drugstore haul: essence, wet n wild, and joe fresh

Sometimes, a little makeup is all you need. After a particularly rough day, I decided to poke around a nearby drugstore. I wasn't looking to buy anything necessarily. Just to see what was there. To distract my mind. To infuse my day with a little beauty related happiness. While buying might not have been my main goal....I certainly did not leave empty handed. There were a few new items that caught my eye. Most of the items were affordable but there were a couple of pricier products as well.

What ended up in my shopping cart? Let's start with the goodies from Essence. This is a brand that I am quite fond of. Their price point is quite low but the quality is fairly impressive. So I wound up with the How To Make Bright Eyes Makeup Box, the Blush Up! Powder Blush in Heat Wave, the All About Romance Eyeshadow Palette the All About Sunrise Eyeshadow Palette, and the Eyebrow Designer Pencil. There were some definite hits and a couple of misses.

• How To Make Bright Eyes Makeup Box. This was unfortunately a miss for me. Honestly? It was the packaging that suckered me in. I have this weakness for cute packaging - and this came in a cute box with a bubble shaped mirror inside. It even included a diagram to create various looks. It had major package appeal. Sadly, the quality of the eyeshadows was lacking. There are six in total. Largely light shimmery shades. (There was a shimmery taupe and deep pink as well.) The reason this makeup box failed? Most of the shades look exactly the same when swatched or applied to the eyelid. While I can certainly get some use out of this....it isn't a total winner for me. It lacks the versatility I have come to expect from a palette. 
• Blush Up! Powder Blush in Heat Wave. Wow! This blush definitely packs a punch. As you can see from the photo above, the colour looks ultra vibrant in the packaging. I didn't expect it to actually be that pigmented on the cheeks. It is. This gorgeous coral-pink shade is soft, smooth, and easy to use. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
• All About Romance Eyeshadow Palette. There is another Essence eyeshadow palette in my makeup collection that I adore. Which is why I was eager to try the All About Romance one. I was especially intrigued by that mint green shade. How did this fare? It was a bit of a so-so reaction for me. Four of the six shades are quite similar. They are bright, shimmery, and beautiful. But I don't need four colours doing the exact same thing. The other two are gorgeous though. So this is an okay set for me. I like everything in it but again it lacks versatility. 
• All About Sunrise Eyeshadow Palette. Obsessed is not a strong enough word. This eyeshadow palette has everything I look for and more. The shades are ultra pigmented, there is a good variety of colours, the texture is soft and smooth, and the packaging is sleek. With gorgeous shades of gold, cream, peach, and brown, this is a stunning combination of bold neutrals. It is perfection! 
• Eyebrow Designer Pencil. One thing I hate? Running low on brow products that I love. Since my go-to pencil was running low, I decided to give this one from Essence a try. It didn't impress or disappoint me. It was just okay. The brow pencil was a good match for me and it delivered a good end result. However the pencil was quite tough and hard. 

Now to talk about the other drugstore items! They were the Milani Everyday Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Earthy Elements, the Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel Nail Polish in Pinky Swear, and the Joe Fresh Illuminating Primer in Champagne. Let's start by taking a closer look at the Milani palette. 

• Milani Everyday Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Earthy Elements. This is the second Milani palette in my collection. I picked up another one a while back and fell in love. So of course I had to grab this one when I saw it. The colours are absolutely gorgeous. There is also a really nice mixture of glitter, matte, and shimmery shades. My personal favourite colour is that centre shade. It is a beautiful orange-rust...and I love it in the crease. This palette was a little more expensive than other drugstore offerings but it is well worth the money.
• Wet n Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel Nail Polish in Pinky Swear. My nail polish collection seems to be growing at a rapid pace. There are so many incredible options these days. Which is how this polish found its way into my life. I wanted to know how the no light gel polish would actually perform. The shade here is Pinky Swear, and it is a light pink shade. Super girly and easy to wear. This actually exceeded my expectations. It lasted really well. Twice the time of a normal nail polish. Plus it only set me back a couple of dollars.
• Joe Fresh Illuminating Primer in Champagne. I wasn't expecting to love this. In fact, I debated on the purchase. Now? I am so glad that I took a chance on it. This illuminating primer is absolute perfection. Not only does it hydrate my dry skin but it also adds a gorgeous golden glow. It is like a highlight and primer all in one. My skin looks healthy and vibrant whenever I reach for this. It is such an incredible product. 

Saving money on makeup is always a good thing. Which is why I am such an advocate of drugstore makeup. There are some truly incredible products out there. It is just a matter of finding them! And speaking of saving money....I recently did a little bit of discount shopping. Check out my latest YouTube video to see what I picked up.


Have you tried any of these products? What items do you love from the drugstore?

Editing Note: Since Milani chose to contribute to a campaign that involved the harassment and bullying of a domestic violence survivor, I no longer support the brand and do not recommend their products. Spend your money wisely and look elsewhere. 

xo Shannon