I’ve been reviewing Essence makeup for years now and I can honestly say that when it comes to highlighters, theirs are usually not the greatest. Their Pure Nude highlighter was one of the few I really enjoyed, but sadly they discontinued it. However, my hunt for that amazing affordable highlighter by Essence continued and I never stopped giving their highlighters a try. For their Spring & Summer 2018 assortment update, they added a new highlighter palette to their range called Glow To Go. At first, I wasn’t really that excited to try it out, but since I’m always curious about their newbies, it ended up in my shopping cart anyway. I’ve been giving this baby a fair shot ever since I picked it up about two months ago & I’m finally ready to tell you guys all about it!
Packaging
As per usual with Essence packaging, it’s pretty basic and standard. The highlighter pans come in a transparent compact that feels a bit cheap and that’s definitely not the most sturdy packaging ever. It has copper details on the front which does look really nice and a simple sticker on the back with additional information. Although this packaging is quite basic, I love how compact it is. I could easily throw this into my makeup bag without it taking up too much space.
Brand’s Description
“A radiant and sun-kissed look on the face, body, neckline and shoulders is easy to achieve with this palette, which contains two highlighters in light gold as well as rosé gold and two bronzer shades that can be applied individually or combined. The soft texture has a high pigmentation, blends easily and offers a gorgeous, summery shimmer.”
The palette comes with four pans and a great variety of highlighting shades. When you look at it in the palette, the shades do look quite shimmery, but that doesn’t mean that’s the case once you actually apply them onto your skin. I just genuinely love how there’s so much depth and variety in the shades they went for! Also, the shades are all quite warm-toned which I’m all for.
♥ Shade 1 (from left to right): a yellow pale champagne with a soft metallic finish.
♥ Shade 2 (from left to right): a bright peach with a soft metallic finish.
♥ Shade 3 (from left to right): a medium bronze with a metallic finish.
♥ Shade 4 (from left to right): a medium rose-gold with a metallic finish.
Shades 1 & 2 definitely work for my light to medium skin-tone, whilst shades 3 & 4 are perfect for those of you with darker complexions. I could still get away with using the darker two shades as bronze toppers, but I don’t see myself doing that often. If I mix shades 1 & 4, I can still get away with that beautiful rose-gold shade!
My camera did not do the swatches justice as they look so much more metallic and shiny in real life! These highlighters are not shimmery whatsoever and add a gorgeous dewy highlight to the skin that doesn’t accentuate any texture on the face.
When I first swatched these, I was blown away by how soft and buttery the formula is and feels. I’ve barely felt or experienced this soft texture with Essence products before, so I was pleasantly surprised. Once I actually applied it on my face, I was also really happy with how they all applied. I didn’t have to build them up too much since these have so much pigment to them and look really smooth on the face.
Although I’m the type of girl that likes to go crazy with her highlight, you can also apply a very small amount for a more subtle highlighted effect. These powders are very buildable, so whether you’re going for that JLO glow or natural effect, you can achieve both with this palette. And even if some shade don’t work for your skin-tone, these make perfect bronzers and eyeshadows too!
Lasting Power
Surprisingly, these last for a pretty long time on the skin as well! By the end of a long day, my highlight is still super noticeable, but that’s maybe because I apply a lot to begin with. Granted, the shine isn’t as intense as it was at the beginning of the day, but it’s still there.
Ingredients
Talc, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Mica, Silica, Dimethicone, Magnesium Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Synthetic Wax, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Tin Oxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). And: Mica, Talc, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Dimethicone, Magnesium Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Synthetic Wax, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Tin Oxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).
I was quite surprised to see Mineral Oil amongst the ingredients of these highlighters. Usually Essence is pretty good when it comes to ingredients so I really hope they won’t become one of those brands looking for the cheapest ingredients to make the most profit.
Seriously, how stunning is this palette and these swatches?! I was raving about it on my Instagram already, but it’s just that gorgeous!
I’m wearing a mixture of the first two shades from the Essence Glow To Go highlighter palette on the tops of my cheekbones, bridge of the nose and forehead.
All I can say is: thank you Essence!! I truly adore this highlighter palette so much and I think it’s one of the best highlighters they’ve released so far. The shades are smooth, pigmented and super easy to apply. You also get four shades, so there’s definitely something for every skin-tone which is also really great. If you’re into highlighters, definitely run out the door to your local drugstore and get this palette! I promise you won’t regret it.
Availability
The new(ish) Essence Glow To Go highlighter palette is now available as part of their permanent range and retails for a winning €4,59. Not only is that crazy affordable, you also get 14 g (!!) of product which will last you a lifetime! If you live in The Netherlands or Belgium, you can get yours at Kruidvat (in stores & online).
