There is currently a spotlight on cruelty-free drugstore makeup, particularly since Covergirl recently became cruelty-free, and therefore I thought that I would feature a few brands worth purchasing as stocking stuffers, or for yourself as budget friendly makeup picks for the holidays.
Catrice Cosmetics ($1.99-$14.99 from Catrice and Ulta): Catrice Cosmetics is unquestionably one of my very favorite drugstore makeup brands because they have make luxurious makeup at an affordable price point. Their powder products boast remarkably finely-milled textures, beautiful pigmentation and lovely colors. From their eyeshadow palettes to their face palettes, you are guaranteed high quality products that are such a pleasure to use. The quality is indistinguishable from department store luxury makeup– save for their more modest packaging.
About Catrice Cosmetics,
Like all great stories, ours begin with a group of fearless females on a mission: to prove it’s possible to create an innovative brand of luxury-inspired makeup at excellent prices. Founded by Christina Oster-Daum, we first opened our doors in Germany in 2004 and since then, our ever-expanding global presence in over 50 countries proved what we always knew – makeup wearers everywhere crave high quality makeup at prices that make sense.
Catrice also has a nice range of primers and setting sprays.
Catrice's HD Liquid Coverage Foundation rivals luxury foundations, and their serum highlighters are utterly amazing.
Catrice makes wonderful brow products, mascaras and gel eye liners.
Catrice Lipsticks, Lip Glosses & Lip Liners come in wonderful range of formulas and textures, and while they have a wide selection of colors that will suit everyone, they also have wonderfully whimsical trendy shades that will appeal to everyone who wants to wear fun colors. This cruelty-free German beauty brand has wonderful products that appeal to all age ranges, and they make perfect stocking stuffers.
Hard Candy ($5.00-$10.00 from Hard Candy and Walmart): Hard Candy is a wonderfully whimsical, youthful and at times edgy cruelty-free beauty brand that really makes playing with makeup fun. From their glittery eyeshadows, to their bold matte liquid lipsticks, they perfectly embody what's trending without taking themselves too seriously. Hard Candy has a cult following for a reason, and even if you don't wear bold makeup, they have products that you will love and use repeatedly. Their lip glosses, blushes and eye crayons are staples in my collection, and they are subtle and perfectly suited for daily wear.
About Hard Candy,
Two ground-breaking sisters in Southern California set out to create the perfect shade of sky blue nail polish to slide their toes into the perfect sky blue sandals and flare for the dramatic, keeps our drive alive. Our name evokes all things girly and sweet, while keeping an edge and attitude.
Essence Cosmetics ($2.49-$20.00 from Essence Makeup, Ulta and CVS): Essence makes fun, very affordable cruelty-free makeup without sacrificing quality. From their metallic eyeshadows to their beautifully pigmented lipsticks, you can find a wide range of daily staples, or whimsical glitters that are perfect for New Year's Eve festivities. So affordable are their products, that you can stuff those stockings without breaking the budget.
About Essence Cosmetics,
We’re a small team dedicated to bringing affordable, fun, and high quality products into the serious world of cosmetics. So why choose just one lipstick, eyeliner, nail polish, eye shadow, lip gloss, (you get the point!) when you can try them all? We do! essence cosmetics is owned by Cosnova Beauty from Germany where animal testing for cosmetic products has not been permitted since 1998. All of essence products comply with the European and American ingredient, manufacturing, and testing standards. Our suppliers are also held to these same standards and we only partner with the ones that do not test on animals.
Overall Assessment: If you are seeking affordable cruelty-free makeup for yourself, or as stocking stuffers, then definitely consider Catrice Cosmetics, Hard Candy and Essence.
If you love to indulge in loose eyeshadows, with serious shimmer, but don't want to spend about $30.00 per little pot for the luxury versions, then you really must take a look at these beautiful
Catrice Precious Pigments Loose Eyeshadows that are not just gorgeous, but they are very affordable at $5.99 each. They are available in six beautiful colors, and I have four of them to show you. Catrice offers very high quality makeup at drugstore prices, and their products are 100% cruelty-free.
Catrice Precious Pigments Loose Eyeshadows($5.99 for 0.06 oz. from Ulta): are finely milled loose shadows that are highly pigmented with a beautiful high-impact metallic shimmer. They can be used as eyeshadows, but can also be added to face creams for highlighting effects. As eyeshadows, they offer buildable coverage, and can be work all over the lid, or smudged into the lash line with a damp brush.
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Out of this world pigments! Catrice Loose Eyeshadow features highly concentrated pure pigments. Loose eyeshadow pigments, sometimes also called eyeshadow powder, are especially colour-intensive, versatile and go a long way. That's why they are so popular with make-up artists. Not only suitable for eye make-up with a wow-effect, they can also be turned into highlighter by mixing them with face cream. You can even use the pigments to create individual colour accents in your hair.
