The stock market is at an all-time high. This is fine, until of course you consider that there are hundreds of thousands of people in the world who can’t afford their medication, or can’t put dinner on the table, or don’t have the ability to take the day off from work because they have the flu. I live in a province where disability aid is being cut off because the government wanted a 30 million dollar anti-environment propaganda slush fund (already fraught with scandal less than a month in), and the thing I keep thinking while playing with the Catrice x EMAN eyeshadow palette is: didn’t our parents tell us to share?

Didn’t these peoples’ parents tell them that you should give back to your community; that we can’t prosper unless we all prosper; that not sharing should make you feel a deep sense of shame.

Growing up, my sister and I were almost dysfunctionally fixated on the very Chinese idea that, when sharing an object, it was extremely rude to take the bigger half. You had to show everyone else that you were doing well, and that you wanted good fortune for them as you had already been blessed. For most of my life, my sense of pride has come not from what I have, but (as in many, many Asian cultures) what I can share. One of us would slice a piece of dessert in half, and the other one would choose their piece first — and it was always so stressful to cut because you knew that if the halves were uneven, your sister would give you the bigger one (and then you’d have to feel a little bit ashamed the whole time while eating it, because you knew she wouldn’t take your last bite to make things fair again.)

I don’t understand, especially in a world with so many scholarly studies showing us that wealth disparity is bad for both the poor and the rich, why anyone would ever want to make policy changes to enrich only themselves.

The Catrice x EMAN Bronzed AF Eyeshadow Palette

But back onto beauty. The Catrice x EMAN Bronzed AF Eyeshadow Palette ($14.99 CAD) is one of those lovely combinations that makes me feel like I live in a land of plenty (which I do.) Its rich gold tones are luscious and blendable, and most importantly, they’re affordable. I love reviewing high-end makeup, and I swear I get a little wet every time I look at a Shu palette, but I feel ever so slightly unjust when I do cover them.

Catrice, on the other hand, is affordable. Their palettes are priced for the drugstore, and they’re packaged in durable cardboard with a lightweight mirror. Each eyeshadow is pigmented and smooth, and it’s easy to get a smokey eye with this palette — although they do crease a tiny bit more than most of my collection.

Catrice x EMAN Bronzed AF Eyeshadow Palette swatches (indirect sunlight, primed skin)

I’ve dropped these palettes a dozen times between the both of them, and though I don’t like the warm tones in the matching blush palette (also $14.99), I have to respect their sturdiness. Eman isn’t someone I follow, but these palettes really do reflect her look: super sexy, bronzed eyes, messy black liner, and (of course) those characteristically too-warm cheeks.

If you’re wondering if you’d enjoy the Catrice x EMAN Bronzed AF palette, ask yourself this: do I like nice things? Because that’s all you’re going to need to know. This palette is deliciously rich and warm enough to keep you toasty during the winter. 

My standout shades in this one are Malibu and Laguna, a super-pigmented, super-smooth, bronzed-brown and a lighter wisp of sparkling sunset copper.

Catrice Generation Plump & Shine Lip Glosses

This, of course, is the other half of the equation: the guilt. The shame. Catrice shouldn’t feel bad for making these (they’re really not terrible), but god, I feel bad when I wear them. The formula of these lipglosses is so waxy; so sticky; so enduring. They take “longlasting” [sic] so seriously that we ought to be afraid, but they shine like the spirit of J Lo herself is looking out for you.

(Seriously. These are THE shiniest lip glosses I’ve ever owned.)

The Catrice Generation Plump & Shine Lip Glosses ($7.99 CAD) are not part of the Catrice x EMAN collection, but they were sent to me at the same time. The brand is onto something here — they really do compliment the look. But I am fickle, and I love mixing things up. A lipgloss that, when swatched, needs cleanser, soap, and then an additional two rounds of cleansing oil to be removed is not for me. Not only will this lipgloss feel tacky when you kiss your honey, but I’d be genuinely surprised if you ever managed to get your lips un-stuck from each others’.

(The ultimate way to keep your girl, perhaps?)

I’ve kind of lost the train of thought that I started this post with. Things, I think we can all agree, are terrible — but it’s nice to settle in with something trivial and fun, like the Catrice x EMAN collection. It’s easy, and more than anything, I’m happy that it provides for us all a much-deserved break from the news.

In my quest for a more equitable future, I hope to see more products like these ones from Catrice.

Availability: $7.99-$14.99 CAD. Limited edition. Available at Catrice, Ulta, and Shopper’s Drug Mart. Cruelty-free and vegan.

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Disclaimer: These products were submitted by Catrice for editorial consideration only. Honestly… I’m not cool enough for someone to pay me to trash-talk their long-wearing products. (They wear for so long! I hate it! But I get that that’s the whole point!)