Mini Review: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Hello, dear readers,

Today's post is a review of Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed Powder. Let's get right to it and start out with the claims from Rimmel's website:

STAY MATTE PRESSED POWDER

MATTIFYING PRESSED POWDER FOR UP TO 5HRS OF WEAR

No chance to shine with Stay Matte Powder. Goes on smooth to even out skintone. Offers a natural, matte finish. You won't go out without it!

I have this in the color 001 Transparent. I've been wearing this over just my regular concealer for the past couple of weeks, and that's all the makeup I've had on. I can say that this powder definitely goes on smooth and does a great job of smoothing out skin tone and blending with the concealer for a matte finish. I know for a fact that, at least on me, this powder looks natural because my mom couldn't tell I was wearing makeup when I had it on. She's my harshest critic when it comes to makeup, and she has no qualms about letting me know if my makeup is noticeable.

The trick to a good powder with me is that it won't make my dry areas noticeable, and this doesn't. The skin on the sides of my nose is quite flakey, especially in the winter, and that area, as my mom says, is the "giveaway." This powder doesn't accentuate dry skin for me.

As for the "up to 5 hours of wear,"I think that's brilliant advertising. Why? Because they never tell you that it's a guaranteed five hours of wear; they just say anywhere up to five hours. I'll be honest and tell you that I haven't measured the hours. I have, however, worn this out all day and it doesn't wear as badly as the other powders I've tried. Sure, after seven hours it fades on my nose and chin, but I still consider it a great powder.

As for the shine factor, this keeps my face reasonably matte, bearing in mind that I have mostly dry to combination skin that's even drier in the winter. If you have very oily skin, I can't say if it will keep you matte for an extended period of time.

A word of caution: This product does contain fragrance, which I don't normally condone, but it's a very small amount. If you want to know the ingredients, Beautypedia lists them in its review. I do have quite sensitive skin, and it hasn't been bothered by the fragrance, but if you're worried about sensitivity, there are other powders out there without fragrance. Personally, I like the scent. It's very fresh and clean.

The only other issue is that there are only three shades, all rather light. I know there are people with medium skin tones that do like this powder, but I don't think it's quite fair that so few drugstore brands cater to darker skin tones. Luckily, this one does work for those with very pale skin, a color that isn't often represented enough either.

Overall, I'm a fan of this powder. Until I find something better, of course. 

Have any of you tried this product?

To complexion perfection.

xEsther