Essence Cosmetics - Summer Must-Tries

(l-r: lipgloss, lipstick, blush palette)

Essence Cosmetics instantly reminds me of brands like Cover Girl and MUA that are easy on the wallet yet don't compromise with colour payoff and seasonal offerings. Great to experiment with or to present to a teenager who is just getting into makeup! The lip colours are super fun to play around with. The Lip Gloss in Red is packed with pigment and has a lovely glossy finish to it. Perfect for when you want to amp up the glamour and go all out. Hell, I'd pair it with generous coatings of mascara and a graphic liner to take it to the 'pin-up' level. The lipstick quite innovatively is called 'Fade your shade'. On applying individually, it's a vampy oxblood kind of a shade however when applied on top of lip colours from the same family, it works cleverly at giving the edges a slept it, smudged-out, gradient effect. Pretty neat!

The Sculpting Blush Palette houses simple yet sweet shades - a classic barely there pink, a flushed sunset pink and a champagne highlight. The silky textures apply easily and leave a barely there hint for those of you afraid to go heavy with colour on the cheeks. I'd personally throw this in my holiday makeup bag. Seeing how many high-end blushers international travel has crumbled during transit, I would suggest you travel with something inexpensive, comprehensive and lightweight and this ticks all boxes. The cheek colours have a matte finish, perfect to slap on with those tinted moisturisers and lip tints in the summer. Check out their uber animated website HERE.