Rimmel Wake Me Up | Review

So I’m sure you have all been hearing about, and reading the hype that has surrounded the new Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. With its claims of anti-fatigue ingredients it’s certainly been a talking point for those of us who stay up all night, for whatever reason we may have!

I’ve never really been one who will try a product based on what the adverts claim, and this still remains true, however, when I popped into a small Boots store a few weeks ago to find that they didn’t stock Revlon I thought I would give Rimmel a try. This decision didn’t come easy though, as I stood at the Rimmel stand for a good 20 minutes deliberating whether or not I should purchase, I have to say the colour range is absolutely atrocious! Now, I am practically albino pale, this is probably not news to some of you, and with the lightest shade “True Ivory” edging more on TOWIE stars’ fake tans I was absolutely terrified of buying it. In the end I jumped in and decided to just go for it. With a price tag of just £8.99, compared to Revlon’s ever increasing price of their Colour Stay, I felt that even if I hated it, I wouldn’t have spent a fortune, plus I have a lovely bottle of Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in 100 which has done a gorgeous job of making the colour the right shade of pale!

So when I got home to test it out I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the product. It does have an odd smell to it, nothing unpleasant, but if you are sensitive to scents in face products this may not be for you. I was really happy with the coverage it gave me, although that may also have been aided by my Illamasqua RF 100. The texture is also beautiful, it has a semi matte feel when you apply it (I will talk about this later), but it most certainly doesn’t dry out your skin. As someone who suffers from very dry skin I was a bit worried that it may cling to patches, but it definitely hasn’t done. It gives a gorgeous even finish, and I’ve also found that once I’ve mixed the right colour with my RF100 I can also get away with only using the foundation where I suffer with the most acne!

I apply a sizable amount of RF100 and mix with 1 and a half pumps of Rimmel Wake Me Up, and apply with my Louise Young LY34 foundation brush 

Left: RF100 Right: Rimmel Wake Me Up True Ivory

Mixed!

On the down side, this product is excessively shiny. I have dry skin, and never really have a problem with wearing a foundation that has a bit of shine to it, in fact I quite enjoy that dewy finish, however, I find this a bit over the top. It can make me look really oily, which is a really peculiar problem, considering the texture when you apply it feels matte. I’m not sure whether it is because it’s an oily foundation, or whether it is because of the really subtle shimmer that is in the product. I am inclined to think it is more the latter, because no matter how much powder I put on top, I still look shiny. And I hate using a setting powder on my skin, because it’s so dry and just makes me look cakey. Not a good look, it just sinks into my skin and looks gross. Adding to this shiny problem, the foundation transfers like crazy, I rarely set my day to day foundation with a powder, I usually only ever do that for a special occasion when I know I won’t be able to touch up all day, but I have never had this much of a problem with transferring. The odd bit here and there with other foundations I’ve used maybe, but Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation literally comes off on your hands with the slightest touch.

All in all though, I do feel that the pros outweigh the cons with this product. There are definitely ways of getting around the awful colour range, and with the longevity of the product a downside, I just won’t wear it on a night out. There are other products that are better for that. With a price of £8.99 you can’t complain too much, it’s one of the cheaper drug store foundations, and it does give you gorgeous results.

Thanks for reading lovelies!

Fai x

*Disclaimer - As always, all opinions are 100% my own. I purchased all products mentioned with my own money. I am in no way affiliated with any company mentioned.