Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colours

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colours* - £5.99

As someone who can never be bothered to reapply makeup throughout the day, I am a huge fan of matte liquid lipsticks. I recently received some of these new Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colours from Rimmel & I couldn't wait to put them to the test. Rimmel have dabbled with liquid lipstick formulas before with their intensely glossy Provocalips & their demi-matte Apocalips Lip Velvets. Although I liked both of those ranges, neither were exactly what I was looking for in a liquid lipstick. I prefer a fully matte finish & as these lip colours are part of Rimmel's iconic Stay Matte range, I had high hopes for them. There are 15 different colours available & I received five of them. I was really impressed with the shade range as it can be difficult to find neutral pink shades in a liquid lipstick formula. It's also good to see crazy colours like black, blue & grey from a drugstore brand. If only these had come out when I was a teenage goth!

The overall quality of these lipsticks is superb, I'd say they're actually on par with my beloved Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks. They have a lightweight, mousse-y texture that glides onto the lips so smoothly. The lipsticks dry down quickly & once set they are completely transfer-proof. They last such long time on my lips & don't smear or smudge at all. I find that I can mostly eat & drink like normal with them on, they only fade a bit from the centre of my lips if I eat a big meal. The formula is comfortable to wear & doesn't dry out my lips. The flattened paddle wands make for easy application. The only real downside to these lipsticks is that some of the colours can be quite streaky. It's not a problem with the pink shades as you can build them up but the darker colours need a bit of finessing. Another thing I wanted to mention is that they have a slightly weird scent, it kinda reminds me of a bonfire. The smell goes away as soon as the lipstick has dried so it's not a big deal but it still struck me as slightly odd. Anyway here are my swatches of the five Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colours that I received...




Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Pink Bliss
Pink Bliss is a punchy nude pink with a hint of coral. I was surprised by how bright this looks on my skin tone but I actually really like it. It's a fresh & uplifting colour that also brightens my mood.




Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Blush
Blush is a soft rosy pink colour. I'm always drawn to colours like this when buying regular lipsticks & it's nice to finally own it in a liquid lipstick formula. I think this colour looks really nice on my skin tone & I find myself reaching for it a lot as an everyday pretty pink shade.




Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Pink Blink
Pink Blink is definitely my favourite colour! This is almost a MLBB shade on me. It's a warm toned dusky terracotta pink & I think it suits me really well. I tend to go for true pinks like Blush so I probably wouldn't have bought this one on my own but I actually love it so much! Out of all five lipsticks, I've worn this one most often. It looks fab with a warm eyeshadow look & I love to pair it with my Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lip liner for some extra dimension.




Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Rose & Shine
Rose & Shine is a deep rosy pink shade. I don't normally go for pinks like this anymore but Rose & Shine is fairly muted which makes it a lot more wearable as an everyday lipstick. It certainly looks better on me than I thought it would! The colour is very bold & I feel like it would work well on many different skin tones.




Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Pitch Black
I really love that black lipstick is so easy to find on the UK high street now but I can't help but be slightly disappointed in this colour. When I first got this in the post, the fluffy part of the applicator wand had actually fallen off! I originally swatched it with a lip brush but then Rimmel very kindly sent me another one. Unfortunately I think the swatches I did on Instagram with the lip brush actually came out better. Pitch Black is terribly patchy & hard to build up to full coverage. It took about three coats to get it to look like this & that obviously didn't feel great on my lips. If you're looking for a super pigmented black liquid lipstick, I'd highly recommend getting Jeffree Star's Weirdo instead.

Overall I think that these matte liquid lipsticks are a fantastic new product from Rimmel. They come in a range of bold, vibrant colours, they're easy to apply & they're incredibly long lasting. The pinks are truly gorgeous & I find myself reaching for them all the time. The black wasn't up to par with the rest of them but don't let that put you off the other colours. The formula is brilliant & they only cost £5.99 each! These are easily the best drugstore matte liquid lipsticks I've tried & I'll definitely be buying a few more for myself. Which is your favourite colour from this collection?

I received these products free from Influenster for testing purposes.

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More Skincare From The Ordinary

The number one skincare brand that I love to talk about with other people has to be The Ordinary. I'm a huge fan of their products & the simplicity of their highly potent formulas. Their low prices have helped to make high end skincare ingredients accessible to the masses & thanks to them, my once bank-breaking skincare routine is now a lot more affordable. I previously reviewed five other serums from The Ordinary & was so impressed with what I had bought that I ordered five more. If you're not particularly well versed in the world of skincare I think that their products can be slightly confusing as they don't really give you an extensive breakdown of what each ingredient does & which skin issues they can be used to treat. That's why I love sharing my own experiences with their products as they have some truly wonderful formulations in their lineup & I would hate for people to miss out on something that could help them!



Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% (£5.50 / 30ml)
Azelaic Acid is a naturally occurring acid that comes from grains & is also produced by yeast living on healthy skin. It is primarily used to treat rosacea as it has anti-inflammatory & antibacterial properties. It also helps to stop pores from clogging & can be used as an acne treatment. Until I tried this product I had personally never heard of Azelaic Acid before but that might be because I don't suffer from rosacea. However I do experience a lot of surface redness in my skin so I wanted to see if it would help with that. The Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% comes in a lightweight cream-gel formula that absorbs quickly & gives your skin a velvet matte finish. I used it every other night before my moisturiser. This product is designed to brighten the skin and like most of the acids I'm used to, it helps with uneven skin tone, dullness & bumpy texture. I found that it helped to calm any irritation in my skin, shrank my pores, smoothed over textured areas & cleared blemishes so I can definitely vouch for it as an effective acne solution. The biggest difference that I noticed when using this product was the reduction in redness. It made my skin look so much clearer simply because it wasn't as red anymore. I feel like Azelaic Acid would be a much better choice as a chemical exfoliant than Glycolic or Lactic Acid for those with reactive or sensitive skin. It does all the things you want an AHA to do but without any of the redness or irritation that's involved.

Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA (£7 / 30ml)
In my first review of The Ordinary's products I wrote about my experience with their Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%. I bought it to help brighten up my skin & reduce hyperpigmentation but the unpleasant gritty texture stopped me from using it. Alpha Arbutin has a similar lightening effect so I decided to try this out instead. It's related to the controversial skin lightening ingredient hydroquinone but has been shown to safely brighten skin without irritation. It helps to inhibit melanin production which prevents further scarring & also works on existing dark spots to give the appearance of clearer skin. Even when my skin is completely blemish free it never looks fully clear because I have a ton of freckles, moles & acne scarring. I started using this serum twice a day in the hopes of tackling these issues & I'm very pleased with the results so far. It feels very light, silky & hydrating on the skin. Sometimes it makes my face look slightly flushed but I haven't experienced any other skin irritation from using this product. I think that your opinion of this serum will depend on what kind of hyperpigmentation you're experiencing. It seems to be most effective on melasma, sun spots, post-blemish scarring & uneven skin tones. It has helped to brighten up my complexion, even out my skin tone & clear up an annoying sun spot. My freckles are also less prominent which is fantastic in my opinion. Sadly it hasn't done much for my moles but I doubt anything other than a laser will fix them!

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG (£5.80 / 30ml)
Eye skincare products can be such a tricky thing to review. They tend to be a preventative measure, aimed at reducing crows feet & wrinkles when we're older. By the time you've got these fine lines it's probably too late for anything topical to work on them! We're always told that we should be using an eye cream but without getting any visible results I find it hard to remember to use one regularly. The opposite is true about this Caffeine Solution. I love using this lightweight serum because it feels really nice under my eyes & the results are so worth it. Caffeine helps to brighten & tighten the undereye area. It reduces inflammation & temporarily constricts blood vessels which immediately reduces puffiness. EGCG stands for Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside. This is the name of a compound found in green tea leaves & like most things to do with green tea, it's packed full of antioxidants. Both of these ingredients have been scientifically proven to help reduce the appearance of dark circles & puffiness in the eye contour area. It really does work & is especially good for treating puffiness first thing in the morning. After using it for a few months I do think that my dark circles are less noticeable. The area looks brighter and feels tighter & smoother. However it won't work on puffiness due to fatty deposits or dark circles due to hollowness so that's something to bear in mind. One welcome side effect I've noticed from using this serum is that it also helps with milia & by tightening up the area, these tiny dots under the eyes look much smoother. My concealer also sits better under my eyes now & I don't need to use as much of it as a result.

Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (£3.80 / 15ml)
Salicylic Acid is one of the best spot fighting ingredients out there. It exfoliates inside your pores so it helps to eliminate blemishes from the very root of the problem. It also reduces excess sebum production which is often a cause of acne. In terms of results this serum works really well. It heals up my spots quickly & is especially good at stopping painful ones from hurting. This product has also been formulated with witch hazel which helps to soothe the skin & encourage healing. I wouldn't use it as an all over chemical exfoliant like the BHAs from Paula's Choice or CosRX, this is definitely more of an individual spot treatment. This is mainly down to the consistency of the product. It has a watery gel texture & foams up as you rub it in to your skin so it's not the most pleasant thing to use. Once applied it feels slightly tacky but it soon dries down & is undetectable on the skin after applying moisturiser. It's a decent spot treatment but I'm not totally in love with it. Probably because my heart belongs to the next product...



AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution (£6.30 / 30ml)
I've saved the best for last. This intense skin peel has fast become not just one of my favourite products from The Ordinary but one of my favourite skincare products of all time! It is quite simply amazing. Formulated with a blend of Glycolic, Lactic, Tartaric, Citric & Salicylic Acids, this chemical peel is extremely potent. Do not buy this unless you've been using other acids for a while! You should also avoid it if you have sensitive skin. 32% is pretty hardcore & even I was slightly worried about the effects it might have on my skin. I've been treating my skin with acids for five years now but 10% is the highest percentage I'd ever used. When you use acids at lower percentages you can use them every day or every other day with no ill effects. This peel should only be used once or twice a week maximum.

The AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is designed to deeply exfoliate the skin. It clears congested pores as well as active blemishes. The formula also helps to refine skin texture & improve skin radiance. You just apply this peel with a fan brush or your fingers to clean, dry skin. Then you simply leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. It's really easy to use & there's no need for a post-peel neutraliser. Just finish off your skin routine like normal with a hydrating serum or oil & a good dose of moisturiser. When this bottle first arrived in the post I thought it looked like a vial of blood. The deep raspberry colour comes from the inclusion of Tasmanian pepperberry & black carrot extract. These ingredients are full of antioxidants & have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. Their healing properties help your skin to cope with the intensity of this peel. The colour is also important for a couple of other reasons. It allows you to clearly see where you have applied the peel to your skin so that you can wash it off thoroughly & it deters people from using it as a leave on treatment.

Since I started using this peel I no longer need to use any other chemical exfoliants on my skin. It literally does it all! My complexion looks so bright & even now. It works wonders on post-blemish scarring, minimises pores & makes my skin feel super smooth. I've had textural issues with closed comedones on my forehead for years & after a few months of using this peel every week, they've finally nearly gone! I will say one thing though - as with any chemical exfoliant, be prepared for purging. The first couple of times I used it my skin looked fab, then all of a sudden I started breaking out. For a while I wasn't sure if it was a purge or a breakout. The spots only appeared on my forehead & my chin which tend to be my most congested areas, they were small & turned into whiteheads which then cleared up pretty quickly. These are classic signs of a purge so I realised that it would be okay in the end & after getting through it, my skin looks better than ever. If you have dull skin, persistent blemishes or textural irregularities like me, I really can't recommend this product enough!

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Image Skincare I Masks

There's no better way to give your skin an instant boost than with a good sheet mask! These wonderful Korean inventions just seem to keep getting more & more popular with different skincare brands coming out with new ones all the time. We're spoilt for choice these days & with so many masks to try, a lot of people I know have started sheet masking daily. I mainly use masks that are made out of fabric or pulp as they tend to be more affordable so I was very excited to try out these new I Masks from Image Skincare. These super luxurious hydrogel masks were designed by a plastic surgeon & have been made by thickening essence into a gel format. There are two masks available in the range - the Biomolecular Hydrating Recovery Mask & the Biomolecular Anti-Aging Radiance Mask. They're definitely an upgrade from your regular sheet masks & this is reflected in the price. Both masks cost £9 each & although they are on the pricey side for a single-use sheet mask, their unique hydrogel technology is well worth trying.

The masks are designed to trap moisture which increases the delivery of active ingredients into the skin, allowing them to penetrate deeper. The amount of beneficial ingredients packed into these masks is really quite remarkable. They've been infused with water from real Japanese hot springs as well as Jeju volcanic oxygen water for intense hydration like you've never experienced before. In fact tests have shown that these I Masks provide the skin with a 40% increase in moisture 30 minutes after removal of the sheet mask. With that in mind I couldn't wait to treat my skin with these luxury hydrating sheet masks!



The first mask I tried was the Biomolecular Hydrating Recovery Mask*. I briefly mentioned the insane amount of goodness that this mask provides. I don't think I've ever come across a sheet mask with such an extensive list of skin-friendly ingredients before! It features all sorts of botanicals, peptides & antioxidants for the ultimate skin rejuvenation. Some key ingredients include: niacinamide, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, ginseng, witch hazel, chamomile extract, green tea extract, arginine, squalane & allantoin. The majority of these have brightening, hydrating or anti-inflammatory effects. This ultra-hydrating sheet mask is suitable for all skin types but would be particularly good for those with dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin. It's also targeted towards people who get clinical skin treatments or chemical peels as they can leave your skin feeling a bit parched. I've grown very fond of The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution lately so I figured the best time to try this mask out would be directly after doing my weekly at-home skin peel.

