The Essence Cosmetics Chilly Vanilly Collection Review + Swatches

Friday 26 January 2024

 I ADORE Essence Cosmetics - they are very affordable, they are fun, the products work really well and they always come out with cute collections like the Essence Cosmetics Chilly Vanilly Collection. The only downside is that, apart from the core products, it can be quite difficult to get your hands on collections like this if you live in the UK, like myself. I do tend to use websites such as BoozyShop, which is a European website that does get most of the Essence collections in stock, but you have to be so fast before they sell out. It is definitely a labour of love being a UK Essence fan, but they are just one of my long-time favourite brands, and you can see the last post I did before I got ill, on the latest releases back in 2022 here. There are so many Essence posts on this blog, but let's get into the Chilly Vanilly collection...

I can no longer link every product unfortunately as they are out of stock on this particular website, but I will do my best, and try and find them elsewhere. Starting off with the Essence Chilly Vanilly Brightening Under Eye Cream (3.10 Euros for 10ml) (my keyboard doesn't have a Euro symbol!). This whole collection is very aesthetically pleasing, with rose golds, nudes and whites. The Under Eye Cream provides the skin with nourishment and hydration, refreshing and softening the eye area, adding some brightness and removing any puffiness and dark circles under the eye. I have tried similar, much more expensive versions of this product, as I do get super tired, with having AuDHD, as I don't often sleep well, and I must admit this one works just as good as the £30+ versions. A little bit goes a long way and you can feel that instant cooling sensation and the apricot colour works really well at disguising dark under eyes. Hallelujah! 

We then have the Essence Chilly Vanilly Lip Mask (£2.84 for 9g), which is perfect for this time of year, to keep your lips soft and nourished. As it is a lip mask, the formula is quite thick, so you only need a small amount, and it does have a very light sweet vanilla scent to it, so if you don't like overpowering fragrance in your lip products, then this will work really well for you. The formula is creamy and smooth and as well as keeping the lips moisturised, it also helps to protect them due to the thickness of the product. Super handy to keep on your bedside table or to pop in your handbag.

Sticking with the lips, we have the Essence Chilly Vanilly Lip Glaze in 01 Home is Where Vanilla Is (2.69 Euro for 4.3ml), a shimmery pink gloss, that feels a little like a lip oil too. You get a hint of pink to the lips, and it is also infused with that yummy, sweet vanilla scent that is obviously the key ingredient throughout this collection. The sponge applicator has a really great angle to it, ensuring quick and easy application, even without a mirror. The formula is enriched with oils and vitamins, which you can tell straightaway, which is why I mentioned that it feels a little like a lip oil, as it is super nourishing and hydrating, as well as adding a glossy, fuller look to the lips.

The final lip product in this collection is the Essence Chilly Vanilly Colour Intensifying Lip Balm (2.95 Euro for 3.2g), in 01 So Vanilly-licious! The Balm itself has a marbled effect, with none of the colour going onto the lips, however, this is a lip balm that works with your skin's natural pH level, quickly revealing a soft shade of pink that is perfectly tailored to your own skin tone. This is one creamy lip balm, as it doesn't drag or pull on the lips, because the formula is super softening and hydrating, infused with Vitamin E so applies effortlessly, giving you that instant healthy feel and pop of pink. (And yes, it does of course have the vanilla scent to it, but not overly so.).

Moving on to one of my favourite products in the collection, we have the Essence Chilly Vanilly Face & Body Highlighter Stick (£3.80 for 12g), which comes in cool packaging and has been created to contour the face, assuring smooth application. This creamy highlighter can be used anywhere you desire, and reflects with a light pink shimmer - it is always hard to show the true potential of shimmery products on photographs, but this really does pack a punch! I don't find the formula greasy or wet, it dries down quickly without drying out the skin. You can apply it to the cheekbones, upper part of the cheeks, the centre of the face, under the brows, in the inner corners of your eyes to really make them pop, on your shoulders, collar bones, arms, legs, wherever you need a hint of shimmer.

The largest item in the collection is the Essence Chilly Vanilly Giant Sponge, which you can buy in the UK for £5.00, but when I looked at my BoozyShop Order Confirmation, I paid just 2.67 Euros, so that is obviously half the price! This pretty, marble effect large beauty sponge is soft and smooth, whilst also being rather dense. You aren't going to be able to use this for smaller areas of makeup application, but I mainly bought it for the Summer months, to apply tanning products or shimmer to the body. I am pleased to say, this one doesn't smell of vanilla, and whilst I personally wouldn't use this for face makeup, I am happy to have something that isn't overly huge for the body, but I can apply detailed shimmer to places.

The final two items, which are such a bargain, are the Essence Chilly Vanilly Liquid Eyeshadows, (2.49 Euros each for 1.2ml). There are two shade options - 01 Not So Basic Vanilla, a slightly sheerer champagne gold, and 02 Vanilla Vibes Only!, a slightly more intense champagne gold. I am not fully sure why they brought out two shades, with both of them being very similar, but I love them both so I am not complaining, just being observant. The 02 shade is very metallic, which I adore, and they both have a double-sided soft sponge applicator so they are super easy to apply and you can either blend them out, or go full on shimmer and glam, with them only taking 30 seconds to dry down so that they don't budge or smudge during the day. I'm surprised they didn't have a champagne gold and even a rose gold, but hey, who am I to question their releases. You can pay ten times this amount for a very similar product, and so I would highly recommend picking these up.


Top to Bottom - Lip Glaze, Face & Body Highlighter, Liquid Eyeshadow in 01 Not So Basic Vanilla, Liquid Eyeshadow in 02 Vanilla Vibes Only!

You can find Essence online at BoozyShop here.


All the Loves,
Kathryn x

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