Basic-O-Base 03 : Essence Mattifying Compact Powder (04 Perfect Beige)

Hellow, my lovelies :D!

I'm taking a break from the endless task of training the new nanny (i really hate that part, i am no teacher material in any way T.T!) to write today's review of my current favorite compact powder, Essence Mattifying Compact Powder :

Essence Mattifying Compact Powder in 04 Perfect Beige

Somehow the picture of the promotional pic looks more yellowish than how the shade really is in real life :

My own compact, looks slightly pinker... doesn't it?

Did you notice how my compact powder looks kinda crushed? LOL. I got it from Singapore's Watson's then happily threw it inside my luggage (seriously, i need to start paying attention on how i pack my shopping! I tend to throw everything haphazardly, still inside their original plastic bags without thinking about it, by now i have successfully ruined more than two products, one feminine wash was totally empty by the time i got back to Surabaya WTF) and when i unearth it (from being burried inside many other new products hahaha) from my luggage it's completely, utterly crushed. Still sealed and all. Even my eyeshadows and other powdery products were intact so i think that's due to this powder's very light and soft nature. I was about to use it as a loose powder instead, but i found out that this powder is very easy to mold back into shape (well, sort of) only by pressing it gently with a puff, so that's why it looks like that in the end >.<.

A little about Essence first, it's a European (i think, based on what i read here) drusgtore cosmetic brand (more specifically, Germay) which is well known for their affordable prices and great quality, i'd say it's a little bit like Maybelline in the USA. I first stumbled into this brand (and bought a nail polish which i featured and reviewed a bit here) in one of my annual visit to Singapore when i roamed my favorite branch in Takashimaya (it's quite big! And lots of interesting products too!). I almost couldn't believe how cheap their products are (some of the mini nail polishes are as low as SGD 2.5)!

Since i try (note the word try!) not to buy too many decorative makeups (i've that covered when i cannot resist online shops T.T) but i was really curious about this brand so i ended up purchasing this compact powder and i'm glad i did! I can't remember the price (obviously) but i googled a bit and people seems to agree that it's sold for SGD 6.50. Even now that SGD's exchange rate's super high, it is still a very affordable price for a compact powder (again, quite comparable with Maybelline's prices).

Sorry for the absolutely abused-looking backside! I don't remember why it looks like this! LOL

The  powder comes in a round, transparent plastic compact that is quite thick and sturdy (dropped it plenty of times like my other stuffs, completely intact. The powder inside, not so much *LOL*). It looks quite generic and very simple, nothing fancy (obviously, with that kind of price range) but i quite like its simplicity. There's no puff included in this compact powder, i guess for those who applies that powders with brushes it wouldn't be a problem, but i am more of a puff kind of girl (i like to use more amount of powder to make sure my oily skin would stay matte longer) so this is a slight minus for me.

It supposed to have that embossed pattern like the first picture, but since i have successfully crushed it... It's no more

It's not supposed to look like the moon's crater like that, i was very smooth like every other compact powder out there

My bare face

Essence mattifying compact powder has a very light and soft texture. It's super light that i feel it's a bit more like (slightly heavier) loose powder than an actual compact powder. It doesn't have any strong, disturbing scent (i am sniffing the empty case real hard as i type this) like some other powders (namely Maybelline Smooth Shine Free Face Powder), just a neutral, normal powder scent (i actually didn't find that Maybelline powder to be that smelly, but comparing it to this one then it was quite smelly haha. I'm pretty sure Essence's powder won't bother those with more sensitive nose than mine too :D).

I smear it on my lightly BB Cream-ed cheek. The color 04 Perfect Beige is a perfect match for my skin, it hardly is noticeable on my skin even before i puff it on more evenly

After a light BB Cream+Essence Mattifying Compact Powder

Close up

Like you can see on the close up picture, the powder is quite... well... powdery *LOL*. It does mattify my skin immediately upon application but it doesn't last. Since it's super light, it never managed to keep the oil at bay any longer than any other light compact powder or loose powder. It has almost no coverage (look at the huge pored on my nose! It definitely didn't manage to conceal it even a little bit *LOL*) and the staying power is quite poor on its own (that's why i prefer to use it on top of a light BB Cream, i prefer to use denser compact powder if i am using them base-less to make sure i won't look like an oily wok just half an hour after putting them on!) but better with a liquid/cream base. 

I, however, really really love how soft and light this powder is and i also LOVE how it looks like on top of BB Creams (matte and polished), that's why this is currently my favorite compact (or any) powder!

How it looks like when used with full face of makeup

It also works well with foundations

With Skin Food's Lemon Foundation+Essence Mattifying Compact Powder

I love how it manage to tame that dewy finish Lemon Foundation (coz dewy finish is not my super oily skin's best friend!) and leave my skin looking soft and matte. I am so in love with this powder, but unfortunately due to its lightness, one tend to use a lot of them at one go and this compact that has 12g worth of powder won't even last you a month if you use it daily! I wore it nonstop for about two weeks and got shocked when i saw that i almost hit pan already!

Since Essence is not available in Surabaya yet (i heard that they're very recently became available in Bandung! How odd is that? Not Jakarta but Bandung first? Read more about it here, but it's written in Bahasa Indonesia :)) and i have no desire to hunt for an online shop that sells them (i find the cheaper a brand's prices are the more expensive it'll become on online shop due to the shipping fee+tax! Higher branded ones would be a lot cheaper than in counters, but it's the other way round for drugstore brands!), i decided to use it as rarely as i could. But still, i run out of it pretty soon and now i feel the strong urge to travel to Malaysia or Singapore to shop *LOL* (or i should've hunted for them when i was in Bandung? But i only heard about their availability in Bandung AFTER i went back to Surabaya though!)

Claims of the powder :

Extremely smooth powder for a matt and flawless finish, suitable for all skin types. Dermatologically tested.

I agree wholeheartedly on the extremely smooth part, and it does leave a matt (but without a proper base the matt part won't stay long!) finish but the flawless part... Well, it does if your skin is already flawless! Or i can be achieved by using thicker base+concealer and it'd be great to set it all off, but that'd be the work of the base and not the powder itself, right! I think it can be used for every skin types provided you're using a proper base since i find it quite unwearable by itself (it would be gone fast on oily skin and it won't attach on dry skin!). 

I suffer no breakout or anything bad while using this powder, in fact since it is very light and skin friendly, this is one of the rare ones i'd wear without being paranoid after i got my monthly facial.

Essence Mattifying Compact Powder in short is a very light weight, soft and matte finished compact powder with not too great staying power (or keeping oil at bay). I personally find all the positive aspects totally trumps the negative (it looks super pretty when worn, probably a strange use of word to describe a powder..).

I would highly recommend this for people who are looking for very light and soft powder with matte finish.

Would not recommend this for people who are looking for more coverage (even for those who are just looking for a normal compact powder coverage since this one doesn't even have that) or who wants powder that can be worn by itself but lasts the whole day.

I would DEFINITELY repurchase, maybe 5 at a time since it runs out so fast (HAHA) just gotta make sure i store them properly so they wouldn't be crushed again (haih i'll just hand carry'em next time).

Have you ever tried Essence products and do you like them? I am dying for their Ice Cream line but i'm not sure they're available even in Singapore/Malaysia :(...

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