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If you’ve been following along, you know I’m on a mission to find budget-friendly skincare and beauty products that are worthy of wearing. Recently, I’ve been turning to several Essence Cosmetics products more often and have not been disappointed.
It’s easy to assume that products that cost more money are better, whether it’s the ingredients or the production, but Essence has a philosophy that beauty should be fun, experimental, and accessible. And they don’t test on animals! I love that!
So, I wanted to gather all of my current Essence favorites in one place in case you’re looking for some affordable items to toss in your cosmetic bag:
Juicy Bomb Body Mist | $6.99
Essence released these last year when I was working at Ulta so I quickly smelled all of the scents and purchased the Lychee Lagoon. The scent profile is: (TOP) Lychee, Dragonfruit, Apricot (HEART) Pink jasmine, Hibiscus, White lily (BASE) Musk, Sea salt, Oakmoss, Vanilla.
So, it’s fruity, but not too sweet. It smells wonderful, is vegan and gluten-free, and it’s a body mist so its light. I like applying it directly on my skin post-shwer and then add a few more sprays on top of my clothes before I walk out the door.
Line n’ Stain Tattoo Lipliner | $4.99
After trying the NYX lipliner stain (which didn’t really work), I wanted to find something I could rely on. I love the idea of a lipliner stain, especially if it lasts after eating/drinking. I was so excited when I saw the Tattoo Lipliners, and immediately purchased the shades: Everyone’s Nude Pink and Must Have Brown.
The shades are great, but my favorite feature is the tapered tip. You can draw a very thin line if you hold the liner by the tip, or go thicker and even fill the lip by angling the liner to the side. You could even do a nice lip contour! This serves as a great stand-alone lip stain or a base for your go-to lip combo. I like putting this on first and then topping with gloss for an all-night look.
What a Tint! Staining Lip & Cheek Tint | $4.99-$5.99
Okay, Essence has two similar lip and cheek tints…. with the same name. I’m not sure if they are phasing one out (I hope not), but I want to mention them both because I like them both and use them in different ways.
The first one I bought is the liquid lip and cheek tint (this was popular as it’s similar to the Benetint product) in the shade Kiss From A Rose ($4.99). I use this as a lip stain and I get compliments EVERY time I wear this! It gives a very nice “bitten” lip look, which I like. My favorite way to wear it is under the NYX Fat Oil Chillz… it looks like a natural, plump lip. And the stain stays!
Okay, the second product with the same name is a balm formula ($5.99); it comes in a chubby stick. I got the shade Raspberry Vibes. I use this as a blush! I’m not against using it as a lippie, but you’d have to apply it with your fingers or a small brush. As a blush, I use a fluffy brush directly on the stick, blot on my hand, then apply to face. It’s very pigmented (love that) and it works under or ontop of powder. I haven’t been wearing much powder, so I just apply it on top of my base.
Hello, Good Stuff! Glow Serum Primer | $5.99
I bought and used this primer in 2023, and it remains to be a favorite! I wrote an entire review on it (read it here), but the long story short is that it’s made to be veryyy similar to a much more expensive product.
The longer I used this product, the more I liked it. I really think it helped my skin retain moisture, and it felt so smooth.
Curl Fixing Lash Base | $4.99
This is the BEST lash primer!! It curls the lashes back so you can really see them, and then apply your favorite mascara on top. I started wearing this lash primer last year and have purchased it multiple times over. I wrote an entire blog post on it (here), if you want to read more.
Double Trouble Mascara | $5.99
What makes this mascara unique is the double-sides brush: one side is fluffy while the other side is more precise so you can really get length, definition, and curl. It looks great!
I will admit, Essence has several different mascaras and I’ve since purchased a few others to try but I haven’t yet, so I will report back once I do!
The Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment | $4.99
THIS has been my favorite beauty find this year! It’s truly such a fantastic product and you can’t beat the price! I dedicated an entire blog post to it (read it here) and bought three of the four available shades. Seriously, I love this lippie!
So far, those are my faves. Is there an Essence product you’ve tried and loved? I’d love to know so I can add it to my cart!
This beauty review is not sponsored — nor are any of the reviews on this blog. I am a beauty and skincare junkie and enjoy sharing the products I love right here! For more reviews and similar posts, please subscribe to the blog by clicking subscribe on the right side of your screen. Cheers!
The Bitter Lemon 