Don't Spend A Lot on Makeup: Try Rimmel Brand

I swore up and down that I'd never wear foundation. That's because I saw my mother and grandmother wearing it every day, and back then it looked very obvious. They used the liquid type and it was like putting on a layer of paint on your face. Plus you could see it rubbing off onto their shirt collars which is definitely something I didn't want happening.

I did try foundation a couple times when I was in my teenage years, but still felt that it looked too obvious. Partly due to the fact that I could never find a perfect match to my complexion (I'm a medium beige with a tinge of yellow), and the fact that it never really covered my blemishes well enough. I've been battling acne since I entered puberty and foundations, even when used with concealers, never hid my pimples and red areas, but instead, seemed to make them more obvious. So I gave up on foundations.

In the recent year however, I've become much more self-conscious with my age, as well as resigned to the fact that my acne will never go away . Therefore I decided to give foundation another go, especially since they've greatly improved over the years.

Of course, being on a tight budget, there was only so much that I was able (and willing) to spend on a foundation. I've seen countless commercials for name brand foundations which look excellent on TV. I was especially interested in the equivalents to the Bare Minerals brand as Bare Minerals claims to clear up skin as well as being a natural foundation. However, I was in no position to be spending $13-$20 or more on a single container of makeup! Since the Bare Minerals commercials showed a dry powder, I decided to opt for a dry foundation as well. I ended up choosing Rimmel brand Stay Matte pressed powder. It retails for about $5.50 for a 1/2 oz container.

I was quite impressed with the results of the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder. It is a lightweight powder that instantly covers up shine. It claims 5 hours of coverage and that's about right, so it does require reapplication throughout the day. If it is a hot day where you are going to be sweaty, more touch-ups may be necessary. It did conceal redness and small blemishes fairly well, but to me it still wasn't quite enough. The color was very near my complexion, but still seemed a little too light. The pressed powders only come in 3 different shades so I decided to go for a liquid foundation since there is a greater selection.

Since I liked the Rimmel brand pressed powder, I opted for the Rimmel brand liquid foundation as well. I chose the Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation. It retails for about $7.99 for a 1 oz tube. I was very pleased with my choice of color. It matched near perfectly. The foundation itself is wonderfully lightweight and covers redness and blemishes very well. It goes on easily and can be used sparingly (a little bit goes a long way). For extremely red areas, you can layer it on. Just lightly adding more to the area adds more coverage without adding buildup. The end result is very natural looking. I wouldn't call it completely flawless because you can still tell I have blemishes (bumps) if you look closely, but from a conversation distance, my skin looks clear. You can't even tell I'm wearing foundation unless you get really close up to my face. That's exactly what I was looking for!

The Rimmel Lasting Finish touts a transfer-resistant finish that lasts up to 16 hours. I have no qualm about this claim. Once dry, the foundation does not come off easily if you rub your hand or clothing on it. I've never had to reapply the foundation either.

Brushing on a quick covering of Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder on top of the Lasting Finish foundation removes all the shine and leaves a very natural looking face. I definitely recommend trying Rimmel brand.

Quick Summary:

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder Retail price $5.50
A lightweight powder that applies a matte finish for up to 5 hours. Drawbacks: package does not stay closed in a purse, does not include a brush or mirror.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation Retail price $7.99
A lightweight, easily applied liquid foundation that covers redness and blemishes without the need for a concealer. Leaves a natural looking, transfer-resistant finish. Drawbacks: Only 6 shades, doesn't "fill-in" large pores (some newer name brand foundations are claiming they can cover up large pores)