Affordable Concealer That Does The Job

It's been a while since I have ventured out into trying new concealers. For a while I was using the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer which ended up being too drying and I switched to the NARS Radian Creamy Concealer. The NARS concealer I liked, but since the brand started selling in China, I am no longer supporting it. I also wasn't too fond of spending a lot of money on a product that I go through like water. As such I decided to look into more affordable options and picked up the Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer. 

Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer in 005 Light Neutral and 020 Light Beige

I got it in two shades: 005 Light Neutral and 020 Light Beige. The 010 Porcelain was too cool toned, greyish looking for my liking. Both shades actually work well and I use them interchangeably. If I haven't gotten enough sleep I use 005, as it brightens up the under eye area really well. If I fancy a more "no-makeup makeup look" I use 020, as it's closer to my actual skin colour.

The concealer comes in a standard packaging with a doe-foot applicator. It's cruelty-free and has a very affordable price point. The shelf life is 6 months after opening. It claims to provide high coverage, be long-wearing and even waterproof. I tested it for a month and can confirm that indeed it offers good coverage and wears well throughout the day. It also doesn't settle into fine lines under the eyes and is non-drying. Whether it's waterproof or not remains to be seen. 

T-B: 020 Light Beige and 005 Light Neutral

Regardless there are a few things that I am not too keen on. Firstly, it's very heavily fragranced. It beats me why anybody would think it's a good idea to make an under eye product so fragrant. Granted the scent doesn't linger and disappears after the product is blended into the skin. Secondly, it has a VERY limited colour selection. There are only three shades to choose from and all of them fall into the fair - light category. 

Overall I am pleasantly surprised by this product and will continue using it. It's definitely one of the better concealers in the market considering the price. It actually covers and doesn't make your under eye area look like a dry prune. I do hope that Catrice expands the colour range by making it more inclusive and makes it fragrance-free.

Until next time,
Muffy

Catrice Glamour Doll Volume Waterproof Mascara

Today, I am bringing your way a short and hopefully informative review of the Catrice Glamour Doll Volume Waterproof Mascara. Whether you like a mascara or not is very individual, since we all have different preferences. I personally look for a mascara that does a bit of everything. It lengthens, volumizes, separates and most of all doesn't flake or smudge. My all time favourite mascara that does it all is the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill (not a waterproof version). However, now that I am trying to shift towards more ethical beauty choices I decided to give Catrice Glamour Doll Volume Waterproof a go. 

Catrice Glamour Doll Volume Waterproof Mascara

Catrice is an affordable cruelty-free brand and I have heard a lot of good things about this particular mascara. It's opthalmologically tested, which means it's safe for use around or near an eye. What initially pleasantly surprised me is the wand. It's not one of those intimidating ones that you either gonna poke yourself in the eye with or it will get all over your eyelids. It has plastic bristles that grip really well onto your lashes. This mascara has a dryer formula, so keep that in mind. It does an incredible job at separating your lashes and curling/lifting them from the roots. If you have straight lashes this would be amazing for you. I have naturally curled lashes, therefore I don't really need extra help in that department. In regards to lengthening it's rather alright and it gives zero volume.   

Close Up of the Catrice Glamour Doll Volume Waterproof Mascara Wand

That being said, my biggest issue with this mascara is that it smudges considering that it's a waterproof formula. This was a massive bummer for me. Whether I used it exclusively on the upper lashes or not it transferred and smudged. By the end of the day I had panda eyes. I always set my under eye area with a setting powder and even my non-waterproof mascaras never smudge on me.

Overall, it does a great job at keeping a curl and separating, but it does transfer ON ME. I will leave it at that and I hope this was helpful in any shape or form.

Let me know what are your all time favourite mascaras that are cruelty-free!

Cheers,
Muffy

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

The Battle of Pinky Lipliners

Lip liners, don't they take you back to the 90s? To me that is the time when over-drawing your lips was the coolest thing ever and many wore lip liner on it's own. As with all trends they have a tendency to come back and the 90s are no exception. Right now fashion resembles that of Spice Girls while makeup that of Cindy Crawford. As a result, lip liners are being sold like hot potatoes. I have picked up a few too many recently, trying to keep it in the neutral, rosy and mauve range. Today I would like to focus on Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob and Catrice's Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 080 That's What Rose Wood Do!

Let's start with Rimmel. Its lip liner in Eastend Snob has been  popular in the blogging community as many compare it to the Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. I don't own that one so I can't say much about it. Eastend Snob is a pinky mauve colour, which looks very flattering on the lips. It does not wash you out. It comes in a retractable format with a slanted tip applicator, which is good for a precision work. The texture is creamy hence it does not tug on your lips when distributing the product. In my opinion it is a long-wearing formula, even though it doesn't claim to be one. I can also agree with the exaggerate factor, I think it does make your lips look a bit more plumped and defined. But I think that is merely an attribute that all lip liners should have by default. I did not find it particularly drying and I usually wear it on its own. I like to fill in my lips first and later smudge the edges out, so it gives it a more natural, sultry look. I really enjoy the finished look and how it wears throughout the day. The only downside is that it's not cruelty free.

T-B: Rimmel Eastend Snob and Catrice That's What Rose Wood Do!

L-R: Cartice That's What Rose Wood Do! and Rimmel Eastend Snob

Next up is Catrice's lip pencil in That's What Rose Wood Do! Catrice is an affordable makeup brand that has some really good quality products. Besides the incredibly long name it is very close to the Rimmel's Eastend Snob. The texture is equally creamy and makes it effortless to apply. When it comes to colour they are very similar. Rimmel's lip liner is a tad more dusty, but on the lips you can't really tell the difference. Unlike Eastend Snob, Cartices's lip pencil claims that it is long lasting and waterproof. To be honest, I think Rimmel's lip liner performs much better in terms of longevity. Catrice's lip pencil comes in a traditional pencil format, so you need to sharpen it. I personally don't mind that but just something for you to note. Catrice does not test on animals which is a big plus. The only downside is that it is not readily available. You can get it in Germany, Austria (probably other European counties) or on eBay. Rimmel's Exaggerate lip liners are available at Feelunique. 

Bottom line, these lip liners are phenomenal. They are easy to work with, reasonably priced and can rival many higher end ones (I am looking at you YSL and Mac). I will be picking up more of Catrice lip pencils next time I am in central Europe. 

Which one of the two caught your eye? I would love to know!

Cheers,
Muffy