| Product: |
Rimmel Recover Foundation |
| Date: |
15/10/07 (219 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Cheap, easy application, delivers promises, beautiful skin
Disadvantages: Dull packaging, strong smell, limited tones available
First Impression
Rimmel’s advertising campaign for this product was pretty much pure genius. Shortly after Kate Moss’s infamous cocaine fuelled fall from grace Rimmel released adverts of her, a now certified hard partier, looking completely radiant after she steps out of a taxi. Now this made me a little sceptical of the product, image is all very well but often products are sold in a glamorous way to hide a mediocre bottle of gunk. However my interest in this product was triggered by viewing its cameo in Boot’s Get Gorgeous DVD. The makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, highly credible as celebrity make-up artist and creative director for No7) highly endorsed the foundation, saying that it was great for achieving dewy skin. As the winter months are approaching and skin becomes to look pale, dry and drawn I went for this product and haven’t looked back.
Purchasing
The Rimmel Range is available at most major pharmacies. Boots, Superdrug and even Sainsbury’s sell it at the usual price of £6.49 for a 30g bottle. This is relatively cheap as foundations go and I have found that it is good value of money and one bottle will last approximately three months. Beyond this foundations should be binned anyway as they will have reached their sell-by date and be full of bacteria, delightful. The packaging is rather unimaginative and plain, although the peach and pink colour scheme is fairly complimentary. The product is part of the larger recover range which also includes concealers and primers. As with most ranges the products work best when combined and so I would recommend these products also. As far as colour selection goes there are only five variants (lightest to darkest): Porcelain, True Nude, Classic Beige, Bronze and Amber. This is pretty limited and those with paler or darker skin are likely to wind up disappointed. If you are lucky enough to have a skin tone falling within the range you are unlikely to find a true match. However since it is relatively cheap it is possible to buy two bottles of the shade either side of your skin tone and mix your perfect shade. The range tends to focus on more of a yellow undertone than a pink one, and whist this is useful for those of us with slightly flushed skin it may be wise to avoid it if your skin is extremely sallow. Also remember when buying foundation to choose a shade slightly lighter than your neck. Sweat and grease will quickly accumulate on the skin (disgusting but unavoidable I’m afraid) and this will darken foundation colour slightly. To avoid the random head grafted on a random neck look be aware of this when selecting your foundation. Another consideration on purchase is your sensitivity to smell. The liquid smells heavily cosmetically and especially if applied around the nose it can be a bit overpowering. However this is only for those with sensitive noses and I presume that most people will barley notice.
Application Advice
Although the advert shows Kate Moss applying the foundation by hand and this is a viable option, for truly dewy and smooth skin a brush is unbeatable. My favourite is probably the Body Shop’s Foundation Brush which costs £11.00, but with lasting credentials its worth a bit of a splurge. Before application ensure that skin is intensively moisturised to aid with blending and apply the primer if you wish. Then apply a blob of foundation to the back of your hand and then collect it with the brush from here. This ensures even coverage in a more superior way than the traditional dotting on the face, as it prevents swamping of some areas with too large a dot and others with too small. The foundation is fairly fluid and the brush can be used to spread the foundation and blend it into every crevice in the face and then blend around under the jaw line to ensure no untidy lines are left. The foundation is not quick drying and so extended blending time is possible without caking. To further prevent caking it must be remembered that the foundation is not there to cover imperfections of the skin such as spots or shadows; this is the job of concealer. Attempting to use foundation in such a way will only lead to thick layers and you looking as if you have applied your makeup with a trowel.
Effects versus Expectations
The foundation claims to leave skin: ‘re-plumped, brightened, anti-fatigued, radiant, smooth, replenished and covered all day.’ These are some high expectations to set however I am pleased to say I was not disappointed. During a time where I am having an average of six hours sleep a night I am not looking my best and normally by skin would be dehydrated and dull. However this foundation does seem to breathe a new life into it leaving it far livelier and stroke provoking. The re-plumping effect is good for mature skin where cells hold less water and can become thin looking and I think this foundation could act as a mini facelift. The slight iridescence in the foundation reflects light and with it a multitude of sins leaving skin looking even and glowing. The product does seem to last twelve hours of the day and does have surprising sticking power to the skin even in hot environments, although its wearing time is greatly reduced if it is not fixed with powder. However overall the foundation definitely delivers all said, and I experienced no disappointment on any charge.
Conclusion
If you are lucky to be able to find a shade for you, Rimmel Recover Foundation is your way forward. Far more than a clever advertising gimmick the foundation delivers double the effects of many other foundations, at half of the price.
Summary: Rimmel's finest achievement yet!
|
|
