The Glamour Nazi

Lipliner is something I always say you don’t need to splash your cash on. I have many lipliners from cheap make up sets I got years ago that do the job. I do have a favourite in the Illamasqua Medium Pencils but I see them as a treat and usually only purchase them when they’re on sale.

05 Soft Berry

’05 Soft Berry’

After my success with ’11 In The Nude’ (Below) I decided I needed more of these Essence Lipliners in my collection. I wear the nude shade every day to subtly define and shape my lips so decided to go for something a little different. ’05 Soft Berry’ was the darkest shade on the stand and my obsession with deep berry lips meant this was a no-brainer. I swatched it on my hand and was disappointed that the colour didn’t seem as dark as the name suggested. I decided to give it a go anyway and picked it up.

’05 Soft Berry’

On the lips, the colour can be built up to a deep pinky-wine (not as purple as the photos suggest)  which is absolutely stunning. I have been looking for a burgundy shade lip product all winter long but everything has been too purple for my tastes and not wine enough. This colour hits the nail on the head and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this. Summer or no summer, I don’t think vampy lips ever go out of style. If it looks a little scary for your tastes, look at the top middle photo where I applied it very lightly for a neutral pink hue. Two colours in one with this pencil.
11 In The Nude

A few weeks ago, I had some time to kill in town and found myself in Dunnes perusing the Essence stand. I really wanted to pick up some things to trial for the blog but nothing was really appealing to me. I decided I would pick up a lipliner as I was using all my cheap ones to death. The Essence version is also cheap at €1.79 but at least it has a name. I swatched a few shades and there are plenty of nudes which are absolutely vital to anyone’s collection. Nude or taupe lipliners are great for making your lips appear fuller and if you have a colour similar to your own lip shade, you can pair it with any lipstick.

I opted for shade 11 – ‘In The Nude’ as it was the closest to my natural colour – maybe one shade darker.

The colour is a nude-taupe that leans slightly peach. I love this pencil and this colour so much that I have been wearing it everyday with only a little lip balm on top. It lasts a few hours before reapplication is required.

These pencils are definitely not the softest pencils I’ve ever used but not the hardest either. They don’t feel pokey or prickly on application and easily deliver even coverage and good pigmentation. My favourite part is how non-drying they are. Many lipliners I’ve owned have made my lips feel tight immediately after application but these pencils feel quite comfortable. One small downfall is how often they need paring but looking passed this, they are really impressive.

Overall I love the quality of these and reach for them every day. At €1.79, I can definitely say I will be starting up a collection. If you haven’t tried an Essence Lipliner yet, you’re missing out!