When I took the mask out of the pack it was dripping with essence. It feels quite slippy & can be fiddly to unfold as the gel sticks together. You have to drape the gel side of the mask over your face before peeling off & discarding the fabric side. The fit isn't perfect but it's very rare to find a sheet mask that completely fits every part of your face. I had to slide up the mouth area quite a bit to make it fully comfortable but once applied it stays put & you can walk around without it sliding off. I always prefer to have a little lie down when I'm sheet masking though. The mask has a bit of a herbal scent & the high levels of hyaluronic acid makes the texture of the essence feel slightly sticky. It feels very cooling & refreshing on the skin. This feeling continues long after taking the mask off. You're supposed to leave this mask on for about 25 minutes & then gently massage any remaining essence into the skin once you've discarded the gel sheet. I always follow up my sheet masks with some moisturiser to really lock in all that hydration. I was very impressed with the results. My skin looked really plumped up & lifted. It felt incredibly well hydrated & this mask was a fantastic way of getting some moisture back into my skin after such an intense treatment.



As much as I enjoyed using the other mask, my favourite of the two has to be the Biomolecular Anti-Aging Radiance Mask*. Alongside all the wonderful moisturising benefits of the Biomolecular Hydrating Recovery Mask, this sheet mask also gives your skin a beautiful radiant glow. The essence of this mask has a much silkier texture & I found that it smells a lot nicer than the other one. It has a light sweet floral scent that kinda reminded me of Turkish Delight. Again this mask is suitable for all skin types but is specially designed to tackle the signs of ageing such as fine lines & wrinkles. It also targets dull, tired looking skin with hyperpigmentation or an uneven complexion. Some of the key ingredients in this mask are: willow bark extract, white mulberry root bark extract, daisy flower extract, licorice root extract, niacinamide, ginseng, allantoin, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, arbutin, arginine, squalane & hexapeptide-8. Many of these ingredients are also featured in the Hydrating Mask but the Radiance Mask has a lot more brightening ingredients & things that help with redness or pigmentation.

The application process is exactly the same as the other one but after taking this mask off I was completely amazed by the difference in my skin. It positively glowed! My complexion looked incredibly bright & even with hardly any redness. The Radiance Mask really helps to calm down your skin & would be perfect to use before a special event. I personally found the plumping effect to be even more noticeable with this mask. My skin looked so hydrated that even the appearance of texture was diminished. It was left feeling so bouncy, smooth & supple, I just wanted to touch my face all day! I didn't notice a huge difference in the appearance of my post-blemish scarring but that might be something that comes with continued usage. I'd definitely recommend this one if you have a dull or uneven complexion. You can see a huge difference after just one use & I'm a big fan of what it's done for my skin.



I really love the effect that these masks have on my skin, especially the Biomolecular Anti-Aging Radiance Mask. I like to use sheet masks quite often, at least three times a week, so I don't know if I would be willing to spend £9 per mask. If the price is something that also concerns you, here's a quick life pro tip for getting the most out of your sheet masks! Most masks can only be used once but if you feel the sachet, there should be tons of leftover essence still inside. Simply decant the excess liquid into a small pot (I got this one in a travel set from Primark for £1) & you can continue to use the essence in your everyday skincare routine. It'll only last a few days but that's better than just using the mask once. That way you can get a better impression of the mask's effects & reap the benefits of a sheet mask long after you've chucked it in the bin. It also makes the cost of these particular masks a lot more reasonable!

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July Favourites

Iconic London Original Illuminator
I am obsessed with the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. The high shine metallic finish is everything I want in a highlighter. The main downside to them is that they are very expensive. I have them in the light pink shade Celestial but as I have a lot of yellow in my skin I wanted to try them in a slightly warmer colour. Instead of buying another bottle from Cover FX I decided to go for Iconic London's Original Illuminator as they recently had a £10 discount code on their website. The consistency of the Iconic London Illuminator is a bit thinner & the texture is slightly oilier which actually makes it a lot easier to apply & blend out. You still have to work quickly but it's a lot more forgiving. The sheen is just as intense & the glow it gives my skin is breathtaking. The colour isn't quite right for me though. If you look at my face from the side on you just see this blinding highlight but if you look at my face from the front it looks like a dark orange stripe. I can get away with it by blending it out really well & using a white powder highlight on top but it's something to bear in mind if you aren't a tanned goddess like the girls you see using it on Instagram. I still love it & use it despite the orange base because it really does look that good from the side. I just wish one of these companies would come out with a metallic liquid highlight in the exact same colour as theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer because that would be sheer perfection.

