Essence Stay with Me Lipgloss

These lipglosses retail for $2.99 CDN a piece at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. There are 6 shades available: me & my icecream (01), my favorite milkshake (02), candy bar (03), kiss kiss kiss (07), deep rose (08), and hottest pink (09). Each tube contains 4 ml of product.


Now, if you've been reading my blog for the last little while, you'll have noticed that I'm not a huge fan of lipgloss. In fact, lipgloss rarely makes it (if ever) into my monthly favorites, and I seldom have reviews on them. I'm just not a lipgloss junkie. After Josh and I got more serious in our relationship (pre and post-marriage), I started leaving lipgloss out of my daily routine. There is nothing Josh hates more than when he goes to give me a kiss and he gets lipgloss all over his face... so all of my lipglosses have been sitting dormant on my vanity.


Whilst reading a post of Tracy's at Beauty Reflections, I came to the conclusion that I had to give lipgloss another try. Especially for $2.99. After getting my job, I realized that I could wear lipgloss during my work hours instead of wearing it on my time with Josh. So I resolved to pick up 2 colors. Sam Schuerman's Easter-inspired makeup tutorial encouraged me to grab me & my icecream (01), and my favorite milkshake (02) was a last minute, spur-of-the-moment, impulse purchase.

With flash.
Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)

No flash - natural sunlight.
Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)

The packaging of these glosses is interesting. The gloss itself comes in a very small, stout, transparent plastic tube, with a black twist-off wand. The applicator is semi-spongey, and semi-silicone, which makes it flexible but great for applying the perfect amount of product to the lips. The applicator is not your standard doe-foot, but is hourglass shaped. Some people might dislike the shape of the applicator, but I find it to be my FAVORITE kind of applicator. The very tip makes it easy to place product precisely where you want it, and the contours of the hourglass configuration make it SO easy to spread and apply larger amounts of product, especially to the upper lips and around the cupid's bow. A HUGE selling point for me. In fact, I find that this kind of applicator makes it incredibly easy for me to apply the gloss without looking in a mirror. Usually I refrain from applying lipgloss without a mirror or reflective surface present, but not with these puppies.

me & my icecream (01) is a light cool-toned baby pink shade. There is no shimmer in this gloss.


my favorite milkshake (02) is a warm peach pink shade. Also, shimmer-less.

With flash.
Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)

No flash - natural sunlight.
Left to Right: my favorite milkshake (01), me & my icecream (02)

Let me just say that I FREAKING ADORE THESE LIPGLOSSES. Seriously. They are right on par (in my opinion), if not better than, the Bonne Bell lipLITES glosses.


The product itself does have a very noticeable scent, but it does not deter me from repurchasing, as I love the marshmallow-y scent. The scent does linger for quite some time, but the strength of the scent becomes less noticeable as time goes on.


These lip glosses are SO smooth. They fill in any lines on your lips, and create a creamy, seamless, glossy finish. These glosses will not give you that 'mirror' or 'glassy' shine that some other glosses do, but that's okay with me. The shine is subtle, but does create the illusion of fuller lips. my favorite milkshake (02) tends to be slightly stickier and tackier than my & my icecream (01) - I don't know if it's just my gloss in particular, but it's something to be aware of in any case.

No flash - natural sunlight.
Naked lipses.

No flash - natural sunlight.
my favorite milkshake (01)

No flash - natural sunlight.
me & my icecream (02)

On my lips, these glosses are not tacky at all. In fact, I barely notice that they're even on. They are so lightweight. However, sometimes it's easy to get too heavy handed in your application of the gloss, in which case it can kind of gob-up on your lips and look really goopy, almost-stringy, and unattractive. I'd start out with a thin layer on both lips to start, and then build up the color (in thin layers) until you get your desired finish.


The color is not obnoxious or in-your-face. The glosses themselves definitely are not opaque in terms of pigmentation, but the color is noticeable, even obvious - but is a great alternative for those looking for a little bit of color, without the obnoxious, in-your-face finish that some glosses can give.


These are by no means the longest wearing lipglosses you can purchase. Because they aren't sticky, the lasting power is lacking. I'd say I get about 2 hours of wear (max) out of these babies before having to reapply (without eating or drinking). I really don't mind reapplying, especially because they're so cheap and I love them so much.


They wear off gradually, both in finish and color - so your lips don't look patchy or uneven as the day goes on. As they wear, they leave a bit of a residue on your lips that is neither noticeable or unwanted. They just feel coated with a chapstick-esque layer, which I appreciate. 


The gloss itself feels super moisturizing on my lips. It doesn't aggravate dry patches, and I don't need to apply a chapstick or lipbalm before using this gloss. It feels like chapstick-in-a-tube, much like my beloved Bonne Bell lipLITES, except more moisturizing than those.


At $3 a pop, these are SO worth it. I cannot stress this enough. I find myself constantly reaching for these glosses, and I even feel a little sad in the evenings when Josh comes home and I have to refrain from reapplying them. But the mornings always bring that little bit of joy, knowing that I get to break out my new favorite lip products. I'm considering purchasing the other four glosses, as it's such a bargain, and I can definitely see myself reaching for all of the shades in the future.


If you're looking for an intensely pigmented, long-lasting, sticky, glitter-bomb of a lipgloss. These will not be for you. Remember, you're paying $3 for this gloss - don't expect the universe of it.


