Rimmel Stay Matte Primer Review

I've been asked many times for a review on the newer Rimmel Stay Matte primer when I did my updated makeup collection on Instagram. So, let's get to it!

This is the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. This is 1 fl oz and retails for about $6 at drugstores. The package says you can use alone, under makeup or over makeup. I've only ever used it as a primer, under my makeup. 

Skin-perfecting primer can be worn alone, under makeup or on top to create a perfect matte complexion. Controls shine for up to 8 hours. Ultra lightweight formula minimizes the appearance of pores. 

This does control shine on me for about 6-8 hours, but I also do not have a horrible issue with getting very oily throughout the day. I can see it being a little less effective on people who get more oily, much quicker. With that said, it does still control oil very well, especially for the price. 

It is like a lotion and blends very well into the skin, to give a matte finish to the skin instantly. It doesn't make your face feel greasy like other primers do. Also, it does not make your foundation and any other makeup slip around. It keeps your makeup in place where you put it, and keeps it there until you take it off. This is a great little item to have if you are oily, or have a tendency to have oily skin in the warmer weather. You can apply this all over your face, or just in the areas you get oily. Like me, I just tend to get oily around my nose and my forehead.

If you pick this up, be sure to let me know, and let me know what you think about it!

Battle of the (drugstore) BB creams!

Nowadays, there are so many BB creams to chose from. You see them in Sephora, Ulta, Target, CVS..they even have BB creams for your BODY now. How are you suppose to know which one to grab? Is this one good, or is that one even better? Well, I have bought and tried out 5 popular drugstore BB creams, tested them on my skin and I want to let you know how they held up, or didn't hold up.

To start off, I currently have dry/combo skin. My skin doesn't get very oily at this time of year, so if you have oily skin, these BB creams might work differently for you. I will try and include my thoughts on how I think they would work for oily skin. 

Let's start off with the NYC BB Creme. This is 1 fluid oz and retails for about $5. This is the cheapest out of the BB creams that I have picked up. I have it in the shade 01 Light, and it comes in 2 other shades in this collection. This is a decent match for me, it's on the darker side, but nothing that I can't work with. 

This BB cream is very lightweight on the skin, like most BB creams are. The coverage is VERY sheer, almost like I'm just applying a lotion with a very very small amount of pigmentation. It didn't cover much of anything. It is a dewy finish, and makes your skin look pretty luminous, so I do not think this would be a good pick for anyone with oily skin. With the lack of pigmentation and coverage, I also wouldn't recommend it for anyone who has redness or dark spots, since it won't even begin to soften the discoloration. I still had to cake on concealer to even feel like I had any coverage. It also did not last very long on my face, maybe 3 hours worth of wear. With all of these cons, and no pros, I would not recommend this BB cream for anyone that needs any amount of coverage. Honestly, save your money and just mix a little of your favorite foundation with your moisterizer and you would get a better result.  

This is the Rimmel BB cream. This is 1 fluid oz and retails for about $6-$7. I have the shade light and this also comes in 2 other shades. This has SPF 25 which is always a good thing if you're going to be spending any amount of time outside/in the sun. 

Again, this is a very lightweight formula and feels very nice on your skin. It has light coverage, but it does even out my redness. The finish on this is a natural/dewy finish. It is not very long wearing, on my face it lasted about 4 hours before it started to wear off. The coverage is decent for a bb cream, not my favorite but it covers enough that even on my simple makeup days, I don't have to layer on concealers. It's worth checking out if you have minimal redness/breakouts, or if you don't mind having to use more concealer then usual. 

This is the Rimmel BB cream MATTE. This is 1fl oz and retails for $6-$7. I have the shade Light and there are 2 other shade in this line. This line is slowly popping up in Targets, but I have only seen them in Kmarts. This has SPF 15. 

This is very similar to the regular BB cream by Rimmel, but this formula is matte and controls shine/oil and is longer lasting. If you have oily skin, or oily prone, this would be the perfect formula for you instead of the regular formula. This is also longer lasting, but I believe that is attributed to it being a matte formula. This will be a good go to, for me, come the warm months when my skin gets oily. 

This is the NYX BB cream. It is 1 fl oz and retails for $13, but you can usually find it on sale at Ulta. I have the shade Nude 01 and there are 3 total shades in this line.

This color is the perfect shade for me. It does a great job at covering everything, it is light coverage but something about it makes it cover most flaws very easily. I do still need concealer, as expected, but this does a great job that sometimes I can get by without concealer. This has a natural finish, not matte or dewy, which makes it great for all skin types. This is longer wearing then most BB creams, I can usually get about 6 hours or so of wear out of it. 

Last up, is the Garnier BB cream. This is the original formula, they also have an anti aging formula and a formula for oily/combo skin. This BB cream has 2.5 fl oz and retails for about $12-$14, which makes this the best deal out of all the BB creams I've featured. I have the shade Fair/Light, and this also comes in 2 other shade ranges (light/medium and medium/deep). This shade is a little too dark for me, but I can usually sheer it out and blend down my neck and it blends fine. 

