I first heard about the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter from my favorite youtuber, Kathleen Lights and of course I was immediately intrigued because first and foremost, Essence is available here in the Philippines, and second it's a drugstore brand which means it's probably inexpensive. I initially looked for it at Watsons but I was informed by the sales lady that it was already discontinued which is a huge bummer but I've seen other girls posting on social media who were still able to buy it so if you're interested and happen to have an Essence counter in your area's Watsons, go check it out. Either way, I ordered mine from here and it arrived in good condition. Now on to my review!

With artificial light (lol at my always messy hair)

With natural light

As you can see, it gives the most subtle glow to the skin which I've actually been preferring over the usual 'blinding' type of highlighters. I have the Becca x Jaclyn Hill palette and honestly I've been reaching for this Essence highlighter more lately because of how natural it looks on the face. Since I also have an oily skin type, I don't like using overly crazy highlighters that will make my face look oilier than it already is so what I do is I mainly apply it only on the cheekbones up to the temples, the bridge of the nose, tip of the nose, and on top of the lips.

Color

I think the shade looks so gorgeous especially on Asian skin. It has a soft, peachy color with a warm undertone and the effect on the skin is a healthy, natural, and luminous glow. I think this shade will suit light/medium to medium skin tones.
 
Quality and Pigmentation

Swatch of the Essence Pure Nude highlighter

It doesn't have the craziest pigmentation but I actually love it that way because even with a heavy hand, you can't overdo the highlighting with this product. The quality is actually so good and the powder is soft to the touch and easily blends in the skin without ruining your base. The packaging looks cheap but honestly, I don't really care too much because when it comes to drugstore products, I focus more on the actual product and how it performs.

Price and Availability
As I've mentioned earlier, I've been told that this product is being discontinued but you can purchase it from online retailers like I did. I bought mine from Shopee for ₱330 with free shipping, check out the shop here. By the way, you need to install the Shopee app on your phone and make an account to be able to purchase but don't worry since it's pretty quick and easy to do and some sellers even offer cash on delivery. Just beware of sellers who sell fake products, to be sure go check out the shop I linked. My package arrived after 6 days upon placing an order and it came with a freebie which was nice. You can also try going to an Essence counter in Watsons to check if they have stocks.



Overall, I've been loving this product so much lately! It just might be my new holy grail highlighter. I think it's worth checking out if you are into a subtle yet beautiful glow on the skin. However, if you prefer the super beaming, reflective type of highlighters then this product might not be for you. I love using this on more natural looks because it gives my skin that "lit from within" glow and I definitely recommend this if you're looking for that type of effect. 

Do you have the Essence Pure Nude highlighter? Do you prefer a natural or a super intense highlight? Leave your thoughts down below! 💜