This year there is a whole host of advent calendars in all different shapes and sizes and I’ve really enjoyed revealing them on my blog. One selection of advents which has intrigued me more than other are the DIY ones, such as the Catrice DIY Advent Calendar 2020, which I am sharing here today.
A DIY Advent Calendar is exactly how it sounds, it is an advent calendar that a brand puts together only they leave you the fun part of deciding which products are to be wrapped up or boxed for which day. The Catrice DIY Advent Calendar 2020 comes packaged inside a fairly big cardboard box, and inside there are 24 makeup products as well as 24 decorated paper bags, and 24 gold foil stickers - clever idea right?
This Catrice DIY Advent Calendar is a great gift for someone, you can open it, set up and present to a loved one, friend or just have it for yourself. It is priced at just £34.99 here, so it’s an absolute bargain.
This Catrice DIY Advent Calendar includes a really good mixture of products, but even more special than that, there are 8 brand new, calendar exclusive products here which you won't be able to purchase anywhere else, plus products from their main range of products. Below I am sharing all of the details as to what is inside, so if you don’t want to see any spoilers, then look away now.
First out of the box we have the Golden Dust Highlighter and the One Drop Coverage Weightless Concealer. As with all of these products, this is my first introduction to the brand.
The Catrice Golden Dust Highlighter Drops are in the shade 010 Spacegold, which when swatched looks to be white but when it is blended onto the skin it is infact a white gold colour. It can, as with most liquid highlighters be blended to be used within your foundation, applied onto bare skin or applied over the top of your foundation.
Then we have the Catrice One Drop Weightless Concealer which is the shade 005 Light Natural which is said to be for light skin tones with warm undertones. Formulated with hyaluronic acid , this product is described as being a weightless, sweatproof formula which deeply nourishes, hydrates and protects delicate skin from environmental aggressors. For me, the downside of this product is that it isn't for my skin tone at all, it is far too dark.
Next we have three eye products with the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro 24h Volume Mascara, Catrice Instant Smokey Shadow and Liner and the Catrice Brow Colorist Semi-Permanent Brow Mascara.
Starting with the Catrice Lashes To Kill Pro 24h Volume Mascara in the shade 010 Ultra Black. I already really like this mascara, it was the first product I tried out of the box and the brush is really lovely to use, not too fat, not too thin and it doesn't overpack it with product. It is a very black shade and it doesn't clump or flake once applied.
Next we have the Catrice Brow Colorist Semi-Permanent Brow Mascara which is in the shade 015 Soft Brunette. I am very much a Benefit Cosmetic girl when it comes to brow products, but with this product, a tinted brow gel with a mini brush, it is a light brown shade which I can just about get away with using, if I don't over-do the brow.
Then we have the Catrice Instant Smokey Shadow and Liner in 020 Campfire Smoke which as the name suggests gives you a shadow liner to smoke and blend with a smudge blender at one end of the pencil.
If you love a palette, then you will love this Advent Calendar because there is five different ones in total to get to know and play with.
The first palette is the Catrice All Round Colour Correction Palette. As you might expect with a colour-correction palette this one features all the shades you need - green, lilac, lemon, pink and peach colour. I tend to use green the most from the colour correctors I already own because it helps to perfect redness and blemishes, so I am looking forward to trying this one. The rest of the shades also have their own use - for example the yellow shade corrects dark circles under the eyes and bluish areas of skin, lavender for use on those dull or yellow areas of skin and for those dark under-eye circles you have the choice of pink or peach.
If eyeshadow palettes are what you want, then the Catrice The Blazing Bronze Collection Palette in 010 Call It What You Want, which features seven beautiful eyeshadows which range from your neutrals and browns and worth through to the more purple and berry tones. Then there is also the inclusion of contouring and highlighter shade too.
Then we have the Catrice LuminICE Highlight and Bronze Palette in 020 Feel Gold. This palette features a large mirror in the lid of the palette which I found quite impressive for a budget brand and there is also three large powders. Of the shades there are two highlighters and one shimmery bronzer shade and I really like all three of them, the darker of the shades you can also use on the eyes too!
Staying with Palettes, I was really excited to see the next two products included within this Advent Calendar after reading a few blog reviews about them and they are both full-sized.
