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

By Terry Ombre Black Star Worth the Splurge?

I am always up for finding great products at an affordable price. However, there seems to be a lack of cream eyeshadow sticks in the mass market. The very few I found and tried haven't performed too well. For example the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows crease on me if I don't use a primer. The very reason why I opt for a cream eyeshadow stick is because I want a fast one step solution. As such I decided to bite the bullet and get the By Terry Ombre Black Star Melting Eyeshadow in Misty Rock. To find out if it's worth the splurge, keep on reading!

I am quite new to the By Terry products. I haven't tried anything but the Ombre Black Star Melting Eyeshadow in Misty Rock. By Terry is a luxury makeup line that is cruelty-free. Neither its finished products nor ingredients are tested on animals. It's an independent company that doesn't sell in China. By Terry Ombre Black Star Melting Eyeshadows are meant to deliver intense, light-catching pigment with long-wear results. They are packed with Tahitian Black Pearl Extract which is rich in calcium, trace elements and pearl proteins. 

Let's start with packaging. It's sleek with no unnecessary bulkiness. It's surprisingly light weight. I would have imagined it to be a little bit more weighty. But other than that it looks and feels expensive. I appreciate that it's also colour coded, which means if you have several shades you can see which one is which. The eyeshadow comes in a stick format that you can twist up or down. Extremely handy for if you are on the go. The colour I picked is Misty Rock. I figured if I am going to spend a considerable amount of money on an eyeshadow I want it to be wearable yet unique. This shade did not disappoint. It's really difficult to describe as it's so multidimensional. To me it looks like a dusty-rose mauve with flecks of silver running through it. I heard that this shade is a chameleon since it looks different on everyone depending on your complexion. 

By Terry Ombre Black Star in Misty Rock

By Terry Ombre Black Star in Misty Rock (the swatch doesn't do it justice)

Besides the beautiful colour the formula is out of this world. This is one eyeshadow in my collection (and I have plenty) that I can wear on its own and it won't fade or crease. I can't stress enough how crease-proof this little guy is. A lot of cream eyeshadows claim to be long-lasting and crease-proof but most of them fail to deliver in that department. This one does exactly what it promises. The texture is creamy and glides effortlessly on the lids. I will however recommend doing one eye at the time as it dries pretty quickly. I apply it directly on my lids and smudge it with a fluffy blending brush, usually Zoeva 227 Soft Definer Vegan. I always suggest using a synthetic brush with cream products. 

What I also appreciate about this product is that it can take you from day to night. You can swipe a sheer layer of colour all over your lids for a day time look and when going out at night you can intensify the colour by applying a little bit more (until reaching the desired effect). The only downside of this product is the price. I purchased mine from Feelunqiue but you can also find it on Net-a-Porter. At the time of this post going live, Feelunique is running a 20% off site wide including By Terry products. If you wanted to try this product, now is the time to get it! In general, always be on the lookout for offers and discounts, as Feelunqiue has those quite frequently. 

Overall this is one of the favourite products I have purchased in a long while. If I want a no-fuss eyeshadow look that won't budge, I pick this one up. It's pricey but, in my opinion, worth it. I am thinking of getting at least one more shade - Bronze Moon - in the future. A not so little hint, this would make a wonderful gift for a special other. 

Let me know if you have tried anything from By Terry and what you would recommend!

Cheers,
Muffy