Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Rapid Ruby

A lady can never have too many red nail polishes in her life, it's an instant glamour fix and looks great all year round. I for one, have a LOT of reds, I am what you might call obsessed with red. I just LOVE a red nail and think nothing really says chic like it. This fabulous claret by Rimmel London is a the perfect shade for a no-nonsense chic nail. I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it - the 60 seconds polish is the business. It's my go to polish for a super-speedy DIY mani - there's a big tick in all the boxes - staying power, formula, brush, shade range, ease of application and best of all it's budget price tag! Go on, give it a go.

Kate for Rimmel: Lasting Finish Lipstick

As someone who really enjoys a good read, when trawling through many blogs, I tend to notice certain products trending. Yes, of course, there are the latest products available and those who blog about soon-to-be released products they have been sent to review, but there are some things that just seem to be written about time and time again. Kate for Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks simply cannot be ignored, more than a year after their release, are still a very much talked about in the blogging world. I'm not entirely sold on the celebratory endorsement but I was curious about what all the fuss was about and felt it was only polite I tried them for myself.

For me, one of Rimmel London's big selling points is it's affordability, at around a fiver, these lipsticks are such good value for money. The formula is great and fairly long-lasting, maybe not the 8hrs it claims, I'd say more 3 or 4. They feel moisturising and nourishing, they aren't at all sticky or tacky on. The shade range is fantastic and there are a number of shades available in a matte finish. I picked up the following three shades and I'm seriously impressed with all of them.

Kate for Rimmel: Lasting Finish Lipstick 03
This is a nude shade, perfect for the polished look. It's not so nude it's undetectable and certainly doesn't give me that washed-out, where have my lips gone look some nude shades can. an amazing shade for everyday wear.

Kate for Rimmel: Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick 101
This pretty posey pink is perfect for spring. A light shade that brings light and life to the face, it's matte finish is perfect accompaniment to a fresh-faced dewy look and won't detract from those highlighted cheekbones.

Kate for Rimmel: Lasting Finish Lipstick 22
This bold red is a very brave move for me, I'm generally not, I repeat NOT a red lipstick girl. Well at least, I wasn't until I tried this. For me, not an everyday hue, but this deep and sumptuous red is just perfect for a night out - it will almost certainly turn a few heads!

Have you tried any of the Kate for Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks?

Rimmel London: 60 Second Nail Polish in Princess Pink

I've been looking for a natural-looking pink nail polish for an age, I own dozens of two colours, nudes and reds - it's just my thing, with the occasional metallic thrown in at Christmas for good measure. I wanted the French Manicure look, without the white tips. Low and behold, Rimmel London have come up trumps again with their 60 Seconds range. Shade 200, Princess Pink is a subtle, pretty, ballerina-pink shade, perfect for a natural nail. I like everything about Rimmel London's 60 Seconds range, the formula, the brush and its great staying power - my only bugbear about this particular shade is, as with most lighter colours, the number of coats you need to apply for opacity - an epic four in this instance. Saying that, the results are, as you can see for yourself, lovely! I got this on offer in Boots yesterday - well worth the £2.99 I'd say, wouldn't you?

Rimmel London: 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Caramel Cupcake

From time to time I buy a beauty product that makes some pretty brave claims on it's packaging. Rimmel London's 60 Seconds Nail Polish is one of them - 1 second application and a 60 second drying time, ummm, well I was dubious, to say the least. So, does it live up to it's name? Errr . . . Yes. Was I pleasantly surprised with the results? Yet another big fat, yes. This is an absolute gem. The flat brush makes for a super-easy application, I've given my nails two coats en route to a wedding in a moving vehicle (yes, really). It lasts a good 3 days without chipping and Rimmel London have a great colour range to boot. This subtle nude is shade 500, Caramel Cupcake. It has a gorgeous pearly finish and looks great at any time of the year. I'm a big fan of the low maintenance nude nail, any chips are a bit less obvious than they are on a darker shade and I feel I look like I'm making the effort without looking over done. This is the perfect shade to apply quickly on a Sunday night to see you through the working week. Have you tried this speedy polish?

Top Two High Street Foundations: Rimmel Match Perfection & Bourjois Healthy Mix serum

I'll be honest, I've always been a bit of a snob when it comes to foundation, tending to spend a bit more rather than less. However, since starting to read so many beauty blogs, I've realised there are some great products out there for a fraction of the price, that are used and trusted by those who really know their stuff. Realising that I can save a few pennies is always good, so here are my high street favourites:

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: No. 102 Light Nude
This Rimmel purchase took me back a few years, the first foundation I ever bought was from this brand, in fact, as was most of my make up back then. I read a huge number of raving reviews on Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation and so gave it a whirl. I was sorely disappointed, the finish was lovely and I was impressed, my skin, on the other hand, was not as I found it reduced me to a bit of a spotty mess. It was with hesitation I decided I'd give the Match Perfection a go. I waited for the breakout, and waited, and was pleasantly surprised when not a single spot raised its ugly head. The finish is lovely, it's dewy enough to give me a fresh-faced look, but not super-shiny, for me it's similar to MAC's Studio Sculpt. The formula is thicker than expected, but easy to work into the skin - I use a buffing brush and find it blends well and gives a medium coverage and lasts a good 6 hours, slightly longer if use a primer though I'd prefer the finish without.

I chose shade 102 Light Beige, which was the most suitable out of the 11 shades available, its a touch too dark for me in the dead of winter, but in summer when i have a bit more colour in my cheeks, it's almost perfect. Rimmel claims this foundation has 'Advanced Smart-Tone Technology' that is supposed to help the foundation adapt to your skin colour for an 'undetectable' finish. I'm not sure if this is the case or not, but it's certainly earned me a fair few compliments on my skin and I'd say its great, affordable, everyday foundation that I will definitely repurchase.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation: No. 52 Vanilla
This foundation had so much hype, it seems it was almost rude not to try it. Given the endless number of amazing reviews this product had behind it, I had very high hopes for it.

My first impressions weren't as great as i had hoped. I bought it on the hop, having a particularly bad skin day and needing a quick fix before I headed for drinks after work. Though, giving it a second chance and applying with a brush rather than my fingers, I began to get what everyone was raving about. It gives a flawless, natural finish, that's glowy and fresh. It's gel based formula is light and easy to blend and build coverage. It feels moisturising and light on the skin, lasting most of the day - though I definitely have to set with powder, especially on the t-zone. I bought shade 52, Vanilla, which is perfect for my skin tone - to be honest, it doesn't really look like I'm wearing make up at all. Another definite repurchase for me!

What are your favourite high street bargain beauty buys?