Essence

Essence Soft & Precise Lip Pencil [21 - Charming] Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - November 14, 2024

I already have many Soft & Precise pencils, but it never hurts to add another to my collection! This is the Essence Soft & Precise Lip Pencil, shade 21/Charming!
 
 
I have many Soft & Precise lip pencils... probably too much, even. But they are always so good, so I am naturally drawn towards them because I know that they won’t disappoint me... at least, they haven’t disappointed me yet! I bought this one because it was 50% off, as it was being discontinued. I love when I happen to find particular shades marked down like this, but it becomes a problem if I end up liking them, as I won’t be able to find them again. You know, I had a bit of trouble picking stuff to buy during this particular Essence sale, as the Essence display was picked bare! Only a scarce few items remained, this pencil being one of them. It looks like a kinda dark colour, but I’m sure it will be okay. Now, let’s see how good it actually is!
 
 
 
Packaging: very simple. It’s just a coloured pencil with silver metallic text on it. The colour of the pencil outside matches the colour of the lead almost perfectly, which makes it easier to judge how this liner will look on you without opening it. The silver metallic text is quite easy to read, although it would certainly be easier to read if it was matte instead of metallic. The cap is the same colour as the pencil and the lead, and it closes very tightly. I like this design, even if it is quite simple. 
 
 
 
 
Source: www.essence.eu
Ingredients: vitamin E for nourishment. No parabens. The ingredients list is quite slim! It only has 8 ingredients, if you don’t count the dyes. The scent is subtle, slightly waxy or soapy. This could just be the smell of the wood, in all honesty. The expiration date is 24 months after opening.
 
 
 
 
Colour: medium dark mauve, for the most part. It is slightly darker than the natural colour of my lips, so it still looks completely natural. It also has quite a lot of rose pigments inside, so it doesn’t look dated or frumpy. It’s quite similar to old rose, as it has some brown pigments in it as well. This all makes this lip pencil appropriate for all sorts of occasions, be they formal or casual. The colour is intense, but it isn’t very vibrant. It’s actually a very muted colour that is quite elegant! 
 
 
It looks fantastic on pale skin, very natural and moody at the same time! Although, this is one of those colours that looks good on a wide variety of skintones. I love this colour! I had a feeling it would look nice, but once I first saw it on my lips, I was blown away by how great it actually is! I love it so much!
 
 
 
This pencil is very, very highly pigmented! I don’t have to press hard to get good pigmentation, and it looks intense and deep. The pencil applies pigment richly, but it may deposit pigment slightly unevenly if it is sharpened a lot. This is great for lining the lips, but it is much easier to fill in the lips when the pencil is dull. I am always surprised how incredibly pigmented these affordable pencils are! It’s amazing!
 
 
 

It also applies pigment extremely easily and evenly, although that may vary slightly depending on how sharp it is. The formula glides softly across lips, depositing pigment pretty evenly. Although, it might be slightly harder to apply if your lips are dry or chapped; it has a tendency to skip across drier parts. It also tends to skip if it is very sharp. But besides that, it is incredibly easy to use!
 
 
 
And it’s extremely precise, as well! Well, it is if you sharpen it to a fine point. Then it is so precise that it’s super easy to line the lips sharply, even the cupid’s bow! I literally needed like 10 seconds and the cupid’s bow was sharply defined! When it becomes dull, it is slightly less precise, it becomes a bit smudgy, but it was still very easy to line the lips precisely.
 
 
The formula is definitely soft like the name says, but it is also kind of creamy. It’s very slightly creamier compared to the other Soft & Precise liners. It is still powdery, though. And a bit waxy. But incredibly lightweight, as well. The formula doesn’t feel very dry at first, while I am applying it, but it feels more dry later. However, this one feels a bit more waxy than dry. It applies super evenly, with no bare patches. 
 
 
 
The texture is ultra-matte, having literally no shine at all. This is awesome! And it doesn’t look overly dry, as it doesn’t emphasise the fine lines of the lips a lot. I would suggest exfoliating your lips, though, to ensure they look as soft and smooth as possible! I love this finish, it’s so elegant!
 
 
I don’t find this pencil to be too comfortable to wear. It definitely feels powdery dry, which isn’t that bad at first, but it becomes a bit uncomfortable throughout the day. The worst thing is that it usually becomes even drier on the lower lip, that’s also where it can pile up, and neither is a good thing. After a while it can start to feel a bit waxy, particularly on the lower lip or the centre of the lips, where it creates a sort of crust.  
 
 
 
However, the extreme lightness of the formula helps tremendously, it makes the dryness bearable. All this to say, yes, it does dry out lips. Not a whole lot, but my lips were dried out after a day of wearing this pencil.
 
 

Longevity is astounding! It doesn’t fade or smudge or feather at all during the day, the edges stay sharp and fabulous the whole day! At least, it doesn’t fade on the edges... eating food – particularly, greasy food – does cause it to fade somewhat form the centre, however, it still looked amazing! Since it is such a natural, neutral colour, the fading wasn’t too noticeable. That said, I would recommend fixing it after a meal. Also, there isn’t a whole lot of transfer, either! How amazing for something that costs this little??
 
 

 
This pencil is extremely easy to remove! Swipe once with a cotton pad soaked in micellar water and it will come off easily! No rubbing, and no staining!
 
 
It’s super easy to sharpen, as well! The wood doesn’t splinter, so the lead very rarely breaks. I only need a couple of turns in the sharpener until it is pointy and sharp. However, it never sharpens to an extremely fine tip, for some reason. 
 
 
 
 
Overall, I really like this pencil! It really is charming, indeed! I already had some expectations before I even opened this pencil, I already thought that it would be great, with awesome longevity and a fantastic matte texture. And, you know? I was not wrong one bit! This pencil is both soft and super precise; of course, if you sharpen it a lot, it will be more precise, but it is still quite precise even when it’s blunt. The formula is very soft, but it does feel dry and kinda powdery after it sets. Because of this, this isn’t the most comfortable lip pencil to wear. It does feel softer and slightly waxier than other Soft & Precise pencils, though, which helps it feel at least a little bit more comfortable. Oh, but its longevity is spectacular! It doesn’t fade or smudge one bit during the day, and it doesn’t feather on the edges, either! As for food? The pencil tolerates food and drinks quite well, but it may fade from the centre somewhat. I had to fix it after a day of wearing it as it had faded on the inner centre, but honestly, it wasn’t all that visible, even. Besides that, the formula applies extremely easily as it glides across lips if they are smooth, otherwise, it tends to skip over dry parts. But it applies so easily, it’s extremely easy to both line and fill in lips neatly. And the colour is just gorgeous! It’s a muted medium dark mauve that looks so beautiful and elegant! It’s just a tad darker than my lips, so it looks natural even if I overline my lips a lot. It’s a really fantastic neutral colour, I had no idea it would look this great when I bought the pencil! The only bigger issue is that it does dry out my lips to some degree, particularly the lower lip. But besides that, this is a fantastic lip pencil that costs a ridiculously low amount of money! Yep, the Soft & Precise range keeps proving that it is dependable, no matter what colour! Yes, it will receive a recommendation, it has earned it!
 
 
 
Rating: 8/10
 
 
Would buy again? YES (it’s such a great colour!)

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