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STASH - My Esqa Collection!
Esqa is one of Indonesia’s local cosmetics brand. If we compare this brand to the old-school stereotype of Indonesian local brand image, this brand doesn’t look like that ‘typical’ local brand, right? They’ve used the luxurious theme from the very first time they launched, pictured through their packagings. Still comparing it to the old-school stereotype, the price of their products are also way pricier than the old standard price range. Not as expensive as high-end brands like Urban Decay, Nars, etc., but if we compare it with, let’s say, Sariayu… well, there’s clearly a big gap there.
But! I think nowadays people shouldn’t judge local products have to be cheap with poor branding. We all should support and appreciate local brands for being innovative (in the term of branding, to product development) by not complaining about the price because it definitely needs a lot of capital to start with. So, if you want better quality products, you should understand that they have to bump the price. Back to Esqa, I bet you’ve seen at least one product from this brand, am I right? Who doesn’t instantly fall in love when they see the beautiful packagings of this brand’s products? Plus, I’ve heard tons of good reviews from beauty enthusiasts about their products.
I’m one of the ‘victim’ who immediately wanted to try one of this brand’s products after I heard the reviews. At that time, they only had lipsticks, three face palettes, and an eyebrow pencil (if I’m not mistaken). I was thinking… if I buy a lipstick, I think the price is way over my budget just for a lipstick, and so with the eyebrow pencil. Well, I didn’t have any income yet back then (not that now I already have a job, lmao), so I have to manage the money that my parents gave me, and I prefer to buy multiple affordable things because I like to try new products. Anyway, then there was their very interesting face palette. Even though the price is a little bit pricey, but considering that we’re going to get three products at once, so I think it’s worth to try.
Long story short, I finally bought the Athen face palette while on sale. I’m very happy with the decision! Shortly after that, they released multiple single blushes and mini glosses, and I won a giveaway for the whole set of those products! Is this what we call destiny? LOL. More satisfied with the quality of this brand’s products, so when they launched their newest eyeshadow palettes, guess what? Of course, I instantly bought one. Now, I’m gonna write my mini-review on my collection of Esqa products, please keep on reading!
Athena Face Palette
Price: IDR295,000 for 12.9g.
Packaging: a gold case with a mirror inside, it’s sleek, the size isn’t too big.
Colour: bronzer - medium warm brown, buildable blush - coral, pretty intense, highlighter - golden yellow, subtle, natural glow.
Formula: blend-able, the colour comes out a lot but still in a natural way, it’s also smooth (not chunky).
Longevity: all shades stay quite a long time, even the blush. But in certain conditions, the blush wears off the quickest.
Claims:
Buildable coverage ~ yes
Pros:
+ right colour selection for medium skin tone
+ natural, glowing finish
+ build-able & smooth formula
+ even though you have to pay a little bit more at first, but this palette is practical and lasts long, so it’s worth the price
+ local product
+ cruelty-free
+ pretty packaging
+ travel-friendly
+ vegan
Cons:
- the pan is a little bit small, so it’s kinda messy when I’m trying to pick up the product using bigger brushes
Overall rating: 5/5
Single Blushes
p.s. I passed the shade Milan to my sister because I don’t think I suit that shade.
Price: IDR125,000 each for 3.5g.
Packaging: a gold case with a mirror inside, the size is small.
Colour: Bali - light peachy coral, you can still see it on my medium skin tone, Honolulu - coral, this shade is similar (or even the same) as the blush in their Athena palette, Malibu - shimmery light-medium pink, still suitable with my medium skin tone, but I think I have to use it carefully to make it doesn’t look too much, Milan - mauve-pink.
Formula: these blushes have the right amount of intensity, and still blend-able, buildable, and smooth. Except for the shade Milan, I think it’s a little less blend-able, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the formula or because of the colour. For the shimmery shade, Malibu, it’s not chunky and looks more like a sheen rather than glittery.
Longevity: these blushes stay quite a long time, but in certain conditions, they can wear off quicker.
Claims:
Buildable coverage ~ yes
Pros:
+ pretty colours
+ buildable & smooth formula, even the shimmery one
+ local product
+ cruelty-free
+ pretty packaging
+ I actually like the idea of the small size, because it won’t be expired before I finish one, lol
+ travel-friendly
+ vegan
Cons:
- the shade Milan doesn’t suit my preference
- the mini size of the pan makes it messy when I pick up the product using bigger brushes
- a little bit pricey, but worth the price
Overall rating: (sorted from the most - least favourite) Bali - 5/5, Honolulu - 5/5, Malibu 4.5/5, Milan - 3.5/5.
Mini Glosses
p.s. I passed the shade Tokyo and Sydney to my friends because I don’t think I suit those colours.
Price: IDR100,000 each for 2g.
Packaging: a clear tube with a gold cap so it’s easy to see if the product’s almost used up, doe-foot applicator.
Colour: Dubai - medium pink with a hint of brown, Tokyo - light-medium pink, Sydney - berry pink, Jakarta - medium brown, I think this shade suits for light and warm makeup look only, London - medium mauve with a hint of pink and brown.
Formula: opaque, wet-looking and not glittery, not sticky, very comfortable to wear, feels like lip oil.
Longevity: it’s of course not transfer-proof, but it leaves a stain after I use it to eat.
Claims:
Full-coverage with a shiny gloss finish ~ yes
Delivers rich moisture that lasts for hours ~ yes
Enriched with a dose of nourishing vitamin E to keep lips hydrated ~ yes
Pros:
+ very comfortable to wear and not sticky, even for me who didn’t like a gloss at all before I tried this one
+ wet-looking and doesn’t look glittery
+ opaque
+ leaves a stain after I use it to eat
+ local product
+ cruelty-free
+ I actually like the idea of the small size, because it won’t be expired before I finish one, lol
+ vegan
+ travel-friendly
Cons:
+ the shade Tokyo is way too pink for my preference
+ the shade Sydney is actually very pretty, but it looks way too bold for my liking on my skin tone. It will look very pretty on lighter skin tones, though
+ if you use a lip gloss daily, the price of this product is a little bit pricey. But for people like me, who use a lip gloss only on special occasions, this is a good deal
Overall rating: (sorted from the most - least favourite) Dubai - 5/5, London - 5/5, Jakarta 4.5/5, Sydney 4/5, Tokyo 3/5.
Peach Goddess Eyeshadow Palette
p.s. I wrote a full review on this product before, you can read it here.
Price: IDR245,000 for 9g.
Packaging: a gold packaging, the size isn’t too big, there’s a clear mirror inside.
Colour: this palette consists of 9 peach-to-red-hued colours with four finishes.
Formula: very pigmented, buttery, not chalky, minimal fallout. For this mini-review, let the swatch speaks for itself (lol).
Longevity: stays a long time, even if used for a pretty long time (around 8-10 hours), the colours, matte or shimmer, still visible.
Claims:
Highly pigmented shadows ~ YES
Pros:
+ very pigmented
+ blend-able
+ lasts long
+ very minimal fallout
+ local product
+ cruelty-free
+ affordable, considering the quality
+ very pretty packaging
+ vegan
Cons:
no cons!
Overall rating: 5/5
Look how cool this local brand, Esqa! I’ll be forever rooting for our local youth to come out with more innovative beauty products! What’s your favourite Esqa product?
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