Pink and Undecided: essence

Haul Mania!

Ello!

Okay, i'm ready for another haul post *bracing self for the usual comments*. Good news, it's not that bad this time round, bad news? I thought i've periods where i stopped buying makeups-apparently those periods are very short and far in between FML. Majority of the stuffs featured here are related to beauty -___-.

First up, stuffs that Kathy helped me to order from some US websites :

Yep, i gave in to Colourpop temptations. Originally wanted to buy one or two, but evil Sabsab kept on egging me and i ended up with three. They have so many interesting shades that i'm not sure i'm anywhere near done. For this first round i got Dalia, Bichette and Leather. Damn, i love it when makeup has interesting shade names -___-

Cover Girl's Lip Lava. Always been interested to try out Cover Girl (which brand am i not interested in? That's the million dollar question, really) and i really, really.. Couldn't resist this when i saw the mesmerizing bling bling my eyes went bling bling and i was totally hynotized, before i know it i ordered it already -___-

Vice versa for Rimmel. Curious for the brand, then got enchanted when i saw the swatches zzz. I want to try out every single lippie in this worlddddd #hysterical #slapself

I've been wanting that Nivea lip butter for the longest time (coz it looks so lush!!!), i tried ordering it before but it was OOS or something, then i tried again with this value set. And then, as soon as i got this... I heard that it's now available in Indonesia (Jakarta though, i haven't seen any in Surabaya)??? Tsk. Total story of my life WTF

Softlips Cube. Any slightly cute lip balm, gotta have them! I've been seeing a lot of these Softlips circulating in IG and guess what... I totally forgot that i have one -___- i remember thinking i wanted one-when i already got one waiting in my stash -___-. But i definitely would get the Hello Kitty one too if i could!

OK, next!

So...? Eau de toilette set, it was on 50% off promo (a very often promo, btw) in Guardian and i kinda like these cheap and lasting fragrances for daily wear (i honestly have no desire to use my super expensive perfume collections every day, they're too heavy!), to run errands and all. Crazy cheap when on promo, each bottle would be like IDR 13.000 something *LOL*

Erm. Please tell me i'm not the only person who buys things in bulk just because you'd get a bonus? I mean.... I use those Pixy Cleansing Express a lot (to remove makeups when i'm too lazy to wash my face, but mainly to make a DIY daily brush cleanser-a formula i learnt from Phanie) so... I don't see the harm in buying this...

Spent the longest time trying to check if i already have this shade (the bonus only came in one shade) because i already have two Pixy lippies from this line and i obvi cannot remember the shades! This is why haul posts are important for me, so i can check back on what i've bought (and forgot)

The next item is actually sort of a beauty pouch subscription. You know, like the old beauty boxes subs that didn't last more than a year in Indonesia? I missed those surprise boxes so much *sigh*. Now the only ones left are the one local online shops do individually. This one is from an online shop that just started the service and i was lured in by the promo "Get a free lipgloss for the first few buyers!".

I'm not going to tell you the OS' name, i was actually a bit pissed because after i made the payment the owner was like "You're a blogger, right? Can you share it on your blog?". Say what???? You're asking me for a free promotion, after i spent my money on your stuffs? Eh. Call me a bitch, but that's really ridiculous okay. So i said no, and that's the answer to all of the other online shops/brands thinking the same thing. I don't work for free. I share if i want to, but if you ask me to then i'd definitely not share it (because that's actually very very rude okay!!!). You know i have no obligation whatsover for that, no?

Plus, i think it's... Okay, i don't want to be too rude. How do i put this... It's not worth the price. At all. The promotional photos are so tempting, but what i got... It was bad *LOL*. If i knew what i was getting, i wouldn't pay half of the price.

The online shop's actually quite serious i think, they went and produce their own pouch-which is pretty nice! But they count in the price of the pouch in the value of the sub, so... LOL

Yup. That's all there is. And i chose one of the more expensive pouches (IDR 200.000). Without the extra lip gloss (which is only for the first few customers) i would only be getting an e.l.f Jumbo Eyeshadow Stick, one perfume vial and two sachet samples. WTF. LOLOLOLOL. The only full product's e.l.f, which is worth what... USD 2? WTF. A total waste of my money.

I also bought some stuffs from Essence and they also made me pissed. Thinking back, i guess i was having a bad shopping month *LOL*. One bad experience after another. So, i got the info that Essence was having a promotion from Nessya, she told me that everything was... What was it, 30% off? And if you buy IDR 200.000 worth of products, you can get a lucky dip as well. Sounds like such a great deal, no? I also really love Essence and i was going to Pasar Atum (they have counters in all the weird places) anyway so i decided to stop by and shop.

I asked the BA (now, that's really weird too. Essence is a drugstore brand and oversea they usually are available in drugstores/marts in small booths and no BA) about the promo and she said YES YES, still 30% off all items, plus lucky dip-so i went and choose some stuffs that i wanted and asked her to count the total. I was confused when she counted them all WITHOUT deducting the 30%, i was like "Aren't they on promo?" and she was like "All prices already after discounts!". Errrr... How about no???? I checked the price of the powder (IDR 60.000 or so) in their other counter in TP just a week earlier, and it was the exact same price without any promotion!

