I've been following several British beauty bloggers for a while now and envied their access to brands I couldn't get here in the US. I know the US has several products that aren't available in other countries but as they say, "The grass is always greener on the other side." Fast forward a couple of years and brands like Rimmel, Bourjois and Boots can be found at my local drugstore or online so I picked up a few items that I've been wanting to try. Since this is a haul, I won't go into too much detail but I do have reviews already posted for some items and more reviews and swatches on the way!
Rimmel has been available here in the US for a while now but I never paid it any attention. The product that started it all was the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquers (review) and them their Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks (review). So when the Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvets (review) became available on this side of the pond, I picked up two: Atomic Rose and Meteoric Matte. I'm disappointed that the shade range was more limited than the original line but I'm pleased with the pigmentation and longevity of the product. And you definitely cannot beat the price! Charlotte Tilbury's makeup range inspired another purchase, the Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner in East End Snob. I've never seen much use for a lip liner but when I wear lighter colors or glossy formulas, it helps to shape and define my lip line. East End Snob is a mauve-y pink that has changed my opinion on the necessity of lip liners. It has a slanted tip that helps get right up in the lip line. The texture is firm enough to stay put but soft enough for an easy blend. Since it twists up, there's no need for a sharpener. Definitely a must have! I've been obsessed with liquid eyeshadows lately so the Rimmel ScandalEyes Eyeshadow Paints (review) were a must-buy. I've heard a lot of good things from Lily Pebbles and VivianaDoesMakeup so I went ahead and bought four. The texture is on the mousse-y side so it's easy to blend out. Some are hit or miss so I'll go into more details in a review soon! I also picked up two of the Rimmel ScandalEyes Eyeshadow Sticks (review) and needless to say, I'm a huge fan. They're creamy enough to glide across my lids without tugging but not to the point where they slip and slide all over the place. This is a great budget option for eyeshadow sticks if you don't mind sharpening them once in a while.
Bourjois is another heavyweight that I've been meaning to try for a long time. If you've spent any amount of time in the beauty world, their foundations have made it into mostly everyone's must-have lists. It was hard picking shades online but surprisingly, the two I picked up matched me well. The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation is unlike any other foundation I've tried from the drugstore. It's not watery but it's not the traditional liquid either. It's very lightweight yet the coverage is phenomenal. I don't need the full pump to get the medium coverage I like for every day. A full pump will definitely make me look extra flawless yet not cakey. It's obvious I'm wearing foundation because my skin isn't that naturally flawless and even toned but it doesn't look heavy. The finish is on the dewy side so I recommend a setting powder if you're on the oily side. The only con is that the 3 times I've worn it, I seem to have broken out. I don't know if it's just a coincidence with my monthly visitor or not but I'm going to give it one last try before I completely right it off. I haven't worn the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation but it's the foundation that started it all so I'm hopeful that it'll work for me. I've been lemming the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets (review) like crazy ever since it was released last winter in the UK and was so excited to finally get my paws on them. I had an issue with my order lost in transit so I've only received it recently. I've worn Happy Nude Year and Personne ne Rouge a ton and a quick spoiler: love these! I'll be reviewing them shortly with swatches so look out for that in the upcoming week :D Being on a slight cream blush kick lately, I picked up the Bourjois Cream Blush in 04 Sweet Cherry. It's on the drier side of creams but it's not impossible to work with. The pigmentation is on par with my Tarte Cheek Stains (review) and a little bit goes a long way. It dries to a powdery finish that makes it long wearing on my cheeks. The compact is smaller than I expected but it will be great for travel!
Lastly, I've got some Boots N7 products to share. This is a newer British brand to me but I've seen them often at Target. I picked up the Boots N7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define (review) in 3 colors to start off with. These are probably my most favorite eyeshadow pencils, high end or drugstore. They tick every box and then some! Creamy, long-lasting, twist-up, not too glittery, pigmented, and a built-in sharpener makes this unbeatable for me. It's a bit pricer than other things at the drugstore but still more affordable than Laura Mercier or Bobbi Brown. I also bought 3 of the Boots N7 Stay Perfect Smoothing Eyeshadow. I haven't tried them on my eyes yet but the swatches are promising. I'm hoping that they'll be a decent dupe of the Giorgio Armani Eye Tints--fingers crossed!
That's the end of this very long haul. I've linked to reviews of what I've gotten through but sit tight--more reviews will be forthcoming. Let me know what products you've picked up lately--not that I need more makeup at the point >.<
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