Guest Post by Christina
This is a product that I got as a gift from my sister in law who lives in Belgium. I am not familiar with their products but after using the lipstick and reading others reviews I found it to be a good product. It is produced in Germany and is mostly sold in the E.U. and in the U.S. The one reason I decided to review this lipstick was because of their devotion to the 'cruelty against animals' cause. For those of your who do not know me I am an animal activist and I have stopped using animal tested products. Essence is strictly against any kind of animal testing whatsoever. It is absolutely awful to torture animals for the sake of beauty products
Their products stand for trendy and high quality cosmetics at a sensational low prices because they do not use costly advertisements using models or celebrities, expensive tv spots or print ads in magazines.
Product Description:
# 40 Look at Me is part of the 2012 spring/summer collection. I used an Essence product for the first time. I liked how it felt and if given a chance I would like to try out other colours and a different finish, because frosty lipsticks are for a younger lot than me. I would not even feel guilty about over spending because essence products are a fantastic buy for makeup fanatics looking to stock up on a budget.
They have added two more shades to their spring/summer collection and so all of the 16 colors have been bumped up to the fall/winter season 2012.
Price & Quantity: $ 2.49, $4 AUD for 4 gms
Key Ingredients: Not mentioned on the tube but it is mentioned in a PDF file on the site. Few key ingredients would be castor seed oil, lanolin, paraffin,carnauba wax and avocado oil. The rest are chemical names.
My Experience with Essence 40 Look at Me Lipstick :
Packaging: These lipsticks come in color-coded packaging. That means the lipstick tube is the exact same color as the lipstick making it easy to reach for your favourite shade. When you open the tube, the top half of the inner tube is plastic and it is not a problem really. You can see how much product is left at all times. My only problem is that these lipsticks do not come with any kind of seal!
Colour, Consistency & Texture: It is a sizzling sheer beige-brown that lights up your lips with a soft gleam. It is a frosty lipstick with some shimmer but it is not over the top at all. If you are looking for a creamy nude color that doesn't lean too pink or too beige this is definitely it. Almost close to MAC blankety lipstick excluding the frost and the cheap price. I hardly got any smell when I used it. In the pictures I have also lined my lips with a bit of a rose coloured liner and that totally changed how the colour looked on my lips. I was quite happy to use it like that.
How it works: This lipstick is soft and velvety to apply. It does contain shimmer along with being frosty. It does not settle in lip lines but one must exfoliate the lips before using this. Frosty colours do tend to draw an audience and you wouldn't want dry flaky bits of skin peeking out from beneath it would you?
Pros of Essence 40 Look at Me Lipstick:
- Inexpensive - Budget brand
- Easy to use
- Does not test its products on animals
- Does not settle in lip lines
- Pretty nude colour
- Goes on smoothly
- The shimmer is not gaudy
- Colour co-ordinated container
- Even Application
- Long Lasting
- Moisturizing
- Pleasant Tasting
- True colour swatch
- As good as a high-end brand
Cons of Essence 40 Look at Me Lipstick :
- Limited selection of colors
- Not available in India
- Frosty shade that most Indian skin tones cannot carry off
- Availability is limited
- Not available online yet
- Not suitable for work because it's frosty
- Does not come packed or sealed. It can be tested at the store
Makeup and Beauty Home Rating: 3.55
Would I Repurchase Essence 40 Look at Me Lipstick ? Yes and no. No, not that colour but yes different shades and other products by the brand.
A note of warning: Frosty and shimmery high gloss lipsticks look best on the young because these draw a great deal of attention to lips so becareful when you select lipstick. It is not just about color but also about the finish. As you age you cannot ignore the fact that certain colours become a total no no. Matte lipstick is best on certain age groups and so are glossy, high sheen lipstick styles.
It's only a while before you will start seeing this brand on our online cosmetics shopping sites, something like ELF that has flooded the market. You can visit the website for more information. It is a very, very pretty and fresh site and I am sure all of you are going to go bonkers looking at it.
