Essence lipsticks | Velvet Matte, Melted Chrome & Glitter Switch

For fall 2018, Essence has of course also released some new lip products. They have revamped their entire line of velvet matte lipsticks and introduced some new liquid lipsticks too. Where I wasn’t a huge fan of the new Catrice lip products as they are not my cup of tea, I am much more excited about showing you these new Essence lip products. So let’s get to it.

New Essence Fall 2018 Lipsticks
Velvet Matte lipstick Dusty Romance
Melted Chrome liquid lipstick Iron Heart
Glitter Switch liquid lipstick Sparkling Bordeaux

So all three of these lip products are very different between one another. The Velvet Matte lipsticks have been around for some time and are some of the most affordable, yet high quality lipsticks on the market. At just €2.39, these lipsticks are an absolute bargain. The Melted Chrome liquid lipstick is only a little bit more expensive at €2.89 and the Glitter Switch lipstick costs as much. In short, all of these retail for less than €3 a piece.

Essence Velvet Matte lipstick Dusty Romance

Let’s first look at the standard tube lipstick. As I mentioned this is an oldie but a goodie in Essence’s line and I have tried these before in shades they did previously. Sadly, Essence changes up the range so frequently that many of my OG loves have since been replaced. However, while the shades change constantly and this time the bullet packaging too, the shades in the range are still very similar to the ones that were taken out. If you are looking for an affordable lipstick that is comfortable and lasts well, then these Essence lipsticks are really good. I do find the updated packaging to make the lipstick look a bit cheap though.

Essence Melted Chrome liquid lipstick Iron Heart

A lipstick that is brand new to Essence’s line are the Melted Chrome lipsticks. I picked up one, but this comes in 5 different shades. There are two very pale nude shades, one very deep and vampy number and one that looks like a very wearable pink toned perfect for everyday wear. I opted for the reddish shade in this line and while this lipstick is called Melted Chrome, the shine on this is not as intense as you might expect. As you will be able to see below, this lipstick is surprisingly wearable. Lasting time isn’t the best on this though: it only stays put for about 2 hours.

Essence Glitter Switch liquid lipstick Sparkling Bordeaux

Sparkling Bordeaux is the perfect name for this Glitter Switch liquid lipstick. A very fun new product that I was very curious to try. I thought it might be very gimmicky, but in the end this truly works. So what does it do: you apply this to your lips and once it has dried down, the glitter appears more strongly after you press your lips together. Ingenious and incredibly fun for parties and the Holiday season if you ask me. The wear time on this is not the best and the product is a bit gloopy and therefore difficult to apply, but this is such a unique lip product that I will let that slide.

The Applicator

Both the Melted Chrome and Glitter Switch lipsticks have doe foot applicators. The Melted Chrome one is my favorite: it is long and narrow and therefore ultra precise. I loved this applicator. The Glitter Switch applicator is a bit stubbier and dispenses a lot more product. I found it made it more difficult to get a neat application.

The Swatch

From top to bottom: Velvet Matte, Melted Chrome, Glitter Switch. As you can see all three of these go on opaque and apply smoothly. They all have a bit of a shine: even the matte lipstick, but that does make it feel much more comfortable. Of these, I think the Glitter Switch lipstick has the biggest amount of dry down and therefore lasts the longest, but as it wears down you are mainly left with sparkle on the lips, which isn’t a cute look.

Dusty Romance

I really enjoy this shade on me. This is such a perfect everday neutral on my skintone! However, it isn’t very unique as I have many shades similar to this. It also accentuates some of the dry patches on my lips, but other than that this is a very lovely lipstick. Doesn’t last the longest, but at just €2.39, you really can’t go wrong with these. For that price point, I really don’t mind having to reapply this lipstick a few times throughout the day.

Iron Heart

With a Melted Chrome lipstick, I am always a little bit scared as to what that might look like. This could be high shine and while it looks like that in the swatch, I find it is much more muted on the lips. It is like a brown toned nude with a hint of red and just the right amount of shine to make this a very wearable everyday color. The surprise of this selection of lip products for me, that’s for sure!

Sparkling Bordeaux

For Sparkling Bordeaux, I of course had to try showing you the full effect. In real life, I feel this shows up more sparkly than it does in this picture, but this gives you the general idea. I really love the shade of this: the dark red with the pink and purple glitter works really well and is stunning. As you can see, I struggled applying this neatly as the formula is a little bit on the chunky side. Below you can see a full face picture of this shade.

The Conclusion

For me personally, these new Essence lipsticks for Fall 2018 are a much bigger success than the Catrice ones for three reasons. Firstly, the Velvet Matte lipstick still has an amazing formula and is super affordable. Secondly, both the Melted Chrome and Glitter Switch lipsticks are unique in their concept and definitely not something we’ve seen an affordable brand do before. And finally, they are superior in quality through and through. So the question here is not: are these lipsticks any good, but rather, which one should you get first?

Which of these products would you like to try?