY Eye Primer

Since I've done posts previously on eye bases and primers (click here) and cream eye shadows (click here); and while the subject is still fresh, I'd like the opportunity to share a recipe on how to make your own eye primer, completely free of cost at home.

To test this primer, I swatched a NYX single eyeshadow in shade "Springleaf". The first swatch is the eyeshadow without primer, the second with Urban Decay Primer Potion and the third with my own home made primer:

Eyeshadow, UDPP, DIY primer

Corresponding swatches

Clash of the Eye Primers: Urban Decay Primer Potion vs Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

So what do eye primers do...I mean what is their function exactly? So far as all the key words regarding this makeup product is concerned, they are 'long lasting', 'more true to color, pigmented' and 'prevents creasing'.

Now its true that these do all the above to some capacity. Obviously every individual's skin type if different. Very oily eyelids  may need a cream eyeshadow or something extra, some people may find that its just the same anyway.

So here I want to put 2 primers to the test...one, the giant of all primers- the all famous UDPP and the other the lesser known the Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base.

On the left: UDPP (sample size)

On the right: Essence Base (full size)

So I picked up some random Revlon 12 hour Colorstay eyeshadows and swatched them without any base:

I picked 3 shades, a light one, a medium toned and a dark shade.