Posts Tagged ‘primer’
Catrice Mini Haul and Swatches
Posted on: November 22, 2014
- In: Swatches
- 2 Comments
Ever since I got my Catrice Matt Mouse Makeup, I wanted to try more products from this cruelty-free drugstore brand. Nikki of Girl Behind the Glasses reviewed a couple of eyeshadows and I knew what my next Catrice products would be. There were a dizzying amount of eyeshadows to choose from, as evidenced by this swatching frenzy I did when I visited the Catrice booth at Watsons The Block, SM North.
It was really difficult to choose, you guys. Everything is so pretty! In the end I decided to get these two.
These are the Catrice Absolute Eye Color in 070 Mud Spencer and Coralle Hill (Php339) and Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base (Php299).
Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base is an eye primer that costs only Php299. Since my HG primer is running out, I thought I’d try this one from Catrice to see how it stacks up. It comes in a standard plastic pot that contains 4 grams of product.
The product itself is pretty yellow. And, unfortunately, the product is also quite stiff and draggy.
Here it is on the back of my hand, two layers. It was really hard to swipe it from the pot, which I am hoping is only because it’s pretty new. Hopefully it spreads better on the eyes.
The other product I bought is an eyeshadow quad called Absolute Eye Color in 070 Mud Spencer and Coralle Hill.
It is an eyeshadow quad housed in a really pretty acrylic palette. Only the brand name is stamped on the cover, giving us a clear view of the actual eyeshadows.
At the back you will see the name of the product and the amount in the individual pans (2.5g for the big pans and 1.5g for the smalls). Those really ugly white streaks came from the tag price which was really difficult to remove. Too bad the slots for the pans are not standardized to the eyeshadow singles that they sell. I could see the potential for getting your desired colors and setting up your own palette.
Here is what the palette looks like, opened. Even though it’s made of plastic,the palette itself feels sturdy.
And here is a close up on the eyeshadow pans. I don’t have information on the names of the individual shades, so I’ll just call them pink, silver, black, and bronze (clockwise from the top left). Here are the arm swatches, with and without primer, using of course the Catrice primer I also bought.
I really really like how pigmented they look here, although I did use three light swipes each. The color scheme of the palette looks pretty spot on, and the shades do seem to go together regardless of the combination that you choose. The pink and bronze, in particular, are my two top favorites here. At Php339 for this palette, it seemed like a good deal to try four shades already. (And besides, I’m a palette addict!)
I can’t wait to use them! I’m also quite convinced to get more eyeshadows (hahaha…er..) and maybe try their other products. The blushes look good, and maybe I’ll have a go at a lipstick or two. Unfortunately they don’t have matte lipsticks, otherwise I would have bought one already.
Have you tried anything Catrice lately?
Review: Artdeco Eyeshadow Base
Posted on: August 14, 2014
- In: Reviews
- 18 Comments
At long last, I finally found the time to review my current HG eye primer. I first heard of Artdeco Eyeshadow Base from Liz of Project Vanity, where she praised its performance. It’s readily available at Beauty Bar branches around the metro, and is quite affordable at Php450.
I bought it way back in early April this year, and it’s been through a lot. Unfortunately I misplaced my photos back then, and am only left with the above through my instagram. I don’t have a photo of how the product itself looks when it was still new.
After five months, this is how the tub looks. Most of the white print is erased. This is how often I’ve used Artdeco Eyeshadow Base (almost everyday!) and is possibly the most used and abused item in my arsenal.
Inside you can see that the product is almost gone. I use my fingers to apply it on my lids; a little unhygenic, yes, but I make sure that my hands are clean before every use. One of the things I really like is the scent. It’s a nice floral scent that disappears once applied on the lids.
Here are some swatches. The leftmost one is the eyeshadow base alone. As you can see it’s barely visible so it blends quite well into the lids. I used two light eyeshadow shades to show how this primer performs.
Sidenote: I swear I didn’t do this on purpose. I just realized what I had done when I was labeling this image! Anyway I used a pink Pixy eyeshadow and a bronzey-yellow Pixi eyeshadow to show that the Artdeco primer really does bring out the pigments. It does not alter the shade, but rather intensifies it. The pink shadow still appears pink, but it’s now more visible against my skin. Same with the yellow one. Here are some more examples of the Artdeco Eyeshadow Base in use.
Pros: very effective eye primer; scent; easily accessible; inexpensive
Cons: nothing!
Artdeco is cruelty-free. The Eyeshadow Base is available at Beauty Bar for Php450. There seems to be a new version that goes for Php550. I haven’t gone to a Beauty Bar lately so I don’t know which one (or if both) is available in-store.
