Yes this a PR box, but NO you don't have to be on some kind of PR list to get your hands on this.
For their 15th anniversary, essence is having these photo booths up at select stores.
I point blank stumbled upon one when I was in Antwerp last Saturday, entirely by accident (if they had had 3 concealer brushes in the Keizerlei Kruidvat, I wouldn't even have been there, so I'm glad that store only had one).
Basically, the photo booth was outside the Groenplaats Kruidvat, and because I can never resist a photo booth, I dragged Bert in it with me.
Turns out all you had to do was record the message “Happy Birthday, I like essence” and you got this PR box. I was totally up for that.
Let's open the box!
So what's in this box?
Everything is part of their live, laugh, celebrate! range, which was available a little while ago, Some of their retailers may still carry these, but Kruidvat doesn't.
Regardless, I'm going to write down my thoughts with everything, for those that want to do the effort to still find stuff from this box, or are simply curious.
- A brush set which includes a powder brush, eye shadow brush, smokey eye brush and a lip brush
- A 4 pan palette you can fill up with refill pans of your choice. I'm pretty sure this is compatible with the current refill pans.
- 5 refill pans in total.
The brushes are softer and have shorter bristles (and in case of all of them aside from the powder brush, also shorter handles) than regular essence brushes, but it's still practical to have extra brushes. Especially when you're going on holiday and don't want to take your good brushes.
Now, let's talk about the refill pans
The blushes: both are "soft shimmer blushes".
- 01 rhythm of the night
- 02 blush up your life
I would say rhythm of the night is more of a peach/apricot shimmer shade whilst blush up your life is a more traditional pink blush.
Both are so shimmery that I feel that they would be equally well suited as shimmer eye shadows, because you gotta really be into a cheek full of shimmer to dig these.
That said, the pigmentation is definitely better on blush up your life, but both feel extremely creamy and buttery.
The highlighter, or as essence calls it, the highlighting powder
01 my special highlight
I would be disinclined to use this as a highlighter, because it's just such a difficult colour. It's a peach champagne, but it's a little too soft to really pop (of course, if you like a soft glow, then it's another matter) and the colour is a little too yellow to be universally flattering.
As an eye shadow, brow highlight or inner corner highlight, I think it could be super pretty. But as an all out highlight I think that it's something rather limited.
The eye shadows, which essence claims are long lasting.
04 it's my birthday
05 T.G.I.F.
it's my birthday is a glittery silver shade, that is sadly a more than a little patchy. I think it can be build up, but it looks like one of those shades that would benefit from a glitter glue/base, finger application and a lot of patience. That said, it's pretty, so if for someone that doesn't mind putting in the work, it could be good.
TGIF is a pretty much a dupe for M.A.C's Pink Sienna, which is exclusive to the Semi-Sweet palette (click here for my review of that) at the moment. So of course, if you don't mind drugstore cosmetics and you really love that shade, but not (enough of) the others in that palette and you can still get your hands on TGIF, might as well.
It is very light and powdery to the touch though, so be warned!
This all leads me to believe that despite the claims by the brand, these aren't long lasting at all. The swatches certainly didn't last very long! Not even half as long as a M.A.C or Too Faced swatch will.
I feel like the eye shadows are definitely sub par quality to the other products, the highlighter and blushes seem to be pretty good pigmentation wise, but the eye shadows do need rather more work.
But like I said, I don't mind for colours I only use once in a blue moon.
All in all, I like this box. Especially for someone just getting into make-up this is a great present from the brand. But even if you're not starting out, its practical. I will definitely use the brushes (some more than others but that's how things go) and the rest will go into my kit for when I need any of the colours. Other than TGIF, I don't already own the shades so I'm sure they'll come in handy at some point or other. I'm definitely happy with this.
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