REVIEW: Essence Breaking Dawn Makeup Collection

oookay, so i have to say that i have not seen a single Twilight movie because i have been stubbornly trying to convince myself that i could get through the books first. i heard the movies 'weren't that good' so i was hoping to read it first and let my imagination run a little wild, rather than having Kristen Stewart's and Robert Pattinson's faces stuck in my head.
so far, i've gotten through the first book. that was about two years ago.

Essence recently released The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 Makeup Collection which can be found in many Shoppers Drug Marts (Essence also had an Eclipse Collection back in 2010!)

do you want to look like a vampire?? 

the collection consists of lipglosses, glitter eyeliners, nail polishes, and loose pigments eyeshadows as well as a shimmer powder, a blush and a lipstick. prices range from $1.99 to $3.99. some of the products have the same shades - such as "Edward's Love" which you can find in a pigment or a nail polish. i keep laughing at how strange the name "Alice Had a Vision - Again" is. does she constantly have visions or something? and is it just annoying when she does?

i picked up three items:

eep! this is the first time i've noticed "talc" in the ingredients. i knew this is a "bad" product but i didn't know why so i do a little search.
from American Cancer Society: there are two types of talc - one that contains asbestos and one that doesn't. the one that does contain asbestos is said to cause cancer if inhaled. in regards to asbestos-free talc, there hasn't been any clear evidence linking it to cancer. so since there is insufficient information on this, it might be best to just avoid talc whenever possible.
this is very difficult since i went through some of my other powders and just to name a few, Vasanti, Pandora's Box and Korres have talc.

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right before the release of this collection, i was on the hunt to add some highlighters to my makeup collection. my curiosity about them began when i watched some YouTube videos on highlighting and contouring (thanks Goss Makeup Artist!).

and so i was excited to pick up the Shimmer Powder in "01 Bella's Secret" (11 g; $3.99). i figured it would be my first baby step in the world of highlighting.

natural light; closeup with flash

this powder definitely gives your skin a glowing sheen with its light golden shimmer. i really like using it right underneath my eyes to brighten up the area. i also brush it down the center of my nose.
this product will definitely last me some time - it's really big!! it's not something i'd carry around with me due to the size and unfortunately, that doesn't help since i feel like most of the shimmer has faded within 3 hours. i didn't wear a face primer though... maybe that'll help!

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after seeing a few swatches of the blush (as well as Christine's post about NARS "Exhibit A" blush), i felt like i NEEDED a red blush. i didn't own a red blush prior to this because well, it's so red! but the pictures i saw were just amazing and so i hunted down the Blush in "01 Renesmee Red" (5.5 g; $2.99).

the blush looks like a cherry red and when you look at it very closely, you will notice a few shimmer particles in there. it is not as dark when you apply it - more like a softer pink-red. powder blushes often fade rather quickly on my skin but one is pretty decent. i don't have an exact time frame for this but around 6 hours?

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finally, after much talk about the pigments on a Facebook group page, i had to have a Loose Eyeshadow Pigment (1.7 g; $3.49). i wanted "01 Jacob's Protection" when i saw the nail polishes, but since i have a ridiculously long list of polishes i still need to swatch, i figured i'll just get the pigment in the same color. plus, i've been having a thing for loose eyeshadows after i started playing around with the MUFE Holodiam Powder.

the pigment is indeed, very pigmented. it is a dark navy blue (verging on black) with green and purple glitter. the powder is not fine so it is a little harder to blend. i find that the color does start to fade near the end of the day and it begins to look like a boring gray (it also loses the glitter). the Essence website suggests using a base - more specifically, the Essence Colour Arts Eye Base from their standard collection. i've never seen that sold here but definitely use a primer!

here are my swatches of the above three products - note the shimmer powder and the blush are heavily swatched so you can see it. when you apply it on your face, you can definitely use a lighter touch. the pigment itself has great color payoff.

i tried to take a picture of my eyes but you can sort of see my cheeks too... i am wearing all three products here (plus eyeliner and a white eyeshadow):

the packaging is nothing special but it does feel sturdy. i don't expect the blush and shimmer powder to shatter easily. the pigment can be messy though - every time i open it, no matter how careful i am, some of the pigment will end up on my table or hand. i can't say this for the pigment, but the shimmer powder and blush have a slight scent to it if you sniff it directly... smells sort of like fake peaches.

overall, i've had a lot of fun playing with these new products. i think for the quality and the price, they are definitely worth a try. these days, i've reached for the shimmer powder and blush most often. were you tempted by the new Essence collection?