Rimmel 'Match Perfection' Foundation

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

After falling in love with YSL Touché Éclat foundation well over a year ago now (especially during the Summer time!) I've always been on the look out for a drugstore alternative that is slightly more purse friendly. Having heard Rimmel's 'Match Perfection' had similarities I headed straight to the shelves. After purchasing this foundation I've come across so many mixed reviews that it made me wander if everyone was even talking about the same product!

'Match Perfection' is designed to adapt to your skin tone to make you look as though you're not wearing foundation, 'a match so perfect its undetectable in any light' say Rimmel. A foundation far lighter than I'd usually go for that I really struggled with to build. I found the consistency extremely runny, thin and watery which was very hard to work with. It offers low coverage but does leave a dewy, satin finish that I usually love. I wanted to love this but I just can't seem to make this work for me. I find it makes my skin look uneven and patchy because the consistency is so runny and sheer. 

Although this foundation hasn't worked for me I would recommend trying it if you to like sheer, dewy bases as there are so many mixed opinions and I know a lot of people who do love it! I think ill try bringing it out again when I'm a little more tanned in the Summer and after a more sheer coverage to see if my opinion changes! 

Whilst at the Rimmel counter I also picked up the Primer that'll ill be letting you all know about shortly! 

Best of 2013 | Make up

       

       

           

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

To kick off my 'Best of 2013' posts I wanted to start with my favourite category, make up! A little round  up of the products I have loved and used most this past year.

Foundation is my weak spot so you shouldn't be surprised that two have made it here. A high end pick that saw me through Spring and Summer being YSL's 'Touché Éclat' that helped me to achieve a dewy, Summer glow whilst offering medium coverage and smelt delicious! This'll be brought back out as soon as the Sun starts shining in 2014! The second, Rimmel's 'Stay Matte Mousse' although a newer purchase in my make up bag, still one that hasn't left it from October and will be brought with me into the new year. At just £5.99 a tube and readily available in most Boots and Superdrugs there's no worry of wasting it just to wear to work like with high end foundations. It's staying power rivals that of Estée Lauders 'Double Wear' and the colour match works for me spot on. 

I know a Naked Palette will appear in most yearly favourites but for me nothing came close. A neutral eye lovers must have palette that contains 12 super pigmented, blend-able, long lasting shades with a mix of shimmers and mattes. Compact enough to travel with to easily create subtle everyday looks to a deep, dark smokey eye. My most used shades this year have been 'Sin' for all over the lid and 'Smog' blended into the crease. I think the Naked 2 and 3 palettes are going to be New Year purchases! 

Chanel's 'Tan de Soilel' had to have a place here as my most luxurious product purchased. Having never tried a cream bronzer before this I didn't know what to expect but found myself reaching for it everyday in the warmer months. It's creamy texture allows it to glide evenly over the skin enhancing a signs of a tan and adding bronze radiance. I found wearing it alone on holiday whilst I had a tan worked great at evening out my skin tone without having to apply foundation. I still pull it out now for special occasions although I'm worried about using it up! The packaging as you would assume from Channel is truly stunning and I can see myself repurchasing again and again just to have in my collection. If you wanted to try something similar without splashing out on this the Bourjois 'Bronzing Primer' is a great drugstore dupe for a fraction of the price. 

Being a girl of routine I sometimes find it hard to stay away from products I know just work which is why this Mac blush in 'Pinch Me' is so well used. My fail safe blush that I must've worn at least 300 days this year couldn't not be featured. If I'm ever in doubt, in a rush or just want to look like me this will be on my cheeks. 'Pinch Me' is a sheertone, matte blush from Macs permanent range. This terracotta coloured blush doesn't look much in the pan but once applied really compliments any skin tone adding to your natural flush. Application is defiantly the key to achieving a natural look with this one as it is very pigmented so a light hand and blending may be needed. I can't believe I haven't picked up any more of the sheertone blushes, another to add to my list!  

The final product I have included had to be a lip product. I'm rarely seen without something on my lips whether it be a lipstick, gloss or even just a balm. I hate the feeling of dry lips so you'll find at least 5 different options in my bag at all times! Choosing a lip product was by far the hardest task throughout all the Best of posts. I had to go with my favourite that has been applied throughout the year and never been bored of, the Clarins 'Instant Lip Perfector' in 01. It's a gloss like texture which is in no way sticky yet stays on the lips and gives off a sheer sweep of colour. I'm a huge fan of the applicator these have, it's so soft on my lips I can just sit there reapplying and reapplying! Great for when you are on the go or in a hurry to make you look polished and put together. I'm so impressed with how long my mini version has lasted me, as soon as it runs out ill be picking up a full size.