I didn't purse it further because the BA was very adamant, but i reached out to Essence international (i couldn't find any rep for Essence Indonesia) who informed me that there are no such promotion (so the BAs are making up fake promotions to lure customers in), they also said that they found out that Essence Indonesia is not following the price guide they established (they jacked it up so bad *LOL*) and they promised to investigate this, they might even close down Essence Indonesia if they continue breaking the rules. I dunno what happened next, are Essence still available in Surabaya? I have no desire to ever buy anything from them again, i prefer to buy in Singapore!

FYI, i posted about this in my social medias and i got a LOT of feedbacks from dissatisfied customers who also got tricked by the BAs.

I bought the Mattifying Powder that i love (read my review here) and also super shimmery 3D eyeshadows, they're beautiful i can't deny it!

Some uber cute colored lippie, the bullet's see through if i remember correctly :p

And a liquid eyeliner. I got the Kajal Pencil for free from the lucky dip (i actually got nail stickers but the BA told me to pick again. I think she was very friendly so that's probably why i didn't have the heart to insist about the promo/cancel my purchase. I was also worried if the price really was already after discount, but nope. I investigate. Definitely full price)

Let me slip in a supermarket haul that really shows you that i'm actually a housewife *LOL*. Autan's very important, mosquitoes sucks. Tooth paste obvi also v important, and Mylea Hair Tonic's hunny's current holy grail hair tonic-they're affordable, doesn't contain as much alcohol than most other drugstore hair tonics and they work! Veet, i hardly ever touch them anymore coz i've had SHR treatments at Bangkok Beauty and the Ponds was a free gift

Oh, i also bought Marcks' Venus because i heard they're pretty good, and i love Marcks' loose podwer so i know i would try this eventually-it was most probably on promo

Yeah... I went nuts on shoes as well that month. All footwears were from Odioli, they have installments! I'm usually quite stingy when it comes to shoes (anything more than IDR 400.000, i most probably won't purchase. Except if it's Skechers *LOL*), but when it's on installments... All rules go out the window! Most of them are pretty cheap anyway!

This super cute brogues (featured here) that's sadly very painful to wear *LOL*

Rose gold flats that's the only comfortable ones out of the four, love it!

This stunning black heels that i LOVE, but also quite painful to wear *LOL*

And this pretty metallic purple sandals, which i also love but hurts like hell. Since three out of four are so painful, i haven't worn them more than once (with the exception of the rose gold). I seriously love Odioli's stuffs, but i can't lie, they're not the most comfy so i dunno if i'd ever purchase more shoes from them. The rose gold is seriously comfy though so maybe from that brand only

Just some cheap bag that i like enough to have to purchase hahaha

I also fell in love at the first glance at this beauty set :


I didn't even know the brand, but i just googled and it seems like the brand's Econeco from Japan (but it was made in Taiwan or something). For someone like me, when the packaging is like this-it doesn't matter what the brand is, or if it's any good, i'd buy it anyway. Who cares if the products sucks, i just won't use it and admire it everyday. My fave beauty buy so far, and when i saw this, i want more. (EDIT : Brand is actually Doshisha Cosmetics, Econeco is the illustrator and this line is a collaboration between the two)

What's inside. I don't remember how much it was anymore, it's pretty expensive (half a mill?) but i repeat, i don't care. I'd buy it if it's twice as expensive anyway

There are : lip gloss, powder, lip balm and blotting paper inside. Doshisha, TAKE ALL MY MONEY

More accessories from Av's online shop. And Oriflame's perfume. Did i ever tell you i love Oriflame perfumes? Yes, maybe 100x already *LOL*

We're almost done, i also bought a lot of stuffs from The Body Shop (this is back in March) :

I only shop in TBS when they're having their huge sale/when i get a lot of vouchers hahaha, so something like once or twice a year

Must be very cheap for me to get three shower gels at one go

First heard about their Body Sorbet from Phanie's blog too, i was immediately smitten... I mean, how delicious does a body sorbet sounds??? And it must be cooling too!

I probably tried to get to a certain amount to get a voucher because i don't normally buy expensive hand wash *cheapo*

Vanilla Brullee Bath Jelly, even though we don't even have a bath tub (there's one in my rents' room!), the BA said it can be used with bath lillies too, and i cannot resist anything Jelly (my fave word in the world. Jelly. Geeelllleeeee. Gelll... leeee... SOMEBODY STOP ME NOW WTF) >.<

I wanted the shimmer cube forever (but they're pretty pricey) and i also wanted to limited edition eye shadow palette since they came out (but i repeat, too expensive), they're finally on a huge sale (50% off?) so grabbed them FTL. Wanted to buy other shade of the shimmer cubes, but then they went back to normal price so i didn't. It's on sale again now, but buy 1 get 1 so... I dunno... Should i...?

Last but not least, this silly Fragrance Mist i found in Alfamart/Indomart in Batu *LOL* (i guess we don't need any more proof that i can shop ANYWHERE), it's dirt cheap and probably smells like ass (no matter, i'll use it as a room fragrance. I mean, if it's smells moderately ok. If really smells like ass then i'll pass to the maid or something. BUT THEN THE MAID WOULD SMELL LIKE ASS. Ok, just throw it away then *LOLOLOL*, but i'm sure it'd be at least good enough as a room refreshener hahahaha)

OKAYYYY, better stop nowwww. Of course, a lot more next *sigh*. Will these haul posts ever catch up with the actual shopping. Maybe not. Oh well. YOLO.

#Pink/The Haul Queen

12:31:00 AM
19 Comments

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

beauty

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 :(...