Essence Summer Collection 2015 – Swatches & Review

Hey guys! Every summer we have fabulous trends to try out with some great new product releases. Essence always comes up with unique ideas to make our summer more colourful and they did not disappoint this year either. I was delighted to receive a lovely PR package from Essence Pakistan earlier this season. It contained amazing products from their new summer collection. There was a mono eye shade, blush, nude nail polish and a gel top coat. I will be reviewing them all together in this post so are you ready? Let’s get started!

Essence Silky Touch Blush-90 “Summer Dreaming”

Product Claims

A fresh complexion is essential for perfect style! You can set gorgeous, natural-looking highlights in soft as well as brighter shades on your cheeks with this silky-soft blush.

What Do I Think?

Now, I happen to have a blush (Adorable) from this range already and love it to bits. Summer Dreaming is a light coral colour with an almost neon quality to it. Although it looks quite light, there was no lack of pigmentation. It seemed like something that would only suit pale to far skin tones when I swatched it on my arm. However, on my cheeks, it presented an entirely different story. The colour just popped on my face screaming summer even when used lightly. You can easily build it up to the desired intensity. The blending is wonderful and the lasting power more so. On my combination skin it was still fresh after 5-6 hours in hot humid weather. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the micro shimmer just adds to its cuteness and summery appeal. I experienced no fallout in the pan or during application. I found the packaging to be very sturdy and pocket friendly plus I loved the swirly embossed, pattern which is not easily ruined. In my opinion, 5 g of shimmery coral goodness at this price is a really sweet deal!

Price

PKR 470

Pros

Richly pigmented

Dreamy blending

Micro shimmer gives soft glow

No fallout

Great lasting power

Travel friendly packaging

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

Mono Eye Shadow - 15 "Hazel Me Not!"

Product Claims

The soft powder eye shadows are easy to apply and blend for long-lasting results. The texture feels wonderfully pleasant on your lids and has a cool wave embossment. Different colours and effects ranging from matt to shimmering to slightly metallic give you lots of choice and ensure the perfect eye make-up for every occasion.

What Do I Think?

I have tried a few mono shades from Essence before and my experience has been good so far. Hazel Me Not! reminds me of my favourite hazelnut flavoured coffee so the name does describe the shade quite well. It is a pale milky brown colour which is best seen on my lid in the EOTD above. On my neutral fair skin, it serves as a gorgeous nude for a no makeup look. I don’t think it will show up very well as a lid shade on medium to dark skin tones. However, it may be blended in the crease as a transition colour especially for neutral looks. There is no apparent shimmer but for some reason, I believe this is satin and not matte. The texture is unbelievably soft with effortless blending and zero fallout. It just happens to be a pale shade but it does not disappoint in the pigmentation department. I have worn this twice on my lids during the monsoon. It creased around 4-5 hours after application in extreme heat and humidity. The second time, it stayed put even after 5-6 hours. It will only crease quickly in extreme weather if you don’t have oily lids. It was worn over my current favourite matte eye primer from Makeup Revolution. The packaging is clear sturdy plastic with a flat top, which is easy to store and carry around. I hope they keep the flat top design because I find the dome shaped ones take too much space.

Price

PKR 280

Pros

Decent pigmentation

Good lasting power

Superb blending and texture

Pocket friendly

Easily stored

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

I Love TRENDS Nail Polish The Nudes - 05 "Pure Soul"

Product Claims

Only nude… is sure to make the hearts of all nail polish fans beat faster this season! The I ♥ TRENDS nail polishes cover your nails in light nude shades. The selection of different colours and effects is huge. The long-lasting formula ensures permanently pampered nails.

What Do I Think?

First of all, what a beautiful name for a beautiful shade! This is a pearl white colour with stunning fine pastel multi-coloured shimmer. The packaging is compact not to mention, adorable. I am not a nail polish gal because I just don’t have the patience to learn the skill of nail painting. I am trying to polish my skills *pun intended* but that will take time. I apologize for my lacquer application which is, in the words of Simon Cowell, “Absolutely horrendous!” Since I am a complete klutz in this area, I was expecting it to be really hard. After trying on other brands and failing miserably, I realized this applicator and formula is close to perfect. The density of the brush and its flat shape made it easy to apply a single coat in just three strokes per nail. I thought the formula was too thin at first but it went opaque in only two coats. Two to three minutes was the maximum time for each coat to dry. I did not wear it for more two days but the quality was apparent. It was not difficult to remove but it didn’t chip easily either. If you are a beginner, love nude nail polishes or looking for a festive touch with a subtle base, this is for you.

Price

PKR 335

Pros

Quick drying

Goes opaque in two coats

Good lasting power

User friendly applicator

Cute sturdy packaging

Affordable

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

The Gel Nail Polish Top Coat

Product Claims

The revolution in nails – easy like nail polish, amazing like gel! The innovative base coat and top coat formula improves the durability of the “gel nail polish” by 60 percent! The nails are given an extreme, long-lasting gel-shine finish without the need for an LED or UV lamp. Simply apply the gel nail polish base coat and let it dry completely. Then apply the gel nail polish in the colour of your choice and let this dry well, too. For a perfect finish, all you need now is a coat of the gel nail polish top coat – and you’re done! The nail style is easy to remove using conventional nail polish remover.

What Do I Think?

Since, I don’t have any sense about using base or top nail coats, I simply applied this one over the nude one as you can see. I was surprised at how the shimmer became twice as prominent with this clear gel finish. Drying did not take more than two to three minutes with a thin coat. The lasting power was definitely increased as it formed a sort of protective shield over the original nail polish. The formula was slightly problematic for me as it felt like very thin glue with its gel-like consistency. If you are not careful about spilling the product around the neck, then crusts may be formed. However, those are easily removed and don’t cause too much trouble. The applicator was similar to the nude nail polish so I had no complaints about it. If you wish to transform your regular nail colours into gel ones then this is a good option.

Price

PKR 470

Pros

Gives a brilliant shiny gel finish

Increases longevity of original nail paint

User friendly applicator

Attractive packaging

Cons

Formula maybe hard to apply

May dry to form crust around the neck

My Rating

4/5

So, these were my thoughts on the items from the latest Essence summer collection 2015. You can get your hands on this range from any store with an Essence Kiosk.

Have your tried any new products from this range?

Love,

Sadaf

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