These are my first and so far only Colourpop palettes. There are so many raves about their eyeshadows, but when I tried their Super Shock singles I was not that impressed. Still I wanted to try at least one of their palettes, but for a long time they stuck to their warm and bright combinations despite their many launches. In the last years, they made these two that are more up to my taste, especially That's Taupe. Quality of eyeshadows varies, but Going Coconuts is overall better - it is however, warmer when swatched than what you see in the pans. I originally wasn't that happy with these, but I've had them for several months and along the way, after I broke through the top layer, they got better. 

That's Taupe is a collection of matte taupes and shimmery metallic shades. This one fits my taste most out of Colourpop palettes that were available when I was buying it, so I was not happy when it arrived with one of the shades (Cold Blooded) shattered. Luckily I was able to fix it with some alcohol.

 

This is not new, but they changed the label, added a “now vegan” sticker and removed Cyclopentasiloxane, so now it doesn’t have silicone right after water, but the previous formula also contained niacinamide, vitamin E, versions of vitamin C and A, and panthenol. There is still alcohol high on the list, but I don't smell it and the foundation doesn't feel drying.

Texture and coverage: I got a shade that is too dark for me, so my review can't be as good as if I had a shade that matches (I haven't seen the new lineup and if there is a shade for me), but in terms of texture this is a light, liquid formula with little coverage, I don't think it goes as high as light-medium. On my pictures it looks covered well because the shade is dark, but as I was applying it, the formula feels more watered down than most foundations, by that I mean there's less pigment. It reminds me of their discontinued #insta perfect formula that was similarly not very pigmented. 

Finish is a bit odd for me to determine, as while it looks fresh and dewy without feeling greasy or tacky on the skin, in some lights I can see that tell-tale powdery finish that gives away I'm wearing a foundation. It looks a bit odd over textured skin (on my chin), so I have a feeling that if you don't have smooth skin, this one may look cakey. I was also told it can look bad over pores, but on mine it looks ok, though it doesn't hide them. Like most foundations it emphasizes lines. 

Staying power: It's hard for me to say how long it lasts because the coverage is so low. All I can say is that it fades away without ever looking cakey or patchy. Over the day my skin doesn't get shiny/greasy, however, I don't find this an foundation that would be designed to hold back oil.

Ingredients: aqua (water), isododecane, isohexadecane, alcohol denat., talc, propylene glycol, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, hexyl laurate, potassium cetyl phosphate, tocopheryl acetate, panthenol, retinyl palmitate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, tocopherol, tapioca starch, niacinamide, sodium chloride, vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) fruit water, synthetic beeswax, disodium edta, xanthan gum, mica, ethylhexylglycerin, triethoxycaprylylsilane, lecithin, ascorbyl palmitate, aluminum/magnesium hydroxide stearate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, parfum (fragrance), ci 77491 (iron oxides), ci 77492 (iron oxides), ci 77499 (iron oxides), ci 77891 (titanium dioxide).

A mascara that combines two types of brushes - a classic and a silicone one. In theory the classic brush side builds volume and the silicone one defines. I find the formula quite thin, especially for an Essence mascara. It may thicken in time, but for now it's not the type of formula that would built the volume particularly fast. It's more volumising than Essence's Volume Hero mascara which has a silicone brush, but it can't compete with their Lash Princess range, which is known for creating big lashes fast. I also don't find that big of a difference between the two sides and I believe it's due to the formula. The volume side doesn't have enough to work with (because the texture is thin), so it leaves the lashes defined and there's not really always necessary to follow up with a silicone side and the latter creates a very similar effect. Though it's defining, I find it doesn't have enough hold to fan out the lashes nicely, which on my messy lashes means they don't look as neat as the could. Having said, I had people message me about how awesome this mascara is on them and that it creates big lashes, so like always mascaras work differently on people. It's a regular formula and though it's thin and no very wet, it doesn't hold a curl, so this isn't an impressive formula to me, since I'm not a good target audience. I find this has fall down on me, at least I saw a significant amount under one eye and I don't know why just there. It's not a difficult formula to remove. There is a waterproof version of this formula, which was on my wishlist, but I was told it's quite wet and doesn't hold a curl. 

This more volumising than Double Trouble and a feels more like a classic Essence mascara. Lash Princess formulas are overall quite thick and wet, so great if you want big, volumised lashes and fast, however this one is the driest in the bunch out of the ones I've tried (excluding the waterproof one). That may be because they wanted it to hold a curl, so it's not that typical Lash Princess formula, yet it's still one of those with which it's easy to build the volume fast, it just dries faster. It's not as defining as Double Trouble and the more coats I apply, the more my lashes start to misbehave, not exactly by sticking together, but they aren't nicely fanned out anymore and not kept in place. Given that it has "curl " in the name I'd expect it to hold a curl, but no dice. This doesn't stand out among regular formulas and if you want a mascara that hold a curl, Essence's I <3 Extreme is still the most reliable one (waterproof Lash Princess isn't that impressive).  

