Catrice Velvet Finish Foundation, Concealer + Powder | Review

A while back, Catrice came out with a whole new base makeup family called Velvet Finish. I will review, swatch and compare these products today. I am a big fan of Catrice foundations in general, but this time I have concerns. Let's see why.

Catrice Velvet Finish Concealer with Hyaluron - 010 Velvet Ivory

The Catrice Velvet Finish concealer is an average creamy concealer - and that's basically it. It doesn't blend as easily as my other concealers, you have to warm it up and blend it with your fingers. It has a medium buildable coverage. It really gives a soft-focus effect but I did not notice any lifting effect at all.

If you want to know how it compares to the Liquid Camouflage concealer, read the comparison and check the swatches below. I prefer both of Essence's liquid concealers to this, they blend beautifully and give the same or better coverage. They are cheaper as well. This is not a bad concealer, it is just simply average to me. Again, cosmetics, especially base makeup works differently on everyone, so please don't let this hold you back from trying it if you want to.

Catrice concealers compared:

1 - Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer (010 Porcellan)

2 - Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer (020 Light Beige)

3 - Catrice Camouflage Cream (010 Ivory)

4 - Catrice Velvet Finish Concealer with Hyaluron (010 Velvet Ivory)

 Catrice Velvet Finish Powder with Hyaluron - 020 Natural Velvet

The Catrice Velvet Finish powder lives up to its claims, it feels silky soft on the skin and leaves a velvety matte finish with some coverage (it is not a powder foundation). Because of its coverage, it can look very cakey when paired with the Velvet Finish foundation if you're not careful. My biggest concern with this entire product family is their cakey feature.

Make sure you use a light hand when pairing it with the Velvet Finish foundation. Surprisingly, it looks very good with other foundations, it doesn't seem to cake up other face products. It reduces the appearance of pores. It also looks more natural than, say, the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. I've always found the latter one overhyped and very obvious on the skin.

The second lightest shade, which is my shade, is a bit too dark for me. I received the lightest shade of the foundation & concealer, so I don't quite understand why I got the second shade up of the powder. Oh well, the foundation oxidizes so badly and it is so dark that my poor powder is still lighter in colour after all. See the swatches below.

Catrice Velvet Matt family swatches

Catrice Velvet Finish family right after application - the foundation is  somewhat light here, yet it is already too dark to be the lightest shade in line. Too bad.

1. Velvet Finish powder (020)

2. Velvet Finish concealer (010)

3. Velvet Finish foundation (010)

Catrice Velvet Finish family 15 minutes after application, now completely dry. You can see that the foundation oxidizes badly, it is about 3-4 shades darker than my skin. Now again, this shade is the lightest shade of the bunch. 

Catrice Velvet Finish Foundation with Hyaluron - 010 Light Velvet

I'll start with the good features regarding the foundation: I would consider this products a full coverage foundation. You don't need to build it up to have full coverage, it's a one-coater. I don't really need any concealer with it, and I have scars, spots and big pores. It looks like a mask, but in a good way. That being said, it can look cakey easily, especially when paired with its powder. Use a light hand of the Velvet Finish powder!

The Velvet Finish foundation is very similar to the (now discontinued) Photo Finish foundation in texture and feeling, but this one has more coverage. It applies great with anything: sponge, brush or fingers. 

Now let's move onto the negative features, it has quite a bit of them. First of all, the lightest shade is very dark. It is 3-4 shades darker than the lightest 010 shade of the Infinite Matt (now All Matt Plus) foundation. I'm sad about that. I'm sure I would love this product if the lightest shade wasn't so off on me. I either have to bronze up my neck heavily, or add a bunch of white foundation to the product. Please Catrice, make a lighter shade.

It leaves a velvety matt finish on the skin, and feels really soft, yet kind of heavy. The Catrice Velvet Finish foundation is a large-and-in-charge foundation, that's not a secret. It is similar to the Revlon Colorstay or the Vichy Dermablend foundation in heaviness. 

The oil control is rather good, it starts to get shiny after 4 hours if I don't set it with powder. It easily lasts 8 hours on oily skin if paired with a light and finely milled setting powder (e.g. Catrice Prime & Fine loose powder). Regardless of setting it or not, it still looks cakey around the nose.

I think it would work great with normal or dry skin because of all the hyaluron and vitamins that make it rich. As I said, it can be heavy on oily skin besides its longlasting effect and flawless look. There is really no foundation with full coverage that doesn't feel a little heavy, right? Think of the Vichy Dermablend or the Estée Lauder Double Wear. All of them are slightly heavy.

lightest shade of the Velvet Finish foundation vs. lightest shade of the Infinite Matt (All Matt Plus) foundation

All in all, I don't think that any of the products are must-haves, even though you might want to buy the foundation if you are looking for an affordable full coverage product. Swatch it in the store and let it set before buying it, because as I said, the lightest shade is very dark.

I'd also recommend the powder if you want a semi-matte and nice looking product with oil control, especially if you're tired of the look of the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I sure am, I have at least 5 more powders that are just as good at oil control but look way better. I'll save this topic for a separate blogpost.

Have you tried the Catrice Velvet Finish family? Do you like it?

~ Evinde

The products were gifted to me at a blogger event.