Review: Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer

The newest drugstore concealer is Rimmel's Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer. This is described as a "2 in 1 concealer and highlighter. Banish signs of fatigue and illuminate the eye area. With an oxygen complex. Lets skin breathe" I should start out by saying that the foundation in this range, "Match Perfection" was a terrible match for me, I swatched it in the store and the lightest shade was far too dark for me, but the concealer intrigued me after all the positive reviews that I've read. I am happy to say that the concealer is quite alright. I picked this up for only $4.99 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart, it was on sale, I think it's regularly about $8.

The packaging is a squeeze tube, different than the click and apply that most concealers like this have. When I first used it, I was perplexed with how to get the contents out, but then figured out the only way was to squeeze the tube. I am not really a fan of this method because you can't really control how much you get out, and as the end of the product nears, I think I'll be struggling to get contents out.

The brush is like the type that you would find on the YSL Touche Eclat or Milani HD concealer. The product comes out from the centre of the brush and you apply it directly to your skin or on your hand and then blend it with your fingers or a brush. I find the brush fibers a tiny bit scratchy on my skin, when I apply it under the eyes, it's a bit irritating. But this may just be me being super picky.

This product comes in only 3 shades (which kind of sucks): Ivory, Classic Beige and Soft Beige. I have this in the lightest shade cause I am fair (NC15 in MAC for reference). It's a skin colour with some illuminating qualities. The texture is neither watery or chalky, it's creamy and opaque, which I enjoy much about this. I find the coverage is very good, this is a pretty pigmented concealer. It's meant to be a 2 in 1 product, both concealing and illuminating (or highlighting) the area, and I think it does that pretty well. I find that I can pack on quite a lot of this and it blends in well and conceals alright. However, since it contains Talc, I find it can look dry on my skin, which isn't great for under the eyes, an area that I like keeping hydrated looking and not..dry, this is something that I find in most undereye concealers though (including the Hard Candy Glamoflauge) perhaps I just need to moisturizer under the eyes more.

And here it is blended in slightly, you can tell it's close to my skin colour, but a tad lighter. The colour is neither peach nor white, but a good skin colour (if you are pale 010 Ivory should work well for you). It's advertised as being "skin adaptive" I am not sure about that, since there are only 3 shades, and they are all light-medium I am betting those with dark skin tones will not adapt so well to this! Rimmel goes on to say that this product "contains blue sapphire pigments to deliver a fresher colour and an oxygenating complex to let the skin breathe.", not sure about that either, blue sapphire sounds cool though!

Would I recommend this product? It's okay, but since it's a tad drying it's not my favourite. However, the consistency is very nice as I mentioned and I enjoy that about it. If you're looking for a cheap undereye concealer, this may be for you.

Review: Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation

Rimmel's latest foundation is called "Clean Finish" and it is advertised as providing 100% poreless, natural and even complexion with a lightweight and clean finish. It's fragrance-free and dermatologist tested, and has vitamin A and E. What attracted me to this foundation was the spatula applicator, this is something new and ingenious in my opinion. This is also one of the cheapest foundations that I've ever purchased, it was around $6 in Canada and it's like $3.97 in the states which is crazy cheap!

Take a look at that spatula, isn't that the neatest thing? I complain all the time about how drugstore foundations do not have a pump. This handy little spatula, like a mini paddle, helps you scoop out as much product as you need and eliminates wastage. I hope other companies start making applicators like this, although pumps are still better, this is cool too. I apply the foundation by scooping it with the spatula and applying pieces of it directly to my face and then blending it in with my hands (prefer for this foundation) or a brush. I only use it on myself so I am not concerned about hygienic issues. The spatula has tiny holes in it too, I guess to eliminate the product from sticking to it too much, but it won't drip cause this product is so thick, you can shake the bottle upside down and it won't go anywhere!

The spatula works especially well with this foundation because the foundation is super thick. It has a thick, moussy consistency. However for as thick as it, when you apply it, it smooths out and blends into a thinner consistency. I also expected this to give full coverage since it's so thick, but no, the coverage is more light-medium.

