First Impressions: C.A.K.E Cosmetics

I'm really trying to experiment with different makeup looks these days and I have concluded that one of the best ways to do this is by trying a range of different brands, I mean there really is life outside of Lancôme Christine! (still love you Teint Idole). I recently came across C.A.K.E. Cosmetics on Instagram and was drawn to the shade range. The brand mainly targets  "Indian, Caribbean and African skin tones" - so I guess medium to deep skin tones, however in addition to base products they also carry a host of eyeshadow, lipstick and blush shades that can definitely be used by people of all skin tones. 

As this is an online store I left a comment under one of their Instagram posts asking which shade foundation they recommended and I was told to order N10.  The website also tells you which shades, from other brands, are similar to their own shades. So for instance, if  you normally wear NW44-47 from MAC you will probably suit N11. I also decided to order two blushes in the shades Lucky and Tropicana. The blush shades are housed in cute pots with screw on lids whilst the foundation comes in a compact with a mirror and sponge. The packaging is sturdy plastic and reminds me of MAC's packaging. 

The products

Cream Foundation - N10

Claim : "Full coverage formula. You can use a foundation brush or fingertips to apply. The moisture enriched formula blends easily to hide skin imperfections. It applies creamy and sets as a powder for extremely long staying power."

Price: £13 for 10g

Blush- Tropicana and Lucky

Claim:  "High pigmented blusher that creates a healthy glow on your cheek bones."

Price £8 for 6g

The foundation is a cream to powder foundation, which is a finish that I would not normally buy. This is simply because I have found them quite hard to work with in the past - plus I literally hate sponges, with the exception of the Beauty Blender, which is what most of these foundations tend to come with. I did try and use the sponge, I really did lol but it just didn't work out for me. In the end I decided to apply the foundation with my Sigma F80 brush (best brush ever!) and I found it much easier to blend. The colour match is amazing- it applies darker than it sets, if that makes any sense. Ideally, I wait about five minutes for the foundation to really set in to its powder form for two reasons. 1. I find that if I don't the cream settles more in my smile lines 2. It will transfer in its cream state so it is best to wait it out before you finish the rest of your makeup. 

The foundation is, without a doubt, FULL coverage. My skin is quite dry so the creaminess really works for me- as it sets to a powder finish, I think those with oily skin could probably also use it but you may want to set it with a little more powder. The foundation has really good staying power and I don't have to touch it up during the day. I have been wearing it for about a month now but I think I'm just going to wear it when I want to go full on glam! Although the finish is natural looking, I don't think I need such full coverage every day. If you are into full coverage foundations I think this is a great offering for the price - for £13 you get 10g worth of product, the same as you would get in MAC Studio Tech. There are five shades in the range at the moment but I know that the brand are working on some new releases so they may extend the range. 

Can we just take a minute to look at this blush! The pigmentation is mental- a little really does go a long way. I'm a big fan of orange toned blushes so Tropicana is perfect for me. I would describe it as a warm orange-coral shade with a hint of gold shimmer.  It really warms my face up and it is definitely my favourite product of those I picked out (I am wearing Tropicana in the pictures). Lucky is a muted plum- pink and also has a hint of gold shimmer In the pot it looks quite like MAC Fever but the shimmer gives it an edge. Again, a little goes a long way! The blushes are reminiscent of the Nars blushes in my opinion, super smooth and pigmented but for more than half the price - what more could you want! I'm going to look into their eyeshadows because if they are as pigmented as the blush I am so about that life! 

Overall,  I'm glad that I found this brand. It is affordable and I think it is great that they are trying to cater to a market that is quite often ignored. I hope that they are able to extend their range so it can suit more skin tones and hopefully they will stock a liquid version of their foundation. I will definitely be picking up any other blush shades they bring out! What new brands have you been loving recently? 

p.s. I recently met with the lovely Miriam from We are Worth it Too- she is passionate about campaigning for more variety for women of colour in the UK High street cosmetic industry. It would be amazing if you could take a few minutes to fill out her survey!

Also check out Blogosphere magazine!  I bought a copy at the recent Bloggers Xmas event,  and I have really been enjoying reading it! Such great tips "for bloggers by bloggers". If you are a newbie blogger I think you will find it useful! :)

'Be your own kind of beautiful'