Essence Liquid Lipsticks

Glossy lips are back! and of course many brands are already launching their own line of lip products to give us the shiniest, most attention-vying pouts.

With countless colors and finishes to choose from already, there will be plenty more options added to the list in the coming months. Today however, it’s all about Essence Liquid Lipsticks, which offer the quality of a high end product, at a bargain price…

Essence Liquid Lipsticks

Essence is a European drugstore brand renowned for their affordable yet high quality makeup. Their line ranges from eye, lip and cheek products to nail polish. They’re also cruelty free which is so nice to see in a drugstore brand.

I first discovered Essence products couple of years ago when I was searching for a bright turquoise eyeliner…(you know, it can be a necessity at any given moment :) I ended up purchasing an Essence eye pencil and I was so impressed with the quality, I even did a bright eye makeup tutorial with it.

It was after this purchase that I always kept an eye on new products from this brand and these Liquid Lipsticks have been essential additions to my collection. Way ahead of the glossy lip game; I’m up to my fourth tube of the nude color. That’s how often I reach for this product!

Essence Liquid Lipsticks: 03 Almost Real; 04 Show Off; 06 Make A Statement  

Essence Liquid Lipsticks: 03 Almost Real; 04 Show Off; 06 Make A Statement

Before I get into the details, let me just get the price out the way: These babies retail at $3.49! That’s it. Of course, being a drugstore brand, you can even find them cheaper during sales and/or if you have coupons.

Considering I’ve used high end lipsticks and glosses – some costing $40 a pop (and don’t even perform half as good); these lipsticks are definitely worth every cent of that $3.49.

There’s 4ml/0.13fl oz of product in each bottle which is not huge, but given the color payoff, it goes a long way. The bottle itself is clear so the actual color of the product shows through. The wand is a traditional doe-foot sponge applicator. It tapers to a fine tip and the sides are pinched to give it a flat surface for precise application.

Essence Liquid Lipsticks

The pigmentation factor is out of this world so I can understand why they call it a “liquid lipstick”, however I would categorize them more as an “opaque gloss” because of the high shine factor.

The texture is creamy and applies evenly distributing a great amount of color pretty much at first swipe. They can be dabbed on with fingers for a soft sheer finish or applied with the wand for the full opaque effect. There’s enough color to wear them on their own or layer over lip liners and other lipsticks for different effects.

The formula is moisturizing, doesn’t feel sticky and wears off evenly. The scent is sweet, like a very mild vanilla/cup cake type of smell. It’s not very strong though and disappears after application. There’s a hint of sweet taste to the gloss but again, nothing offensive.

Here are the swatches: First one shows the color intensity (one swipe); second shows the shine factor:

Essence Liquid Lipsticks: 03 Almost Real; 04 Show Off; 06 Make A Statement

Essence Liquid Lipsticks: 03 Almost Real; 04 Show Off; 06 Make A Statement

The nude color Almost Real is my personal favorite. It’s actually THE lip product that I have in couple of purses, as well as in my personal makeup kit. I really don’t like not having this lipstick around. It’s just the perfect companion to any other nude lip product, softens up the lips instantly and wears beautifully. Who doesn’t love that right!

There are three other colors within this line which are just as stunning. If you love your lip products and want to ease into the glossy lip trend without breaking the budget, these lipsticks will pretty much cover all your color options. Here are the other shades:

Essence products can be found at Ulta, Walgreens and Target. Stock variety and availability can vary from store to store but the colors are quite universal that any skin tone would be able to make any of these colors work.

Are you excited about the gloss trend or would you rather stick to matte lips?