Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder | Review

I always have this blog in the back of my mind, but you know how it goes, life happens and gets in the way and then it seems like the things you liked to do are just a distant memory...

I've been trying out a few new things lately, as usual, I'm always on the hunt for my holy grail products but also sometimes you just need to economize, you know? Namely, just like most people, I constantly look for alternatives for the products I use everyday.

As it is, I use MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (I'm shade Light Plus if you're curious) as my setting powder everyday and it looks basically flawless on top of whichever foundation I happen to be using that day. But having oily skin in the summertime makes it painfully obvious that my MSF is missing a key ingredient - oil control. And it's expensive!

I've heard a lot about Rimmel's Stay Matte powder swirling around the blogosphere and it's got some pretty amazing reviews. So here's another one!

I have a love/hate relationship with this. I love the fact that is does what it says it will do, it keeps your face matte throughout the day. As with any product that claims to be "matte" eventually some shine will get through but that's just our cross to bare, isn't it? Otherwise, it blends nicely, the shade range is just OK (they didn't have the lightest shade available, so I got the next one up and it's still fine) and the smell isn't offensive.

Now for the cons. I swear I have never had a product with worse packaging! On the outside it looks cute and fresh and that damn "screw on" lid is effing useless. I have to keep this on top of my dresser rather than mixing it in with my other makeup because the lid just falls off and I'm afraid it'll shatter.

My other complaint, which I've read in a bunch of other reviews so I was expecting it, is that it can get a little cakey looking. I've found this to be true if you use a heavy hand with it and sometimes during those +40C days it's hard not to practically paint it on! BUT, I think if you press it into the skin with a minimal amount on your brush you'll get an even coverage minus the cake.

Overall I'd probably rate it a 7.5/8 out of 10. It's a good powder and if you use a light hand it'll definitely come in handy during those sweltering days!

Christmas Wishlist 2012 : Beauty Edition

I'm feeling quite UN-glamorous today. Why is it that when someone else in your house is sick and you're not you still subconsciously react as if you're sick too? Is that just me? My husband has been laying around all day due to a cold and I'm been shuffling around as if I am too. What the hell is happening  Some doctor's need to look into this or something.

Anyways, I thought instead of sitting around wallowing in my pseudo-sickness I should instead write my Christmas list. These are all actual things I'm asking for, some I've tried before and some I haven't. If I'm good I may even receive a few of them!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: Since I update this blog so infrequently it would appear to the average reader that I just bought this product not long ago. But through the magic of the Internet (or my being lazy) I've used up that bottle of ANR a loooong time ago and my skin has been dreaming of it's return. This is truly a great product and as much as I do think it's worth the price tag (somewhere in the ballpark of $75 CND) it's hard for me to justify on a regular basis. But buying overpriced things is what Christmas is FOR, right? Right??

M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural: I probably go through one of these once or twice a year and I always go back to them. Considering I use it over my foundation everyday (sometimes even twice a day) I think the MSF has a wickedly long life span and I've yet to find something even close to similar. The finish is..obviously as per the name, really natural looking but forgoes that "dewy" or as I like to call it "shiny as a mofo" finish. Thank god.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: My birthday was in September and I was really spoiled and got the Clarisonic Mia 2. It was something I had wanted for a dog's age and my husband remembered after my having mentioned it once, like a year ago and bought it for me as a surprise. Since then the Clarisonic and I have been BFFs. I'll probably do a separate review of it and the cleanser I've currently been using with it another time. Anyways, anytime I look up good cleansers to use with it, the Purity Made Simple keeps coming up. Philosophy as a brand is kind of foreign to me in general (I think I have one of their lip glosses) but by the sounds of things I think their cleanser would work really well for me.

I think that's about it for my Christmas list. I may also add a M.A.C #217 and #239 brush on there too, but we'll see how it goes. Is it sad that I'm basically only asking for beauty products? I didn't think so either.