Rimmel

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara and Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder

May 13th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 10 Comments

Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara in Black — Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara in Black ($12)

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Price and ease of use: two of the main, biggest things I factor into my makeup buying decisions. If something is way too complicated or doesn’t apply well, I’m not going to use it. And if it’s overly pricey or not worth investing in, I’m not going to buy it, which is why I love both of the two products I’m showing you here.

I first encountered Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara a year (maybe two?) ago when it was the birthday gift at Sephora. It came in a mini version with a nude lipstick, the shade of which I can’t remember now, unfortunately. I’ve since finished the lipstick, and I’m almost done with that particular mascara, but I also have a second one that I keep in my purse.

This mascara has served me SO well. The mini one has been perfect for my purse (and, let’s be honest, I kind of love the mini versions of most things). It’s great daytime and nighttime looks.

The wand is also a perfect shape, in my opinion. Wider at one end, it tapers down to a really nice point that gives me lovely, fanned out lashes every time. It also deposits just the right amount of product.

And the color is another factor for me. It’s a gorgeous inky black. If you like brown mascaras, you’re out of luck, because this one only comes in black, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it released some other colors.

Bonus: It doesn't make my lashes push up against my glasses! — Bonus: It doesn’t make my lashes push up against my glasses!

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Dare to Go Bare With Rimmel “Essential Nude” Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate

March 18th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 19 Comments

Is there anything more Kate Moss than a smoky eye and a nude lip? Rimmel’s collaboration with the iconic Brit supermodel has given us countless iconic shades of lipstick, but none more iconic than the Essential Nude Lasting Finish Lipsticks released for Spring 2016 ($5.79 each, available exclusively at Walmart).

From the soft peach packaging marked with Kate’s signature — equal parts modern and evocative of classic vintage lipstick tubes — to the chic range of 10 nudes in varying hues and undertones, all lipstick lovers are bound to find a nude lip to love.

Like Kate’s celebrity status, nude lips can be intimidating. Some may elect to gleefully experiment with all of the shades, while others may want to more carefully follow a playbook. Alas, I belong to the latter group.

Nude lipstick can be a bit of a challenge for me personally — finding the “right” shade can be overwhelming, like picking a foundation! Like all skin-toned products, there are things to consider, from the shade, to the undertone, and a whole host of other aspects from opacity to texture that make a nude lip perfect for an individual’s beautifully unique complexion.

What I love about this collection is the fact that Rimmel seized the opportunity to make nude lips more approachable. At $5.79 each, the Essential Nude Lasting Finish Lipsticks aren’t cost prohibitive, meaning that you can pick up several shades and experiment with them, or mix, match and layer to create a customized hue.

Each lipstick is tagged with an associated undertone (more on that in the captions), making it simpler to target your “my lips but better” shade.

On the other hand, the array of diverse nudes allows you to achieve a particular effect — brightening the overall complexion, adding dimension or adding warmth — should you choose to use your lips as a way to change the overall appearance of your makeup.

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Have You Hit Pan Lately?

December 18th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

This happened this morning to my pan of Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze (which is a total unsung hero, by the way), and all I have to say is VICTORY!

It felt glorious, in case you were wondering. 🙂

Have you hit pan lately? Inquiring minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. The lip is MAC Just My Type Velvetease Lip Pencil, by the way.

P.P.S. STAR WARS!!!!!!!!! We’ve got tickets for tomorrow. 🙂

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze

June 26th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

I can’t vouch for the full-on waterproofness of Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze ($4.99), because I’m still waiting to find myself caught in a downpour with the original cast of Magic Mike, which to my mind is the ideal (and perfectly plausible) testing scenario.

But until said situation plays out — and it’s only a matter of time before it happens, obviously — I’ll just continue adoring this matte bronzer for other reasons, and there are SO, SO MANY OF THEM, starting with the wonderful price.

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Springy and Smokey! Smokey Brown and Purple Cat Eyes and a Bright Coral Lip With New Makeup From Benefit, Dior and Smashbox

March 3rd, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

The sun’s out, I’m not wearing socks (FOOT FREEDOM!), I am wearing coral lipstick, and the eye look I tried this morning did not result in a complete disaster…

Yeah, it’s been a terrific Tuesday so far. 🙂

Today I felt springy and, I dunno, kinda smokey, so this purply brown smokey eye with soft cat eye liner happened.