Features: • A mix of metallic and glitter effects • Buildable coverage for either subtle or intense radiant effects • Can be used alone or blended with other pigments for a more personalized color
Available in four shades: Purple Fiction 030, Out of Greys 060, Cosmic Copper 040 and Eclipse 050.
Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Tropolone, Tin Oxide, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).
Overall Assessment: I think that these are very pretty loose shadows, and I am especially smitten with Eclipse. If you want to add beautiful, and affordable, loose eyeshadows to your makeup collection, then these are definitely worthy of your consideration.
If you haven't yet tried anything from Catrice Cosmetics, I highly recommend trying their affordable, high quality makeup. If you live near an Ulta, I would encourage you to take a closer look at their offerings. Among my favorite products are their lipsticks and lip balm, and one look at their juicy swatches should be enough to give them a try.
CATRICE Luminous Lips Lipstick ($5.99 for 0.12 oz. from Ulta): These moisturizing lipsticks are richly pigmented, they boast a luminous, glossy finish, and are very comfortable on the lips. The Hyaluronic Acid offers a slight plumping effect, but it does so without any discomfort whatsoever. The lipstick is emollient and creamy, and it glides across the lips effortlessly and deposits color evenly. Neither Meet Violetta, nor The Wizard of Orchidz settle into lip lines or feather. While creamy, they cling to the lips, are non-drying and last for many hours of wear. While the Luminous Lips Lipsticks have a warm and light aroma in the tube, there is absolutely no taste on the lips.
Meet Violeta 140 is a stunning lavender with a frosted, luminous finish.
The Wizard of Orchidz 170 is a gorgeous mid-tone muted raspberry.
According to Catrice,
Ready to glow! Catrice Luminous Lips Lipstick is formulated with hyaluronic acid to lock-in moisture and create plump, shiny lips that feel wonderfully pleasant. The finish is smooth, with soft, beautiful color that offers intensive shine. Soft nudes, feminine rose shades, intensive pink and classic reds complement any style! Not tested on animals.
CATRICE Tinted Lip Glow Balm ($5.99 for 0.12 oz. from Ulta): This hydrating tinted lip balm offers a sheer wash of color that intensifies the color of your lips based upon your individual pH– therefore it looks different on everyone. It can be worn alone, or paired with your favorite lipstick. This lip balm has no detectable fragrance or flavor.
According to Catrice,
Tinted glow! The Catrice Tinted Lip Glow Balm glides on sheer, hydrates lips, and intensifies your personal lip color which will vary depending on the individual pH level of your lips. The result is long-lasting, natural and 100% unique. The more often you apply the color, the more intense it looks. One shade fits all! Not tested on animals.
Left to Right: CATRICE Tinted Lip Glow Balm, and CATRICE Luminous Lips Lipstick in The Wizard of Orchidz and CATRICE Luminous Lips Lipstick in Meet Violeta.
Overall Assessment: If you seek infinitely affordable lipsticks that are very high quality, and a pleasure to use– then I highly recommend trying Catrice. A+
Catrice Highlighting Powder in Stardust 010, an Ulta exclusive, is a cool-toned pink highlighter that is strikingly beautiful. Between the gorgeous embossed pattern that adorns the powder and its lovely hue– one is struck by its elegance, and surprised by its affordability! It is a soft and creamy powder that is finely-milled, and gorgeous on the skin. It glides across the skin effortlessly, deposits color evenly, and it lasts all day on me. It creates an ethereal soft glow, and it can be used anywhere on the face that you seek to brighten and illuminate. If you have been seeking a highlighter, but don't want to spend a fortune, then this is really worth buying.
According to Catrice,
Get Glowing! The Catrice Highlighting Powder comes as a soft and velvety powder with a pearl effect. This innovation leaves radiant light reflections as well as a soft glow on the skin. Apply to all the areas of the face that want to shine a bit brighter - cheekbones, brown bone and inner corner of the eye.
Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Magnesium Stearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Ci 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). Paraben free. Not tested on animals. Made in Poland.
Top to Bottom: Light swatch applied with a brush and a heavy swatch applied with my finger.
Overall Assessment: This is a wonderful quality highlighter, and the price is absolutely unbeatable!
If you have yet to become acquainted with Catrice Cosmetics, I highly recommend trying their products (that can be found exclusively at Ulta). Their high quality products boast divine textures, wonderful pigmentation and they are a treat to use. The added surprise is to get all of the aforementioned attributes at such an affordable price point.
Catrice Cosmetics Camouflage Cream Anti-Shadow ($5.99 for 0.1 oz. from Ulta): This ultra-creamy Camouflage Cream is a matte shade of yellow that is specifically formulated to conceal under eye dark shadows along with any other imperfections. I apply a tiny bit over my eye cream, and it blends to perfection without any drying, flaking or creasing.
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Color Correcting Genius! The Catrice Camouflage Cream "Anti-Shadow" is a creamy, matte shade of yellow that is specially designed to camouflage under eye dark shadows and conceal other skin imperfections. The perfectly blendable, high coverage texture applies evenly to the skin to create a flawless, even looking complexion.