This is probably the first Rimmel foundation that has carried a shade light enough for me, I am NC15 and I purchased the lightest shade in 120 Ivory, which is neutral toned and is a pretty good match. So kudos for Rimmel for finally getting it right, as you can tell in the second swatch, the two on the left, the Stay Matte and Lasting Finish were far too dark for me, Clean Finish is much better. Their new Match Perfection was far too dark for me again, so I won't be buying that one.

It does darken a bit on the skin (a bit more pink), but not too bad (I blended it in a bit here). I find it dries quickly so you have to work fast, I prefer to use my hands with this product, melts in it nicely and gives that "clean" finish that it's supposed to, like you aren't wearing too much on your face. I wore this over Hard Candy's Illuminating Primer underneath today (that's why there are sparkles on my hand, this foundation doesn't have any!) and it applies very well. On my dry skin, it felt totally fine and did not cling to dry areas at all.

Would I recommend this product? Yes, this is one of the best drugstore foundations that I've used. I love the spatula applicator and the finish and coverage that it provides, plus it's super cheap.

Have you tried Rimmel's Clean Finish?

Review: Rimmel Lash Accelerator

Another mascara review coming your way! Rimmel's Lash Accelerator is a mascara that I've been eyeing up for some time, however I kept finding it very expensive in drugstores around here (in Canada) so I picked it up and put it down several times. Lately, I've noticed it has gone down in price, I think mine was $7 at Rexall Pharma Plus. This mascara is one of those "lash growing" types. The advertisement claims that the mascara has "grow-lash complex" (a mix of bamboo extract, procapil and biotin) and that lashes will "look up to 117% longer in 30 days and up to 80% longer instantly". "Beautifully long, remarkably strong lashes, clinically tested". And that "95% saw a lengthening effect on bare lashes in 2 weeks". I love that Zooey Deschanel was the face for this campaign, she is totally cool, although I find she doesn't look like herself in these images, anyone else think that? And those false lashes that they put on her and thick eyeliner is ridiculous and takes away from the legitimacy of their claims.

Mascara Mondays: Rimmel Glam Eyes

Today's mascara review is Rimmel's Glam Eyes mascara. I know it says "new" on the tube, but this one isn't new, just when I purchased this it was. I love the name on this one, Glam Eyes, it sounds classy and fancy. This mascara is supposed to be an "ultra-volume, high definition mascara". On the Rimmel website, this is also described as "Seductive Volume. Turn heads. New VolumFlex Brush styles lashes for sensational volume and instant separation. Ultra supple elasto-bristles groom each lash, lacquering them from root to tip for a spectacular 7 x more lash intensity. Big Lash Seduction. High Definition. Maximum lash impact. Impeccable definition. Smoothing formula glides through lashes, wrapping each one for ultimate volume yet perfect separation. Lashes look dramatically amplified yet sleekly defined - even up close and personal." I like the packaging of this, the tube is black and light pink with what looks like stockings or checkered top. I think Rimmel has really cute girly packaging for most of their mascara, and I am a sucker for them and have bought several throughout the years, despite hearing little or nothing about how good or bad they are.

Review: Rimmel Smokey Brun Eyeshadow Quad

Today's review is Rimmel's Smokey Brun eyeshadow quad. It comes with 4 small squared neutral shadows (4g of product) in a plastic container with a sponge applicator. It's very simple and I was not expecting to like this because it was so cheap. But I think it's great for subtle, everyday neutral brown eyes or you can deepen it and make it more "smokey" by adding more of the dark brown shade. I can't speak for the quality of Rimmel's other eyeshadows, this is the only one I've ever used.

Here is a closer look at the shadows that you get. Top left is a shimmery brown (probably the weakest shade in the bunch see swatch below), shimmery caramel brown, pretty champagne (my favourite) and a cream highlight shade. I've used the sponge applicator, it's okay, it has a pointed end on the other side, which is nice.

