Every brand seems to be jumping on the liquid lipstick bandwagon, and Essence have released five shades of Liquid Lipstick and they retail for just £2.50 each from Wilko. The new Essence Liquid Lipsticks are described as being a 2 in 1 formula which combines the coverage of a lipstick, with the shine of a lipgloss. The packaging is very obviously inspired by the Dior Fluid Stick packaging, with a lipstick bullet shape within the centre. I really like the packaging, and that the lids are colour coordinated to reflect the shade inside which is perfect if you own multiple shades.

From the five shades on offer, I have three of the shades; 01 Colour Party, 04 Show Off! and 06 Make a Statement. Even though the shade range is pretty limited, I’d like to think they’ll add more shades in the future as Essence usually have really great shade ranges across their makeup line, but the shades do cover all bases with nudes, pinks and a couple of reds so there’s bound to be at least one shade that’ll suit everyone.

Each of the Essence Liquid Lipsticks have a doe foot applicator which is quite narrow rather than the rounded shape you usually get with a doe foot applicator, and I find this narrower shape makes for a much more precise application, and the middle of the applicator features a small well which holds extra product so you don’t have to keep dipping the applicator back into the tube for more product which again is similar to the Dior Fluid Sticks.

Colour Party is my favourite shade from the three that I own, and is a pretty light pink which looks a little bubblegum-esque in the swatch above but on the lips it’s a lot more muted I can assure you. Show Off! is a bright reddy coral shade which almost looks neon on the lips, and Make a Statement is a dark reddy brown shade which isn’t particularly flattering on my pale skintone, but I imagine it’d look lovely on darker skintones. They feel quite smooth on the lips, with no detectable scent whatsoever and the weartime is around one to two hours, with Show Off lasting the longest from the three shades that I own.

I’m not entirely sure I’d describe these as being liquid lipsticks, as to me they’re more of a pigmented gloss. I do have to do quite a lot of swipes to build up the colour for an opaque finish, and I’d definitely say even then they don’t give the coverage of a lipstick like they claim. Due to their glossiness, they are a little sticky but not uncomfortably so, but they’re not perhaps the lip product of choice if you have long hair on a windy day as it could get a little messy. I would recommend using a clear lipliner with the Essence Liquid Lipsticks as they all have the tendency to bleed a little; especially Make a Statement but for £2.50 each, I think they’re really nice glosses but don’t buy them expecting a full on liquid lipstick like the Lime Crime Velvetines or the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks, as I think you’d perhaps be disappointed.

The shade Velvet Teddy is described by MAC as a “deep toned beige”. I think this is accurate, you can see the shade on me in the photo above. The lipstick does look different on different people, for example on me it looks almost like a purple-brown (see photo above).

 

The formula of Velvet Teddy is matte, but it isn’t really drying and can be worn comfortably. The matte finish means the lipstick lasts quite a long time, which is especially good for a nude shade.

 

 

 

Overall I do love Velvet Teddy. The shade is an amazing dark nude and the matte finish helps achieve the ‘Kylie Jenner’ look. The colour can be worn for a minimal look during the day or paired with dramatic eye makeup for the night. So… is it worth the hype? YES!

 

 So have you tried Velvet Teddy yet?

 Do you think it is worth the hype?

 Let me know in the comments below.

 

This MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy costs £15.50 and is available to buy directly from MAC or from department stores such as Debenhams.

 

EMILY XXX

 

Vera Wang Princess is a fragrance which I’ve always wanted to try as the notes sounded like my kind of fragrance, and I’d read nothing but rave reviews. I finally took the plunge and purchased it when I noticed the 100ml bottle within the Feel unique sale for only £23 which was crazy, especially as the 30ml version retails for £39. The bottle is really beautiful, and girly which is very fitting considering its name. The glass bottle is shaped into an heart with the perfume being purple to match the box. The lid of the bottle is a gold crown shape with purple crystals, and there’s a gold ring which can be detached and used as a ring – if you have super small fingers that is, as it’s teeny tiny.

 

Vera Wang Princess is described as an oriental floral scent which celebrates youth and femininity. The top notes feature water lily, apple, mandarin and apricot, whilst the heart consists of guava, tiara flower, tuberose and dark chocolate. Finally, the base contains vanilla, amber and wood. It’s actually a lot different to what I expected it to be, and I’m not entirely sure I know how I feel about it – I really am on the fence. In the many, many reviews I read of Princess, it was described as being a sweet and fruity scent but to me it’s actually quite powdery and it smells like baby wipes on first spritz but it does sweeten, just slightly.

 

It’s definitely not an horrible fragrance, but it’s just ‘nice’ in my opinion, and nothing special… and definitely not worthy of its super inflated price tag. When it comes to fragrance, I’m easily pleased but there’s just something about this scent that doesn’t work particularly well with my skin as I’ve smelt it on other people and I’ve really liked it so I’ll perhaps use it layered over scents to see if it makes any difference. It’s really funny how fragrances smell so differently on different people as I know that so many people love this, but sadly my love for it goes as far as the packaging.