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Talc, Isopropyl Myristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Petrolatum, Silica, Paraffin, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Ozokerite, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Allantoin, PEG-8, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, BHT, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). Paraben Free. Not tested on animals.
Catrice Cosmetics Camouflage Cream Anti-Red ($5.99 for 0.1 oz. from Ulta): While applying a green concealer cream to red areas may seem counterintuitive, it actually neutralizes redness without making you look like Kermit the Frog. The creamy texture melts into the skin, is highly blendable, and it evens out skin tone to perfection.
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Color Correcting Genius! The Catrice Camouflage Cream "Anti-Red" is a creamy, matte shade of green that is specially designed to camouflage blemishes and neutralize redness. The perfectly blendable, high coverage texture applies evenly to the skin to create a flawless, even looking complexion.
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Talc, Isopropyl Myristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Petrolatum, Silica, Paraffin, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Ozokerite, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Alumina, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Allantoin, PEG-8, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, BHT, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). Paraben Free. Not tested on animals.
Catrice Cosmetics Camouflage Cream Wake Up Effect ($5.99 for 0.1 oz. from Ulta): Wake Up Effect has a slight pink hue that not only conceals serious under eye dark circles, but it also brightens the skin leaving tired eyes looking fresh and revitalized. I use this one as an under eye concealer, and when I don't get enough sleep, it is the one that I reach for!
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Color Correcting Genius! The Catrice Camouflage Cream "Wake Up Effect" is a creamy, matte shade of pink that is specially designed to hide under eye dark circles and provide a fresh, bright-eyed look. The perfectly blendable, high coverage texture applies evenly to the skin to create a flawless, even looking complexion.
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Talc, Isopropyl Myristate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Petrolatum, Silica, Paraffin, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Ozokerite, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Allantoin, PEG-8, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Bht, Alumina, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985 (Yellow 6 Lake), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). Paraben Free. Not tested on animals.
Left to Right: Camouflage Cream Anti-Shadow, Camouflage Cream Anti-Red and Camouflage Cream Wake Up Effect.
Catrice Cosmetics Prime & Fine Contouring Duo Stick in Lighter Skin 010 ($7.99 for 0.11 oz. from Ulta): This dual-ended contouring stick features a dark contour shade on one end and a luminous highlighter on the other. The dark shade in Lighter Skin 010 blends out to be an appropriate shade for lighter skin tones, and the light pink highlighter offers the perfect amount of luminosity without overdoing it. Both sides boast a creamy texture, and they blend out to perfection without tugging or pulling the skin.
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Effortlessly Enhance Your Best Features! The Catrice Prime & Fine Contouring Duo Stick is a portable, easy-to-use, double-ended contour and highlight wand that creates a natural, yet sculpted look. Enriched with Vitamin E and Argan Oil, the smooth and creamy texture glides onto the skin seamlessly and blends with ease. Use the darker, matte shade to define, and the lighter shade, with luxury pearls, to set highlights.
Directions: Apply the darker shade below the cheekbones, along the hairline, the sides of the nose and beneath the jawline. Apply the lighter shade on the brow bones, inner corner of the eyes, center of the nose and above the cheekbones.
Ingredients Shade 1: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Paraffin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).Paraben Free. Not tested on animals.
Catrice Cosmetics Contouring Duo Stick in Medium Skin 020 ($7.99 for 0.11 oz. from Ulta): This dual-ended contouring stick features a dark contour shade on one end and a luminous highlighter on the other. The dark shade in Medium Skin 020 blends out to be an appropriate shade for medium skin tones, and the light golden highlighter offers the perfect amount of luminosity without overdoing it. Both sides boast a creamy texture, and they blend out to perfection without tugging or pulling the skin.
According to Catrice Cosmetics,
Effortlessly Enhance Your Best Features! The Catrice Prime & Fine Contouring Duo Stick is a portable, easy-to-use, double-ended contour and highlight wand that creates a natural, yet sculpted look. Enriched with Vitamin E and Argan Oil, the smooth and creamy texture glides onto the skin seamlessly and blends with ease. Use the darker, matte shade to define, and the lighter shade, with luxury pearls, to set highlights.
Directions: Apply the darker shade below the cheekbones, along the hairline, the sides of the nose and beneath the jawline. Apply the lighter shade on the brow bones, inner corner of the eyes, center of the nose and above the cheekbones.
Ingredients Shade 1: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Paraffin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). Paraben Free. Not tested on animals.
Ingredients Shade 2: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Paraffin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Tin Oxide, Glycerin, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).
Left to Right: Prime & Fine Contouring Duo Stick in Lighter Skin 010, Contouring Duo Stick in Medium Skin 020, Camouflage Cream Anti-Red, Camouflage Cream Wake Up Effect and Camouflage Cream Anti-Shadow.
Overall Assessment: It is definitely worth trying Catrice Cosmetics, and if you have any concealing, contouring or highlighting needs, then these products featured are worthy of your attention. Their high quality is such a wonderful surprise at this affordable price point.