There are four versions of these, only one is warm, the rest, including mine are cool. First impression/try was a let-down, but with more uses I realised the top layer is either dry (matte) or too creamy (shimmers), so you need to break through that layer to get the a better formula. Pigmentation is ok, but not outstanding. I'm used to my Colourpop palette I use every day and I get colour on the lids fast, so it was an adjustment when I had to dip my brush 3-5 times for the same level on intensity on my eyes. At first it appeared the matte eyeshadows are better than shimmers, since I couldn't pick the latter up with a brush, but after two uses my Mac 239 picks them up just fine. However, I find shimmers don't work well with fluffier brushes because the formula is a bit too creamy and dense. They blend decently, but it's not as smooth as some better eyeshadows. I've experience quite a lot of fall down with these every time I used them, so it's best to apply foundation/concealer after eyeshadows. Most eyeshadows stay well on my eyes, I've mostly been wearing these without a base (or concealer/foundation on the lids) and they last ok. 

Essence had better palettes in the past, which they discontinued. This is fine, you can make a nice look with it, but it could be more pigmented and smoother. 

A classic creamy moisturising formula with a shiny creamy finish. Essence says it “contains a collagen substitute that conceals fine lines, has a smoothing effect and makes the lips look visibly fuller”, but it doesn’t stand out to me. Pigmentation is medium-full, meaning you get full opacity by building it up. Given it's a creamy formula it's obviously comfortable in term of being suitable for dry lips, however, this is one of those formulas that tingles. It's not strong, still those with very sensitive lips may want to pick their Hydrating Nude instead, which is the same formula just with no tingling. Shade 203 My Advice is a Caramel nude.

Like I said this is the same formula as Cool Collagen without the tingling. It's a standard, comfortable, creamy lipstick with a medium-full pigmentation and a creamy shiny finish. Neither of the lipsticks are impressive in terms of staying power, which give its type of formula, which is also light on the lips, should not come as a surprise. 302 Heavenly is a beige nude, a nice every day shade for pale skin tones, as usually such shades either look too brown-peachy or too pale.

I don't know what is it with Cosnova and pH & peppermint stuff. It's really not that special to make that many. This one of those slightly green shades on the lips that makes the lips look more pale by neutralising natural pigment and it contains shimmer/frost for an ice queen look. The more swipes you get on, the more intense the magenta tint will be once it reacts with the pH, which in a thick coats it's immediately. Tinging is at same level as at Catrice's latest peppermint balm, which is not the strongest and certainly not like their What the Fake glosses.

I believe these replaced their Soft Contouring lip liners. They look almost exactly the same, but I find the formula is drier than is usual for Essence lip liners, which tend to be very soft. It's still a formula that can be applied all over the lips, but it doesn't glide almost like a lipstick. This means it's more precise and easy to control, but all over the lips as a standalone product it feels bare and might be drying to some. My Advice is a match for the Cool Collagen lipstick, so another caramel nude.

A standard Essence gel formula that is very smooth to apply. This is a one coater, so a shade with a creamy finish that doesn't form ridges. Shade is an autumnal, rusty, reddish brown. 

Something fairly unique and new. It's meant to calm the skin after plucking or waxing eyebrows. Formula contains panthenol and aloe vera that soothe the skin and the metal ball should provide some relief as well. I don't pluck my eyebrows, so I only applied this over them and it leaves them kind of glossy looking for a while.

ingredients: aqua (water), 1,2-hexanediol, propanediol, glycerin, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, panthenol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder, sodium hyaluronate, xanthan gum, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, ethylhexylglycerin, benzyl salicylate, lactic acid, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, parfum (fragrance), hexyl cinnamal.

Good to see Essence made a cica cream, so one with centella asiatica, which is soothing and suitable for sensitive skin - but, there really was no need to add a fragrance in such a formula, as it may prove problematic for some. My skin is fine with it and I like the formula of this because, so far it's acting like a nice base for makeup (with the limited amount of stuff I tried it with). It's rich, yet doesn't feel greasy, but it can feel like a layer on the skin and takes time to absorb. For dry skin it's nice, but I can't say how oily skin will feel with this. It has glycerine, aloe vera, shea butter, Lactobacillus Ferment and centella asiatica

aqua (water), coco-caprylate/caprate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, propanediol, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, cetearyl glucoside, sorbitan olivate, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, lactobacillus ferment, silica, cetyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, centella asiatica leaf extract, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, xanthan gum, cetearyl alcohol, yeast extract, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, citric acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, parfum (fragrance).

A jelly mask with lots of squalane and a strong lavender scent. It sits on the skin for an hour, but then sinks in (on my normal dry skin). It's a simple hydrating mask that those who enjoy lavender will like. 

aqua (water), glycerin, squalane, decyl glucoside, carbomer, pentylene glycol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopherol, ethylhexylglycerin, lavandula hybrida oil, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, parfum (fragrance), linalool, limonene, ci 17200 (red 33), ci 42090 (blue 1).

A basic, transparent nail polish base that I have nothing much to say about. It's a clear nail polish and it didn't make my application over it any different. Formula contains tea tree oil.   

I'm one that wants very rich creams for feet, otherwise I find them useless on me. This is too light and doesn't make my feet significantly more hydrated and not more soft. I find it's not a mask in any way, this is a regular cream that absorbs within the first 10 minutes in a thick coat. It may be ok for those with less demanding skin. It smells nice, like regular Nivea or Solea. 

ingredients: aqua (water), glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate citrate, glycine soja (soybean) oil, maris sal, panthenol, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, urea, tocopherol, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, ethylhexyl stearate, glyceryl linoleate, xanthan gum, allantoin, glyceryl linolenate, ethylhexylglycerin, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, parfum (fragrance), limonene, geraniol, linalool, citronellol, alpha-isomethyl ionone.