Up first we have the Catrice Superbia Vol 1 Warm Copper Eyeshadow Edition 010 Bronze Upon a Dream and I adore this palette, it really fits into my comfort zone of nudes! On the palette there are 10 nude, copper and bronze shades on this palette in matte and shimmer finishes and I cannot wait to give it a try, even if it is likely to be for a Zoom event!
The second palette is the Catrice Superbia Vol 2 Frosted Taupe Eyeshadow Edition 010 Icy Fire. Now I also happen to like the offerings of shades on this palette, even though Vol 1 is by far my favourite. Again there are 10 shades in matte and pearl finishes and there are some beautiful neutral shades on this palette that I cannot wait to try.
Lip products are always going to be popular at this time of the year and from Catrice we have three products which complete an entire lip look with a liner, lipstick and a Matt Liquid Lip.
Firstly we have the Catrice Generation Matt Liquid Lipstick in the shade 090 Girls Bite Back and if you like your vampy red shades, then you will like this. Often with a Matt Liquid Lipstick they dry really uncomfortably, but having tried this one from Catrice, it doesn't do that and instead because it is infused with Jojoba Oil, it is really comfortable to wear.
I don't feel I can carry off the red lip, despite having dark blonde hair and blue eyes, it is just a shade I really don't get on with at all. This Catrice Glitter Lip in C01 Blushing Excitement is most definitely a red and not a shade I can wear, but I love that it comes inside a gold case.
Finally within the lips section is the Catrice Velvet Matt Lip Pencil in the shade 010 From Rags to Roses. Lip pencils are never something I go out of my way to buy, I have three in my collection, which I use sometimes, so I am always happy to see one in packages like this. Best described as being a rose which is a shade I would happily use.
Next within this DIY Advent Calendar is a quartet of mini Nail Polishes and these shades are exclusive to this calendar, so if you want to get your hands on them, then you need this Advent Calendar.
From left to right we have C01 Unwrapped Nude, C02 Soft Candlelight, C03 Sparkling Flakes and then finally we have C04 which is Blushing Excitement. I absolutely love all of these shades, more so because you can use C03 which is the glitter shade, with all three of the other polishes or you can use it on its own with just a clear varnish too.
Up next comes the Catrice HD Active Performance Primer SPF30 and the Catrice Eye Foundation Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer Matt. Two products I have recently added into my routine.
Firstly we have the Catrice HD Active Performance Primer SPF30 which is best described as being a transparent liquid primer with an SPF30. It features a sweat and waterproof texture which works to blur imperfections as well as to create an instant soft focus effect, minimizes the pores and creates a perfect make-up base.
The Catrice Eye Foundation Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer Matt comes in an 8ml tube along with a doe-footed applicator. The Primer itself is a matt beige shade and its job is to prep your eyelids as well as to enhance the colour of your eyeshadows. I am looking forward to see how well this works alongside a big brands version, which I always end up repurchasing because it works so well for me.
The next product is one of my favourites from this Advent Calendar and that is the Catrice Eyeshadow Stix which is in the shade 030 Powerful Peach
With an innovative, triangular tip for an accurate application, this Shadow Stix features a waterproof and sweat-resistant texture that is said to last up to 12 hours. I really like this shade, it is a pretty peachy shade, which you can also use as an eyeliner.
If powder products are something you enjoy using, then within this Advent Calendar there are three different ones to use.
In the top half of this photo is the the Catrice Prime and Fine Luminizing Waterproof Powder. Described as being a light-reflecting finishing powder, Radiant Beige is described as being a soft champagne shade, of which it is anything but in my opinion, it is much darker and works better as an eyeshadow for those days when you want the neutral eye look.
Then we have the Catrice Powder Blush in C01 Blushing Excitement, This is another Advent Calendar Exclusive product and as you can see from the picture above, it is quite a deep berry shade.
The final powder is the Limited Edition Catrice Powder Highlighter in shade C01 Soft Candlelight. Another Calendar Exclusive, this Highlighter is a really pretty gold shade and I absolutely love it.
Said to be ideal for use with loose and powder textured products. Densely packed with super soft bristles, it has a gold metallic handle which is great quality and as this is the first ever brush I have used from Catrice, it makes me want to look at what others they have to offer.
I can't believe you get all of this for just £34.99 here, It is not only a lot of fun to put together and decide which products go in which packet, or as I have done, put them all into packages and then numbered them, so now I don't know which is where anyway. It is a great introduction to the brand, one which here in England, is not so easy to get hold of, plus you get a little insight as to what Catrice has to offer.
*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.