Okay here I have included some swatches, the darkest brown is a tad ashy and takes a few swipes to get it to look like that, it has shimmer in it too, I wish it didn't. The caramel brown shade is pretty, no issues with this. The champagne colour is the best, I would buy this quad again and again just for this shade. It's very creamy and applies nicely on the lids, it basically matches my Urban Decay Primer Potion in sin, so it's nice to use it overtop. I think this colour is universal, and a lot of palettes have a colour like this. The cream colour is pretty nice too, I use this in the tear duct sometimes. The colours swatch nicely, but I find on the eye you need a primer to get them to show up as vibrantly and last, which I expect from drugstore shadows. In terms of fallout, I get a bit of the shimmer under my eyes, but nothing terrible.

And here it is on the eye, not the best picture, but you get the idea. I have the champagne colour on the lid and the caramel shade in the crease (mostly what shows here). It is light, not dramatic at all, but I like it.

Have you tried this quad? or any of the other Rimmel shadows?

NOTD: Rimmel Milk Chocolate and Down Days

The weather in my part of the world has been pretty dreary and miserable lately, very typical of Canadian fall: rainy, windy and cold. Also, I have been dealing with some personal issues over the past few days which have made me feel a bit depressed and down. My bf landed in the hospital for pancreatitis. He was admitted exactly 3 years ago for the same thing. The doctors don't really know why he keeps getting it, it's common in heavy drinkers, or those with gall stones. He doesn't really drink and his gall bladder was checked and nothing. He is on painkillers and loads of xrays and tests are being done to try and figure out what is wrong. He'll be in the hospital for a week. It makes me really sad that this keeps happening to him because health is so important and when you don't know what is causing your illness, it's hard to prevent it from happening again.

Also, we've been trying to get an apartment in Toronto for past three months and it's been a really hard time. So many places have fallen through or rented out before we got to them. That current place is fine, view of the lake, pretty large, but the owners do not want pets in the unit. We have two cats. We are going through a real estate agent and he assures us that it will be fine, just not to tell the owners. Before the hospital stuff happened we were in the final stages of the lease process. This is slowing things down, but maybe for the better. The owners keep making changes to the lease, adding clauses about being able to inspect the place whenever they want and us insuring that no pets will occupy the unit during the lease. I feel uncomfortable lying to them because if they do ever need to come by and repair something in the unit, my one cat will greet them at the door and it will not be a good scene. Also, the real estate agent is pushing us to hurry this along, despite me explaining to him that my bf is in the hospital and this is not our priority right now. I think he is just trying to get his commission and be done with it. I feel bad giving up this place, but I think we are going to have to. If only I had tons of money and could rent out any place that I wanted.

Anyway, enough about my life and onto the nail of the day. I painted my nails Rimmel's Milk Chocolate. This is a fairly nice drugstore colour. It's a beige nude colour, I think it resembles a light version of chocolate milk more than milk chocolate. It takes two coats and is very creamy. I think it's a good everyday colour. And for me it gives me that almost mannequin hands look. Since it's in the Lycra Wear 10 line it promises up to 10 days of wear, no base or topcoat needed. However, for my needs I did use both a base and topcoat and will change my polish within a few days so longwear is not a concern of mine.

I've also compared it here with similar colours in my collection. Orly's Country Club Khaki is on the left, which is   more grey and OPI Tickle My France-y on the right, which is more beige. Milk Chocolate is much more pink than these other two.

Do you have this polish?

Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks

Can you believe these are my first ever Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks? I don't know why I didn't get these earlier, they are gorgeous. I bought 5 of these on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart this week, they were $3.99 a piece, normally $7.49 here in Canada. I got the colours (from left to right): Heavenly, Air Fairy, Crush, Pink Blush and Nostalgia.

They come in dark purple/burgundy packaging with a crown on the top. You can tell the packaging is really cheap judging by how light it is, but I do like how it clicks so you know it's totally closed. There are lots of colours to choose from, some are a tad too frosty for my liking though. I like the finish of these, they aren't particularly moisturizing, but not drying either and they last a decent amount of time, for a lipstick anyway. I am particularly about the smell of beauty products and these smell like Starburst candies to me, they are like a sour, sweet fragrance.

The pigmentation of these is really nice, it takes two swipes to get a nice, even application. I think for a drugstore lipstick, these are one of the best. I tried to pick colours that weren't too frosty, I like creamy lipsticks. These go on with some shine and look very flattering.