- In: Reviews
- 5 Comments
Last June I was introduced to the brand Barenaturals by Glamourbox. They were kind enough to include two products, one I already reviewed (Vitaminstix) and one that is slowly becoming my HG primer. This primer is Barenaturals Skin Perfecting Primer, which I received in the June Glamourbox.
This primer comes with 30ml of product housed in a relatively plain looking white plastic pump bottle, with a really weird cap. The pump itself is great as it dispenses just the right amount of product for my whole face (well, the parts with the pores). The bottle itself though gives quite a poor impression, as it feels cheap and not sturdy at all.
On the other hand, the product itself is something else! This primer is a little runnier than the other two primers I’ve tried (Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser and Benefit Porefessional), but I dare say that it performs better. The most telling difference is how it reacts (or put it in another way, how it doesn’t) with my skin. I have an annoyingly sensitive skin, and will get itchy at the slightest hint. A worse response would be to break out in acne or hives. What I like about BN’s primer is that not only does it not make my skin flare out, but it actually provides a layer that keeps me from breaking out on the non-sensitive skin-friendly products! How awesome is that?!
This is how one pump of product looks. There is actually a lot of it, but I have really obvious pores on both cheeks, on my nose, and a bit on the sides of my eyebrows. For users with less pores than me, perhaps half a pump will do.
Without primer
With primer
This is how it looks like when applied on my pores, compared to bare skin. Please note that prior to application, I have applied some skin care on my face (Celeteque Hydration Moisturizing Mist and Celeteque Brightening Tri-Benefit Power Cream). It is not really very obvious since the product is watery, unlike how the Maybelline Pore Eraser or Benefit Porefessional works which is to blur the pores already upon application. However once you put on foundation or BB cream (TCfS BB Cream in this case) you can see that it really provides an even surface for it to work on.
Pros: very sensitive skin friendly; affordable; expiry date clearly stated
Cons: cheap-looking packaging; available only online
What is your favorite face primer?
- In: Reviews
- 16 Comments
On one of my recent hauls I was able to find the brand Essence at SM Makati. I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base is on my wish list, and therefore one of the two items I bought from that brand. I’ve been reading a lot of good reviews of this product, and since I am quite the eye makeup enthusiast I thought it’d be a great item to try. This costs Php189.
This has 4ml of product housed in a plastic tube about 2-2.5 inches long. It has a 6-month shelf life upon opening.
It has a doe foot applicator which so far seems pretty effective in scooping out product. I use one dab on each eyelid.
The point of this product is to prolong and intensify eyeshadows and eyeliners. I found that an additional benefit to using this eyeshadow base is to even out the color of the eyelid. Since I have yellowish eyelids this is a great feature. Check out how it performs on my lids. Bare lids below. Notice the dark circles in my undereyes and yellowish lids.
Two dabs of product on the lid. This is actually too much, one dab is enough.
Product blended out. Check out the contrast with the other eyelid.
It somehow acts like a concealer for the lids as well. Upon application my lids now has the same color as the rest of my face, and I look less stressed and more awake. I put some of my palest green eyeshadows to see how it would contrast when used with and without primer.
It’s not that evident in this picture, but what happened here is that the eyeshadow adhered to my primed eyelid better. When applied on the unprimed one, it just slid around and got deposited on the outer corner.
Pros: affordable; effective; doubles as concealer/corrector for eyelids; didn’t break me out
Cons: limited availability
Have you tried this product? If so how did it perform for you? Have you tried other Essence products? I’d love to hear your feedback!
- In: Reviews
- 6 Comments
Pardon the delay but I was finally able to find the time to review this item which I got last April. Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser is a primer designed to make pores appear smaller. One is supposed to put this on before BB creams or foundations, and should make the face a smooth canvas for makeup application. I got this at Watsons Greenbelt 1 for Php399 (22ml).
When dispensed, it comes out as a clear gel-like stream.
One is supposed to apply this specifically on the parts of the face with obvious pores. On me, that’s on the nose and cheeks mainly. Here’s my cleansed face, nothing applied yet.
And a close up on my nose and cheek pores.
I applied a generous amount of Baby Skin Pore Eraser on my nose and cheeks. It goes on silky and settles into the pores as a smooth blanket.
It may not be very clear, but the pores appear blurred. Most notably the small pores near my nose are almost invisible. Unfortunately this product can’t really perform well on the larger pores, which is maybe not something it is designed to do. However, it does deliver on making a smooth canvas, and made it much easier to put on my favorite BB creams.
Definitely I would repurchase this. It is quite a good cheaper alternative to the much-vaunted Benefit Porefessional. It’s also gentle and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
Pros: affordable; availability; gentle on the skin
Cons: none really!
