best beauty products of 2013 according to bloggers

I read blogs way too much and I've been loving reading everyone's 'Best of 2013' beauty posts. I wanted to combine the most popular picks from beauty bloggers, because we know our stuff. Well we should do, we've tested enough products! Here's a list of the most popular beauty staples that have become daily essentials for bloggers in 2013...

Have I missed anything? 

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New Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks: Review + Swatch

I'm already a huge fan of Rimmel lipsticks so i quickly popped to Boots when i heard they were launching some new shades. 

I picked up 'In love with Ginger', a creamy orange red. 'Mayfair Red Lady' which is a blue toned red and also 'Oxford Street Fushia' a barbie pink lipstick shade. The Moisture Renew lipsticks have a glossy finish and are highly pigmented. The staying power for these isn't too bad considering the moisturising formula but i do have to re-apply after eating or drinking. There are ten new shades in total from nudes to dark plums, so something for everyone! My favourite shade has to be 'In Love With Ginger' which i've swatched above(scary close-up!). I've never tried an orange-y lipstick before but i really like it! If you find the Rimmel Matte lipsticks too drying definitely check these out as they're a lot more hydrating. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks retail for �6.49 each. Available at Boots, Superdrug and selected Supermarkets. 

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Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation: Review + Free Sample

Rimmel are cranking out the new releases this Autumn/Winter. New Apocalips shades, Moisture Renew Lipsticks, Retro Glam Mascara and they've just announced Rita Ora will be collaborating with the brand soon. I'm still not sure whether i love or loathe Wake Me Up but I thought i'd give Rimmel's latest foundation offering a go. 

This is a liquid mousse so it has quite a thick texture but it still blends into the skin easily and doesn't feel cakey. I have the shade 'Ivory' which is the second lightest and is a tad too dark for my pale skin. As you can see from the swatch it has pink, almost grey undertones to it. I apply this with my RT flat foundation brush to get maximum coverage. This foundation leaves skin looking flawless and does a good job at covering redness and blemishes. I find i don't need to use concealer for my spots when i use this! I would describe the finish as velvety as it's not completely matte. 

Overall, great coverage, light-weight and affordable. For reference my skin type normal/combination. If you wanted a free sample of this, pick up this months copy of Boots free Health & Beauty magazine. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation �5.99 from Boots

Have you tried this foundation before, how did you get on?

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Disney Challenge: Tangled

Hey everyone! Sorry for dropping off the face of the Earth. My slight cold turned into a full blown cold and has me still sniffling, sneezing, and coughing. In an effort not to fall behind in the Disney Challenge, I've decided to skip The Lion King and simply come back to it at the end of this challenge. I've also decided to keep today's mani for Tangled very simple.

Like I said, I kept today's nails very simple. One of my favorite parts of the Tangled movie was when Rapunzel finally saw the lanterns in person. The absolute awe and amazement on her face is priceless. So I tried to recreate what she saw. I used Revlon Enchanted, Rimmel I Lilac You, Petites Color Fever Periwinkle and China Glaze First Mate for the night sky background. Then I used a very small piece of sponge to dab on some of the flakies from Essie Shine of the Times. I think these flakies create the perfect lanterns!!

For those of you who haven't seen the movie, this is the scene I attempted to recreate. :)

Up next in the Disney Challenge: 101 Dalmatians! I already have this one sketched up. :)

Up next on the blog is another mani for the Time Periods Challenge. This one Imperial China. I'm stumped on this one. :(

Goodbye April. Hello May!

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Rainbow Gradient

Today is supposed to be my X nail art for the ABC Challenge, but I'm stumped on what to do for this letter. I'll think of something by next challenge ... hopefully. For now, check out the rainbow gradient I wore last weekend.

I hate the claw, but it's pretty much the only position in nails that need to include the thumb. Some of you may remember the sideways rainbow gradient from my NOH8 nails. I wanted to try something different this time so I did them as a normal gradient. I found the lightest rainbow colors from my collection to use for this.

Here are my nails before clean-up. So messy!!! I usually tape around my nails before doing something this messy, but I forget. Isn't that the way things usually go? You only forget something that would speed things up when you're in a hurry!

I took this picture in the car. It was snowing so hard and then a little bit of sunlight peeked through, and I couldn't resist snapping a few pics. It's not up to my usual standard, but there's something I really like about this picture.

I couldn't resist getting a picture of my cotton ball after I removed the gradient. I'm reminded of a clown's wig, lol.

Colors Used: Rimmel English Rose, Sinful Colors Hazard, Sally Hansen Lightening, Sally Hansen Green with Envy, Wet n Wild I Need A Refresh-Mint, Wet n Wild On a Trip

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Rimmel - Rags to Riches

Hello again! Two posts in as many days? You guys will be sick of me before the end of the week!! :)


I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I snagged a major deal�$50 worth of polish for $10. I got 4 Borghese, 2 Sally Hansen, and a Rimmel. The Rimmel is the focus of my post today. It is 286, Rags to Riches, which is a lovely metallic moss green with a champagne shimmer.

Natural Light

I tried a new top coat after I finished painting these and it didn't dry as quickly as I'm used to. They were dry to the touch but must not have been dry through because the tips bunched while I was cooking dinner. There was no fixing it by the time I noticed. :( However, I'm very pleased to say they lasted much longer than I expected given how I practically invited chips and didn't touch up the top coat. I'm sure this is one polish that would live up to it's 10 day promise if I hadn't messed them up before they dried. Even then, they only began chipping on day 5 when I nicked my index nail while preparing dinner. It always happens at dinner for me. The others still looked nearly exact to when I took these pictures.

Natural Light

The Rimmel brush is big and wide and absolutely perfect! It's near an exact match to Sally Hansen Insta-Dri brushes�which I love!  This color actually reminds me of Sally Hansen's Celeb City, different in color but both metallic with a lovely shimmer. If you'll remember, I adored Celeb City so it's a very simple leap of logic to say I love Rags to Riches too. I think I'm turning into a metallic girl and I won't have a problem with it if they keep looking this great on my nails!

Flash

I would like to add that the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro bottle is very handsome. Yes, I said handsome. It doesn't look very feminine so I'll use male descriptors. It's not so much heavy as solid (fits nicely in hand) and the silver crown on the black lid is simply charming.


Do you have a favorite Rimmel color?

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