Heavenly is a mauvey berry colour. It is darker than it looks in the picture above, that is what flash does, it makes everything look lighter than it is, do not judge this colour on this swatch, the pictures above do it more justice. This colour is gorgeous.

Airy Fairy is a really popular colour. I didn't want it based on the swatches that I saw online however because it made me think it was a colour that it's not. Problem is this one is really hard to photograph, it can look nude and pinky purple depending on the lighting. I think it can look good on anyone because it's so unique of a colour.

Crush is a peachy colour, it does have some shimmer in it and bright, I think it's too bright and at the same time, it leaves yellow lines on the outside of your lipline if you do overapply it. Not totally sold on this one.

Pink Blush is a pale baby pink, it is marvelous. It applies moist, smooth and opaque in two swipes. Lots of people compare this to a more pigmented MAC Lady Gaga lipstick, but so much cheaper. I like pinks, so I had to pick up this one.

Nostalgia is a bright warm coral. This one is a pretty colour too.

Do you have any of the Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks?

Mascara Monday: Rimmel Volume Flash The Max Bold Curves Review

This is Week 2 of my Mascara Mondays series, last week I did the Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara, today it's Rimmel's Bold Curves. Next week, I promise it will be a brand other than Rimmel. I just thought I would do Rimmel first because there aren't too many reviews of these mascaras and I think they are pretty good, it's like they don't get enough hype. Rimmel's Bold Curves is described on the Rimmel website as "flirtatious flutters up to 14x more volume, it will also create unmissable lashes with up to 70% more lift. Exclusive formula with collagen thickens lashes, while keratin helps to make them stronger, sleeker and shinier. And with our biggest, most curvaceous Bold-Lift brush, you can max out every lash in a flash!"

The Bold Curves brush is very similar to the original Rimmel The Max Volume Flash brush (see image above), except it's curved, so it gives the impression that it will provide more lift to your curl. The formulation seems the same to me, it's thick, and not too runny. Both of these are in black. I like the packaging of the Volume Flash mascaras, this one comes in a green tube and the other one is pink (see image above). I actually like the 'wetness' of this mascara, I find some mascaras (ie Rimmel Sexy Curves) are quite wet. I am a bigger fan of the wire bristles vs the plastic wands that a lot of mascaras have nowadays. I prefer the curved one over the regular one too, I find it easier to apply.

The brush is quite large on this mascara, which I like because it means it can cover lots of lashes at once. The only issue I have with the brush itself is every time you take it out of the tube, you get a blob of liquid on the tip (removed in picture above), this happens with a lot of mascaras however. I use the bottom part to comb through my lashes and then I find the top part is good at combing out excess afterwards.

It claims to give "the biggest curve ever" I am not sure about that. I curl my lashes of course, and this mascara does not weigh them down, but doesn't give remarkable results either. Does it give volume? I find it does alright, nothing spectacular. For those of you looking for a volumizing mascara, I say pass on this one. Also, if you put too much of this on, ie too many coats, you will get spidery lashes.

I like the result that this mascara gives, it's great for the lower lash line, and it gives a light, fluttery result. Sorry the picture above is not really focused well, but you get the idea. There is some flaking by the end of the day with this one. I have the tendency to get some fallout on my upper lids right above the lash line, if anyone has any suggestions on how to avoid that, please let me know.

Have you tried Rimmel's Bold Curves mascara?

Mascara Monday: Rimmel Sexy Curves

Mondays on Productrater are now going to be known as "Mascara Monday", I will review a different mascara every week. I have read others bloggers do this and it's a neat idea. I have lots of mascara, so frankly, I can keep this up until like the end of the year, so hopefully you will enjoy this. I generally do not apply mascara to my bottom lashes just to fore worn you. I look for volume in my mascara since my lashes are long enough, but not full enough, in my opinion.

