Catrice Poreless Perfection Mousse Foundation 010 Warm Ivory

catrice foundation

Catrice Poreless Perfection Mousse Foundation 010 Warm Ivory

Admin   March 05, 2020   Comment  

This is a new foundation in Catrice's line up. They already have a matt foundation that's probably the only thing that survived their discontinuing frenzies for years and this time they made a mousse version. For such a formula it's surprisingly silicone free and also mineral oil free unlike Rimmel's latest such foundation. I find it a very problematic foundation, though that's just my experience on my dry skin and this is designed for normal-oil skin types.

Texture: It's a mousse foundation that so thick it's hard to get it out of the tube, yet when you apply it on the skin it turns into a light, instantly dry-to-the-touch and completely matte texture, so it's like some pore refining primers. It's actually very similar to the Rimmel's Lasting Matte foundation except the coverage is much higher at that one. For some reason Catrice's foundation is impossible to lighten with The Body Shop Adjusting Drops, as the texture clumps up and becomes useless, like seized chocolate. Another big issue with this is that I can't apply a concealer over it because it makes the foundation under it pill and becomes cakey. I can only wear this on it's on and as an extra minus, I also can't layer it for more coverage, but in a single coat it works ok.

Coverage and finish: Coverage is light, I can't call it a light-medium as any big imperfection or redness is still visible. Finish is perfectly matte. It hides the pores somewhat, but not outstandingly well like L'Oreal Infallible Matte 24h. 

Staying power: is nothing special, it doesn't last long as long as most other foundations, but it's not terrible in that respect and it's fading evenly.

Shade: I got the second shade in the line-up called 010 Warm Ivory. 005 exists too, but we had no testers in my local Müller, so I don't know how it compares to this, but given how dark 010 is, I'm not expecting much. 010 is maybe close to NC25 with a neutral-warm undertone. Due to being so sheer, you can get away with a darker or lighter shade easier than with a high coverage formula.  

Packaging: It comes in a tube with a regular screw lid. Since it's so thick I'd prefer it were in a pot, but then it would be less hygienic. 

Price and availability: It cost 6.09 € in drugstores. 

This is not a foundation for me. Rimmel's foundation is very similar in terms of texture and somehow it manages to behave a lot better on the skin. Maybe it's those added silicones and mineral oil - whatever it is, it's working and Catrice's foundation doesn't on me. Those with an normal to oily skin might have more luck with this one, but I am wondering if they'll have the same problem as me with layering, adding concealer or trying to lighten the shade. In a single coat it's not that bad, but I need more versatility from a foundation.  

Have a great day!

*PR product.

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Primer Concealer Foundation SPF20 10 Fair Porcelain

foundation max factor

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Primer Concealer Foundation SPF20 10 Fair Porcelain

Admin   February 15, 2020   Comment  

This isn't a new foundation as far as I'm aware of, nor do I know if it was reformulated, but in our drugstores we currently have versions with a clear cap and this black one. I was sent a bottle recently and I got it in the palest shade I've seen so far. There is an impressive 40 shades in this line and in twist I've never expected from a drugstore foundation, it's actually too light for me. Max Factor really pulled all the stops when it comes to catering to even the palest of skin tones. The formula claims to be a three in one: a primer, a concealer and a foundation. As an extra plus it also has an SPF 20, though it's on the low side. I used to have a primer from this line and I liked it a lot, but it's since disappeared from our drugstores.

Texture: It doesn't appear to be a very thick foundation when you squeeze it out, but it feels thick when you try to blend it in. It's not an easy foundation to blend to me, maybe because my skin is on the dry side, but it lack some emollient feeling that would make it blend easier and not stick to one place too much.

Coverage and finish: It's got a light-medium coverage and it creates quite a nice even finish, but it can't cover redness from spots. Finish is very matte, too much for me. It looks nice freshly applied, but in time it becomes an obvious, flat looking foundation. Despite sticking in place like cemented, in an hour I get those white spots around my nose where the foundation slid into and stuck in the pores too much. Same also happens on the edges of my face, but you notice both of these are things only on close inspection.

Staying power: For something that is so matte and doesn't move, this is almost gone from my face after 7 hours. As a plus I can say it doesn't emphasise lines or make them worse at the end of the day. 

Shade: I'm not sure if any other affordable drugstore brand has such a pale shade, but it's lighter than Essence's #insta perfect 10 #cool porcelain which was previously lightest in my collection. If you're looking for something truly pale, Max Factor has got you covered and the shade 10 Fair Porcelain is neutral. I don't know which shade would match me perfectly in this line, maybe the next in line called Porcelain, though 10 matches my neck, it's just when I apply it all over the face it looks very pale. In any case this shade is very handy to me because I use it to mix with my darker foundations. By the way, shade 10 Fair is not available in Slovenia, the lightest here is 47 Nude and theres 4 more shades: 50, 55, 70 and 75.

