Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick

I haven't used Rimmel makeup for years, aside from some nail polish. Probably since college? I remember being fond of the lipsticks (Heather Shimmer, woo!), so I recently took a chance and got a few of the Moisture Renew lipsticks, as well as a few other lip products that will be reviewed shortly.

The look of the line has gotten a significant upgrade since I last looked, and I have to say the packaging is cuuuuuute. Love the squared-off purple cases, and the little design in the top of the lid. These are probably the best-looking lipsticks at the drugstore, next to the Revlon Colorburst quilted tubes.

The only thing I don't love, packaging-wise, is that the tops are actually a little hard to take off. It feels like you're almost going to pull the tube in half. To alleviate that, I grab the tube by the silver middle, and then pull off the cap. I dunno, maybe it's just me being paranoid.

I was (and am) in a hot pink phase, so the ones I picked up skewed in that color range. I'm also not feeling the shimmers right now, so these are all in a cream finish. Bear that in mind, because apparently the shimmer finishes have a gritty feel, which I would not dispute based on the swatches I tried in the drugstore. (And possibly a subconscious part of why I went with creams.)

Vintage Pink, Lily Extase, Funtime Fuchsia, Fleurtatious

In indirect daylight.

In direct sunlight.

The colors are all lovely, and apply like a cross between the cremesheen and lustre finish from MAC. Lily Extase and Funtime Fuchsia look very similar, but FF is ever so slightly deeper and more blue toned. My favorite is actually Vintage Pink, which is a great rosy nude, very wearable.

This is supposed to be a moisturizing formula. It goes on soft and creamy, slippy without feeling overly slick. My lips aren't generally prone to dryness, and I find that these wear comfortably over time, but I would not consider them particularly moisturizing. They're just nice and non-drying.

These do have a particular scent, sort of sweet and like cheap lotion. Not as sickly-gross as l'Oréal lipsticks, but not the most pleasant scent I've come across. It does fade after a while, though if you're sensitive to scent...yeah, might be an issue.

Availability: Pretty much any drugstore, some grocery stores, Wal-Mart. Price ranges between 5-8$.

Pros: Creamy, comfortable feel, nice range of colors, really adorable packaging, inexpensive.

Cons: Shimmers may feel gritty, possibly not moisturizing enough despite the name, scent can be off-putting.

(I purchased these from Pharmaprix and Jean Coutu.)