Essence Summer Blogger Parade Look

As many of you may know, Essence is one of my favourite cheaper brands and I am always excited to try more of their products. I have a selection of their newer releases including the new and improved Sun Club Bronzer and the new gel polishes *no UV lamp needed*

Apart from the regular Essences polishes, I haven't tried any of these specific products. The *Essence Gel Nail Polish in Blue Bubble Di Blue is a perfect shade for summer, it applies so well as all Essence polishes do. I used the *Essence Gel Base Coat and *Essence Gel Topcoat but sadly the longevity wasn't fantastic as I experienced chipping and tip wear after three days however I do like Essence polishes on the whole and for the price they are definitely worth a try! Also the polish looks so shiny, it is almost plastic looking!

The first makeup product I tried was the *Essence Soft Touch Mousse Makeup (04 Matt Ivory) which I have to say, isn't 'Ivory' but it is the only Essence foundation that almost matches my very fair skin! The foundation feels so spongy and bouncy, it's very strange to touch but it applies quickly and easily with fingers, a brush or a sponge. The foundation gives a skin like finish although it can sometimes highlight flakiness/dryness so a sponge is best in my opinion. I actually love this foundation, it isn't very dewy as all of my other foundations are but it gives a natural, light/medium coverage and it works really well on my sister combination skin too. 

The next product I tried out was the new gorgeous *Essence Sun Club 2 in 1 Bronzing Powder (10 Sunshine) which is a bronzer and highlighter in one compact. You probably won't be able to see it on my skin in the before and after photos above as the highlighter and bronzer are both natural and subtle which is amazing for my very fair skin. This product will definitely be a staple in my summer makeup bag!

To carry on with the pretty, natural bronze look I used the *Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow (15 Hello Goldie) which sadly smashed in delivery but I was still able to use the remains. The shade is a gorgeous metallic golden beige shade. To finish the eyes, I used the *Essence Plump No Clump Mascara (black) which is one of the very few Essence mascaras I haven't tried and it has to be one of my faves! It is more on the natural side but it is very black, it doesn't clump, it gives great length and volume however it doesn't hold a curl too well. 

Finally, the lips and Essence lipsticks are some of my favourite products from the brand. I have the shade '07 Natural Beauty' and it's a perfect my lips but better shade with pink undertones. I use it on a regular basis and I would definitely recommend Essence lipsticks. 

Overall, I am so impressed with the foundation, bronzer/highlighter, mascara and I have always been a fan of their mascara and polishes. Essence is definitely one of my favourite cheaper brands but even though the price is low, the quality isn't compromised! 

What do you think of my natural, bronzy summer look ft. Essence? What are your favourite products from Essence?

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Essence Day to Night Challenge

Essence is one of my favourite cheaper makeup brands since they launched in the UK back in July last year (I was very kindly invited to the launch in manchester which was amazing and I received a gigantic bag of goodies to try - best blogger event ever!). I have been challenged to create a day to night look using only Essence products as as few products as possible...as with my previous Essence challenge I did cheat a little bit!

Here is my first look, the day time look which features a shimmery nude eyeshadow, glossy pink lips, light coverage and a tonne of mascara for a bright eyed, fresh look!

Firstly, I used the Essence CC Clear & Correct Cream in the shade Natural which I believe is the lightest shade - I had to use it VERY sparingly as it is far too dark for my pale skin tone. To add coverage and to match my skin better, I cheated and used the Essence Stay All Day Concealer in 10 Natural Beige which matches my skin pretty perfectly. It's a shame that the concealers are light enough but Essence don't made foundations/CC creams in lighter shades. 

Next up the eyes, I used an Essence product that I hadn't tried before, the Essence 3D Eyeshadow in 08 Irrisistable Vanilla Latte. I used the creamy shade all over the lid, brow bone and inner corner for a light wash of shimmer and it really brightens the eyes. For mascara I used the Essence Get Big Lashes Volume Curl Mascara in Black which is amazing for definition and length, in my opinion. For brows I actually used the Essence Long-lasting Eye Pencil in 02 Hot Chocolate which is matte and when used very lightly, can be great as a brow pencil - just brush through otherwise it will look crazy!

To finish the look I used the Essence lipstick in 44 Almost Famous. You could use this shade as a creamy blush if you wanted. You could also set the makeup with the incredibly amazing Essence Fixing Powder which I will always re-purchase. Now onto my night look using the same five/six products from Essence. 

This look is great if you already have your day makeup on and you need a couple of products to transform your look quickly and easily. To change up the day look, I used the Essence Long-lasting Eye Pencil in 02 Hot Chocolate to line the lower and upper lash lines as well as the lower waterline for definition. Blend with a brush or your fingers. To finish the eyes, I add more shimmer with the peachy shade from the Essence 3D Eyeshadow. 

To finish the look I add more of the Essence Lipstick in 44 Almost Famous which is a pretty pinky red shade. It is quite glossy and it is perfect for spring/summer. Again you could top up with the Essence Fixing Powder. 

Overall, I love Essence products, they are amazing especially for the price! You can easily create a couple of day and night looks with only five/six products. I would have loved to add more products such as brow gel and contouring but you can easily create a day or night look with so few products. You can buy Essence products from select Wilkinsons stores and on the Wilkinsons website. 

What do you think of the day and night look I created? What are your favourite products from Essence? 

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