Scent: It's not fragranced, but it has a slight "paint" scent. Nothing truly noticeable.

Packaging: It comes in a glass bottle with a pump. Everything works fine.

Price and availability: In Slovene drugstores it costs 14.69 €.

Honestly, I really want to love this because I'm so glad it exists in such pale shades and Max Factor Slovenia made such an effort to get this shade to me, but though it looks really great on pictures, I'm not happy with how it starts to look in while. Right after application it's great, but it slips into pores and I get those mini white spots and it looks obvious on the skin, also it's too matte for me. I was a much bigger fan of the primer which was my favourite. I haven't tried many Max Factor foundations because they have only medium shades here, but I liked Radiant Lift which is one of the nicest looking foundations I've tried, except I think it broke me out, which is a problem specific to me.

Have a great day!

*PR product.

Rimmel Lasting Matte Full Coverage Mattifying Foundation

foundation Rimmel

Rimmel Lasting Matte Full Coverage Mattifying Foundation

Admin   January 24, 2020   Comment  

This is the latest foundation launch at Rimmel and I think it replaced their Stay Matte foundation, which isn't on the website anymore. It's part of their Lasting Matte collection, which also includes a primer and a concealer, but I haven't seen them here. I was sent a too dark shade and my skin currently is too unstable for testing, so I didn't give this one more than a few tries, so this is more of an early impressions type of review.

Texture: This is such a thick formula it's hard to squeeze it out of the tube, but it's one of those whipped/mousse-y textures so it feels thick, yet it's lightweight on the skin because it's dry to the touch immediately like a silicone primer. It's not easy to blend and you have to do it in sections, still I ended up with a patchy application which was more obvious due to not a perfect shade match. So far I find only fingers work with this on because it need some warmth to spread better.

Coverage and finish: Coverage is definitely not full, it's more light-medium, but closer to the latter. Finish is the promised matte one and not a heavy one like at foundations such as Deborah Extra Cover because it's so silicone-y feeling. I've tried this when my skin was normal and when it was dry. On normal skin I really liked it. It was a fresh looking matte finish that didn't look too much like makeup, it wasn't cakey, it filled out the pores, however, it looked terrible on lines. I might kept it if my skin stayed that way and the shade was right. However, as soon as my skin got dry, this was useless - it highlighted every dry patch, it did not blend into the skin and the application looked so uneven. So this is foundation only for oily to normal skin, but if you have any dry areas stay away from this.

Staying power and wear: I only wore it once the whole day and on that day it held up well, but it was not exceptional. My forehead stayed matte all day, but I don't have very oily areas. 

Shade: I got the lightest shade here 103 True Ivory, which is the 5h darkest in the range, so obviously it's way too dark and considering it doesn't blend as nice as liquid foundations, you need a shade that matches you perfectly. True Ivory is somewhere around NC20. There are 20 shades in this range.

Packaging: This comes in regular tube and normally I love them, but this formula is so thick I'd prefer it were in a pot, though so might find it unhygienic in that case.

Price and availability: It costs about 7.50 € in DM. 

Performance really depends on the skin type, it has the potential to look good and to look terrible. It's not full coverage as promised, but it is lasting matte on me without looking heavy. On dry skin it of course completely fails as expected, but on oily skin this will likely work a lot better, as on normal skin it ends up looking quite nice. I read very mixed reviews about this and I can see why. It's not easy to blend, you need a perfect match and it looks terrible on lines, but as pluses it keeps the skin matte and it hides pores, so it's a foundation that can go either way on different skin types.

Have a great day! 

*PR product.

Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrating and Repairing Makeup Full-Coverage Foundation

Clinique foundation

Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrating and Repairing Makeup Full-Coverage Foundation

Admin   January 07, 2020   Comment  

I found this randomly when I was checking Müller for all pale enough shades for me and it was one of five testers I took that day. This was the second most impressive formula right behind Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra Wear, which I also got, though this one didn't impress me enough to consider buying it the first time, but after I gave it another try I went online the same day and ordered a tube. I tried shade WN01 Flax (lightest in a local Müller), which was a shade too dark for me, so I ordered the lightest shade 0.75 Custard. This is my favourite high coverage foundation because it looks less obvious than similar formulas, but I of course still prefer my light-medium coverage formulas for days when my skin doesn't need a lot.

