New in #123: Catrice Autumn/Winter 2022/23

BOOST UP Volume & Lash Boost Mascara

The BOOST UP Volume & Lash Boost Mascara has it all: it not only creates instant volume thanks to the soft Magic Boost brush, it also strengthens the lashes with its valuable Widelash™ Lash Boost Complex by Sederma. In addition, the formula is enriched with apricot kernel oil and ensures longer lashes in 4 weeks*. Vegan

* Study with 30 women with daily application.

As mentioned in the description this contains a lash grow serum, the same that's in their white tube with mint green cap, which I reviewed a while ago. This mascara sucked the first five days (there wasn't much effect), but it got better as it thickened and dried. It's a regular formula that's not for my type of lashes, but disregarding that, it's a mascara with a silicone brush and initially a thin formula with no hold that doesn't create volume or anything much (my picture is from those days and I won’t take new ones). But it got thicker and now it creates a medium amount of volume, defines ok (it didn’t do that well from the start) and adds length. It may get even better with time. I get fall down at the end of the day, but no smudging. 

Lift Up Volume & Lift Waterproof Mascara 

010 Deep Black

Volume meets lifting effect: Long and thick lashes with a breath-taking visible lift effect – that's what lash dreams are made of. And with the new, vegan LIFT UP Volume & Lift Mascara, they're about to come true. The lash lifting technology ensures a long-lasting lift and gives the lashes an impressive curl with just one application. The Power Care Complex of rice protein and provitamin B5 additionally nourishes the lashes. The mascara is available in a waterproof and a non-waterproof version. For a lifting effect like you get at the beauty salon!

Unlike Boost up, they didn't include the serum in this formula, but it does promise some lifting technology. Of course it doesn't lift the lashes itself and a lot of curling is involved as always at me. Formulas are actually similar in a sense that both are thin when new and I need at least three coats for some decent level of volume. Again I wasn't a fan of it for several days, but just like Boost up, it got better. Brush is good at definition, better than Boost up and fans out the lashes ok. Formula can hold a curl all day, but not as upright as I <3 Extreme waterproof by Essence and there is some drooping during the day, but my lashes still look nice (only when I wear contact lenses, as it doesn't manage to hold them up enough for glasses, but that's a problem specific to me). I get no flaking or smudging with this one. It says easy removal, which compared to their Glam & Doll mascara that needs an industrial strength cleanser, is true, but it's still a waterproof formula, so it needs an oily remover to get it off. Overall it's nice, I like the definition it's capable off and I got some compliments on how nice it makes my lashes look, though it needs some building up for proper volume and it's not preventing the lashes from dropping as well as some other formulas. 

Pro Desert Romance Slim Eyeshadow Palette

010 Destination Love

"With the CATRICE Pro Eyeshadow Palette in high-quality paper packaging, "Pro-like" looks are guaranteed. The top-quality palette convinces with 14 highly-pigmented eyeshadows. The shades in this palette are inspired by the desert and range from metallic to shimmering to matte to create diverse and expressive eye make-up styles."

This is another variation of their 14-pan palette. You may remember I reviewed the mint one in the previous update, but there are 5 versions on their website. Formula is the same as at Mint, so it’s not my favourite, but it’s useful. Matte shades are overall better, more pigmented and easier to build up with a brush, but some could be improved (Dune is sheer, Romance somewhat powdery & for Sundial a white base is needed to make it truly pop). Shimmers are also a mixed bag, with frosty shades Paradise and Golden Hour performing ok, though they need building up, while the more shimmery shades have that typical Catrice densely packed texture that is hard to pick up with a brush or even impossible when it comes to copper shade Delight. I'm just bored with the selection of shades. I'm sure I've had several warm toned Catrice eyeshadow palettes, while no cool ones, but again that comes to my personal taste. They included  the same copper shimmer shade (Delight) that was featured in many palettes (not just at Catrice, but also their other brand L.O.V.) and it’s always the same, never improved. Staying power is average, as even though most shades last by the end of the day, they are faded. It’s a perfectly fine palette if you like the colour selection, but there are better formulas around, including the one I mention below.

The Hot Mocca Eyeshadow Palette

The Eyeshadow Palettes come with eight highly-pigmented, colour-coordinated eyeshadows. Thanks to the different finishes, plenty of variety is guaranteed. The velvety-soft texture is easy to apply and blend and convinces with a high colour payoff. Vegan.

This is a better palette than Pro Desert Romance. Eyeshadows are creamier, have a quicker colour pay-off (except 2nd in the bottom could be more pigmented), they blend nicely and all can be easily picked up with a brush. If I didn’t already have Colourpop palettes that have everything, I would pick their other colour combinations - I like all of the other 3, which suit my taste better than this one. This is the warm, bronzy-brown selection of shades, so it probably suits most, since people are generally still more into warm shades. Staying power is good on my non-oily eyelids.

Kohl Kajal

010 Ultra Black and 080 Dive Love Olive

The Kohl Kajal Waterproof is a must-have for expressive eye make-up. The waterproof eyeliner pencil made of wood has a soft mine and is super easy to apply. Thanks to its highly-pigmented texture, the eyeliner pencil instantly provides a colour-intense effect.

I was send the black eyeliner and I later bought the olive golden one. Black is much softer and transfers well into the waterline. At the end of the day about 30% of the colour is still left, which is better than most eyeliners I’ve tried, with exception of my favourites, which aren't as cheap (Maybelline and Oriflame). However, it's not smooth enough to glide easily on the skin, as it’s not like a gel based eyeliner, so it's skipping at application on the top lash line. 080 Dive Love Olive is less soft, not properly creamy and doesn’t transfer as easily into the waterline, meaning it needs a lot of layering, but it's never very intense. It needs also needs layering on the eyelids, but manages to look more vibrant, so I've been using it under the lower lash line. Shade is actually very similar to Deborah 24 Ore Waterproof Eye Pencil 5 Golden Green, so clearly I have a type when it comes to picking shades of eye pencils, but Deborah is softer, creamier and more pigmented .  