L'Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara
This highly anticipated mascara has finally made it's way over here & despite being slightly different to the American version, I really love it! It lacks the pretty pink packaging of the American Lash Paradise Mascara and L'Oreal UK have added castor oil to the formula for smoother application & to keep your lashes feeling soft. Before buying it I had heard rumours that it was a dupe for Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara. The wands do look very similar but personally I think that Better Than Sex is a slightly superior mascara. It curls & fans out my lashes in a really pretty fashion which is something that Paradise Extatic doesn't do. Apart from that issue the Paradise mascara does give my lashes tons of length & volume. Some people have said that one coat is enough for them but I like my mascara to look a bit clumpy so I prefer to use two coats. It clumps up in a nice way so you look like you have thicker, fuller lashes not gross spider legs. My lashes are left looking intensely black & defined. It doesn't transfer or flake on me throughout the day & the addition of castor oil means that it's helping to nourish my lashes too. When it comes to mascara, L'Oreal is my favourite drugstore brand & the Paradise Extatic Mascara certainly doesn't disappoint.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Pink Blink*
I recently signed up for Influenster who sent me some of the new Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colours from Rimmel in one of their complimentary VoxBoxes. I think their website is a great way to try out new products & share your thoughts with fellow beauty lovers. Anyway I have amassed quite the collection of matte liquid lipsticks, Jeffree Star's being my all time favourite formula. One thing I think his lip collection is lacking in is natural pink shades. He comes out with a lot of nudes & crazy colours but every pink I have from him is either very light or very dark. There are fifteen liquid lip colours available from Rimmel, I received five & four of them are gorgeous everyday pinks so I couldn't be more grateful to add these to my makeup stash. My favourite colour at the minute is 200 - Pink Blink. This gorgeous warm toned rosy pink is the perfect MLBB shade. In terms of formula they are almost as good as my Jeffree Star ones. They last such a long time on my lips without any smearing & only fade from the middle of my lips if I eat a big meal. The consistency is quite thin so they are slightly streaky. However the colour is buildable & they layer well without cracking. They are very comfortable to wear & don't dry out my lips. Overall the quality is top notch & these are easily the best drugstore matte liquid lipsticks I've tried.

NAF! Cherry Pie Cuticle Oil Pen
NAF! Salon in Glasgow create some of the coolest nail art around. I love checking out their Instagram for nail inspo & if I lived in Scotland I would visit there in a heartbeat. For those of us who don't live anywhere nearby they also have an online shop where you can purchase some of the items they sell in the salon. The owner of NAF! actually used to own DIY Nails who specialised in water activated nail decals & I featured them on here a few times. She still sells some nailcals on NAF! Stuff but the star products now are definitely the scented cuticle oils. I picked up a few of these as I'm trying to look after my nails more & my cuticles often look worse for wear. I normally use OPI Avoplex but I wanted something more portable that I could chuck in my handbag & the idea of scented cuticle oils was too cute to resist. They were developed by the nail technicians at NAF! & they use these on all the clients in the salon. The cocktail collection smells incredible but my favourite is the Cherry Pie Cuticle Oil Pen. It smells exactly like maraschino cherries & the blend of Vitamin E with Jojoba Oil really helps to nourish your nails.

LQ Liquid Health Supplements Skin, Hair & Nails*
I reviewed these liquid collagen supplements a little while ago after finishing a one month trial of the product. As you need to continue taking the supplement in order to get the best results, Sparkle PR very kindly sent me another month's supply! I'm just finishing off the last few bottles now but the effects have definitely been more noticeable this time around. My skin is looking pretty fantastic if I do say so myself! It looks & feels plumper, I have hardly any fine lines & any blemishes I get are healing in record time. My hair feels stronger & I've had minimal breakage. Bleached hair is generally very fragile & I've really struggled with breakage in the past so I'm glad to see that these collagen drinks are doing my hair good. During the first month's trial I didn't notice a difference in my nails but they're growing like crazy right now & only one has broken in this whole month. I've also noticed that my nails have fewer white spots which may well be down to taking these supplements as I haven't changed the rest of my diet at all. LQ's Skin, Hair & Nails is still working really well for me & if you're looking for a supplement to accompany all your other beauty regimes I'd highly recommend giving these little drinks a go.

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