Essence Cosmetics 2015 Spring and Summer Collection!

A few weeks ago Essence Cosmetics rolled out the purple carpet and hosted a princess themed party to debut their spring/summer collection. The event was a royal affair complete with sweet table, signature cocktail, manicure booth, makeup retouch station oh and did I mention it was hosted in a castle! Casa Loma to be exact, one of Toronto’s most beloved historical sites.

As we “princesses” for a day perused the room swatching beautiful colors and munching on popcorn, purple cotton candy, cupcakes and hors d’oeuvres The Princess Bride was playing in the background for those who wanted to kick back with a fluffy pillow and enjoy a film. After getting my nails decked out in some fabulous glitter I had a chance to take a closer look at all the makeup and play around with the bold shades, quality formulas and classic favorites.

The goodie bag was loaded with beautiful summer must-haves all for under $5 and since I am a total fan girl and frequently stalk the Essence booth at my local Shoppers Drug Mart I'm excited to dig in and start creating some summery makeup looks!

I love the packaging of the mini lip gloss set in 06 Paris, ma jolie - (Pais, my pretty). These cuties slip into the smallest handbags and you can even take the entire box on the go. The shades are all on the nude side with 2 pale pinks and 1 clear sparkly finish. 

Although the sweet formula is a bit sticky it adheres well which may extend the wear and keep lips supple and shiny.

The Lash Princess Mascara is designed for long, voluminous, fluttering lashes with a curved brush that lifts and extends. The rich black formula coats each hair to beautifully enhance the eyes and although over-applying may form clumps you can avoid this by combing the lashes more thoroughly. I like to pair it with my Essence I love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara for more thickness and intensity- the Princess Mascara retails for $4.99.

If you love smokey eye shadow like I do then these little sets will come in handy! Each palette includes 3 shades (deep, medium and light) with both matte and shimmer finishes for the lids, crease and brow bone. 01 Smokey Night is my favorite because I think the black-silver combo is very glam for evenings out. 02 Smokey Day is neutral with bronzy-taupe and silvery hues.

Although the formula is quite basic the pigmentation of the shadows can be intensified for more drama and the texture is smooth and silky. I recommend using a primer for best results but I had no issues with creasing and they are perfect travel size! The palettes retails for $3.99 each.

Since I am a bit of a lip product fanatic the Longlasting Lipsticks are some of my favorites and I now own the entire collection! They glide on super creamy, smooth and slightly shiny with buildable pigmentation and lush suppleness. The variety of shade options is wonderful with stunning hues suitable for every season and occasion and the buttery color is full- coverage, consistent and easy to apply.

The comfortable formula keeps lips hydrated and there are also a few gorgeous matte options if you prefer less shine. The lipsticks retail for just $3.49 each and if you haven't picked some up yet I highly recommend them!  

Shades from left to right: 11 Nude Love, 12 Blush My Lips, 07 Natural Beauty, 03 Dare to Wear

For all you gloss junkies Essence has also added 2 new shades to their popular XXXL Shine Collection. Cute Pink is sheer and luminous with fine micro glitter for a little dazzle. Fabulous Fuchsia is actually more of a berry hue void of sparkle but packed with a brilliant dose of shine to enhance your pout with a glassy effect. The formula smells delicious, moisturizes dry lips and applies creamy and smooth with no stickiness. The gloss retails for $2.99 each.

I've become a bit of a Metal Glam veteran as I've been using these shadows since they were released and my collection will happily welcome more glitz. Frosted Apple is a pretty shimmery pink I've used before but Choco-Chic is a gorgeous toasted bronze that I’m looking forward playing around with. The top layer of dense glitter is an overspray but the creamy color underneath is shimmery metallic and just as pretty! The shadows retail for $3.49 ea

Continuing with the metallic theme the 3D eye shadows are back “and better than ever” with a brand new texture and formula. The “high intensity pigments” range from neutrals to jewel tones with full coverage shimmer that highlights and contours. The shadows are paired beautifully for quick application and although the color payoff and consistency seems to vary by shade when paired with primer they work pretty well. I do prefer the texture and finish of the Metal Glam shadows but these retail for $3.99 and are available in 6 duos.

Shades: 04 Irresistible Caramel Cream and 07 Irrisistable Fullmoon Flash.

I'm all about a quick mani and a fast drying formula so the Color and Go polishes are also some of my must-haves. There are 18 fabulous shades that are rich, vivid, creamy and trendy! The polishes are now free of nail damaging ingredients and I love that many of them apply opaque in just one coat!

The Shake me I'm Pretty top coat is like a beautiful winter snow globe! As you shake the polish the mico-glitter particles disperse through the clear formula to mix and create a cool holographic effect. You can apply it alone or over any nail polish for extra bling, dimension and texture.

The Effect Nail Polishes come in an exciting array of fashionable effects like glitter, jewels, sparking sugar, denim and polka dots with bright, glossy finishes that create unique styles. These glimmering beauties make nail art a lot more doable and many of the formulas look amazing on their own or used for accent nails. They retail for $3.49 each.

A couple other items I picked up at the party were the Plump No Clump Volume Mascara and with a name like that who could resist! I also needed more blotting sheets since the weather is warming up and these are great for eliminating excess oil and shine.

Essence Cosmetics is sold at Ulta, Fred Meyer stores worldwide and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

*Press samples featured