Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation - 081 Fair Ivory

I'm a bit of a foundation snob. It's not so much that I don't like drugstore foundations, but my experiences with them have been average at best. I know that if I spend the big dollars on high end foundations, it'll be well worth it in the long run.

However, being a poor uni student, my bank account is looking rather sad so when I was in need of some new foundation, I had to pass by the counters at Farmers and head towards the stands of makeup instead. I'm a big fan of Rimmel products so I naturally gravitated towards them. Upon seeing their new matte foundation in a wide range of colours, I was sold.

I got the lightest colour (Fair Ivory) and it matches my NC10 skin perfectly. No streaks, no orange, perfect. The mousse texture makes it super easy to apply and blend out (I use my Real Techniques buffing brush) and also to make it more sheer or higher coverage. 

The amount on my hand above is how much I use to cover my whole face. You hardly need anything for a medium coverage look. I usually apply Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in translucent and it becomes a full coverage face makeup that lasts hours - I haven't noticed any smudging or fading and my makeup is on from 8AM everyday. Even through rain and sweat, it doesn't budge. 

You can see that it dries slightly powdery, but even without concealer, the red marks around my nose have pretty much disappeared yet you can still see my summer freckles - which I love! The wide range of colours make it suitable for all skin tones too, and cheap enough to buy one for winter and one for summer. This is definitely a foundation I will be stocking up on.

I do recommend this to people who want a matte foundation at a low price point (I picked this up for $18.50NZD full price) that lasts all day. Paired with the Stay Matte powder, it creates the perfect base for everyday makeup.

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Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 'Cool Bone'

When I buy foundations, I only buy double wear/long lasting branded ones. I will never settle for a 'dewy' look, sheer finish or whatever else they advertise because long wear is where it's at. Estee Lauder has totally created what I consider to be the best long wear foundation ever, and I've used quite a few. It comes in 26 shades (from memory) all the way from the lightest light, to the darkest dark; it comes in an adorable glass bottle; and whenever I buy Estee Lauder products, I always get freebies, so there's that too.

This foundation has been my go to this winter because throughout all the nose blowing, harsh winds and rain, this has kept me looking somewhat alive and like I actually have perfect skin. This stuff works. It has amazing coverage. For those of you blessed with nice skin, I would doubt that you'd need concealer underneath because this has such awesome coverage. It isn't thick and gluggy but it covers up tiny blemishes nicely.

The colour range is like nothing I've ever seen before! I actually had the option of the two lightest shades, not just one! I opted for the lightest shade - 1C1 Cool Bone. The second lightest shade was more warm but my face is one big circle of coolness so I went for this one. It matches my skin tone perfectly, no orangeness, just perfect coverage that matches my skin. If you tan, I would recommend having one for summer and one for winter (if you are that way inclined/are that rich) because the shades match that well. Otherwise, I'd just recommend this as a winter foundation due to it being so long lasting that a BB cream or sheer foundation would be nicer on the face in the warmer months.

My only gripe with this is the packaging. Yes, it comes in a gorgeous glass bottle but there's no pump. To get out the foundation, I usually flip it upside down then back again so some accumulates in the lid, then dip my foundation brush into it. When I bought it, I was never given to option to purchase a pump separately, so I assume you can't. You could screw a new lid on but I don't have the time to go searching for Estee Lauder foundation size screw pump lids, but let me know in the comments if you do!

Overall, this foundation is amazing. The coverage is on par, along with the colour range available. I totally recommend this for people who have pigmentation issues due to the coverage, or people who need a foundation that will last a 12 hour day (this will, if you set with powder). I bought this for $80NZD which is absolutely ridiculous but the high price is so worth it because of the sheer quality.

xo Bridget