**REVIEW** Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

I found this at Walmart the other day.

It's Rimmel's Stay Matte Flawless Finish Mattifying Foundation (in shade 605 Deep Chocolate).

I am hotter than a jalapeno that I even went through all the bother with Juvia's Place! This Rimmel foundation is perfect. Perfect shade, perfect finish, perfect price. Most of all, it's the perfect price. Let's talk about that.

Remember the Lancome Ultra foundation I loved so much? That was close to $50. Nars Sheer Glow? Around the same as the Lancome. This Rimmel? $4.97 at Walmart. 

Normally, with drugstore foundations - even if they are good - there is a little something that gives away the difference between them and the higher end brands. Either they feel different or wear different or they are just slightly off in some way from the pricier stuff. Not so with this Rimmel.

When I first tested this shade on the back of my hand (I should have tested it in the store and I would have gotten more than one tube!), I knew the shade was a dead-on match to my face color. 

I thought that even though the shade was great - actually so close you can't see it in that swatch photo - that the makeup itself might not look or wear as well as I want. 

Wrong again.

This makeup wears almost EXACTLY like the Lancome and lasts all day without needing to be touched up. The shade is very similar to the 555 Suede C I wore. It's extremely mattifying - just like the Lancome. I have to moisturize my face well before using it - just like with the Lanco- well, you know what I mean. I think the only difference I could point out is that the Lancome was more of a liquid and this Rimmel is has a creamy consistency. It's labeled as a "mousse" type foundation.

It took very little of this to cover my entire face - I think it was about 3 dabs of the amount shown in the above photo (if even that much). Most extremely matte products I've used haven't gone on as smooth. Once I had this on it was almost immediately "set". (By the way, when I first tried applying it without additional moisturizer and just using the Hard Candy primer, it did set instantly.)

For such a mattifying foundation, this is not drying. Yes, it sets very drily on the skin but it didn't cause any tightening or stiffening sensation. Still, as with any makeup, I will apply a good moisturizer in my dry zones before using it just as a precaution. 

Want to know what I love the most, most, most? There is no transfer. None. One thing every woman hates about makeup - especially those in any deep or very colorful shades - is having it transfer to clothing and paperwork. So embarrassing and inconvenient. This one is matte enough that I can palm my face and not have it transfer. Now, I am not going to be rubbing my face on collars or papers, but I like not having to worry about hugging someone or handling paperwork and leaving behind a tell-tell mess.

Where has this stuff been all my life? 

By the way, I have used Rimmel eyeliners before and I might have picked up a gloss or mascara from a makeup bin but I think that is the extent of my experience with the brand. At least, I have never purchased anything major because I don't remember it. Now, I am telling everyone about this foundation and I will look for other Rimmel products. Shoot, I'm going to write them a fan letter! Hahaha.

 I was so upset about the experience(s) with Juvia's Place and I had resigned myself to just making do with the foundations I have on hand. Mary Kay is out of my budget - even if I could get a rep to come around at this point... Now that I have this Rimmel, I feel better. This is a shade I really like. It lacks the red undertone of the Nars, but I don't care. I can wear some blush underneath or just go without - especially now that it is summertime.

I'm not sure if this is something that someone can be happy with if they have very dry skin. As I said, I wear a deep moisturizer underneath in my dry skin areas so it balances out. My t-zone - which can develop a shine quickly in warm weather - is completely matte with this foundation.

Listen, this is such a great product and the price is just too good. People ought to know about it while we're all rushing around trying to afford some of these other brands.

Peace

--Free

**MAKEUP** Rimmel Eyeliner & Bitzy Lip Colors

Don't think that I consider myself a diva or anything, but I wanted to share a little style tip. If you are of a medium, deep, or dark skin color, you probably use dark brown or black for your eyeliner. That's what I've always done. I always thought that going dark to match my eyelashes and brows was the way to go. And dark liner does look nice, but it doesn't pop as much against darker complexions unless it's worn heavy or dramatic. The same goes for lipsticks and glosses: get out of the nighttime colors and go for something with a bit of brightness and pop.

