What's New In From Essence This Spring/Summer

-If a product is marked with an * then it was PR/Gifted to me. This post contains no paid content-

 Cruelty-free brand Essence have recently released their Spring/Summer range and they kindly sent over a selection of the products for me to try before they were released. So in this post, I'm going to be talking about each product, the price and my overall thoughts. All of the products are super affordable as always and are available to buy from Wilko and/or Feel Unique.

First up is the BYE BYE PANDA EYES! Mascara RRP £3.50* which has an oil-free and vegan formula which wraps itself around your lashes like a gentle film. Obviously, as the name suggests, the product shouldn't clump, crumble or smudge throughout the day. I'm in two minds about this mascara if I'm being totally honest. I agree that it doesn't smudge or crumble during the day but because the brush is quite a basic brush, it just doesn't do much for my lashes personally. When it comes to mascaras I tend to sway towards a brush that's got some sort of curve going on in the middle because I feel like it helps my lashes to curl and stay curled as well as adding some volume and this doesn't do that for me, unfortunately. I guess it depends on your preference and how your lashes behave though. I wouldn't write this mascara off and say it's no good, it just doesn't work for my temperamental lashes.

The My SKIN PERFECTOR Tinted Primer RRP £4* really reminds of Benefit's Original Porefessional Primer with a bit more of a tint. However, because of its mousse-like texture, it's a lot more lightweight and more breathable on the skin. It's a nice product to use when you want a smooth base and a hint of coverage but you don't want to opt for a tinted moisturiser or a foundation. It also works well underneath makeup too. I do really like this primer and it's gone straight into my makeup bag. I do think there could be more shades because right now, there's only three - 10 Light Beige, 20 Nude Beige and 30 Medium Beige.

The other product in the new my SKIN PERFECTOR range is the my SKIN PERFECTOR Loose Fixing Powder RRP £3.80*. I have the shade 20 Nude and unfortunately, it's just a tiny bit too dark for me. Again, I think the shade range could be better because there are only two shades in the range. Even though the powder is a tiny bit too dark for me, I have tried it out anyway to see how it works and I do think it would make a nice everyday powder. It does give your skin a slightly blurred effect like it claims. So if you're looking for a setting powder and would suit either a Light or Nude shade then this might be one to consider!

Next is the gorgeous Witch Side Eyeshadow Palette RRP £10* which I literally said "wow" about when I opened the PR package. It's so pretty and the shades are right up my street! I love the design of the packaging with the holographic open/closed eyes on the front. (I think it's called holographic anyway?). The palette itself offers 15 shades and a range of matte, metallic and glittery shades. It's just a really pretty, versatile palette which you can create so many looks from. My favourite shades are Shadowy, Magic, Talisman and Enchanted. It really is a stunning eyeshadow palette, I also think it would make a nice gift for someone too.

Another palette from the new Spring/Summer range is The NUDE Edition Eyeshadow Palette RRP £4* which is also available in the ROSE Edition for the same price. It contains 10 shades altogether which are a mixture of matte and shimmer shades which all compliment each other nicely. I would say the shimmer shades are the stand out in this palette because they are insanely pigmented for the price. 

They've also released some new liquid lipsticks which are the Stay 8h Matte Liquid Lipstick RRP £3*. There are 9 shades to choose from in total and I have the shade 05 Date Proof which is a mid-pink kind of shade which I think is a pretty shade for Spring. I do like Essence lipsticks in general because they always smell really nice (usually on the sweet side), feel comfortable to wear and they tend to hold up well too. I'll admit I haven't worn this shade for 8 hours but it does seem to have a good amount of staying power and for £3 it's a total steal. I'm already eyeing up a couple of more shades, particularly 02 Duck Face and 03 Down to Earth.

Next is the Coconut Kiss Caring Lip Peeling RRP £2.30* which is a gentle lip scrub. I'm not going to lie, I like quite abrasive lip scrubs (such as the Barry M lip scrubs) because I feel like they really do make a big difference. The Essence one is okay and it is a lot more gentle on your lips with it containing 10% almond oil and coconut rasps as the "scrub" aspect but I feel like it doesn't work as well as a sugar scrub. To me, it just feels like I'm applying a lip balm with bits of coconut in it. It does smell really nice though and it's a good option if you prefer something more gentle! 

Essence have also relaunched their Nail Care range and have sent me the new Nail & Cuticle Cream RRP £2*, Jelly Nail Polish Remover RRP £2.80* and Anti Split File RRP £1.30* from the range. The Nail & Cuticle Cream contains coconut oil and it really nice to apply when you're having a pamper to get your nails looking and feeling rejuvenated. I also find the cream less messy than using cuticle oil. The Jelly Nail Polish Remover has a soft pineapple scent which covers up the smell of the nail polish remover a little which I definitely appreciate because the smell of normal nail polish really gets to me and sometimes give me a headache. I have however found that using the jelly nail polish remover does require a little more work to get the nail polish completely off. Lastly is the Anti Split File which has been created for people with thin and brittle nails. It is a good nail file and I definitely prefer these type of nail files over the flimsy ones you get in a pack from Poundland or somewhere.

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