Today's mascara is the Rimmel Sexy Curves. I listed this in last month's favourites cause it's a pretty good mascara. It comes in a pretty shiny purple tube, which probably attracts most people. It comes in normal and waterproof, I generally buy waterproof mascara but I read that that one sucks, so I got this one instead. It retails at drugstores for about $7-8, just like any standard mascara. Rimmel's website describes this mascara as "Fuller figured brush – fuller figured lashes. Curves in all the right places! The first Triple Plump brush with 3x the curves for 70% curlier lashes. Voluptuous brush with CurveControl technology wiggles easily through your lashes quickly coating them. Exclusive brush design curves IN to maximize lash loading, curves OUT to curl and de-clump each lash for a complete curved look."

This mascara has the most unique wand ever. It's rubber, purple and has three bumps (what Rimmel describes as the "triple plump") on it with spikes. I think at first this is really hard to work with because the wand does not reach all your lashes at once because of the bumps on it. I have this in extreme black. I don't know if mine is drying up or what, but notice how the liquid does not cover the wand entirely? The wand is rubbery and does bend easily, which I like. The formula is very wet too.

bare eye

with Rimmel Sexy Curves

I think this definitely gives length, volume a bit too. I do find this crunchy though and difficult to layer because it dries so fast. I like being able to put a few coats on to build it up and with this I can't really do that. I do like the bumps on it though for getting into the corners of your eyes by your nose, I have a hard time doing that with other mascaras.

bare eye

with Rimmel Sexy Curves

The best part of this mascara is how it holds the curl, it keeps them as they are when you first apply the mascara, sticking straight up! So it does live up to the claim to give "curve". But as you can tell, I get little balls (clumps) through my lashes and even underneath my eye in the top picture, so there is flaking with this on me. It does not separate all that great either (with repeated coats) my lashes are sticking together.

So this mascara is pretty good in my opinion if you are looking for a curling mascara, I know curling mascaras do not generally give much volume, and that was my problem with this one. It even says it gives volume on the package, not really though.

What did you think of Rimmel's Sexy Curves?

Monthly Faves: August 2010

I like doing these blog posts because it helps me reflect on the products that I used and liked most each month. I like reading everyone else do their faves too. August is always a sad month because it means the end of summer. Onto my faves for the month of August.

Review: Rimmel Recover Foundation

This foundation from Rimmel is described as "Illuminating anti-fatigue foundation. Energy boost complex energizes tired skin. Brightening formula helps skin glow. Light to medium coverage. Get up and glow." I actually can't find it at all on the Rimmel US website, so maybe this has been discontinued? I do see the recover concealer however.

I have this in the colour 103 "True Ivory" it looks a bit dark on my hand, but once applied to the face, it looks like a fair match. It comes in a small, squeezy tube. The packaging is very light and I like the pink lid on it. This applies and blends really easily. I apply this with my ELF flat top brush, it melts into the skin easily. The coverage of this is light-medium, it feels more like a tinted moisturizer consistency. I like this foundation because it gives just enough coverage and evens our your skin nicely, it does not feel like you are wearing anything with this. It can also be layered easily, if you need to build up coverage in some areas of your face. If you have a lot that you like to cover and need high coverage, and a matte finish, this is not for you.

This foundation is said to have Rimmel’s 'EnergyBoost’ complex which is supposed to energize tired skin, containing anti-oxidant vitamins C and E with a mineral fatigue-fighters, including magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc, to plump flagging, sagging skin and help promote cell renewal. Honestly, I did not see any plumping or re-energizing on my face going on. There are definitely visible multi-coloured shimmers in this (click on image above to enlarge to see!), this is not glitter and does not make your face shine like a disco ball however.

I find it odd that cosmetic companies think that women want shimmers in their foundation, if you are over the age of say 20, you most likely do not want your face shimmery, a glow is nice, but there is a huge difference between looking dewy and looking sparkly. I actually like the effect that this foundation gives, in low light, it makes your skin looks awesome. I would say the illuminating particles are similar to that of Revlon's Photoready foundation, but the shimmers are smaller, more a pearl effect and less obvious in the Rimmel foundation, and I prefer the Rimmel for sure. However, if I am fatigued, I want to cover up as much as possible, and not have noticeable shimmers or illuminating particles in my makeup, maybe that's just me. If my face is behaving and I want light coverage, I would reach for this.

If you like this foundation, and can still find it, I suggest to pick up a couple.. because I am pretty sure this is discontinued, unfortunately.