I noticed that many of my readers, especially those from Malaysia and Singapore, are quite interested in Essence cosmetics, which was recently brought in by COCiCOCi. Not only are the prices super affordable, the quality is not bad either, and their nail polish range (review here) is honestly to die for! Anyway, on to the topic of today's post, the 2 items I'll be reviewing today are Essence Soft Touch Mousse and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder.


First of all is the Soft Touch Mousse. I purchased it in the shade 02 Matt Beige, a slightly dark beige which leans toward orange. First of all, I must mention that this particular shade is not a perfect match for my skin tone, as it is slightly too dark and orange-y. However, since I can't return it, I've found a way (sort of) to make it work. >_< I'll probably try and get it in the proper shade whenever I'm in Midvalley or Bukit Bintang, where there are  friendly sales assistants and more shades to choose from.


The mousse is packed inside a smaller-than-palm-sized glass pot with a plastic screw cap. Not the best or most innovative design, but it's pretty solid and the size is quite travel-friendly. The texture of the mousse itself is very strange, sort of soft and spongy like... well, chocolate mousse, lol. It is quite dense and very pigmented though, so a little bit goes a long way. Also, it has a faint scent (reminds me of hazelnut praline for some weird reason...) which might not be to everybody's liking. It fades away quickly though, after you blend it, so it doesn't bother me.

The amount of product on the back of my hand is more than enough to cover my whole hand. O_o


As you can see, it is darker than my skin tone (T_T) but it does manage to cover up the more visible veins on the back of my hand. When blending, it does show an orange tint but once it is properly blended out, it becomes less noticeable and gives my skin a healthy sun-kissed shade (I hope). Below are the "before and after" comparisons on my cheeks.


The product is a mousse-to-powder finish, so it is very easy to blend and gives my skin a matte finish. It also helps to even out my skin tone. The mousse is really lightweight and once it's blended, you won't even feel it's there. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a make-up primer or foundation with more coverage, this mousse probably isn't for you. ^^"

Notice that 3rd picture? I've patted on the Mattifying Compact Powder so that the matte finish will last longer, as well as to lighten the mousse's darker shade. :)


I decided to pick up this compact powder because both my Maybelline ones were almost used up. I totally love how the packaging is completely transparent so you can see the pretty swirly pattern. The only downside is that it doesn't include an applicator of any sort, so I just washed my old one and used it for this. :)


I was trying to decide between Translucent and Natural Beige, but in the end I chose Natural Beige because there are just some days I am too lazy to put on BB cream or whatever, so I just pat on some powder and go out. Translucent is good for all skin tones though, if you're not sure what shade to choose or just want to use it to set the rest of your makeup.


Conclusion: I am pretty much in love with the products from Essence, as they work really well and the price is very affordable indeed. The only disadvantage is that they are pretty hard to come by, as not all shopping malls or Watsons carry the range. If you're a beginner in makeup, or just want to try out some new products without hurting your wallet too much, this brand will pretty much meet your needs. ^^

As a gentle reminder, as these 2 products have matte finishes, it is advisable to properly moisturize your face before applying them, especially if you have dry skin. :)


Essence Soft Touch Mousse retails at RM 18.90 (16g) and Essence Mattifying Compact Powder retails at RM 14.90 (12g). Available at COCiCOCi stands (Midvalley and Jalan Bukit Bintang) and Watsons (Sunway Pyramid, Sg. Wang, Berjaya Times Square and Pavillion).