Texture and coverage: Based on the name and how it looked in the shop I expected a tinted moisturiser type of product, but this is definitely not that. It's a thicker foundation that's easy to blend because it's so moisturising and it blends into the skin well, though at this one I do my double blending method where I first apply it with a brush or sponge and then take a clean sponge and go over it again. Coverage is at least medium, or even medium-high. I use concealer only on spots and under the eyes if my circles look terrible that day. It feels tacky from the start and eventually settles, but with a rich moisturiser under it, it stays tacky for ages.

Pictures of Flax, not Custard.

Finish: Depending how much you apply it, it can look dewy or satin. With the amount I use, it's a satin one that doesn't look too heavy. It looks good over pores, lines and it doesn't crease, but I have to be careful with this one not to apply too much powder over it because it can look obvious quickly. 

Shade: 0.75 Custard is a not the palest shade I have, but light enough for me. It's got a yellow undertone similar that looks strong when swatched in a thick coat, but it's not obvious on my face. WN01 Flax, which is the second shade, was more neutral and a shade darker.

Staying power & wear: The wear time of this one is very impressive. Even without powder it holds on for over 8-9h on me (I stopped checking after that), which is amazing, especially for a moisturising formula. I'm a frequent face toucher and this doesn't rub off. This is the most long lasting formula in my collection.

Packaging: This is packed in a slim tube with a metal cap. Since the formula is thick, it's not a messy one.

Price and availability: This is insanely expensive in my local Müller, over 45 €, even though on US website its price a more reasonable 32$ (about 28 €). I got it on Look Fantastic when they had a 20% off code, but regular price is £24.00 (also about 28 €). Why Müller changes so much is a mystery, so go online. 

I'm not one for high coverage formulas, but I like this one. It's not too heavy looking, it covers a lot and it has a fantastic staying power. The best part for me of course is a pale enough shade, even though it's more on the yellow side, but it blends in just fine. This is one of those underrated foundations that you rarely hear about, though it is fairly new, but I'm glad I found it. 

Have a great day!   

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ Fair

CC Cream foundation It Cosmetics

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ Fair

Admin   December 23, 2019   Comment  

This is so hyped up, I remember hearing about it years ago before the hype even started, but for a long time I was hesitant to try it because it's so expensive and it's got snail mucin extract high on the list, which as wonderful as this ingredient is for hydrating and soothing, products with it often break me out. I wasn't aware there was a travel size available too, but I found it randomly on Cult Beauty and got it in the lightest shade available Fair. As a CC cream it combines a moisturiser with an SPF and high coverage, so on paper it's a wonderful all-in-one.

Texture: It's like a thick moisturiser, so it's not the lightest on the skin, but it spreads easily and since it's so tacky, you have plenty of time to blend it. The texture reminds of Nivea's face sunscreen and it remains a bit tacky on the skin for hours. It blends well and it looks good from the start. I've used all manner of applications and this works with everything, though with a brush some streaks may remain and you have to use your hands to blend it in better. 

Coverage and finish: It covers a lot, I'd say it's at minimum a medium coverage formula, but in the quantity most people apply it's medium to full, maybe even full. I apply much less of foundation in general than I read/see people use because I don't need much and I don't like the heavy feeling of foundations. Finish is very dewy on my normal skin and it start to crease fast under my eyes and eyelids, plus it at times even smudges my mascara a bit, so I powder this straight away. I went without powder for my day test where I don't use anything with the foundation nor over it and this got less shiny as it fully set, but not a lot.

Staying power and wear: I said this looks nice freshly applied, not super natural, yet ok for high coverage. However, it quickly becomes strange. It becomes more obvious and on places the texture of the skin doesn't look nice, though it doesn't become patchy, just kind of clingy.  It wears well though, it can last the day without rubbing off too much, but I find Clinique's Even Better Refresh is better, due to not being so dewy.

Shade: Fair is what some other companies would describe as light or fair light, so it's not as pale as it should be. When price for a foundation/CC/BB is so high, coverage described as full and the product is so popular, there should be a lot more shades and undertones. Fair is comparable to Healthy Mix Serum 51, which I believe is most similar to Mac's NC15. The undertone is not strong, but it leans to warm.

Scent: I didn't expect this to have a scent, but it has one of those herbal/natural cosmetics type of scent. It's only noticeable at application.

Packaging: I have a small travel size with 12 ml that comes in a tube with a classic cap and nozzle, while the original comes in a squeeze-like tube with a pump. Mine was deceivingly full, but there's actually not that much product inside as it looks. 

Price and availability: I got it on Cult Beauty for £13.00 (12 ml), while full size costs £31.00 for 32 ml.

