By request: Essence lipstick review

Hi Everyone

Just checked in with Blogger Help and the comments issue is still outstanding - Sorry, still no comments from me but rest assured I'm reading all your blog posts daily!  Thanks to everyone for all your lovely comments on my last Essence nail polish post.  Now for something else in the Essence line...

Vintage Makeup has requested a full review on Essence lipsticks.  I purchased these three lippies from the line to road test.

L-R:
Like a Lady (hot pink creme)

Fairytale (mauve-pink shimmer)

Fashionista (deep nude creme)

Swatched:

Overall, I've been happy with the performance of these budget-priced lipsticks.  They offer medium colour coverage, which is quite buildable. They're a satiny finish, and not too slick or slippery so the colour doesn't bleed or slide off the lips.   Because these lipsticks are targeted at a younger market they have a couple of cute things about them, firstly, the faint candy scent (which I like) and the lipstick case is colour-matched to the lipstick inside so you don't have to open the tube to find your favourite colour.

What are the cons?  These are pretty minor really when you consider the price is less than $5AUD.  The wear time is average and you'll need to reapply every couple of hours as the colour does fade off the lips. The packaging is quite flimsy, allowing the lipstick to easily twist up and jam inside the lid.   The final thing is the colour range is fairly limited with less than a dozen colours available in Australia.  The shades include shimmery nudes, a few pinks, and some plums, suitable for the younger fashionistas!

I chose the hot pink shade Like a Lady because it looked like a possible dupe for one of my favourite pink MAC lipsticks, Lustering.  Looking at the lipsticks in the tube and swatched on the back of my hand they're pretty close.  Lustering is little darker and has a more glossy finish but I think Like a Lady is a passable dupe if you don't want to spend the money on a MAC:

L-R:

Lustering, Like a Lady

All in all Essence lipsticks are worth checking out if you're on a budget - and you can get your hands on them!  Australian readers can purchase these at selected Priceline stores.

I hope you found this post useful.

Enjoy your weekend!

Vita :)