Lately, I've been mixing some of my cream liners - the lighter ones or sparkly ones with my blacks and browns - or I was using cream eyeshadow pencils. Then I found this eyeshadow shade by Scandal Eyes:

It's shade number 004 and is called Guilty Grey, and I love it. I found it at Walmart for around $4.

I had trouble fully capturing the visual effect with my laptop camera but, try to trust me and know that it's a nice (yet subtle) change-up from a basic eyeliner shade.

The main thing that I like about this shade is that it works to draw attention to my eyes the same way a dark liner does for someone with a paler complexion. I wish I had thought to do this long ago. When I was younger, I would occasionally wear eyeliner and I remember going through a phase of wearing blues and greens.

By the way, I think that a grayish or shimmer shade might look good with any skin color - just as black does with all shades. Going lighter is just a new thing for me. (I will warn you that, because this is an eyeshadow, you won't want to use it to line the inner part of your eye. I did that the first time and got some in my eye while wearing my contacts. Oh, mama! Danger, Will Robinson, danger!)

The other thing that I really like about wearing a grey/gray shade is that I get just a such a different look without having to overdo my makeup. When I first wore this shade in public, one lady actually commented on it. Of course, this is Alaska and strangers chat with each other all the time but, still. She just mentioned that she liked the way I had highlighted my eyes. As if I had done more than change my liner shade. (I've also stopped going so dark & red with lip colors and have been giving lighter shade and shimmers a try.)

This is one of the lighter lip colors I've been wearing:

I have to admit that I'm going to be looking for my next light eyeliner in the Bitzy brand. These little things are so cheap that I can try lots of different colors and shades for less than what some brands charge for a single full-size item.

These are two of the Bitzy "Lip Stacks", which are like tiny samplers of lip glosses. (Note that the other photo I just showed up above is what's considered a "full-size" gloss!)

If you've never tried the Stacks before, each of the 3 colors has their own sponge applicator.

The only downside to the Bitzy Lip Stack is that, once you find a color you just adore, you might not be able to find the shade in a full sized tube. That's what happened to me when I fell in love with the very bottom shade in the Irresistible stack. There's no identification of each shade. Even the clerk couldn't find it in the full size. That's how I ended up with the Beautiful shade. I like that one a lot, but I'd still like to find the other one. I think it must be either Candy or Nude.

The Lip Stacks are perfect not for just sampling shades, but also for having a variety to change up your look throughout the day. I keep both of mine in my purse and love being able to play mix-and-match.

Those Lip Stacks, by the way, are quite small. I have small hands and can hide one in my fist. Here are the Stacks along side the "full size" gloss.

Don't go looking for a Bitzy website. Until I was writing this post, I didn't realize that Bitzy is a Sally Beauty Supply brand. That's where I've always bought my Bitzys, but I never thought about where they came from until I was trying to find a link for Arcadia Beauty Labs - which is the imprint on the Bitzy product labels. Check out all the various Bitzy items available on the SBS website! Hot diggity. I might never buy another full sized product again! I'm going to have to talk to the manager at my local SBS to see if she can get more of these items into the store. (By the way, I think I caught a sale when I bought my gloss and stacks because all I paid was a dollar for each item.

All "grayed out" & Bitzy'd up!
(It looks good in person. Really.)

I never wore much makeup when I was younger. About ten years ago, I started experimenting with the basics, so I'm not a woman who goes all out with her makeup. At the most, I like a little lip gloss, maybe some watered down foundation or light powder, and mascara-or-eyeliner. I apply everything with a light hand. I'm older now and I think of makeup as either my "war paint" (to hide my insecurities) or as window-dressing (to accentuate a feature).

If you're wanting to try something a little different with your makeup, give a different eyeliner (or mascara) a shot. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has other tips for jazzing it up with makeup.

Peace
--Free