I Just Tried All of Rimmel London's Products —These Are The Ones I'd Recommend

There's been countless times in my life where Rimmel has had my back. It's like that ride-or-die best friend that you can count on in any situation. There's the time when I found myself at Heathrow airport, staring into my clear plastic bag and realising that my lip gloss, mascara and eyeliner didn't make the cut. Who came to my rescue? Rimmel, of course. Then there's the Rimmel lip gloss that's been a staple in my collection for most of my life. It had a rebrand and I remember sobbing between the shampoos and sandwiches in Boots because I couldn't find my shade. 

But after I got seduced by the brands residing outside of the high street, Rimmel and I had a brief hiatus in our friendship. You know how it is. Well, that was until I picked up some new lipsticks recently and spotted all kinds of glorious new additions from the brand. So I thought it was about time that we re-commit to each other and what better way for me to do that, than to try on all of Rimmel London's products? 

I decided to put all of the products to the test, including the ones that I've never tried before, such as foundations and concealers. I was really curious to see how the brand had evolved over the years and if these all-for-under-a-tenner products would make the cut. Here are my findings...

Rimmel Lasting Matte Foundation in Soft Chocolate

Let's not beat around the bush here, I'm a foundation snob and I'm not afraid to admit it. I honestly can't remember the last time I picked up a foundation for under £10. Believe me I've tried, but the shades (or lack thereof) have been suspect and I just couldn't find the coverage to best suit my needs.

So, this foundation took me by surprise, so much so that I sent pictures to my group chat to co-sign that it did indeed look as spectacular as I thought. This matte foundation is the truth. It's the first time I've ever worn a foundation without needing to use a setting powder. It stayed in place all day, with its true to life shade and mousse-like formula. I'm obsessed and about to buy at least 5 more.

Rimmel Lasting Matte Concealer in Mocha

Go ahead, zoom in on this picture. This is 7 hours after I applied this concealer to my under eyes and there's not a pesky crease, smudge or any fading in sight. I didn't touch up with any powder throughout the day either. The formula is super easy to apply with the wand applicator and works well when blended in with a sponge. But, it's the longevity that's got me hooked as it kept my under eyes looking bright throughout a day of errands. Consider me hooked. 

Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Lip Gloss in Snog

I've been rocking Rimmel's lip glosses for years and they're consistently spot on. When you find a good gloss, it's wise to stick with it. I'm not really into glitter glosses but this one gives the absolute best shine, with enough colour payoff. I wore this all day and topped up a few times and it kept my lips really soft and hydrated, which a lot of lip glosses fail to do. 

Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in In The Buff

Blush is one step in my makeup routine that I've never made time for. It's never felt like a necessity and I'd rather spend my time highlighting my cheekbones into the most chiselled specimens around. So, once I tried this palette I just shook my head in the mirror, because it's like my complexion had been screaming out for this much needed dose of colour. The perfect deep berry shade for my skin tone, with just the right amount of highlight in there to keep me happy. Now, I need to try to make space in my makeup bag as this blush is here to stay. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Extreme Lipstick in Salty 

How do I know it's autumn? By the crisp chill in the air, the spiced lattes taking over coffee shop menus, the falling burnt orange leaves? Actually, it's the number of plum and berry lipsticks that are re-introduced into my daily lip looks. Tis the season my friends and this creamy, bleed-free formula is just the right vehicle to pull off such an intense shade. Use the narrow end of the tear drop applicator to get the most precise finish, especially for the darker colours.

Rimmel London Ultimate Kohl Kajal Liner

Kajal was the very first makeup product I bought, so whenever I use it I get overwhelmed with nostalgia. Of course, I conveniently forget that my first foray into kohl was via a market stall and I subsequently got an eye infection. Alas, we live and we learn. This one has the most wonderful smooth formula and I was very impressed by how precise the line was. I tried both a smudgy, "morning after" look and also tried a more precise flick and it worked a treat with both. If you're not too confident with liquid eyeliner, this is the way to go. 

