Catrice Blushes Cheap and Cheerful

Catrice is a brand that I haven't heard much about or come across for that matter. However, a friend of mine visited Central Europe and brought me some makeup goodies. Among those were the Catrice Defining Blushes. I put them to the test with low expectations but boy was I wrong!

Catrice Defining Blushes in 020 Rose Royce, 030 Love & Peach,
 090 Mandy-rine

Catrice is an affordable makeup brand that is mostly sold in Central Europe. It is cruelty free and has a wide range of products to choose from. These blushes are dermatologically tested, oil free and infused with Vitamin E. They do contain talc, so be aware of that. Besides blushes I have tried their single eyeshadows and lipliners which are both really good. I have featured them in my recent posts, so if you're interested you can check it out here and here. In their blush assortment they have 6 colours plus 3 NEW shades, which is not bad for a drugstore brand. In my possession I have: 020 Rose Royce - dusty rose, 030 Love & Peach - coral and 090 Mandy-rine - peach.

Clockwise: 030 Love & Peach, 020 Rose Royce and 090 Mandy-rine

L-R: Rose Royce, Mandy-rine, Love & Peach

In the pan they look matte, however when applied to the cheeks they have a slight sheen to them. It is especially evident in the Rose Royce shade. I would say they have a satin finish. In terms of consistency they are not chalky nor powdery. They are well pigmented, some more than others. For instance Mandy-rine swatches beautifully, it's opaque in one swipe. Rose Royce on the other hand needs a little bit of building up. I actually don't mind that you can build up the intensity to your liking. Helps to avoid a clown look if you know what I mean. When it comes to longevity they perform relatively well. They are not as long-lasting as Makeup Geek blushes but they did stay on my cheeks for a good 5 hours. My friend wore Rose Royce in 30°C weather and it did not budge, so there is that.

Normally I am not a fan of drugstore packaging, because 9 out 10 times it looks and feels very cheap. With these I don't actually mind it. I think it looks sleek with no unnecessary bulkiness. It's surprisingly sturdy, so you don't have to worry about your blush crumbling all over your bag. You get 5g of product, which is a decent amount. The best part, these blushes retail only for 3,45€ (at least in drugstores in Austria, so there could be slight price variation based on the location). I say these are equivalent if not better then Rimmel, Maybelline and L'Oreal blushes. The only downside is the availability. We can't get Catrice products in Scandinavia. But I do have good news for my readers in USA, I heard that Ulta started carrying Catrice products! 

Overall my two cents on Catrice blushes are that they are worth checking out if you are on the hunt for reasonably priced, oil and cruelty free blushes. You can't go wrong with these. Next time you are heading to Central Europe I say stop by a Catrice counter and see for yourself!

Do you have any other recommendations for hidden gems in drugstores?

Cheers,
Muffy