Essence Lipsticks

I'm feeling a bit guilty right now as my habit of showing you make-up that you can't get in the UK seems to be turning in to a regular thing. So, my apologies in advance. I've done a bit of research and it seems like Essence cosmetics are available in most of Europe and the USA. It's not the only brand or store even (I'm talking about you Sephora) that seems to want to miss us out. What did we do? Do we smell bad or something?

Anyway, back to the make-up. I received the lipsticks and lipgloss as part of a European exchange with fellow make-up fiend, Mookie On The Bench. Essence is a brand I had heard mentioned before and I was very excited to give it a try. The lipstick packaging is reasonably basic but I really like the fact that the outer casing matches the lipstick colour inside. I also like that the inside is clear so you can see the entirety of the lipstick bullet as you wind it up. It might not be sleek like many of my favourite brands but it is quite girly and cheerful.

I have lipsticks in the shades #44 Almost Famous, a beautiful strawberry shade and #53 All About Cupcake, a mid-toned pink. Both are quite sheer with a nice moisturising feel. They have a slight scent to them, I can't make up my mind if it's a bubblegum or slightly cake-y food smell. They last like any other sheer, by which I mean that you will need to reapply regularly and after eating or drinking. There seems to be a good range of colours available and as I believe these are very reasonably priced, it's an affordable way to experiment with colour.

L-R: Trendsetter, All About Cupcake and Almost Famous

I also have Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lipgloss in #04 Trendsetter. I love this lipgloss! It has a strange, hourglass shaped doe-foot applicator which is quite springy and actually a little tricky to use as it bends. The gloss has a very fruity scent and both the smell and texture remind me a lot of the Max Factor Gloss Cubes that I reviewed here. Trendsetter is a sheer, cerise pink. It's bright but not so bright that I feel out of my comfort zone. The texture is nice and slippy, although I find it becomes a little more sticky with wear.

If you want to know more about the products and colours, there are websites for both Europe and America. I believe Essence is available from Ulta and Fred Meyer in the USA. For those of you that have access to Essence products and have tried them, what do you think? Do you have any recommendations? If anyone happens to know why we don't have Essence in the UK, feel free to fill me in!