Couple of days ago, I noticed that my mascara was on its last legs and also my under-eye concealer didn't look its best, all dry and cakey. It was time to look for replacements. And you know what happens when you go to a drugstore - instead of buying only the few things you really need, you leave with a bag full of goodies. At that time I didn't even realize that I bought a complete eye makeup 'starter kit' - base, eyeshadow, mascara and concealer. Well, the damage has been done and now I can at least report back to you some first impressions of the products. So lets get to it!

Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base

First, look at the packaging! It is compact and the matte finish makes it look and feel like a high-end product when in reality it costs less than 5$. The consistency is somewhere between a concealer and a silicon-based face primer. You definitely feel a slip which makes it nice to blend. The color is porcelain, but you can't really tell once blended; it doesn't offer any coverage. In terms of performance, it does boost eyeshadow colors and it will get you through a day. I noticed slight creasing about 6 hours in, but for the most part my eyeshadow stayed put.

Essence Quatro Eyeshadow - 05 To Die For

This is an oldie but a goodie. The palette is small, yet it packs all you need for a light day and dramatic night look. The eyeshadows are nicely pigmented and feel velvety/creamy on touch. There is only very little fallout when applied with brush. The two light shades and the darker copper shade have a nice shimmer finish, the dark brown is completely matte and cooled toned. I actually really like this palette for traveling, because I can also use the matte shade to fill in my eyebrows. Put a base underneath and you don't have to worry about your eyeshadow look the whole day.

Catrice Luxury Lashes Volume Mascara - ultra black and waterproof

I know that mascaras are a very personal thing and this one might not be to everybody's liking. I usually opt for plastic bristles brushes and the only traditional mascara I've ever truly liked was the Revlon Lash Potion. This Catrice mascara is actually a pretty close dupe to the Revlon one. It has a big traditional brush, slightly tapered towards the end, with bristles very close together for a perfect definition. The formula is on the drier side so layering is super easy and it never seem to clump up. One layer will give you a very natural look with nice long and defined lashes (don't be fooled by the name Volume Mascara). I was pleasantly surprised that even the non-waterproof mascara lasted all days with no fall outs or smudges. Oh and did I mentioned that the mascara is sweetly scented?

UPDATE: After just two weeks of use, the mascara started to dry out and crumble. It is difficult to apply without clumps and I can't go even an hour without fallout. Maybe I got an older tube, but it is still very disappointing.

Catrice Allround Coverstick - 020 Vanilla

And finally to clean up underneath the eyes and cover those dark circles. I really enjoy formula of this concealer. It is not dry as other stick concealers. It glides on very smoothly, blends well, and gives decent coverage. I really don't have anything to complain about. Actually, it is a nice change from typical liquid formulas. Regarding lasting power - it is hard to tell because no concealer lasts on my skin longer than couple of hours, even when set.