Essence makeup tools

When Essence renewed their line for spring/ summer 2018, the brand also launched a bunch of new makeup tools. Their entire range of brushes has been updated and I found a few in the new range that I liked and that I decided to try. How did I fare with these new Essence makeup tools? 

Essence makeup tools

Price wise these tools range from €2.99 and €3.59 for the bronzer brush and makeup sponge. However the two smaller brushes retail for only €1.59 each. So these are super affordable. Of course Essence is known for its affordable products, but are these actually good? I have tried other brushes in the past and some are great, but others are a bit meh. So they are always a bit or miss.

Essence Makeup and Baking Sponge

First up is the new makeup sponge. Ever since the Beauty Blender became super popular any brand has been trying to duplicate that success. This sponge is definitely trying to do that too, however shape wise it is more like the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I quite like this sponge but I find it a bit too firm for my taste. Like a Beauty Blender this will expand when wet and that makes it easier to use.

However, the sponge stays quite dense and it doesn’t feel as soft and squishy as I like it to be. Every time I tap foundation onto my face with it, it feels like I’m punching myself in the face, which is not a great feeling. So does it beat my favorite sponge by Primark? No it does not, but it is definitely not a sponge that is horrible to use. A great backup for when all my other sponges are dirty.

Essence Bronzer brush

Out of all the regular brushes in the new line, I only opted for the bronzer brush. Why? As I thought this brush looked really really good. Doesn’t that look like a luxurious brush that you would expect to be much more expensive than €2.99? It does to me. What I love about this brush is how soft and fluffy this is. Because it is fluffy and not too dense this makes for a super easy bronzer application. It is difficult to overload the product onto your face and I like the finish this gives. The brush hairs have a lot of give to them which makes for easy blendability and still it picks up just the right amount of product. This has to be my favorite brush that I bought in a while.

Essence The Sili Helpers Glitter & Pigment Blender

The more unusual ‘bruses’ are these ‘Sili Helpers’. These brushes are meant to be used with loose glitters and pigments. This is the bigger size of the two. It has a oval shape that tapers to a point. It is a quite bit but I find it handy for applying glitter primer onto the lid. I wouldn’t use this to blend per se: this is a silicone brush so it won’t exactly blend anything. The brush has a very rubbery feel to it, so I feel this wouldn’t work for blending as it kind of pulls and tugs on the skin. It does work great for patting on glitter primer though and I love it for that as it doesn’t make your finger sticky.

Essence The Sili Helpers Glitter & Pigment Applicator

The other silicone brush is designated for applying the glitter or pigment. Because of the rubberized texture of the brush I find it is easy to pick up glitter with this and apply it to the eye. The texture of the brush kind of allows the glitter to stick to the brush, meaning less fallout. The brush is also super small, so it is easy enough to get the product out of small openings of glitter containers. If you’re looking for a brush that will make your life a lot easier when you want to apply glitter then this is the brush for you. This just makes it so much easier and so much quicker to apply this tricky makeup product. Another thumbs up for me.

What brush would you like to add to your collection?