The Hunt For The Perfect Lipstick -- Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick #195 ("Bordeaux")

It's been a very long two weeks recovering from a medical procedure that pretty much threw me for a loop. Time for a lipstick review, this time of Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick #195 ("Bordeaux").

The short review: It's a gorgeous shade of dark wine. Wish it lasted longer.

Longer review follows the jump-cut...



Candidate: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick, #195 (Bordeaux)

Purchased: Target Greatland (Alexandria, VA)

Cost: $6.00

Brand Info: Rimmel London Cosmetics
Founded in 1834 by Eugene Rimmel, the House of Rimmel invented the first non-toxic mascara product; to this day, the word for "mascara" in many non-English-speaking countries is "rimmel". The cosmetics division of the House of Rimmel is now owned by Coty, who distributes their product worldwide. Rimmel's cosmetic line targets the young cosmetic buyer who wants something "exotic" and "trendy" instead of the traditional drug store/grocery store/discount store cosmetics.

The Tube: Deep purple, almost black, lacquer-finished plastic. Split between top and bottom of tube is at the mid-point and both sides of the tube bevel inward at that point. The top of the tube is spherically curved. The bottom of the tube is beveled to a flat surface, upon which rests a sticker that is supposedly colored the same as the lipstick inside, with a code number and a color name in white print.

The Product: Burgundy. It's easy to see why this was named "Bordeaux", as it really does look like a great glass of dark red wine. The product itself is a traditional bullet shape with a slanted teardrop-shaped flat edge delivery point.

The Application: Nice lip feel. The pointed teardrop tip allows for some sculpting at the Cupid's bow and in the corners of the mouth. Glides on smoothly and covers very evenly. It's not as red-wine-stain colored as it looks in the tube; it goes on rather dark, in fact, slightly brownish. It's not a bad color, but it's not quite what I expected. Satiny cream finish.

The Taste: Bubble gum. I'm not kidding; the taste is super sweet.

The Blot: The first blot removes some of the satiny finish, making the final product slightly more matte, and takes some of the brownish edge off, making it more burgundy. Much better. The second blot produces milder color. This isn't typical of Rimmel lipsticks; they normally leave really heavy color blots no matter how many times you blot, which is something that gets on my nerves. This is a really good Rimmel.

The Wear: Comes off on the rim of a cup, eating utensils, and even fingers. Fortunately, it's not staining. The good thing about this color is that if you don't like it, it'll be completely gone in a few hours.

The Verdict: Ironically, I like it as a quick-change lipstick (for some occasion where you only need to wear makeup for a short time). It's a gorgeous color, great for nighttime wear. And of course, at $6/tube, if you don't like it, all is not lost; just pitch it and get another one.