Essence proves yet again that cheap doesn’t mean bad makeup. Their new Fall/ Winter 2025 collection update contained a full new range of blush bronzer and highlight. At around €3 a pop, this means this is one of the most affordable options on the market today. The question is though: are they worth the money? Let’s chat!
I will be reviewing all three products in this one review. You can see the bronzer up here and the blush and highlighter are below. The bronzer and blush are available in four shades, the highlighter in three. So that is a decent shade range certainly at this price point. The packaging feels cheap and while they get the job done, for me there was only one true stand out and the rest was alright.
Review: Essence Soft Touch Bronzer, Blush & Highlighter
Let’s discuss price point and availability first. This product is out now everywhere that stocks Essence in most places in the EU and related territories. You may have to wait for this to roll out across the globe as other countries are usually behind. I already mentioned that these are around €3 each. The bronzer and highlighter are, but the blush is a touch cheaper at €2.69. The products come with a standard amount of product so for the price point alone these can be worth trying.
What do these products have to offer?
Since they all have the same name, I thought they might be similar formulas. They are not. The bronzer is called the ‘butter bronzer’, while the blush and highlight are both called bouncy. I thought these might be cream products when I spotted them upon release, but they are all a cream to powder hybrid. For the blush that works out best. The bronzer and highlighter can both be quite sheer and subtle. Great if that’s what you are looking for, but I struggled picking both up with a brush and with a finger, they could not be applied. The blush is the stand out product here.
What do these look like in a swatch?
As you can tell from the swatches in this post, these products all have good color pay off. The bronzer is subtle, but I also got it in the lightest shade. The highlighter has good pigment but it is a bit dense which is not my favorite formula for a highlighter. The blush is vibrant and intense: it is also the deepest shade available, but it was the only clear cool tone available. It looks stunning though, when used with a light hand, on my fair skin.
What do these look like applied to the cheeks?
You can clearly see here why I like the blush best: it simply has the most pay off. The bronzer and highlight pale in comparison. If you start top left you see my bare cheek. Then right to that is the bronzer applied, left bottom corner is with added highlighter and bottom right has the complete cheek look including the blush.
While the bronzer and highlighter are pretty they were a bit difficult to apply with a brush as brushes struggled to pick up the product and it took a lot of swipes to get it where I wanted it to go. The blush needed to be applied with the sheerest possible application. So it was a big contrast. The blush? Totally worth it. The bronzer and highlighter? Worth it for the price point, but not a must have.
Should you buy the Essence Soft Touch blush, bronzer & highlight?
Even though I didn’t fall in love with the bronzer and highlighter, they are still good products. For how cheap they are, they certainly work well. If it is all you can afford, I am sure you will love these, but they do not hold a candle to other bronzers in my collection. If you can, save up and get Kiko Milano instead: same effect, but better pay off and longer lasting products as a result. The blush is what I would truly recommend: the formula takes some getting used to, but it is long lasting and a beautiful product on the cheeks.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Great color payoff on the blush
- Long lasting
Cons:
- Bronzer and highlighter more difficult to apply
- Cheap packaging
Buy the Essence Soft Touch blush, bronzer and highlighter here *.
*Link is affiliated.
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