I am currently really into trying loose powders, but one of my OG favorites is the Catrice Nude Illusion loose powder. I went hard on that one and nearly used it up before I decluttered it. Since then, Catrice has come out with a new version of that powder: the Light Illusion powder in a very light yellow shade. Will this be as good as the original version?
Catrice Light Illusion Brightening Loose Powder Yellow Matt
You could say that this is Catrice’s rendition of a banana powder. This powder retails for €5.59, the same price as the Nude Illusion powder. For a loose powder that is very affordable indeed, because it is not something you see very often at the drugstore. So finding a good, affordable, loose powder that works well, is quite the thing
The Packaging
The Light Illusion loose powder comes in identical packaging to the Nude Illusion powder. It comes in a basic plastic jar with the name on the lid and you can easily see the powder through the base of the jar. The only difference between the two is that the writing on this one is yellow and on the nude illusion it is white. So these may be difficult to tell apart when you have both.
The Powder
What I loved about the Nude Illusion powder is how finely milled that was. This is too. Texture wise these powders are very comparable. They both feel silky smooth and not scratchy at all. The only difference between the two? The shade. As you can see, Catrice didn’t lie when they called the shade Yellow Matt, because this powder has a very light yellow shade to it, much like a banana powder. Since most banana powders are usually too dark for me, I was curious to see how this would work.
The Swatch
In the swatch you can clearly see the lightweight texture of this powder. It is a very sheer coverage: just enough to set you face, but nothing more. The light yellow shade seems to be light enough for my skin tone, which is a good thing. However, when I put this next to my NYX HD Banana powder which I love, I noticed that this powder is a fair bit darker than that. The NYX powder is more like a translucent powder with a hint of yellow, but this is mainly just a yellow powder.
The Application
So how does this powder work? It mattifies, sets the face and it doesn’t look cakey. In that sense, this powder works very much the same as the original Nude Illusion loose powder. Overall this powder makes my makeup last longer and wears well throughout the day. The only thing I don’t like about this powder is the shade.
As the packaging says, this is supposed to be brightening, but on me, this shade is about as light if not a hint darker than my actual skin tone. Because of that, the powder doesn’t necessarily darken my base, but it doesn’t brighten it either, while that would be the main reason for using a banana powder. Don’t get me wrong, this still looks pretty, but the NYX powder works a hair better than this does.
The Conclusion
The Catrice Light Illusion Loose Powder is a great powder, but the shade match is not perfect for me. If you have a darker skin tone than me, than this comes highly recommended, but if you are fair like me, the powder is not 100% spot on. However, it works well enough as powders go and it is a very affordable option to boot. In short, the powder works well if it matches your skin tone.