with me it's always about first impressions.

 

There is always something fun about trying out a makeup brand you've never used before. I recently picked up a few products from Essence and simply had to share my thoughts. What did I buy? The Essence All About Matt Powder, Essence blushes in Life's a Cherry and Sweetheart, and the match2cover! Cream Concealer.

Ready for some reviews? Here goes!

Let's start by taking a look at the Essence All About Matt Powder.

I picked this product up on a whim. Even though I have really dry skin, my forehead tends to get really shiny as the day wears on. So, I have been on the look out for something to remedy that problem. I find that the powder I normally use for my skin can look cakey around my forehead area. When I saw this matt powder from Essence, I thought...what the heck! At such a reasonable price, it was worth the gamble.

What did I think of it? So far, so good! This is definitely a good mattifying powder. It doesn't make my skin look nearly as cakey as any of the regular powders I've tried. That being said, it's not perfect. I find that I need to re-apply every couple of hours to really get rid of shine. If you have oily skin, this probably won't work well for you. If you're like me and just have one trouble zone to take care of though, you'll love it.

Next up were the Essence blushes in Life's a Cherry and Sweetheart. 

 Life's a Cherry is on the left and Sweetheart is picture on the right. As you can see from the shades (and the swatches!) the colours are super pigmented. I was actually so surprised at the bold colours, considering how little these blushes cost! They have a really silky and smooth texture and the colour just glides right on the cheeks. Honestly, I was so so impressed by these. Great bold colour and a fabulous texture. The only negative about these blushes? The limited colour selection! I've only managed to snag these two shades and as far as I know, there are only four available. Such a shame!

And the last Essence product I tried? The match2cover! Cream Concealer.

For the last while, I've been on the hunt for a great cream concealer. I have a lot of liquid concealers but actually no cream ones. Since I don't get a lot of sleep (thanks to working way, way too much), I am all about concealers. I need to keep those under-eye circles in check!

My thoughts? This concealer palette is fab-u-lous. It has a really thick consistency and does a great job of covering the under eye area. Plus, surprisingly it didn't crease at all throughout the day. What's really great? The fact that there are two different shades included. The darker shade covers so well and the lighter shade really highlights the area. Such a perfect combo! I was really impressed.

So, there you have it! My first impressions of a few Essence products. Overall, I was happily surprised. Great quality at an even better price. How can you go wrong?

Have you tried any Essence products? Which ones are your favourites?

xo Shannon