[REVIEW] Essence Shine and Sheer Lipstick 02 CUTE NUDE

Earlier on this year, I wrote about Essence's LongWear Lipstick in 06 Barely There. Since then, I've actually acquired more things from the brand - some which I love and some which are meh. A few months ago, I noticed that they repackaged/ revamped their Shine and Sheer Lipstick line. The colours have changed and the packaging have changed as well. I didn't give it much though since I'm not crazy about sheer lipsticks. However, during my frequent random beauty isle visits one day, I decided to pick one up.

I'm on a bit of a nude kick recently. I'm quite fair with cool yellow undertone which makes it hard to find the perfect nude. Joe Fresh's lipstick in Rose was the perfect pinky-nude and I still love that lipstick, but I'm sure all make-up enthusiasts can relate, we never stop even when we've found the perfect shade. The colour I picked up from Essence's Shine and Sheer line is 02 Cute Nude. At Shoppers (Canadian Drugstore), there were testers available. I believe there were 12 colours.  Though when swatched together, they all looked pretty similar.

PACKAGING

Although I can't exactly remembered how these looked before, I'm pretty sure they've made an improvement. The packaging is a simple clear, tinted cap with a silver bullet with a colour coordinated sticker at the bottom. It's not very expensive looking but to me, it's the product that's inside that truly matters + plus, did I mention this was only $3.49 CAD?

SCENT

A soft, sweet vanilla scent with a slight touch of synthetic lipstick smell. On the lips, all I can smell is soft vanilla though. It’s pretty pleasant.

COLOUR

02 Cute Nude is a soft nudey pink. It's very sheer though it can be built up just a bit, not a lot. If you've got pigmented lips, this will just slightly skim over the tops of the lips but it will still allow the natural lip colours to show through. It will not nude out the lips completely no matter how many layers you put on top.  The shine is also more of a moisturized lip balm type of shine rather than a glossy, slick shine. 

PERFORMANCE

I’m glad that they named this line Shine and Sheer because that’s exactly what these are. In addition to being slightly shiny and sheer, they’re actually pretty moisturizing. When I have it on, it’s got a bit of that Nivea lip balm feel. However, also like a lip balm, the wear time on these is pretty weak. I’d say this lipstick only lasts about an hour or two on me. However, since the pigmentation is pretty weak, re-application is easy. I don’t think you need a mirror for it. For $3.49, I can afford to have one in each of my bags so taking it out with me for reapplication on the go isn’t a problem at all. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how well it shows up on my lips. The swatch was pretty sheer so I had low expectations of this showing up on my lips at all. Even though it doesn’t completely cover up my lips, I still love how it tones it down just a bit!

Overall, I recommend trying a shade from this lipstick line. I find it quite refreshing from the trend of super pigmented matte liquid lipsticks that are raging around. Essence's Sheer and Shine lipsticks are just what they claim to be, sheer and shiny. If you don't like it as a lipstick, think of it as a tinted lip balm because they're that comfortable and moisturizing!

2 comments essence, lipstick, review, shoppers

Joe Fresh Cream Lipstick: Rose

One of the brands that I've been really curious about is Joe Fresh. Joe Fresh is a designer that creates really affordable clothing. It's got a makeup line for a while now but I think things have been repackaged and redistributed. It's readily available in Shoppers Drug Mart (Canadian drugstore) yet there's hardly any information on it. The item that intrigues me the most are the lip products. I think you should know by now that I'm a huge lip junkie. I practically hoard products of the same color.

PRICE

$10 CAD

COLOUR

Although I've only picked up one colour, I was actually really impress with the beautiful color range of lipsticks. Most of the colors were very elegant yet unique. The tones and shades were wearable yet distinctive. The color I chose is Rose it's a soft, muted pink. It really appealed to me because I'm currently looking for a soft, nudey, cool - medium dusky pink. On my lips, it's really just like my lip color but slightly muted out. One of the other colors that I've got my eye on is Scarlett - a purply burgundy. Rose is a MLBB (My Lips But Better) shade. I used to not understand this term or why people were so drawn to colors that look similar to their lips. It wasn't until I started to really get into nudes that I find myself unconsciously looking for shades that are similar to my own lip color. That's the best way to find the perfect nude - something within the same tones as your natural lips. Rose also makes a great base for gradation lips!

FORMULA

The formula of this lipstick is unlike anything I've tried so far. Although it's a cream type, it's practically matte on my lips. I feel that the formula is quite unique because although it doesn't tug on the lips, it doesn't glide either and neither is it moisturizing nor drying. It's got a rather good grip on my lips where if I were to press them together, the lipstick doesn't smudge, smear, or travel (it still transfer though). So think of it as a very creamy matte.

SCENT

The scent is really hard to detect in this lipstick. I'd say it's like a powdery vanilla with a smidgeon of mint. Unless you're sniffing your own lips, it's practically unnoticeable. It's unlike anything I've smelt before.

PERFORMANCE

Although my lips are naturally quite pigmented, this lipstick is pretty opaque! It covers my lips well but feels very light. Like I've mentioned before, it does rub off onto cups but it fades pretty evenly. Seeing how similar it is to my lip color, it's really hard for me to see if there's still anything on my lips unless I wipe it with a napkin. After the lipstick wears off, my lips feel fine which is amazing. These days, it's been really dry and cold here so not having chap lips after wearing lipstick all day is amazing.

OVERALL

I really like this lipstick. It's the shade I've been eyeballing everywhere yet was right underneath my own nose. If you're close to a Shoppers Drugmart, definitely check them out. Some of the bigger stores have tester. I'm curious to try more items from Joe Fresh.

5 comments joe fresh, lipstick, review, shoppers