AHHH. I cannot recommend these enough. Seriously, run out and buy yourself one, two, three... maybe even all six of these fantastic glosses. And let me know what you think!!


Without hesitation, 5 out of 5 stars.
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What's your favorite brand of lipgloss??!

Bonne Bell lipLITES

Shown left to right:
Cherry Berry Kiss, Strawberry Parfait, Angel Food Cake, Frosted Berry, Caramel Latte, Metallic Mocha, Vanilla Swirl, and Creme Brulee

I purchased my lipLITES from WalMart, Zellers, and Shoppers Drug Mart. They vary in price, depending on where you purchase them for approximately $3-$5 CDN. There is 7.7 mL of product in a tube, which comes with a doe-foot applicator.

I have collected these over a period of time, and was initially intrigued to purchase one after watching pinkiecharm, on YouTube, do a review of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xxVfIBr1ow. I immediately went out and purchased Caramel Latte.

And let me tell you - these babies are like, chapstick in a tube. Bonne Bell has a wide assortment of colors (and flavors) in the lipLITES line, and so it's easy to find a color or flavor for anyone.

The lipLITES are incredibly moisturizing for being a lipgloss. They are not especially sticky, but go on the lips smooth and creamy. Because of their lack of stickiness, these are not especially long-wearing lipglosses - do not expect them to stay perfectly shiny and unbudging on your lips - because they will disappear quickly. Each tube has its own unique scent AND flavor. The colors vary in pigmentation and finish.

(1) Cherry Berry Kiss -
This lipgloss smells like a cherry popsicle to me. It goes on extremely transparent. There is a slight cherry red tint to it, but not much. There is some shimmer particles in it - but they are very understated, almost unnoticeable, unless you're looking for them very closely - and even then, they are only visible in the tube. It is a very thin gloss, compared to the others - you do have to apply quite a lot to build up a heavy shine (if that's what you're going for). This gloss wears off quite easily, mostly absorbing into the lips and moisturizing them.

(2) Strawberry Parfait -
This lipgloss has your stereotypical strawberry scent - but it seems to me to be more of a believable 'strawberry' scent than your typical chapstick or other cosmetic product. It goes on your lips moderately opaque, as a milky baby rose pink. The color is exceptionally buildable. There are microscopic shimmers in it, but again, they do not show up on the lips very well. This is a longer lasting gloss, but still - don't expect a three hour wear out of it.

(3) Angel Food Cake -
Smells JUST like it's namesake. This lipgloss literally smells like someone shoved a whole angel food cake in the tube. It is my favorite gloss out of the bunch. This applies to the lips moderately opaque and has understated pink and blue shimmer. It is a bubblegum/Barbie pink color. This is also a longer lasting gloss.

(4) Frosted Berry -
Probably one of my least favorites of the bunch. It has a very berry flavor, though I cannot put my finger on exactly which ones. In the tube, this gloss seems to have an almost 'chunky' glitter in comparison to the others, but in application it goes on fairly sheer, and it isn't at all glittery or frosty as it is shimmery. It has pink and purple shimmer in it, and applies as a sheer magenta color. Like Cherry Berry Kiss, this is not a long lasting gloss.

(5) Caramel Latte -
My second favorite. This is THE perfect nude color, in my opinion. This smells like coffee. I've never had a 'latte' but I assume that it is fairly true (scent-wise) to its namesake. It does not smell like a really strong, black coffee, but rather a milky, sugary coffee drink, similar to our Tim Horton's Iced Caps. It applies moderately opaque nude camel brown color. It is shimmery - infused with green, pink, and brown shimmer that is understated. It is perfectly paired with a dark smokey eye look. It is relatively long-lasting (for this gloss line).

(6) Metallic Mocha -
Another least-favorite of mine. Metallic Mocha smells just like that...a mocha in a tube. It is an opaque milk chocolate brown color with understated silver shimmer. I do not like it because on my skin tone (fair...albino...what have you...) it appears muddy and unflattering. However, it is a long-lasting gloss in comparison to it's 'brothers and sisters.'

(7) Vanilla Swirl -
Has a very vanilla-y scent. Not like straight vanilla extract, but it's close. This is a frosty white-pink gloss, infused with green and purple shimmer. On the lips, this applies very opaque because of how frosty it is. Be careful with this one. However, this is exceptionally long lasting.

(8) Creme Brulée -
This smells JUST like creme brulée...or at least, the creme brulée I've had before. I find this scent extremely overpowering, and when I put it on my lips, it creates a smell barrier around my head so that others can smell it too. I find the smell slightly nauseating, and don't wear it very often, which is a shame because it is such a gorgeous gloss. It is an almost transparent nude color, there is virtually no color payoff for this gloss, but it also has green and purple shimmer in it. When on your lips, it definitely mutes the pigmentation of your lips - but doesn't wash you out like the Vanilla Swirl can. It's a really nice every day color, and has a decent wear.



All in all, these glosses are extremely good bang for your buck. Most have fairly good pigmentation, and all have exceptional flavors. At three bucks a pop, you're not really out all that much if you don't like them anyways. But for being incredibly moisturizing and pigmented at that kind of a price, I'd definitely say it's worth a try.

I would recommend Angel Food Cake, Caramel Latte, Cherry Berry Kiss, and Strawberry Parfait.

I give this product 4 out of 5 stars.
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