At a recent Walgreens trip, I picked up a Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipstick in shade 109. This shade and all others in the red tubes are a matte formula as opposed to the black tubes with a satin finish. My skin tone doesn't always suit the corals I'm typically attracted to, but I'm pleasantly surprised by this one because it isn't too orange or clownlike. This is my favorite part about Spring and the warmer days ahead, getting to break out bright lipstick again.
Since the formula is matte, it can be drying and more difficult to apply. For me, the dryness isn't necessarily a negative thing because it usually means it wears longer and more prone to fade into a stain throughout the day. When time is on my side, I like to prep by exfoliating well, applying a thin layer of chapstick, and using a lipliner close to my natural color to prevent bleeding. I wore this for a good couple hours and devoured lots of food in the process with minimal fading! When it did fade, my lips turned a slight orangey pink that I didn't mind. The formula lasts just as long, if not longer, than a few of my more expensive lipsticks (ahem, MAC). I did notice there was VERY slight bleeding, but that was easily fixed by applying a tiny bit of concealer around my lips. There's also a bit of graininess in the the formula that is a little off-putting, but isn't bothersome with a layer of chapstick underneath.
If you like subtle fruity scents, matte formulas, and pretty corals, it's definitely worth a try. The pigmentation alone is worth the $4.99 at most US drugstores. I've seen it for slightly cheaper at Target (a dollar difference or so), but there's less of a selection to choose from. If you have any of the other colors, let me know how you like them! I have nearly expired CVS extrabucks I'm itching to spend and looking for more pinks to add to my collection.
