Catrice HD foundation

Whenever a budget friendly brand such as Catrice puts out a new foundation, I’m first in line to pick it up and try it out. So when I spotted the new Catrice HD Liquid Coverage foundation that came out a few weeks ago, I was all ears. I bought the lightest shade: 010 Light Beige and I have been trying it out ever since. These are my thoughts.

Catrice Liquid Coverage 24 H Mattifying foundation with second skin effect 010 Light Beige

The Catrice HD foundation retails for €6.99. A good price for a budget foundation if you ask me. It is only available in 4 shades of which 010 Light Beige is the lightest shade. This foundation promises to mattify the skin, last for 24 hours, while at the same time having a second skin feel. In short, I expect this foundation to have good lasting power, a natural, but matte coverage, but I’m not sure what the HD in the title exactly refers to. But I guess we’ll find out.

The packaging of this foundation is first of all, stunning. The matte glass bottle with pipette is very reminiscent of much more high end foundations such as the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea foundation and the Stila Aqua Glow Serum foundation. I haven’t tried those exactly, but it seems like a watery thin foundation with medium to high coverage which is dispensed through a little dropper like this is all the rage right now. And if there is something Catrice does well is try and innovate and keep up with trends. 1-0 for Catrice.

The bottle has some claims in multiple language. It tells you this foundation should give you photoready make up, hence the HD, a longlasting full coverage effect, while being lightweight, non-oily and natural. I’m not sure about you, but that seems like quite the juxtaposition.

The foundation itself is incredibly thin. When swatching this, or putting it on the back of the hand, the runny consistency is a striking feature of this foundation. It blends out evenly and seems very wet when blending it out. But once blended out, the foundation dries down to a very matte, almost powdery finish. You can clearly see what I mean in the bottom right picture. This made me initially think that I might be able to wear this without powder. Boy was I wrong!

Nothing on my face – Foundation only on left side

Applied to the face, the coverage of this foundation is clearly visible. The foundation goes on in nice, thin layers, which indeed makes it feel non-heavy and definitely not cakey. It is also buildable in areas where you feel you need more coverage. I would say this is a medium coverage foundation when applied thinly or with a brush, but when layered and dabbed into the skin with a dampened make up sponge, it can easily be worn full coverage. The initial look and feel of this foundation is indeed second skin and natural.

Full face – Color match

I say the initial effect of this foundation, because as this sits on the skin for longer and the foundation starts to react with your skin, the texture definitely changes. I have dehydrated combo skin and the first time I wore this without a powder. It wasn’t even a very hot day, but I ended up looking like an oompa-loompa. The foundation reacted with my skin too much without a powder, causing the foundation to oxidize and become darker and more orange toned.

With a powder, however I feel this foundation lives up to the claims. It won’t last 24 hours, especially not if you get oily spots, or on a very hot day. If you have dry skin, you should steer clear of this foundation as the powdery, matte finish will emphasize any dry patches you may have. That is why this is a great transitioning foundation for me, but in the dead of winter this will do nothing for my skin.

The color match is nearly spot on. I am exceptionally pale and don’t really get a tan. The foundation blends in nicely with my skin, but is a hair too dark for me. Even now, in the middle of summer. However, with the rest of my make up done, especially after adding some bronzer around the periphery of my face, the color definitely doesn’t look too dark for my skin tone.

2x full face with all make up done in two different times of day

A good thing to know, is that this foundation has a yellow undertone. If you are more pink or neutral undertoned, then the color may not be a good match. The next shade up is 020 Rosy Beige, which is more pinky, but also darker. I think that that might be a better shade if it were light enough for me.

I am happy with the overall effect this foundation gives. It lasts a working day just fine, given it isn’t too hot. I’ve been wearing it for most days these past few weeks and I have found it stays put, but doesn’t survive any strenuous workouts or hot, muggy days. The color match and texture are actually very nice, provided you wear a few additional products that compliment your overall look. Is it the perfect foundation for me? No it is not, but I think this is a good budget alternative if you’re looking for a matte, medium to full coverage foundation that doesn’t look too cakey.

What is your favorite budget foundation?