Now that the weather is warmer, I’ve really been loving the super fresh and glowy look and to achieve that, I’ve been reaching for my Esprique Light control & shade control stick a lot, since it comes in a stick form and is so easy to apply. Esprique is a line by a Japanese Brand called Kose.
There are 2 sticks, one is a highlighter (01) and the other is a shader/contour stick (02). I have both and I often use them together.
Let’s talk about the highlighter first. The packaging is the same on both, it come’s in a white quilted like design with Esprique written in silver. When you take off the cap, the package is silver & white and you just twist the bottom to get product out. It only has the number on the bottom to differentiate the two, which doesn’t bother me too much unless I’m in a rush or something! It has a firm close and It’s pretty compact, so it’s perfect to put in your bag for touch ups during the day.
The shades are limited, actually I should rephrase that! There is only one shade for each, which kind of sucks, since everyones skin tone and preferences are different. I would say these products work best with fair skinned asians. The highlighter is a soft pink shimmer, that is very finely milled and so subtle when you put it on. It’s great for that daytime glow! It is very creamy since it has hyaluronic acid and glides on easily. Since it’s a cream highlighter, I like to apply this after my foundation before I powder, if I powder (sometimes I skip the powder). The longevity is pretty good too, it stays on all day for me. After I finish putting on my blush, I do put on another highlighter on top. Like I said, I’m loving the super glowy look! I do prefer champagne shade highlighter’s over pink highlighter’s so other than the fact that this only has one shade, I would say it’s pretty good.
The shader is a nude shade, slightly peachy but not orangey or red. I use it not just as a shader but as a bronzer as well. I apply it in a 3 like form, from my forehead down to my jawline and blend it out with a brush. This also has hyaluronic acid so it’s very creamy and blends out soft and naturally. It is a very subtle shader, if you don’t have very fair skin, I don’t think this product will show up at all after you’ve finished blending. If your a fair skinned asian, with yellow undertones, I think these products will work great.
Each one is around 2,500yen for 10g
