Essence is a brand that I haven't tried a lot from. I was at Ulta last month and saw a few of their sets and this particular one caught my eye. It is $9.99 and everything is full sized. You get the Lash Princess Volume Mascara, All About Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze, and I love Color Intensifying Eyeshadow Primer.
I really like the eyeshadow palette. All of the shades do have some shimmer and they are nicely pigmented. The texture of the shadows is really soft and smooth; not what you would expect at such an affordable price point. They blend very easily and it is a great palette for everyday use. It just wouldn't be for anyone who doesn't like any degree of shimmer.
I wasn't such a fan of the primer, though. Something about it makes my eyeshadow crease horribly after just a few hours. I do like that it has a doe foot applicator and it blends out very easily. I won't be using it on my eyes, but I do like using it for swatches.
Last but not least is the Lash Princess Volume Mascara. Many people rave about its sister mascara, Lash Princess False Lash Effect, but I hate that one because it is so clumpy. This one isn't and it gives my lashes nice length and volume. It isn't as dramatic as the other one, but I can live with that. I like it enough that I can see myself buying it again.
This is a set that I highly recommend getting. The primer doesn't work for me, but at least I can use it for swatches. I have heard other people say it works well for them, so it could just be me. I bought mine in store at Ulta. I looked on their site and I don't see it listed. If you can find it, it is a great budget friendly gift to pick up.
I have also managed to fix my camera, so my pictures should be back to normal in my next post,
Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!