New in #133 New Catrice Products Autumn 2023

Catrice sells this as a 3-in-1 product. It can be worn (1) on its own and they mention subtle coverage or (2) as a primer or (3) as a liquid highlighter (it can be found among foundations, primers and highlighters on their website). It is available in several shades. So far I’ve only seen two in drugstores here, 010 and 020. The lightest shade on the website is 002. I got sent a shade that’s much too dark for me and thought this is a sheer product, when I apply it, my face looks kind of dirty/uneven, so just because of that, I find it hard to like. I went to check a lighter shade, which looks better, but I didn’t get because I already have a similar product from Charlotte Tilbury and I’m not going to buy a product just for a review, especially when it’s not as good as a primer and highlighter than the more expensive option I already own.

I compared it to Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Hollywood Filter, which isn’t my favourite product and I rarely use it, when I do it’s mostly as a highlighter. At Catrice the glow is quite a lot more subtle than at the super glowy Hollywood Filter and difference is especially visible when they are worn alone. Catrice’s version looks better when used that way, as Hollywood Filter is way too shiny and makes me look greasy, while Catrice’s glow doesn’t feel as over the top. In fact, I find that since my skin is dry, it looked more similar to a moderately shiny (tinted) moisturiser and not as a liquid highlighter/glowy primer. As far as coverage is concerned, I got a shade that’s too dark, so the depth of the shade provides some coverage, but I think just like Hollywood it doesn’t really cover anything. 

Since it’s not as shiny, Soft Glam Filter is not the best as a liquid highlighter, as it’s weak (for my taste and I’m also dealing with an bronzer-like too dark shade). I might have a different opinion if I had a shade that matches me, who knows, but it’s not as glowy as CT. 

I wore the Catrice and CT version side by side with a (matte) foundation on top to properly compare them. Foundation applies nicely over both and luckily the foundation covers the mismatched shade. Catrice’s glow is slightly less intense, but surprisingly although they look much different on their own, with a matte foundation on top, the level of glow is similar enough. But there are other differences at which you can see that drugstore doesn’t quite match high-end in this case. On the side with Catrice, the smile line looked deeper and foundation started slipping into pores. Hollywood side looked better, however, neither are massively impressive in my eyes, as Hollywood doesn’t hide/blur pores either, in fact without foundation and primer I can’t see them, but with makeup on top, creases appear and pores are on display. 

So in short, yes it’s similar to Hollywood in terms of glow when used as a primer, but not as a liquid highlighter and it’s even less good at blurring/hiding pores are lines. I also feel that the side with Catrice looks more flat despite a similar glow level because the skin looks less fresh.  

I had high hopes for this after I saw a before after on Catrice’s instagram. Of course I didn’t get the same result. In theory it should be great – a mix of peachy, green and violet tones that colour correct the skin tone, so all very reminiscent of the Guerlain Meteorites. It also swatches beautifully, subtly glowly, but not shimmery. However, on the face it’s looks flat. It’s more matte than what the swatch promises and the foundation just doesn’t look as nice with it. 

It says the shade is universal, but it swatches white and I think it leaves a cast, so it may just be for pale skin tones only. It makes the pores less visible on the pictures due to a mattifying effect, but in person they don’t look minimised. On my chin it makes the foundation look textured. For a slightly blurring and glowy powder, Physician’s Formula All Day Rose is still my first choice. 

It has a strange scent that might bother some. I find it’s not too strong for me. 

A creamy bronzer that gives me “Chanel Bronze Universel vibes” (not that I had it). Its pigmented creamy formula is more on the silicone-dry side. Finish is nice, natural and the bronzer looks like “it melted into the skin”. Pigmentation is opaque when swatched, but it sheers out on the skin, which is a good thing, as such things should be applied gradually. It blends beautifully with a brush, but with fingers it needs some effort since it’s a thin formula with not much slip. 

Shade is leaning to orange on me, so I’m not loving it as much as their bronzer from the Holiday Skin Bronze & Glow Palette. It swatches much cooler than it ends up on my cheeks.

To sum up – great formula, not the best shade for me. 

Now we came to the stand outs in this update. These are just lovely. Very thick and rich, not sticky, they feel nourishing on the lips, they stick on for a long time, have a great level of gloss shine and feel like an oily gloss. Well done, it’s even better than Essence’s Cranberry Oil. These are super glossy on the lips and the shine lasts better than at many glosses. 

There are five shades and based on Catrice’s swatches three of the shades are those pH reacting one and those include the pink 010 Keep it Juicy, which starts of clear and then turns pink. Once it wears off, the lips stay pink. Shade 030 Glow For The Show is orange and it looks a bit orange on the lips – not the best look IMHO. They have a sweet, candy scent. 

These are just repackaged. Before the packaging was a square opaque metalic-looking tube – personally I think the new ones are a bit of a downgrade. I think I had both versions before, I certainly had the Icy Pumper (previously called 030 N’Ice Bonbon). The latter has a cooling effect and a blue-white shimmer that makes the lips look paler and apparently optically makes the teeth whiter (not that I noticed that).

The Spicy Plumper is a clear gloss with a tingly effect. Both don’t have anywhere near the level of shine of Lip Oils and don’t last as long either.

A nail polish for that glazed donut manicure that was popular for five seconds. It’s a frosty white shade and it’s has more coverage with one coat that the two Sheer Beauties shades, but it works as a topper. It’s closer to opaque with three coats than Sheer Beauties and looks similarly elegant on the nails. Formula is smooth at all coats.