It’s no secret that essence Cosmetics is one of my favourite drug store brands. It’s ridiculously inexpensive and the quality is phenomenal for the price. I’ve reviewed some of their releases in the past, and I’ve always loved the results.
So when I found the ‘Cherry Blossom Girl‘ line in stores, I knew I had to pick up some of the pieces. And the best part? Even buying the entire set wouldn’t cost anymore than $25.00!
The Cherry Blossom line is taken straight from the ‘geisha girl’ lifestyle of Japan. Soft cherry blossom shades with a strong reds, bright yellows, and cool greys, intense red lips, and statement eyelashes round out this collection.
Here are some of my favourite pieces from the line, as well as some swatches of the products I picked up. See anything you like?
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl’s ‘Quattro Eyeshadow’ ($3.99 CAN)
I’m absolutely loving these shades for the springtime. I love the wearability of the lighter colours and the pigmentation of the darker ones.
essence dubs the colours an eyeshadow with endless possibilities – two subtle nude shades, with two intense smokey shades. The shadows provide both matte and shimmery effects. Available in Dreaming Under A Cherry Tree.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl’s ‘ ‘Lipstick Pencils’ ($2.49 CAN)
I’m intrigued by the colouring of these. They perfectly match the eyeshadow quad – but are they wearable? I’m hoping these pencils are a little sheerer than they appear, because the pigmentation might be bright!
essence claims that these lip pencils will provide intense finish with a velvety matte sheen. Rock a orange-y red or a peachy apricot – available in colours Cherry Cherry Girl and It’s Peach, Not Cherry.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl’s ‘Highlighter Pen’ ($3.49 CAN)
This is the product I’m most excited for – the highlighter pens! It’s a super soft shimmery pen available in one shade that provides a little bit of glow to your face. I’m looking forward to using it around the eye area to enhance the corners of my eyes, my eyebrow bones, and my cheekbones.
essence dubs this the ‘eye-catcher’ – a super highlighting pen that’s available in Konnichiwa Girls.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girls’ ‘Nail Colours’ ($1.99 CAN)I’ve got a love/hate relationship with nail colours – I love the muted & nude shades. Therefore, it’s safe to say that I like two of the four colours posted beside!
essence calls these shades ‘Tokyo in Summer’ – warm colours with high coverage. The four colours provided are (L t R) Fortune Cookie, My Little Kimono, Cherry Cherry Girl, and It’s Peach, Not Cherry.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl’s ‘Shimmering Body Powder’ ($3.99 CAN)
This would be my second-most anticipated product! Besides the fact that it smells absolutely divine, the shimmer is so subtle that it’s perfect for entire body coverage. When I go back to the store, I’m planning to purchase in bulk!
essence deems this product from the geishas – a subtle fragrant body powder that provides an all over shimmer. Available in one shade called Hello Glitty.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl ‘Blush’
($ unknown)
($ unknown)
A super cute blush with two beautiful rosy tones! I’m loving the imprinted cherry blossom on the actual blush – too cute!
essence calls this multi-colour blush a fresh and rosy addition to any make-up bag. Comes in one shade, Asian Sensation.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl ‘Paper
Lashes’ ($ unknown)
I’m a little skeptical about these lashes. While they are insanely gorgeous, they are a little impractical. These lashes might best be left for a fancy night out, when you are looking to make a statement. Another worry – with lashes so pretty, would you ever want to waste them? Are they reusable?
essence’s artistically designed paper lashes are dubbed the highlight of this release! Available in one lash design, Hidden in Sakura Garden.
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essence Cherry Blossom Girl ‘2 in 1 Eyeliner’ ($3.99 CAN)There are two sides to these pencils, which I find intriguing. One side provides broader definition, while the other one provides a smaller delicate definition. Sounds like a good way to capture a cat-eye!
essence thanks the semi-permanent texture of the pens for the long-lasting properties it provides. Available in two shades (L t R) Big in Japan and My Little Kimono.
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I only managed to pick up a couple products that I deemed my favourites. Here are some of the swatches – aren’t the colours beautiful?
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| Courtesy of Ashley McKernan |
Here’s the beautiful quad I picked up – the swatches are very pretty, and also, very light (depending on how much you put on, that is!). Love it for the office.
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| Courtesy of Ashley McKernan |
See above for swatches of the eyeshadow quad, the the It’s Peach, Not Cherry lip crayon. From top to bottom, it’s the colours in a clockwise circle, with the lip crayon on the bottom. I found the Cherry Cherry Red colour to be too bold for my taste!
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| Courtesy of Ashley McKernan |
My favourites, hands down, are the highlighter pen and the 2-in-1 eyeliner. The permanency of the colour of the eyeliner makes it a win, and the fact that it’s dual sided based on preference is amazing. Can’t wait to use this one! The highlighter pen is just too cute – I’m loving the sheer colour it produces.
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| Courtesy of Ashley McKernan |
I’m also liking the all-over body shimmer. Swatching it is too difficult due to it’s sheer nature, but you can see here the tiny hints of colour and shimmer it would produce. Lovely!
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| Courtesy of Ashley McKernan |
As I said, I’m not a huge fan of overtly bright nails, so I only picked up this colour – My Little Kimono!
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So what do you think of the Cherry Blossom Girl line from essence? Pretty? Tweet me at @AshleyMcKernan or email me at ashley@torontobeautyreviews.com!
NOTE: Product photos courtesy of essence EU; personal photos and swatches courtesy of Ashley McKernan