Heat Group's Cosmetics Warehouse Sale ~ Essence Haul!

I spent quite a pretty penny at this warehouse sale held by Heat Group. As soon as I heard that Heat Group distributed Essence cosmetics, I knew that the 2.5 hour transit by public transport to the warehouse in Scoresby was going to be worth it. There weren't other brands of note that were vegan and cruelty-free, but nonetheless, I knew I would be going home with a lighter wallet, and extremely happy about the major savings that I would be making.

In fact, altogether my total came up to $41.00, $32.00 for 16 pieces of Essence products. That's an amazing deal, considering how much each product retails at Priceline. At the sale, all Essence makeup were priced at $2, and there were several tables groaning with the weight of so many of their eyeshadows, lipsticks, nail polishes, and mascaras. I got really excited as soon as I stepped in the door.

Maximum Volume Mascara and I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

I didn't want go home without a new mascara, as I needed to replace the ones that were fast approaching the three-month age. I was dreadfully disappointed to find that the sale didn't have any of the Lash Princess mascaras, as the website had shown them on the shop page. However, I decided to try this one, to see if it was any good. The brush looks quite interesting, so I will report on it. I tested the Eyeshadow Base on the back of my hand, and it is very pigmented, and shows up a bit orange. It lasts a long time, from what I could tell. I had trouble scrubbing off the eyeshadows I tested on the base with just water. I wanted to see if I could find a better replacement for the E.L.F. Cosmetics Eyelid Primer, since I feel that it doesn't quite show up the colour well, nor does it hold up as long as I'd like against my oily lids.

Blush Up in 10 Heat Wave and Soo Glow! Cream to Powder Highlighter in 20 Bright Up Your Life

I had been looking for the Cream to Powder Highlighters, because when I tested it at Priceline, I fell in love with the luminosity and amazing blendability, but they were all sold out! When I asked Priceline, they said that Essence was no longer making or selling them, so I lucked out. Still, I had hoped that somewhere, someday, I'd be able to get my hands on one. There was only one left at the sale, and even though it wasn't 10 Look on the Bright Side, I didn't care, I HAD to have it! 

Lipstick in 53 All About Cupcake and 2x Long-lasting Lipstick in 14 Adorable Matt!

3x 3D Eyeshadows and 6x Mono Eyeshadows

Originally, I didn't plan on buying any eyeshadows unless they were in a palette, but then I saw the great colours they had to offer, and how many colours I didn't actually have in my existing palettes, I knew I had to stock up on these, especially since they were only $2 each. I grabbed a few nude/highlight shades because I wanted to experiment with them.

3D Eyeshadows in: 

1. 04 Irresistible Caramel Cream
2. 06 Irresistible Mermaid Kiss
3. 08 Irresistible Vanilla Latte

Mono Eyeshadows in:

1. 01 Chill Out (shimmer)
2. 11 Wild at Heart (labelled as 'metallic' but is shimmery)
3. 35 Party All Night (metallic)
4. 50 Happy Hour (labelled as 'metallic' but is shimmery)
5. 52 Olive Garden (shimmer)
6. 79 Lola Petrola (shimmer)

Aside from all the Essence goods I purchased, I also grabbed a few Ulta3 products, two of which were nail polishes. I am having some difficulty determining whether the brand is truly cruelty-free and vegan, because my research won't produce a conclusive answer to the question. There are varying results, some of which say that they're vegan and cruelty-free, and others that report beeswax and carmine in their products, and production in China. From what I've heard, they've moved their factory to Taiwan recently. The lipsticks and nail polishes were only $1 each, so I wasn't too hardened up about buying some lip shades, and a little set containing a pair of lipsticks with a makeup pouch for $5.00. Since I was on the search for a smallish (and cute) pouch to hold my makeup for traveling, $3.00 for a pouch (if you eliminated the cost of the lipsticks) was much less than I was prepared to spend. However, until I get my verdict on the Ulta3 brand, I won't be doing a review on their products.

I give Heat Group a big thumbs up for those warehouse sales they seem to hold a few times a year, and for their online store, which also sells Essence at discounted prices. The online store has a flat rate shipping cost of $7.50, free if you spend over $40.00. If you need more convincing that Heat Group's warehouse sales are worth the trip, put this into perspective. I saved at least $35 at this sale, compared to the RRP at Priceline and on the Essence site. Worth it~! 

Look out for my reviews on Essence products, because I promise you, a lot of them are definitely worth it. I bought a few more at Priceline during their 40% Off All Cosmetics sale, so this week is more or less Essence-orientated. I can't help it, I think they may even be better than E.L.F in some aspects, though they will never match up to some of my E.L.F. favourites.