Brand Overview: Essence Cosmetics

Hi loves,
Today, I thought I'd do a brand review on Essence cosmetics and just tell you all about my favourite products from the brand.
Essence is a German drugstore brand that first caught my eye ...many many moons ago on my first overseas trip, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. way before it became available in South Africa. I was super-excited when it became available in Clicks and Dischem. It's a cruelty-free brand, that's super-affordable and they make amazing colour products; my favourites are the nail polishes and the eyeliners. Below, I talk about my impressions of the different types of products and my favourites and not-favourites.

Lip products
The best lipsticks from Essence always seem to be part of a limited edition range: I've swatched lipsticks from the permanent range but I'm never impressed. I've picked up the limited edition lipsticks though. I love the formula of the Lights of the Orient lipsticks; 02 Bellydancing queen is my favourite from the collection and 03 Princess Jasmine's Choice paired with the Miss you much lipliner gives a mauvey nude.

Soft neutral look with the Lights of the Orient eye shadow palette and the Metal art  lip & liner in 02 you're mermazing.
On my lips is 03 Princess Jasmine's Choice with the Jumbo 2-in-1 lip pencil.

I recently tried the metal shock lipsticks and liquid lipsticks from the Metal Shock collection; I love the formula of the lipsticks, they're very comfortable to wear and highly pigmented. the Liquid lipsticks are pigmented but they feel more like lipgloss and don't have very good staying power.

Essence Metal Shock Lipstick in 07 Venom

It's a bit loud... but I love it.

Eye Products
Essence eyeliners are the best you can find at the drugstore, especially given the price you're paying. My favourites are the long-lasting liners: I have them in five colours and they last all day without fading.
Eye shadows are not my favourite; I've tried the palette from the Lights of the Orient collection, it's decent but it doesn't have any mattes in it, so you need to pair it with mattes from elsewhere.

I recently tried out the Metal Shock shadows; these are really good dupes for the Stila liquid shadows. The pigmentation is amazing, you don't get any fallout and they don't fade or crease during the day.

Metal Shock shadow in 03 galaxy rocks, matte shadows used for transition and crease are from the Saharan II palette from Juvia's Place. 

Moonlight cream shadows are also new; I've tried the shade cosmic, which is a duo-chrome brown with teal micro glitter. This shadow feels a bit wet, and has a consistency and feel similar to that of the Colourpop Supershock highlighters.

Moonlight eyes cream shadow in 03 cosmic with matte shadows from the Nubian II palette from Juvia's Place. 

Face products
Now this is where I feel Essence needs to put in more effort, because this is just sad. I've tried out the mousse foundation: it applies well but they do feel heavy on my skin. They dark shades also run a bit orange, which doesn't suit me, since I have neutral undertones. But they don't last all day and they transfer quite easily.

Nail products
The nail range from essence is probably my favourite of the lot. It's super  affordable  and just delivers as well as or even better than some of the high end nail products.
The colour selection and pigmentation is impressive and at R29.95 its a no-brainer.

Their base and top coats are the best I've ever tried; they wear better than Sally Hansen and Ciaté. My manicure usually lasts at least 5 days before it starts to chip. They range in price from R49.95 to R54.95.

The Metal Shock limited Edition range has some polish and powders and I'm really enjoying the Metal Shock Powders and they're really fun to play with. I've been using them for the last month to do metallic and duo-chrome manicures and I'm really impressed with the results.

Current favourites

Final thoughts: My holy grail products from Essence are definitely the nail products, they always come through for me. The Metal Shock products for nails and eyes are keepers, but it's a pity they're limited edition. They're still available in Clicks stores, so now's the time to get them.

Have you tried anything from Essence? What are your favourites? Comment below.

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

Urban Decay Cape Town Opening & My UD Lipstick Collection

Hi all,
This past weekend, I attended the long-awaited opening of the newest Urban Decay store in South Africa at the V&A Waterfront. So, I dragged my BFF to the waterfront and we stood in line for an hour before getting into the store; Can I just say, the wait was worth it. Portia Luma (Deep & Afro House DJ) livened the atmosphere and there were giveaways for those waiting in the queue. 

I had a couple things in mind that have been on my wish list for quite sometime, but I like to swatch and try things before committing. lipsticks were on the agenda, since swatching a couple of them in Singapore a couple of weeks ago. I didn't buy them then, because they're cheaper here 😊.

Let the swatchfest begin...

Me and my BFF swatching like we've never swatched before

 I took advantage of the opening specials and made use of the 4 for 3 special: I picked 3 lipsticks
(R 240.00) to add to my collection as well as a tube of the primer potion eyeshadow primer in caffeine (R 320).