The coverage on this BB cream is the best of the drugstore BB creams. It is light to medium coverage. It has SPF 15 which means it's perfect to have for a beach day! The finish of this BB cream is quite dewy, but as I said previsiously, it also comes in a formula for oily/combo skin types. I can usually get a good 6 hours wearing time out of this BB cream, sometimes up towards 8 hours. 

So there you have it! My run down on the drugstore BB creams that I've found and tried. My favorite is the Garnier BB cream, with NYX in close second. I would pass on the NYC one, and spend the extra $2 for one of the Rimmel ones if you are on that tight of a budget. 

Have you tried any of these? Tried any other drugstore BB creams? What is your favorite BB cream? I'd love to hear from you and hear your thoughts!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette Review

The beautiful, sought after, yummy Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. What's not to love? The smell. The colors. The packaging. Let's just jump right in to the review, shall we? 

This is the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette that released a few months ago, and basically sold out everywhere once it was released. It has 16 beautiful neutral toned shadows and retails for $49. It has both matte and shimmer shades and is made with REAL cocoa powder, which makes this very tempting to every female. If you're familiar with Too Faced shadows, then you know how they are formulated. If you aren't familiar, then let me explain them for you. They are possibly the best, in my opinion. They are so incredibly pigmented and buttery smooth and blend like a dream. There has not been a Too Faced shadow that I have used or swatch that I haven't fallen in love with. 

You can create any look possible with this palette, and in the process, you are being lulled with the intoxicating scent of chocolate. Yes, this palette of eyeshadow even SMELLS like chocolate. You can go from an innocent simple day look with this palette, to a dramatic sexy night time look very easily. Do you want to see some swatches of this gorgeous palette? Of course you do!

swatches of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette in natural light

So, have you gotten this palette yet? If not, you need it...just kidding. You don't NEED it, but it's definitely a nice add to your collection and it smells like chocolate! Plus, it's pigmented. 

NEW Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Face Products Review [VERY IMG heavy]

About a week ago, I manged to stumble upon the new Covergirl products, and picked a few up to try out. I've had a chance to try them out now, and I wanted to review them for you guys. I picked up the Ready Set Goregous Fresh Complexion Foundation, Concealer, and the Powder Foundation. First, let's talk about the foundation. 

This is the Covergirl Ready, Set Gorgeous Fresh Complexion oil free foundation. I got the shade 105 Classic Ivory and it seems to be the perfect match for me. This is 1 fl oz and retails for $8.99 and it's only been spotted at Walgreen so far, but I'm sure it will make its way to other drugstores soon! It comes in 12 shades total. Now, onto the actual product! Here is the packaging:

"One simple step for a flawless, natural look that lasts all day. The formula blends easily to even skin tone and reduces shine all day.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores *Suitable for sensitive skin *Lasts all day"

Now, for MY thoughts! I love this foundation. It is very lightweight. It is light to medium coverage, and isn't matte or dewy. It evens out my skin tone, does a good job at covering imperfections without looking like I'm wearing make up, and lasts all day. I usually apply it at around 8-9am, and it lasts until 5pm before I start it wearing off around my acne spots. I'm definitely really enjoying this foundation, and recommend to check it out if you see it! Here are some pictures to show you what I'm talking about, since a picture is worth a thousand words!

Me, without any makeup. Eeek!

With one layer of the Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation! 

Now, for the concealer. 

I have the shade 105-110 Fair, but these seem to run VERY light. This is .37 fl oz and retail for about $5.49. The concealer comes in 6 different shade ranges and they run on the light side. 

"Helps conceal dark circles and imperfections in an instant! The lightweight formula glides on smoothly, blends easily and lasts all day.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores *Dermatologically tested"

MY thoughts? This concealer is very thin. It's not the best concealer but it will do in a pinch. It's not great for a dry patch or really red or dark areas. If you have just a very minor imperfections to cover, this would work for you, but anything more, it's not worth it. Definitely a pass in this collection in general. 

With foundation and concealer

And now onto the powder in this collection. 

I have the shade 105-110. This is .37 oz and retails for $8.99. This is a powder foundation, not a setting powder. This also comes in 6 other shade ranges, but the shades seem to look darker in the container, but seem to be pretty blendable to match your skin tone. 

"Powder foundation covers like a liquid to help even skin tone for a natural look. Extra fine oil absorbing powder control shine.

*Oil free *Won't clog pores"

I'm not incredibly impressed with this powder, but nothing is bad about it either. It is very smooth and blends into your skin very easily, but it doesn't give much coverage like it implies it does. I'll keep you updated on Instagram on how I like it in the upcoming weeks, so keep checking there to keep updated. 

With foundation, concealer, and powder

Full face of makeup

Conclusion: The products are hit or miss. The foundation is awesome and I highly recommend it. The concealer would be a pass for me. The powder I would pick up if you like wearing a powder, but if you don't wear a powder normally, then I would take it or leave it. Be sure you're following me on Instagram (emsbeautydiaryx) for any updates on if anything changes or if any of these products go on sale and when they start becomes available elsewhere.