Note to self: do this liner more often! It’s fairly easy — just black eye pencil with a dark shimmery purple shadow blended on top with a pencil brush — and it takes about half the time as a super crisp black cat liner, otherwise known as “the time-suck of my makeup existence.”

As a side, am I the only person who regularly attempts black cat liner when there’s, like, absolutely no time to get ready, and then inevitably ends up with their two tiny kitten flicks morphing into huge, unsymmetrical bat wings that don’t match?

Yargh.

Siri, remind me to wear soft cat eyeliner like this the next time I need to be saved from myself.

Oh! — this look was also an excuse to try a few new products from Benefit, Dior and Smashbox.

Some quick notes…

Benefit’s new Roller Lash curling mascara — This stuff is black, and glossy, and it lifts and curls lashes, but you absolutely, positively must comb out your lashes while they’re wet; otherwise, they’ll stick together like mean girls in the cafeteria.
Dior’s Nude Air Serum Foundation — This lightweight, medium-coverage hybrid skin care serum/foundation looks amazing on the skin. My homegirl at Sephora hooked me up (‘sup Nini!) with a fatty-bo-batty sample in shade 040, and when I finish it…I’m probably gonna throw down 53 large ($53) for a full-size replacement.
Yeah, that good.
Smashbox Double Exposure Palette — Yep, these gorgeous, mostly cool-toned shades are a dream to blend.

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‘Cause One Can Never Wear Enough Neutrals: A Face of the Day With the Nude Dude Volume 2 Eye Palette By theBalm

February 27th, 2015 by Karen 38 Comments

I feel like every girl (and every boy who loves makeup; yes, I know you’re out there, and I love you!!!) has a default makeup look they turn to whenever they need to feel just straight-up pretty…and that’s definitely what I needed this morning because I woke up tired today, dude!

For real, I got like two seconds of sleep last night. The wind was crazy loud and howled all night long (“Awooooo!”), which fired up Tabs, who consequently spent the entire evening running circuits around the bedroom, knocking stuff off the dressers, climbing all over my boobs and generally doing naughty tabby things.

That darned cat! If he wasn’t so adorably squishy, I’d be raging mad at him right now. 🙂

Needless to say, I needed a pick-me-up this morning, so I figured, heck, why not do something makeup-wise that I really like to wear, so I ended up doing my favorite look to wear in the whole wide world — brown smokey eyes, pink cheeks, pink lips.

Yep, mah standby. 🙂

Key products worn in this look, including thebalm Nude Dude Volume 2 — Key products I’m wearing in this look

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Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude, a Drugstore Beauty Baller

May 27th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Drugstore baller!

For a minute there I thought I saw Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in 005 Nude walk by wearing a bunch of gold chains and carrying a pimp cup…

Because it’s that good.

Creamy like polenta, hella pigmented and softer than the center of a hot grilled cheese sammich…

Mmm… Cheesy.

Yes, if you can’t tell, I’m currently hungry.

It’s a rock star pencil liner! — and its favorite venues are lash and water lines. This neutral, matte peachy beige never skips or pulls at my skin, and it sticks around a good, long while once applied.

It’s in my regular rotation of products. I wear it a lot to highlight my brows, right up under the arches, where it gives ’em a little lift.

I really like the way the color works with my NC42 skin because it’s not too overloaded with pink pigment, so it doesn’t contrast with my natural skin tone too much.
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Crank Up Colors Along Your Lash Lines With This Easy Eye Makeup Trick

May 24th, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

How to get super bright lash lines — Super bright lash lines are just a swipe away

Something about a super bright swoosh of color along my lower lash lines just says “summer” to me.

Have you ever lined your lower (or upper, for that matter) lash lines with a bright eyeliner or shadow and have it not turn out as bright or eye-catching as you expected it to be?

Um…me too.

One trick I use to wind up the wattage along my lash lines is to line them with a creamy white eye shadow stick first.

It intensifies colors and brings out more of the brightness of whatever you layer on top, making greens look greener, blues look bluer and teals…well, more teal. And it does the same thing for other colors.

Rimmel’s Whitness White Scandal Eyes Eyeshadow Stick kicks arse with this trick, and it costs less than $5! It’s so pigmented that it’s almost opaque, and once it sets, it’s not going anywhere (has a waterproof and smudge-proof formula).

Plus, it doesn’t tug at my skin. It glides… (And have I mentioned that it’s less than $5?) 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen