Essence First Impressions

Essence is a German budget brand that has recently launched in Wilkos, with prices ranging from £1-£4. These are the first Essence items I have tried, after seeing them featured on a few blogs recently. I didn't have much of an idea about which products to get, so I just picked up a few that took my fancy. 

The first product I picked was the Get Big Lashes mascara. This was £2.79, so by far the cheapest mascara I have tried in recent times. It has a huge curved brush which works really well to coat the lashes with the product. It claims to offer volume and curl, which I think it achieves, as well as good definition and separation of the lashes. It feels really lightweight on the lashes, and is build able to give a big lash look. 

I already much prefer this to Rimmel's newest release, their Wonder'full mascara, and I am glad I picked this up. Downfalls to this mascara are that it flakes slightly underneath the eyes, and really isn't very water-resistant at all! I am also keen to try their I Love Extreme mascara, which was recommended by Essence in reply to a tweet I sent out asking what to look out for. I love that Essence have a very good social media presence, much like Makeup Revolution, and take the time to reply to tweets, or to thank you if you've featured them in a post. 

Next up is the XXXL Lipgloss in Velvet Rose. This is one of their matte finishes, which really intrigued me. It has kind of a moussy texture, with a thin flat applicator which works really well. One of the things that stands out about this product is it's scent. It smells like a delicious combo of strawberries, vanilla and caramel. It applies well into the lips, to produce a lightweight veil of colour. It seems not to dry, however, and although it initially looks smooth, it tends to look a bit patchy if you rub your lips together. I'm not 100% sure I'll get much use of this lipgloss. 

I also picked up the All About Nude palette, which was £3.50. This is actually a pretty fresh change from most neutral palettes, as this features pretty pink and plum shades. Pigmentation is pretty average for drugstore shadows, and as a palette it's all a little too shimmery for my liking, but I do like the plum, taupe and matte pink shades. 

Finally, I got the Long Lasting Eye Pencil. I've been after a bronze pencil for so long, and this was pretty cheap so I thought I'd try it. It is well pigmented, but has flecks of glitter in it, so I'm not sure if it's quite what I'm after. It looks good on the waterline and upper lash line and blends out well. On first impressions, my experience with Essence has been mixed. I'd like to try a few of the other mascaras, and the nail polishes have had great press, so I'll be looking out for other well-reviewed products to try. Let me know any recommendations! 

Have you tried anything from Essence?