Dupe or No Dupe: MAC vs. Essence

Hi Ladies

Today I have a possible dupe for the LE MAC Ombre Blush in Azalea Blossom, and it is as affordable as can be! It is from an Essence Trend edition called 'Rock Out', and is currently in store. To find out more about the collection click HERE. 

Essence Multicolour Blush in Global Icon is not ombre, but it does have two shades similiar to MAC as you can see above. The lightest shade of the Essence Blush throws the dupe off a bit, but lets continue with the swatching. The Essence blush was about R63 I think, so it is totally affordable!

As you can see in natural light the swatches are similiar, with Essence being slightly more shimmery. I tried to avoid the lightest shade when swatching, so that we could compare like with like.

In artificial light the shimmer shines through, and we can really see a huge difference in the two. The lightest shade has the most shimmer (which I tried to avoid), but the other two shades are still way more shimmery than the MAC.

And so... Dupe or No Dupe?

Packaging- Nope

Colour- Dupe in natural light

Finish- Nope, shimmer vs matte

I don't think this is a very good dupe. The colours are pretty similiar if you are sticking to natural light though. So maybe half a dupe? I do like both blushes though, and I definitely think the Essence blush is a good buy.

What do you think ladies?

Dupe or No Dupe? Catrice Beautifying Lip Smoother VS Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector

Hi Ladies

Today I have a review/comparison of the Catrice Lip Smoothers and the Clarins Lip Perfectors. 

As soon as I heard about the Catrice Lippies, I knew they had to be mine! I did a preview of them a while ago HERE, and I am glad to announce, they are finally in store and for R62, they are definitely worth it!

The Beautifying Lip Smoother complements every natural make-up look: a subtle colour dispersion in pastel rosé and gentle nude shades with a glossy finish ensure a soft, well-groomed appearance. The Lip Smoother visibly evens out fine lines around your lips for flawless results. Its flock applicator and the practical tube packaging perfectly round off the concept. 

The applicator as you can see above, is exactly the same as the Clarins one, and the scent is pretty similiar too, a yummy sweet scent. The applicator is really easy to use, just squeeze lightly, the product comes out and apply. 

There are three different shades, from top to bottom, 010 Sweet Caramel 020 Apricot Cream and 030 Cake Pop. If I had to pick a favourite I would choose Cake Pop, the pink one! 

I love the slight colour and glossiness of them, as well as how long they last. They also do a really great job at moisturising lips, so, if you love a nude lip, do give these a try.

Below are swatches of the Clarins products, as you can see, they are pretty similiar. 

And so... Dupe or No Dupe?

Packaging- Dupe

Application- Dupe

Texture- Mostly a Dupe

Scent- Dupe

Efficacy- Dupe

Definite dupe in my opinion!

Until next time Ladies!