And that's it for my Best of 2013 Make Up products, let me know if you've tried any of these products or if you have any recommendations I should try from products you have loved this year! 

The Repurchases

       

       

       

       

       

      

        

Occasionally I come across products that just work and those products will be repurchased over and over (and even sometimes over- I'm looking at you Collection 2000 concealor!) again. My safety products I know will work if all else fails. 

I'm slightly ashamed to even be showing you how many tubes of the Collection 2000 concealor I've accumulated over a short time (and I'm sure plenty have been thrown away as well!) but surely that just shows you how much I like it. It doesn't get much better than using a new tube when you've been scraping the edges for product. If I need a concealor with high coverage, that'll last all day and blends effortlessly ill grab this. The colour range is limited as with most drugstore concealors so I tend to mix and match between a couple depending on the time of year which works great. As you can see from the packaging the writing down the side comes off almost immediately but at £4.19 a tube I can see myself forever repurchasing just in case. 

If its a foundation that's budge proof, available in an array of colours with a high coverage you're after look no further than Estée Lauder Double Wear. If anyone asks for a recommendation my reply is always 'Have you tried double wear?!' Its best points for me are that I can apply it in the morning before work and it'll still be there by the time I get home 11 hours later which I can't say for many other foundations I've tried. I like to apply it with my Real Techniques 'buffing brush' to achieve a flawless base. A quick tip I've learnt is you've got to work with it fast or its staying where its been put! 

I only recently repurchased the Bourjois bronzer which I mentioned in my last post and its made its way firmly into my everyday routine. It's so quick and easy to use with a quick swirl of my Gosh Kabuki brush then a sweep over the face to give you that holiday glow in seconds. I also did a review of the Make Up Forever mascara in my 'Holiday Haulin' post from the summer. I've tried a few other mascaras since then but always find myself gravitating back to this to give my eyelashes that extra oomph. The extra black looks great for defining the lashes whilst lengthening and adding volume all in one, if only it was easier to get hold of in the UK.

What are your most repurchased products? 

Rimmel 'Stay Matte' liquid mousse foundation

       

     

      

      

      

     

Recently to arrive on the Rimmel counter and make its way into my make up bag is the new 'Stay Matte' liquid mousse foundation. I've recently started a new job with long hours and wanted an alternative to replace my Estée Lauder 'Double Wear.' A new job plus long hours means I need something long lasting with good coverage and had heard this might be exactly what I was looking for. 

The 'Stay Matte' foundation is marketed as a 'feather-light, liquid mousse that blends flawlessly for natural-looking, all day shine control. A silky smooth formula that leaves a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish. A lightweight texture that won't feel heavy or greasy.' I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight the texture was for such a medium to full coverage foundation and how even the finish was.  I was worried it would cling to dry patches as I have dry/normal skin but so long as I moisturiser first I've had no problems. Being a matte foundation and having dry skin I haven't found the need to powder on top but if you have oily skin there'd be no harm in arming your self against the shine although you probably won't need to! I hate having to touch up my make up in the day so the fact it lasts all day at work for me is a big plus but the real winning component here for me is its blendability. It contains gel emulsifiers which help to really blend it into the skin leaving you a silky smooth, flawless base to work from.

For a drugstore foundation I think the colour range is much better than many too. It offers 6 shades starting at 'Porcelain' being the lightest. I have shade 103 'true ivory' which seems to match me well at the moment, I have more yellow undertones to my skin but I did see a more pink undertones shade so hopefully there would be one to suit you. There's something about the packaging I like, maybe its the change from foundations in glass bottles? I know the tube looks less expensive but with the matte finish something just works for me. It's super light and doesn't take up much room so will be great for travelling too! 

I never got around to trying the Rimmel 'Wake me up' foundation when everyone jumped on that bandwagon but after having such a good experience with this I think I might have to try it, I do like me some dew sometimes! 

Have you tried the 'Stay Matte' liquid foundation?