I've done lip swatches of the all the UD lip products in my collection:

Lipstick is My Vice 💋 Conspiracy (Metallized), Psycho and Heroine (both Comfort Matte)

I'm absolutely in love with the Vice lipsticks, especially the comfort matte formula since, it doesn't dry my lips out at all. conspiracy is the perfect metallic nude for those deeper skin tones. Psycho is the perfect pink on everyone (it's also got iridescent blue sparkle 😍). And then there's Heroine..it's a blue lipstick, if you're daring enough go ahead and wear it. I dare you ...😉

Liquid lipsticks: My favourite shade is purple lipstick Pandemonium (Matte) and a metallic blue Time

All that Glitters 😎 Special Effects Lipcoats in Reverb "Purple with shifty pink-gold sparkle" (on top of Pandemonium) and Ritual "Smoky blue-gray glitter with iridescent 3D Sparkle" (on top of Heroine)

I picked the liquid lipsticks (R 290) and Special Effects lip coats (R 295)  in Singapore (along with De-slick and All-nighter setting sprays); I got Pandemonium ( a comfort matte bright purple) and Time ( a blue metallized lippy). Both are super comfortable and long-wearing; although a greasy lunch means you need to reapply).
I got the lipcoats in Rital and Reverb; they can be applied over any matte lipstick to add some sparkle. I love them! It takes some skill to apply an even coat, but the end-result is worth it. You also feel a bit of a tingle when they're first applied to the lip but that goes away within minutes. The lipcoats are budge-proof and you'll need an oil-based product  to remove them.

Things I still want to get...
1. De-slick Complexion Primer
2. Naked Skin Foundation
3. Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliners

That's it my pretties; I really enjoyed the store opening (my first ever). I want to thank the BFF coming with me. Makeup is so much more fun when it's a shared experience.
If you're a junkie like me, head over to the UD store; they've got makeup tutorial/lesson/demo services as well (for a price). For those that live far from Cape Town, Joburg and Pretoria; Foschini Beauty Online does stock UD products, with delivery for orders of R 500 or more.

What are items are you dying to try out from the Urban Decay range? Let me know in the comments section below.

'Till my next post, xoxo

April Hair & Beauty Favourites

 Hi loves,
Can you believe that it's almost winter? Time is flying ...faster than I would like.
I thought I'd share some of my favourites among the products I've been using recently.

1. Fountain - The Hair Molecule
I believe in taking multivitamins to supplement a healthy diet; they can't replace eating well but they do fill in some gaps. I've been taking Vital Hair, Skin & Nails for more than 5 years and they work really, but I was curious about liquid supplemments that have been launched in the last couple of years. I decided to try this food supplement from Deciem. I've been taking it for more than a month now (two teaspoons a day), I haven't done a length check but I've noticed that the amount of hair shed on wash day is much less. I'll be taking these for two more months before I do a full review.
Price: $ 39 (from Deciem) and ZAR 712 (from Bay One for Africa)

Image from www.deciem.com

2. The Ordinary - 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc
My second favourite is another one from Deciem, but the from the The Ordinary; which is one of their skincare ranges.  The premise behind this rnage is to provide effective skincare, at a reseaonable price. I decided to try the niacinamide (vitamin B3) solution (purchased from SAMIKA) as I've been struggling with hormonal breakout and subsequent blemishes. I've been using it every morning for the last month after cleansing and toning. The dark marks along my jawline have deifintely faded and my pores aren't as noticable anymore. It alos works really well under my makeup, so it's definitely a keeper. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other products from this range: I've got my eye on the Glycolic acid toner and the "buffet". 
Price: $ 5.90 (Deciem), ZAR 230 (SAMIKA) and ZAR 149.98 (Bay One for Africa)

Image from www.Deciem.com

3. My Natural Hair - Strengthening Oil
My Natural Hair is a locally produced haircare range that launched in 2016 (I've done a full review on all their products and you cna find it here). My hair is currently in a protective style; I've been wearing gypsy/bohemian faux locs for the last four weeks. I used this oil to seal moisture into my hair strands when I installed the locs. I've also been using as a scalp oil. I love using this oil because its light and non-greasy, easily absorbed.
Price: ZAR 79.99

Image from www.mynatural.co.za

4. Hada Labo - Mild Peeling Lotion
My friends travelled to Asia in April and I took this opportunity to request some asian skincare goodies. I've been wanting to try out peeling lotions but I didn't want to jump directly to strong acids, so I decided to start with this toner with gluconic acid. It's got a light acid scent not unlike highly diluted apple cider vinegar. I've been using it in the morinings after cleansing; It's refreshing and not drying at all. It's a keeper and I'll ahve to find a way of stocking up seeing as it's not readily availble in South Africa.
Price: MYR 54.80 (Watsons Malaysia)

Image from www.hadalabo.com.sg

5.  Lancôme - Teint Idole Ultra 24Hr in 14 Brownie
Change is season, comes with a change in skin tone; I get a shade lighter in the winter and my yellow undertones are more pronounced (my bb creams run a little too red) and this foundation is the only one I can wear all year round without getting "mask face" it's super light, so it doesn't feel like I'm wearing foundation. It's also long lasting, I wear it all day without re-touching. This is my absolute favourite foundation!
Price: $47 (USA Lancome website), ZAR 499.00 (www.woolworths.co.za)

Image from www.lancome.co.uk

6. Sephora - Cream Lip Stain in Always Red
whenever I wear this liquid lippy, I get nostalgic; this is the first ever liquid lipstick I ever purchased. I got it at a Sephora across the square from the Spanish steps in Rome. So when I wear it, I think of one my favourite cities. It's the perfect shade of red and it looks good on everyone. 

Image from www.sephora.com

 

Always Red

And those were my favourites last month.What products did you enjoy using last month?

See you in my next post, 

xoxo, 

Make-Up Review: OFRA Liquid Lipstick

At long last ..I'm finally putting pen bto paper to review the OFRA liqui lipsticks.
I've been using for about a year now, and I have them in 5 diffrent shades.

A little background information on OFRA cosmetics (www.ofracosmetics.com):
Created by Ofra Gaito and her husband 
They're based in Ft Lauderdale, Florida
They're cruelty-free (leaping bunny certified)
Their product range includes highlighters, lipstick, eyeshadows, foundation as well as skincare.

OFRA liquid lipsticks come in 45 shades including some collaboration shades with YouTube beauty influencers such as MannyMUA and Kathleen Lights.
The formula is thicker than some of the other brands I've tried like NYX and Stila; it drys to a comfortable matte that doesn't feel tight or dry. The great thing about these lippies is that they don't flake and feather. They last all day without the need for touching up as long as you stay away from that greasy burger. It's not completely transfer-proof, I do get some lip prints on my coffee mug but I still love this formula. Dare I say it's my favourite...

Here are some lip swatches

Havana Nights

Queens

Malibu

Atlantic City

Americano

Where to find them...
You can order directly from OFRA cosmetics.com in the USA, they retail for about U$20.
In South Africa, you can purchase your online from ofracosmeticssouthafrica.com or from SAMIKA. They retail for about ZAR 320. OFRA cosmetics SA currently has a Valentines Day promotion until 13 February, 30% off all orders when you use the following code at checkout Valentine30.
SAMIKA store also has a sale on OFRA products and the liquid lipsticks are going for ZAR 240.


That's it my lovelies,

until my next post xoxo,

N

Fake vs Real: ColourPop Cosmetics HIGHBALL Ultra Matte Lip

 Hey loves,
There's nothing that irks me more than fake brand makeup, especially when its fakes of really affordable brands like ColourPop. I was pretty shocked to find out these exist.
I'decided to write this post, after Belle BlusHH wrote on fake makeup and followed that up with fake vs real comparison posts for some of the Kylie lip kits (click here and here to read them).
So here I am informing you fello makeup lovers out there on how to spot a fake ColourPop  liquid lipstick.
Mind you when I ordered this lipstick I didn't realise it was fake until I swatched it and compared to some of the ColourPop liquid lipsticks in my collection. I felt cheated and super mad because I bought this fake at the price of a real one..I had been superbly dupped.

So I ordered a real Highball CP liquid lipstick from SAMIKA (that's where I usually buy my CP goodies) to compare to what I suspected was a fake.

Image is from www.SAMIKA.co.za

Packaging

You can't really tell the difference between the 2 tubes based on the packaging. Aside from the scratches on the fake tube straight out of packaging they're pretty identical. I threw away the boxes, but fake CP packaging is very difficult to spot, I didn't notice any differences...Sad!

Appearance & Performance

Once I opened the tube of the fake, that's when I realised it wasn't genuine; it has a really strong sweet chemical scent which is absent from real CP liquid lipsticks. The doe-foot applicator in the fake tube is smaller and doesn't take up much product compared to the real CP.
The swatches are also a good indicator: the real highball was slightly lighter than the fake one but more intense when swatched. The fake swatch is also quite transluscent and doesn't buildup even if you add more product.

We don't get a lot of the popular brands in South Africa like ColourPop, E.L.F and Milani, so our only option in most cases is to order from local re-sellers online or through Social Media platforms like Instagram. If you're really courageuous you can order directly from the company and trust in the South African postal services and pay the tax man customs due on imports.

Here are some of the local sellers that I have ordered from that sell genuine cosmetics:
SAMIKA www.samika.co.za
Glamourise Brands www.glamourisebrands.co.za

I'm not going to shame the seller of the fakes online, but if you would like to know who they are, please feel free to message me by e-mail or DM on Instagram and I'll get back to you. Also, there's a Beauty Swop or Sale facebook page in South Africa that helps members with confirming the genuine resellers (click here).

Stay safe my prettys,
xoxo,