REVIEW: CATRICE COSMETICS Ultimate Nail Lacquer

Next to makeup, another considerable collection of mine is nail polish. My nails have always been brittle and short - a consequence of my young nail-biting days - but I've always enjoyed trying on different colors on my tips. Call it color therapy, I guess. ;-)

Well, guess what I came home with when I visited the Catrice counter in SM Manila. Heehee. :-)

Ultimate Nail Lacquer

The Promise:

Thanks to the new Gloss Booster technology, the next generation of Ultimate Nail Lacquers is extremely convincing with a high-shine finish, perfect coverage and ultra-long durability. With the innovative reservoir brush, you can colour your nails with just one stroke. Free of formaldehyde, toluene or phthalates.
Tested and loved: 9 out of 10 women love* the perfect COVERAGE, ultimate SHINE and long DURABILITY.
* Consumer test with 100 women, 2013

Does it deliver?

• High-shine finish - I won't exactly call it high-shine; my personal preference is still to place top coat for extra shine
• Perfect coverage - As with other brands, opacity really depends on the shade itself. Bloody Mary to Go (red) and Genius in A Bottle (chameleon green) are opaque on the first coat while The Effect Maker (a multi-dimensional nude shade) took me 3 coats for a decent finish. I think it's best to use a white base for the last shade.
• Ultra-long durability - I LOVE the lasting power of the Ultimate Nail Lacquer! With its name, I think this is a step up from your regular nail polish. Bloody Mary to Go lasted me a whole week; I think it would have lasted me longer if I hadn't have to do the weekly laundry. Genius in A Bottle lasted me about 5 days before minimal chipping. 
• Color nail with just one stroke - I really wouldn't say that all it took is one stroke. It still took me the usual three strokes to spread the color evenly. 

As with other polishes, it is highly recommended to use a good base coat and top coat. I also apply another layer of top coat on the second night of wear for good measure and for extra shine. 

Swatches (please excuse the poor state of my cuticles):

Bloody Mary to Go

See how Genius in A Bottle looks different under different lighting.
Top is taken at night under fluorescent light; bottom is taken in natural light

The Effect Maker worn

I so love the Ultimate Nail Lacquer that I regret passing up on a beautiful chocolate brown shade that they had. Oh well, it can only mean another trip to the Catrice counter is bound to happen in the future! LOL. 

To see other shades, you can check out the Catrice Colour Finder.

So tell me, what's your favorite polish brand and color? 

Be blessed always!

REVIEW: Catrice Cosmetics Photo Finish 18H Liquid Foundation in 010 Sand Beige

CATRICE COSMETICS is the new kid on the makeup block. It just got here in the Philippines, its two stalls right now at SM Manila and SM Mall of Asia department stores. Ever the curious cat, I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised with its affordable prices. Its most expensive product, foundation, which is made in Germany and 30 ml in content is affordably priced at 499 pesos.

Swatch has been blended

The Promise:

- make-up with fresh and light formulation and light-reflecting pigments

- evens out skin perfections

- perfectly matches your skin tone

- soft-focus effect for a naturally glowing complexion without mask effect

- lasts up to 18h

- oil-free, skin compatibility dermatologically approved

- for a flawless and radiant complexion, as perfect as a retouched photo

I saw 4 shades in the counter:

Sand Beige (which I got), Rosy Beige (pink-toned), Caramel Beige (warmer and tanner

than  Sand Beige) and another darker shadewhich I wasn’t able to get the name of.

The department store lights were a bit off and so I couldn’t get a clear view of the

swatches. Sand Beige turned out to be slightly pink-toned more than I want it to be. It was a tad too white as well for me.

Top: Foundation freshly applied and taken without flash
Middle: Taken without flash and set with Shiseido powder foundation
Bottom: taken with flash; no setting powder; the pinkness is very visible in this shot

The YAYs:

-Packaging. The glass bottle looks very sturdy with engraved text so no eventual fading. It was also sealed so yay for that! It comes with a pump which makes for convenient and controlled dispensing. The shade name is also on the bottle cap which makes it easy to spot in my kit.

- Coverage is actually nice. There’s no shimmer yet it gives off a fresh finish. It’s neither too matte nor too dewy. Check out the soft focus finish it had on my skin!

- Light on the skin. It’s blendable and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. It doesn’t feel like it will clog your pores at the end of the day.

- Oil control. I am so impressed that I only had to blot once during the day and it the sheet was barely soaked as it usually would be. And that’s after enduring a morning commute in Manila!

Top and Bottom photos: After 9 hours of wear with one blotting; you can see the redness peeking through already

The NAYs:

- Fragrance. This has a floral scent. I’m not really a fan of fragrances in makeup

except for lipsticks and I know that some ladies feel the same way. Hey, we’re all

scared of nasty irritations.

-Limited shade choices. I wish they had more shades to choose from.

Over all, I think this is worth a try given the affordable price and the flawless finish it gives as long as you can get over the fragrance factor.

I applied mine using the technique Kevin James Bennett demonstrated in applying RCMA foundations. I squeezed one pump on the back of my hand, applied sparingly using my fingers and spread using my Shiseido flat top brush spritzed with Skindinavia Finishing Spray. It’s easy and quick! I think it contributed as well to the lasting power of the foundation. 

So let's review whether it lived up to its promises:

✓ - make-up with fresh and light formulation and light-reflecting pigments

✓ - evens out skin perfections (I do complement it with corrector and concealer)

X - perfectly matches your skin tone (you saw how it was a bit pinky on my skin)

✓ - soft-focus effect for a naturally glowing complexion without mask effect

X - lasts up to 18h (redness peeking through after 9 hours of wear)

✓ - oil-free, skin compatibility dermatologically approved (did not experience a major breakout so that's a good sign)

X - for a flawless and radiant complexion, as perfect as a retouched photo (feeling ambivalent about this but then again, I do not have perfect skin to start with)

4 out 7 isn't so bad. Do check this out the next time; I think this is something worth trying. Are you almost out of foundation? What are you planning to get next?

Be blessed always.