The Malta Independent on Sunday
Face value at Panorama suite, British Hotel
Women since time immemorial did their best to be as beautiful as possible. Nefertiti used kohl around her eyes and plucked her hairline to give herself a high forehead. Cleopatra is said to have used a mask made of honey and improved her hair with a recipe made of a hare’s foot, some date stones and the hoof of an ass. (I haven’t tried it as yet. Couldn’t find the hoof of an ass.) Aphrodite, the greatest beauty of ancient Greece, oiled her perfect body. Simonetta, the adored model of Botticelli, plucked her eyebrows. Diane de Poitiers bathed in cold water every day and kept the love of Henry II, who was eighteen years younger than herself, until he died. That’s a good tip for Madame Macron.
Muntaz Mahal, whose husband Shah Jahan loved her so much he built the Taj Mahal as her tomb, used henna on her feet and hands. Nell Gwynne washed herself and always wore clean petticoats in an era when no one washed. Madame de Pompadour ate oysters, celery and truffles to entice Louis XIV. Lily Langtry washed her lovely complexion (which entranced London and Edward VII) in rainwater. Queen Alexandra, dazzlingly beautiful, invented the fashionable pearl and diamond ‘dog collar’ to hide a scar on her neck, and in her old age wore a toupé.
And Eve ate apples, though I have no idea whether she succeeded in keeping Adam once they left the Garden of Eden.
And which of us, in our youth, has not tried improving our looks with concoctions of honey, cucumber, egg, yoghurt, yeast… from our mother’s pantry.
I recall in my student days in London my enterprising landlady who went by the name of Anna Wing Davies, an actress who played the main part in The Railway Children, persuading me to use some cucumber concoction which a friend of hers cooked up in her kitchen. I can’t say it improved my complexion but it did feel comforting on the face.
Well, these days beauty rituals have become so easy and there is no reason why both men and women should not make the best of themselves. Malta now imports most of the leading brands of beauty products and fragrances and there are beauticians, hairdressers and spas almost at every corner.
However, cost is for most of us a consideration and this is where Catrice comes in.
I went to their launch of the AutumnWinter 2017 collection which was held at the Panorama Suite, British Hotel in Valletta. This iconic hotel has undergone a certain amount of renovation. Its strength has always been the marvellous view from its balconies both during the day and at nighttime. Truly splendid.
For this occasion Senay Gädeke, Key Account Manager and her assistant Enggar Harjanto came from the Cosnova offices in Frankfurt to talk to us about the new collection. Senay (who has the longest eyelashes I have ever seen and they are her very own. I had a close look), told me that her parents had left a small village in Turkey and settled in Germany. She is married to a German.
Enggar is from Indonesia. Also very much present was Isabel (Izzy) Warrington, the actress, graphic designer, caricaturist, home designer and wit who was armed with art paper, crayons and goodness knows what else. She had been engaged to draw caricatures of as many of those present as there was time for that evening.
In her presentation Ms Senay spoke about Catrice which stands for the fusion of high quality beauty products with a moderate price. She said that the international catwalks serve as the inspiration for new must-haves for the Autumn-Winter season.
Ms Senay explained that prices can be kept down because minimum packaging and marketing are used. However, quality is never compromised. This is a German company and we have come to expect nothing but high quality products from that country.
Their nail varnishes, for example, last for up to seven days - without a top coat. They come in 36 colours. No UV lamps are needed and it is easy to remove with nail varnish remover. So why not pop some colour while you’re at it.
Catrice make a Silk Matt Top Coat which gives a silky matt finish to any colour nail polish. It also has a quick to dry formula. Just what we all like, busy and impatient as we are.
The steering wheel of my car is covered with touches of a variety of red nail varnishes since I am often in such a hurry that I touch my nails up in the car. I am not interested in ‘having my nails done’. Just too impatient.
Very prominent in the new collection is a professional make-up face palette. It has six powdery nuances and two creamy textures which allow the use of various make-up techniques.
The lipsticks have a completely matt finish for those who don’t like their lips to shine. There are six shades. Ms Harjanto, sales operation manager representative from Cosnova corporation went on giving us highlights of this collection.
She said that as globalisation, digital connection and the growth of prosperity increases, we all see that the mega trend is heading towards individualization. More and more people want to create their own personalized products nowadays.
She introduced the empty palette with its click-inclick-out mechanism. Customers can place their favourite four eyeshadows from the company’s ‘Art Colours collection’ and then exchange them easily for different ones.
Enggar remarked that millennial consumers are known for favouring products that express their individuality. So Catrice has come up with metallic lipsticks and chrome eyeshadows: a flash of the futuristic to one’s look.
More tips: Matt is the beauty trend for this autumn. Catrice matt lipsticks are super comfortable on the lips unlike those in the 1990s when dry lips were the norm.
More innovation: In this collection there is a high performance range which is for those who like to wear make-up to the gym. There is a waterproof mascara and a nonclogging pores foundation. It is makeup that is easy, comfortable and suited for an active individual.
Navigating beauty launches can be confusing and exhausting. But occasionally new-to-market technology, innovative applicators and advanced formulations come along making even the most hardened beauty cynics sit up and pay attention.
This new Catrice collection really has something new to offer.
And we were encouraged to try them out there and then too. What with drinks and canapés flowing, the lovely view and an occasion to meet old colleagues no wonder no one wanted to leave. mbenoit@independent.com.mt