Catrice Velvet Finish Foundation and Concealer

I wanted to avoid doing a review for this foundation simply because the lightest shade is way, way too dark for me meaning that I obviously wasn't going to do a "regular testing routine" by wearing it every day for a while, but I did wear it a few times when I was at home. The concealer, on the other hand, fits me a lot better, so I wore it quite a lot already. Velvet Finish range was designed with mature skins in mind and it promises to create an optical illusion of a lifting as well as to disguise wrinkles.

Velvet Finish Foundation with Hyaluron SPF 30

010 Light Velvet 

Texture and finish: This review is going to sound very similar to the one for Nude Illusion, in fact I consider these two to be close. Again as at Nude Illusion this feels like an old school foundation and the texture is even thicker, so the product comes out the pump in a very condensed and firm form. Despite the lack of the silicone slip, it still applies well without dragging and forms a smooth surface, but I prefer liquid foundations just because I'm more used to them. I wore Illusion and Velvet foundations side by side on each side of the face and the finish on my skin looks pretty much identical. It's what I call a luminous matte (it's described as velvety- matte by Catrice on this foundation) meaning it's a healthy, natural matte finish and not by any means the cakey, draining one of the for example Estee Lauder Maximum Cover. I must say Catrice does it's matte finishes flawlessly. 

Shade: I was given the lightest one in the selection of four called 010 Light Velvet. And now my rant begins. How, just how, can this be the lightest shade? This is at least two if not three shades too dark for me. It's not just too dark, but due to the undertone (peachy?) it looks orange on me, which doesn't happen at the Nude Illusion that has a neutral undertone. I think that even if I used a self tanner, it would have a very hard time making it work. I'd say it's similar to Bourjois Healthy Mix 53 or probably NW 25-30. 

I originally though that Nude Illusion's 010 and Velvet Finish's 010 are similar with the chief difference in the undertones. While they are wet/freshly swatched that is indeed the case, however as you can see from my swatches below, which I applied very thick and left to dry completely, it is obvious just how much darker Velvet Finish is. 

Coverage: It's hard for me to determine the level of coverage since this is so dark for me and the actual darkening of the skin disguises much of the redness. I don't think it has any more coverage than Nude Illusion, so it's a medium coverage foundation.

Staying power: As at Nude illusion I find that it wears very well on my skin. The luminous matte finish lasts for hours, the skin looks fresh a long time and there are no dry patches forming. However, again as at Illusion on some random days it's doesn't perform as well on me because it settles into pores and lines, but I think that problem has its roots in the condition of my skin rather than being the foundation's fault. At the end of the day there is a  lot of foundation on the pad when I use micellar water.

Scent: It has a gentle baby powder- sweet scent. To me it's pleasant, but it is barely noticeable upon application and completely absent later.

Packaging: A smaller glass bottle than Nude Illusion's, but with the same good pump that dispenses the desired amount of product. The matte glass makes it look a lot more expensive than it is. 

Price and availability: 5.29 € and it's available in four shades.

I actually don't find this all that different from Nude Illusion. As I said, I wore them side by side on the skin and I honestly see no difference. Velvet Finish has a thicker texture and the lightest shade is much darker once it sets, but in terms of finish, coverage and staying power it's the same thing on my normal/combination skin. I'd obviously still go for the Nude Illusion instead of this, but if you find a shade that matches you better in the Velvet Finish range then go for it.

Velvet Finish Concealer

010 Velvet Ivory

Texture: For a doe foot concealer it is slightly thicker and creamier than for example Maybelline's Fit Me, but it's still very much the standard liquid-but-not-really concealer. It blends very well, it actually melts into the skin seamlessly with no visible edges and that's what I really like about this concealer. In this respect it's similar to Maybelline's the Eraser. The finish is dewy and stays that way rather than it sets, so it looks quite different than the foundation. Due to a creamy texture, it's nice to use under the eyes, but for blemishes it's not ideal and I prefer something less slippery as it just "slips" of the spot if you try to blend the concealer in, even if I'm super careful.

Shade: Unlike the foundation, it is light and fits me ok. The lightest shade is is similar to Collection's shade Fair, but peachier. There are three shades available and as far as I know, all are on the light to medium side.

Coverage: The coverage hasn't wowed me. It's about medium and it doesn't cover my circles completely neither does it blemishes, but it also doesn't look cakey on a spot even if you layer it. I always have to apply at least two layers under my eyes and I still can't get a satisfying level of coverage for my needs. See how the redness still shows through under the eyes? I think I actually applied three layers here.

Staying Power: Due to creaminess, it's not as impressive as for example Collection or Nars', but it's decent for a drugstore concealer. Let's just call it average.

Packaging: A tube with a classic doe foot applicator. 

Price and availability: 4.49 € in drugstores.

Honestly, this is a very average concealer to me. There are so many better ones. It's a classic doe foot concealer, it reminds me a bit of the Essence Stay All Day one and I would prefer a higher level of coverage (compare for example the coverage of Collection concealer or Nars). I do like the shade, though.

There is also a powder in this collection, but I haven't tried it.

Have a great day!