I'm not as impressed by it as many reviewers, but I wear it when my skin feels more dry than usual. It feels like a heavy moisturiser that is very slowly sinking it, however, I could get over that part and though it really covers a lot, I don't love how it looks on the skin on its own. It's very shiny, which I suppose should be expected from a product with such high spf, still I can deal with that with a powder, but I don't look how obvious it can look on the skin. While it doesn't sink into pores, it sits strangely on some parts on my face and I prefer other foundations for the job. Those with oily-combination skin might not like it at all, though I can't say for all and overall this formula looks to me as more for dry skin. Still, this has a lot of upsides, in particular the spf with mineral filters and good ingredients, so if you're used to and want high coverage this is worth checking out - I still wear it of course even if it's not my favourite, though to be fair there are a lot of Korean BB/CC creams with great SPF that can do a similar job and are cheaper.

Have a great day!   

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation SPF50 095 Fair Porcelain

foundation Maybelline

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation SPF50 095 Fair Porcelain

Admin   December 05, 2019   Comment  

I'm a big fan of Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless and I like Luminious + Smooth too, not just because of the formula, but also because the shades suit my pale skin tone. I think a lot of us were intrigued by the new Dream Urban Cover foundation due to the added sunscreen, plus it comes in so many shades. While I wouldn't rely solely on it for protection, I do like the idea of layering spf. I don't know who said this is a dupe for It Cosmetics first or why it keeps being repeated when they are completely different formulas, but I have both and It Cosmetic's CC is much thicker, creamy and it has a higher coverage, on top of that it has better ingredients, though Maybelline's foundation has niacinamide high on the list, which is one of my favourite ingredients, but CC has mineral filters, snail mucin and a ton of extracts, plus no alcohol unlike Maybelline. However, I prefer the formula of Maybelline for two reasons: 1. it's much lighter and 2. the shade wins by a mile, as It Cosmetics' Fair is not very pale.

Texture: Formula is very liquid and runny. It could almost pass as one of those serum foundations, but it is a bit thicker than that. It blends easily with any tool and you have plenty of time to do it. It just melts into the skin and doesn't feel heavy despite the sunscreen filters, but this has alcohol quite high on the list, which I know is a bit no-no for some. 

Coverage and finish: It's got about light-medium coverage, maybe medium and it can be built up with no problems because it's such a light formula, but it's definitely not a full coverage foundation like Maybelline states on the tube. I don't mind that, in fact I prefer lighter, more natural-looking coverage, but some will be disappointed. Finish is natural with some radiance when freshly applied and it sets to an almost dry-to-the-touch finish with some moisturising factor to it. It doesn't emphasise pores and it doesn't slip into lines immediately, tough it creases just under my eyes. 

Staying power and wear: It wears for hours on my skin and fades evenly. I checked after 3 hours and 6 hours and it was still mostly there, but a bit faded. Sadly in a few of hours on its own it get that "sunscreen shine", where it almost looks oily, so a powder is needed with this foundation and oily skin types might struggle keeping it matte. But in other aspects it wears beautiful - despite the extra dewyness it doesn't emphasise or slip into pores, it doesn't even look terrible on my as time passes smile lines, which is a big plus when it comes to what I'm looking for at foundations. I get no extra dry patches and though I hear they can appear at some - when it comes to dry patches I've worn this foundation when my skin was in good condition and when it was dry and patchy, obviously on normal skin it looked great and when skin had some dry patches, while it didn't emphasise them, it also didn't hide them. But neither did It Cosmetics or any other foundation in my collection. If your skin care isn't sorted, don't expect miracles from a foundation. I have to use a mattifying powder with this one due to it becoming shiny during the day.

Shade: I have shade 095 Fair Porcelain which judging from my shade 100 Warm Ivory in the Fit Me range is just a pinker version, so same depth, but different undertone. It matches me great - it's very pale, close to the lightest shade in my collection Essence's #insta perfect 10, and the undertone is not strong just like at Fit Me's shade. This will fit NW10 skin tones. 

Scent: It's got a strange scent that reminds me of an ancient and discontinued Nivea self tanning lotion. It's kind of musty and strange. I'm not a fan of it, but it's only noticeable at application. 

Packaging: This comes in a tube, which is a great packaging, however, it's so liquid it keeps running out after you squeeze the foundation and it can mess your cap (my pet peeve). 

Price and availability: I haven't seen this yet in Slovenia, so I got it on Feel Unique for 10.56 €.

It's the type of foundation I like and it's not that much different for Fit Me Luminous + Smooth, so a natural looking light-medium coverage formula that looks nice over pores and it doesn't slip into lines much. But I have to use a mattifying powder with it despite having normal because it becomes so shiny after a few hours. This foundation doesn't have the best UVA protection (it's only against UVA short-waves), but hopefully none of you think you can just wear this and be protected, as for the protection on the label you can too apply a lot of it, but for layering it's a nice one because it's so light on the skin. 

Have a great day!