Rimmel Brow Pro Micro Ultra-Fine Precision Pencil in Dark Brown

Eyebrows really give me the fear, as I have sparse brows and filling them in feels like such a chore. I learned that pencils are my best bet and oh boy, is this a good one. The pencil is as fine as a needle so you can fill in and recreate every single individual hair. The formula isn't stiff or waxy, as is often the case, so it gets the job done quite quickly. The bonus of the brush on the other side was a great final step to add even more of a natural finish.

Rimmel Wonder'luxe Mascara

Ok, so a quick caveat. I have tiny baby eyelashes, so this picture was never going to look like a mascara ad. But, trust me this mascara is the best I've used in a long time. First of all, I could actually see my lashes once I used it, I got some volume and length on both my upper and lower lashes and the brush was the perfect shape to fully coat and separate the lashes. While I'm not going to put my false lashes to one side, I'll be keeping this mascara to hand for the days when I'm going more low-key #tinylashesmatter. 

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner

I'm somewhat of an eyeliner expert, I know it's weird to call myself an expert, but I've put the work in to perfect my flick, so I'm going with it. Quite frankly, this is not the kind of applicator that I enjoy, I prefer a pen for its precision, but I went in with an open mind. There's a reason why this eyeliner is a fan favourite and whispered about in online forums. It's seriously good. Granted, I don't think it's for beginners as the nib is very fine and takes some practice to get a seamless line, but it's well worth it as the inky pigment is insane. 

Rimmel Jelly Blush in Melon Madness

During the course of this review, I've gone from not wearing blusher to now needing two different kinds of blush in my makeup bag. This bouncy formula is just the thing for those days when I want a natural flush as it's so easy to pat into the skin. I wore it over the Rimmel Lasting Matte Foundation and this picture was taken after around 8 hours. As you can see, they blended so well together.

It can be tricky to blend a cream blush with a matte foundation, but this one does it effortlessly. Plus, the texture reminds me of those fun pots of jelly slime that were always hanging around the school playground. Which is always a good memory. 

Rimmel Magnif'eyes Nude Edition Palette

I've never strayed from nude eyeshadow palettes, because these are the shades that I surround myself with in life. From my clothes to shoes and actually even food, hello truffles and crème brûlée, I'm all about the nude tones.

These shadows were really easy to blend in but as you can see, they lacked some definition. The colours needed a hint more pigment to do more complex looks with. However, they're definitely a great buy compared to the price of others on the market. So I'd recommend easing the blending and working with 1-2 shades at a time to get a bolder look. I find myself using this a lot when I want a simple everyday vibe. 

Rimmel Radiance Brick Bronzer in Shade 2

I pretty much brushed this over my entire face and I have zero regrets. There's a very fine line between shimmer and full on glitter ball and this bronzer has the perfect amount. As there's multiple tones in the powder, it worked really well with my complexion. One shade darker would have been slightly more flattering but it managed to brighten and add some light to my face, which was most welcome. 

Rimmel Stay Satin Liquid Lipstick in Redical

I have every red out there in my entourage of lipsticks, but I hadn't tried this formulation before. Yet, in the space of 5 minutes, this little tube managed to make its way into my top 3 lipsticks of all time.

Let's talk colour first, this blue-red is so sublime for darker skin tones. It's got a deepness to it that's incredibly flattering. The gift just keeps on giving with the balm-like texture as it's easy to apply neatly and keeps lips feeling comfortable and nowhere near that awful cracking that matte lipsticks often do. If you see me in the next 365 days, I'll probably be wearing this. 

I can't even express how much fun and how eye-opening of an experience this was. There's a constant stream of newness in beauty which makes it difficult to be brand loyal. For so many years, Rimmel was my back-up or reliable beauty option but after this it has made the leap into a destination brand for me. There's so much good stuff and the price does not equate to the quality at all.

I've tried £90 foundations, yet I've been wearing the Lasting Matte Foundation which comes in at £6 every day since. Sure, the shade ranges aren't where I'd like them to be and I was lucky to find good matches but it's definitely worth your time to try them out. If not the stellar range of lipsticks, blush and brow products will keep you busy. 

I'm now furiously sending all of my friends a list of all of these Rimmel products that they need to grab ASAP. I encourage you to do the same! 

Next up, 16 affordable beauty products that are just as good as expensive ones.