The inclusive beauty movement is stronger than ever, thanks to brands like CTZN Cosmetics. Upon first discovering the brand, I immediately resonated with the sisters who founded it, their stories, and the inspiration behind the brand. Growing up, Aleena, Aleezeh, and Naseeha Khan were disappointed by the lack of South Asian women represented in beauty campaigns and set out to be a guiding force for change. I had a similar experience and was always bummed to discover that many popular eye shadow palettes weren't visible on my skin tone. Beauty brands have come a long way since then, but I still love discovering brands that create incredible makeup specifically for darker skin tones.
I'm ditching my 20-step makeup routine now that I've tried some of CTZN's key offerings. Instead, I'll opt for just a few of this brand's wonderful multi-use items from here on out. They're every makeup minimalist's dream. Read on below if you're curious about my thoughts on the brand.
The Eye Elements Collection
Let's start with the brand's newest offering, the Eye Elements collection. It was love at first swipe, to be honest. These double-ended eye shadow sticks come with a shimmery shadow on one side and a matte shadow on the other. The shimmer side allows you to create a flashier look on the lid, while the matte side can be used to add more depth. These eye shadow sticks are also the brand's first collaboration with legendary makeup artist Sir John, now the brand's chief creative officer. I can tell a lot of time, thought, and love was put into these eye shadow sticks because the formula is unreal. It's creamy and blends so beautifully with a brush or your finger. And holy moly—those colors are gorgeous. I loved applying the matte shade all over my lid, blending it with a flat concealer brush, and swiping the shimmer shade over the top. Each shade is *chef's kiss* and perfect for everyday wear, in my opinion.
If I'm being honest, all the shades in this collection were so good that it was hard to narrow it down to a handful of favorites. Although I didn't get the chance to take photos in every shade I tried, I wanted to include a few of the standout shades I tried. Moon Medium is this beautiful, rich shade of rose gold that almost has a touch of bronze to it. The matte side is this buttery toffee shade that compliments the
Ember was another one of my favorite shades. I even used the matte side as a bit of a bronzer to warm up the rest of my face. That's the great thing about many of these shades. You can use them on other areas of the face; they're that versatile! There are so many fun ways to play with these shadow sticks, and I'm sure there are a few I haven't even thought of yet.
Deep Earth is a shade I'd wear to a birthday dinner or on a night out. As the name suggests, it's a rich and deep shade of a fiery reddish orange.
What I love about the shades in this collection is that even the lightest of the bunch (like this one) show up so well on darker skin tones. If you're into the cold-girl makeup vibe, I recommend this hue. It leaves an icier finish and stands out when applied on the inner corners of the lids.
The Lip Products
wearing CTZN Cosmetics Nudiversal in Kuala Lumpur
If I wear lipstick at all, I tend to gravitate toward neutral lip colors, so I was immediately excited about this brand's shade offerings for its Nudiversal lipstick. Like the eye shadow sticks, these lipsticks are double-ended, with a matte lip color on one side and a gloss on the other. I loved the matte and gloss formulas when used separately, but they worked beautifully together. I hadn't found a neutral lipstick shade I really loved until I tried this one.
This rosy brown shade really takes the cake. It's so creamy and pairs beautifully with the eye shadow sticks.
I'm not usually huge on lip liner, but if I was to opt for one, I'd definitely go for this velvety formula. Sometimes, a liner really locks everything in on the lips, so I'd save this for special occasions or nights I'll be wearing makeup for a while.
While this definitely offers more of a matte finish, it doesn't dry your lips out like crazy. I also can't get enough of this stunning deep burgundy shade. It compliments darker skin tones so nicely.
The Globalm
This dewy, lightweight highlighter balm creates a subtle shine on the skin without making you look oily. CTZN does multi-use products well, and the Globalm follows suit. It can be used on the lips, cheekbones, and eyelids.
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