Rimmel

cost cutting, cutie, drugstore cosmetics

 Brand:  Rimmel London

Product:  Lasting Finish Lipstick

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m concerned, the only remedies for the winter blues are a foxy new haircut and a fab new lipstick. I’m Supercutting the hair these days (recession, cutting back, yadda yadda), and not feeling very foxy. I’m dying to return to a full service salon. On the upside, my lips have been looking pretty fab these days thanks to Rimmel London’s Lasting Finish Lipsticks.

These babies can be found at most drugstore chains for about $4.99. In fact, if you do a little research, you can probably find them BOGO somewhere. I hit a BOGO at CVS and picked up two tubes. The first, Airy Fairy is a muted, almost nude shade. As I’ve posted before, I absolutely cannot do a nude lip without looking like a corpse bride. The genius of Airy Fairy is that it has a hint of lilac in it which provides just enough color for me to be able to pull off that oh-so-elusive nude look. The other tube I bought is called Drop of Sherry, and it is simply gorgeous. This is not an everyday lipstick (at least not for me). It is a slightly pearlized, not quite red shade. The bit of pink it contains makes it perfect for people like me who dream of doing a red lip, but can’t quite pull the trigger.

On the downside, the lipstick is not as long lasting as the name might lead one to believe. It is also strangely scented, but thankfully, the fragrance seems to fade quickly after application. I do think the formula is quite good, though. Most “long-lasting” lipsticks dry my lips out. Rimmel, though not super moisturizing, certainly does not dry out my kisser. The slip reminds me very much of MAC lipsticks. There are 30 shades to choose from, and it seems like the people of Rimmel were very much influenced by MAC’s color selection. At least I spotted quite a few doppelgangers.

As far as cheap thrills go, Rimmel lasting Finish Lipsticks are about as cheap and as thrilling as they come.

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma

cost cutting, cutie, drugstore cosmetics

Brand: Rimmel
Product: Glam‘ Eyes Mascara

I cruise through mascara. Seriously, if you knew how much I went through you might think I was the long lost daughter of Tammy Faye Baker. Somehow though, I manage to both use a ton of the stuff and make it look like I don’t. I’ve heard mascara called “the little black dress of makeup”, and I concur. To me, its as essential as a little black dress, a great fitting bra, and a pair of “my ass looks great” in these jeans. I might run out of the house without combing my hair or brushing my teeth from time to time, but I’ll never leave the house without a liberal coat of black mascara.
Mascara is also the one cosmetic item that I can’t fathom paying department store prices for. I’ve tried (never purchased) many high end mascaras, and I’ve never once found one that was worth its price. There are so many fantastic drugstore formulas on the market these days. To me, L’Oreal Voluminous and Cover Girl Lash Blast are the gold standard.
As much as I love Lash Blast in particular, when it came time to replenish my mascara I decided to buy Rimmel’s new Glam‘ Eyes mascara in Extreme Black. At about $5.50 at Target, Glam’ Eyes is about a dollar less expensive than Lash Blast, and I’m pinching pennies these days in order to purchase an IPOD for my beloved hubby’s Valentine’s gift.
The only two things that I like better about Glam’ Eyes are the price and the packaging. Aesthetically, I appreciate the sleek pink and black Glam’ Eyes tube. Unfortunately, packaging alone has never made me a loyal customer, and I won’t mind paying the extra dollar for Lash Blast in the future because it is clearly a superior product.
Glam’ Eyes claims to be an, “ultra volume, high definition” mascara. While I would agree that it does a decent job of defining lashes, it simply does not deliver much volume. My lashes were darker after application, but not at all thicker. The problem, I believe, is the brush. It is extremely skinny and flimsy, so much so that it bent the very first time I put it in the tube. Application is difficult because the wand is way too flexible. Intensity is thus difficult to build. After application I must comb out the clumps and use a Q-Tip to remove smudges from my lids. I scoffed at Lash Blast’s thick wand, but now I think the good people of Cover Girl were on to something. The thick Lash Blast wand is more than a gimmick. It gently grips lashes, depositing color while preventing clumps. I rarely need to use a lash comb after application. The sturdy wand design ensures flawless application. Glam’ Eyes is not the worst mascara on the market, but when the best mascara can be had for only one dollar more, I say cough up that buck and buy Lash Blast Ladies.

Cut Cost Cuties!
Gemma