It has gotten much, much easier for animal loving beauty junkies to find products outside of Whole Foods. But most of my favorite brands that live up to PETA’s standards AND have the long-lasting, absolutely-not-found-in-nature pigmentation I require cost more than a vegan egg salad sandwich. Enter: Essence Cosmetics, a European cosmetics line with all the metallics and glitter liner you could want for roughly the cost of a latte.
I started small with the Long Lasting Lipstick in Wear Berries, a muted fuchsia, and On the Catwalk, a soft cranberry alternative to classic red. These go on smoothly without balm or lip liner, and have a light, old school fragrance.
I don’t usually care much about how a product smells, but the Sun Club All-in-One Bronzing Highlighter is DIVINE. Honestly, the smell may be what won me over to this brand. It smells just like summer, with hints of coconut and suntan lotion. The deeper shade is a bit dark for me, but I kept huffing it until I could pass it along to a less ginger friend. Seriously, so delicious. The shimmer factor nixes this product as a contour shade, but the mix of champagne, coral and cocoa look lovely as an all-over product when you’re working with a tan.
Totally converted by the yummy Sun Club bronzer, I whipped out the Metal Glam Eye Shadows. At first glance, I took these as dupes for another animal-friendly cosmetic brand’s eyeshadows, albeit one with a much higher price-point and grungier packaging. These are seriously metallic with dense, silky pigment.
This is what you dreamed eyeshadow would be like when you were a little girl obsessed with Lisa Frank! To hold onto even more of the shimmer, use a shimmer pencil across your lid as a base. The Essence Stays No Matter What Eye Pencil/Shadows are blendable, water-proof and make a smooth base for any metallic eye look. You could also smudge them up for a glam smoky eye.
I saved the mascara for last, because I am generally picky and layer 3 mascaras on every day until you can’t tell what brand is in fact responsible for my spider lashes. Lash Mania Reloaded Mascara is a STEAL at $4.99. The “innovative elastomer brush with star-shaped bristles” is, in fact, awesome. If you also like your lashes so voluminous that it’s borderline obscene, get this. Get BIG Lashes Triple Black Mascara is more for a natural lashes type look.
Before
After: Get BIG Lashes Triple Black Mascara
After: Lash Mania Reloaded Mascara
Mascara Comparison:
COVERGIRL Bombshell Volume By Lashblast Mascara
This is a solid line for girls that like “makeup-makeup.” Heavy on shimmer and glitz and voluminous lashes, at a very un-glamorous price. Essence Cosmetics is NOW sold at select Walgreens locations and ALL products are under $5!!!
You can purchase all reviewed and mentioned items using our site, www.BeautyStat.com!
Have you beauties heard of Essence Cosmetics before? Will you be checking out their line in Walgreens?
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– Mandie Williams | Follow Mandie on Twitter @mandiethekid & Instagram @KIDWILLIAMS
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