Aloe Vera Eyeshadow Stick 

010 Golden Toffee

With the Aloe Vera Eyeshadow Stick, expressive eye make-up is only one simple step away. The highly-pigmented eyeshadows come in a practical stick format and the creamy texture is super-easy to apply and blend. The formula is enriched with aloe vera extract and has a convincing long-lasting finish. The eyeshadows in a stick format can be used to create an expressive mono look: The pencil is applied like an eyeliner and the texture can then be blended.

I think it's been years since Catrice discontinued their stick eyeshadows. They weren't as good as Essence's (also long discontinued), but good enough. This formula falls short to me. It's less pigmented, greasier, so it doesn't layer well and I haven't managed to make it look even on the eyes. It's very soft, so sometimes big chunks end up on the eyelids, but despite this softness, as much as I layer it, I can't get it to look full opaque. The product under it just shifts and sheers out when I try to build it up. So it ends up pretty sheer on the eyelids, but at least that lasts without turning into a creasy mess, though like I said, it's hard to make it look even in the first place. 010 Golden Toffee is a basic bronze shade similar to Maybelline On and on Bronze.

Aloe Vera Eyeshadow Stick 010 Golden Toffee, AirBlush Matt 130 Spice Space & Sparkle Glow Lip Balm 010 From Glow to Wow

AirBlush Glow

020 Cloud Wine

"Blush light as air! The AirBlush powder blushes have a convincing weightless, light-as-air texture and a natural finish with a shimmering effect. The blush is easy to apply and blend for a long-lasting, fresh look. Vegan."

(I think) Catrice just discontinued their Blush Box Glowing + Multicolour that created a nice level of glow and they replaced it with this one which is a lot more subtle. There is some fine shimmer that looks like a believable natural glow, but on my pale skin tone I only need two layers and the glow is very weak. It’s likely it performs better on deeper skin tones that need to build it up, but I preferred the old version. Cloud Wine looks peachy on me and since I became a very light blonde, I look for more pink-mauve blushes, but the other two shades are warm too, so selection (for now) is disappointing, though knowing Catrice they may expand it. Pigmentation is strong on my pale skin and it can quickly be too much. I'm not always impressed with how well it blends, but it has one of the best staying powers from the blushes I've tried, since it was still intense 6-7h after application. There are three shades of glowy blushes. 

The Hot Mocca Eyeshadow Palette, AirBlush Glow 020 Cloud Wine & Shine Bomb Lipstick 040 Secret Crush.

AirBlush Matt

130 Spice Space

Blush light as air! The AirBlush powder blushes have a convincing weightless, light-as-air texture and a natural finish with a matt effect. The blush is easy to apply and blend for a long-lasting, fresh look.

Since I wanted something less warm and there's no such shade among AirBlush Glows, I bought one of the matte shades. But when I came home and tried it, I was disappointed to see that the colour in the packaging doesn't translate on to my cheeks and it's a warm shade that's very similar to 020 Cloud Wine. Formula is nice though, very pigmented and like Glow version very long lasting.

Sparkle Glow Lip Balm

010 From Glow to Wow

Nourished lips with a softly tinted pink glow finish – this is easy to achieve with the Sparkle Glow Lip Balm. The lip balm contains golden shimmer particles and the texture reacts to the natural, individual pH-value of your lips. This gives the lips a light tint with a glowy effect. The countless golden shimmer particles in the translucent balm texture transform the lips into a real eye-catcher.

Catrice/Cosnova's hundredth version of a pH lip product. They released an unnecessary amount of them in the last years. This one is a clear balm with gold shimmer that's visible on the lips, but it’s subtle. It must have less of that pH reacting ingredient than the rest of their such products, as the tint is faint, creating just a hint of pink on the lips. Formula-wise it's ok, a nice soft balm that's much nicer than Essence's heart lip balms I got at about the same time (I haven't showed them here yet, just on IG), so pleasant for dry lips. Packaging looks very fancy for a lip balm. 

Shine Bomb Lipstick

040 Secret Crush and 050 Rosy Overdose

The Shine Bomb Lipstick convinces with a nourishing texture that softly glides over the lips. This lipstick has a pleasant feel and ensures soft, supple lips. Thanks to the high-shine finish, the lips look fuller and are a real eye-catcher.

A standard creamy-shiny lipstick. That means it's got a comfortable, nice for dry lips formula, but it doesn't last as long as matte lipsticks. Shade 040 is a beautiful pink-nude shade for my skin tone and Rosy Overdone is a light pink-coral.

ICONAILS Gel Lacquer

125 Toffee Dreams

Lasts up to 7 days without a top coat. Perfect gel-shine finish. Cap made of 90 % recycled plastic. Vegan

Catrice's classic gel formula which I have great experience with. It's smooth, glossy and lasts well. The name of the shade says all, it's a light brown caramel/toffee shade. 

Brave Metallics Nail Polish 01 Starry Nights & ICONAILS Gel Lacquer 125 Toffee Dreams

Brave Metallics Nail Polish

01 Starry Nights

The Brave Metallics Nail Polish gives the nails a long-lasting finish with a metallic effect. The highly-pigmented texture with a high coverage creates an intense, cool look with just a few strokes of the brush. Vegan

There are five shades of these, this one is black with small silver shimmer, which doesn't pop as much I'd like. It's semi-opaque with first coat and then the second or even third get you full coverage. It’s not a gel formula like the ICONAILS, so not as pigmented or thick. 

Posted in: Skincare