Rimmel London (review)

Oh, it is Monday and I am very, very tired. But not too tired to attend to my beauty junkie duties and let you all know about some products I tried out. That’s right, I am going to show off my staying power (get ready for a lame segue way) by talking about 3 products with…wait for it…staying power!

My 3 items are new from Rimmel London. (FYI: This post is heavy on the blurbs because I used up all my brain cells coming up with that first paragraph.)

First item up for inspection: Rimmel London Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation

Blurb: Don’t let the summer heat melt away your makeup. Try Rimmel London NEW Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation. It's a fluid, shine-free formula that provides up to 12 hours of flawless and fresh skin! Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation is formulated with SKINPURE Complex, which combines a gentle dose of salicylic acid to clear up imperfections and botanical extracts to nourish, for visibly purified skin! This light-weight formula blends with ease hiding blemishes and imperfections without clogging pores which is vital in the summer heat.

I was very pleased with this foundation. The formula goes on evenly and has a really smooth finish (I got the best results by buffing with a kabuki brush). It felt good and stayed put through a very long day. The finish is definitely matte, but it doesn’t look dull. And I really love that this foundation contains salicylic acid (what with my complexion issues and all).

Next up: Rimmel London Sexy Curves Mascara
Blurb: Sexy Curves is the pin-up girl of mascaras that delivers up to 70% curlier lashes full of sexy, voluptuous volume! Its exclusive Lash Inflation Formula is collagen-enriched containing the protein, vitamins and conditioner that strengthen and amplify boring lashes. When paired with Rimmel’s breakthrough Triple Plump Brush applicator Sexy Curves Mascara delivers the curliest, thickest and sexiest lashes ever.

Ooh la la! That is some sexy blurb! I already have curly lashes, but I did notice some extra curl going on. Extra volume too. And very, very black (I used "extreme black"). But what I really loved was the brush. Possibly the most user-friendly applicator I’ve ever come across. The curvy brush gets rid of all the excess as it comes out of the bottle, and the curves make it easy to get every single lash.

And finally: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss

Blurb: long-wear color gloss-- in over drive. An ultra-soft applicator glides on glossy color, while a one-stroke brush on the other end magnifies the color with a tinted crystal shine gloss. Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay is completely kiss-proof and food-proof giving lips magnetically kissable color for up to 10 hours! Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay is available in 12 vibrant shades, including ‘All Night Flirt’ which is perfect for summer lips!

I’m tired and I want to say, “just go buy this,” but that would be seriously lazy. But really, you should just go buy this – because it's an excellent duo. The deeper color goes on very smoothly, and the shine gloss has a smooth, glassy sheen with a little sparkle. It sets extremely well and my lips feel moist. I wanted to test its staying power properly; but there was no one around to kiss at the time(!), so…I opted for the highly effective “carrot cake” test. (I really should have opted for the “green salad” test, but I was weak.) Anyway, it stayed put! I've been wearing this for the last few days and it has fabulous staying power (even in non-cake situations). The shine gloss even lasts when worn alone. This is a really good find! I tried the "Crystal Rose" gloss which is a pretty, fresh pink. I may check out a few more colors this summer.

Rimmel products are available at CVS, Target, Ulta, Walgreens, KMart, and drugstore.com.