Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation and Concealer review

Foundation for Pale Skin | Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation & Concealer Review

It’s been a while since I updated my list of foundations for pale skin, so when Rimmel London asked me if I’d like to try out their new Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation and Concealer – plus a few extras – I was more than happy to give it a go.

Now, as some of you might recall, I’m a bit of a Rimmel London foundation fangirl: their Match Perfection foundation has been my daily go-to for a couple of years now, and I’ve also used the original Lasting Finish, which I seem to recall declaring the best full-coverage budget foundation, like, EVER. So this had a lot to live up to, basically. Was it up to the challenge, though?

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation and Concealer review

Well, the first thing to note here, is that this is not the Lasting Finish Foundation you’re used to. No, this is Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation, and the word “breathable” in that sentence will probably have clued you in to the fact that it’s a much more lightweight option than its full-coverage cousin. That’s not to say the coverage is super-light, though: I’d probably describe it as medium coverage, although it is buildable, so if you want/need something a little heavier, it shouldn’t be a problem. Which means the biggest surprise for me was the sponge-topped applicator:

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Breathable Foundtation Sponge applicator

I wasn’t sure quite what to make of this, at first. I normally apply my foundation with a makeup sponge, and I do it by first of all pumping some foundation onto the back of my hand, and then using the sponge to soak up as much – or little – as I need. With this applicator, though, I’ve been using the built-in sponge to dot the product over my face, before using my regular makeup sponge to blend it in. Aaaaand I’ve used the word “sponge” so many times now that it’s done that thing where it now looks really weird to me, and I’m all, “Is that even a word? Have I spelt it right? WHO KNOWS.”

Anyway, this new method undoubtedly works, but I find it a little harder to dispense exactly the right amount of product, so I suspect I’ll soon just forget about the applicator altogether, and revert back to just tipping the bottle onto my hand again. Can’t change the habit of a lifetime, right?

As for the colour, meanwhile, I was sent this in 001 Light Porcelain: it’s the palest shade it comes in, and the same colour I buy my Match Perfection in, so I had no doubts about it working for my skin:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation in Light Porcelain swatch

I wasn’t disappointed, either: once again, Rimmel have gotten it spot on, and the fact that they do this colour is the main reason I keep coming back to them for my foundation. It’s pale enough to work perfectly for me, and, as with the other Rimmel Foundations I’ve used, I found it really easy to blend in, too. As far as the ’25 Hour’ claim goes, this girl needs her sleep, so there was no way I was going to stay up for 25 hours, just to test an oddly-specific foundation claim, but suffice to say that it lasts all day, without needing any touch-ups: because, seriously, who has time for THAT?

Along with the foundation, I’ve also been trying out the matching concealer, also in shade 001:

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable conceaker in 001

Again, this comes with a sponge applicator, and this time I wasn’t particularly impressed, as I found it a little tricky to get it to dispense the product – could just be the tube I was sent, obviously, but I prefer the type of applicator you actually dip into the product, as opposed to one you have to squeeze out through the sponge, if that makes sense? Please tell me that made sense?

Colour-wise, though, this is also pretty great for pale skin: I did have to layer it up a little in order to cover the dark shadows currently decorating my eyes, but I’ve yet to meet the concealer that can cover those bad boys with just one swipe, so, all things considered, it’s a thumbs up for the colour and formula, but not so much for the design of the applicator.

Finally, I was also sent the Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in shade 002 – Coral Glow:

Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in 002 - Coral GlowNow, coral isn’t a shade I’m overly fond of, so I was a little dubious about this one, and particularly about the blush, which is definitely more coral than pink. Having tried it out, though, I do think it works pretty well with my colouring, although I’d say it’s more of an autumn/winter shade than a spring/summer one – my usual blush is more of a pink shade, which I find a bit fresher/more natural on me. As for the contour and highlight, both are pretty subtle, which makes them a good choice for day-to-day wear, although if you like the highly-sculpted look, complete with shimmery highlights, you might be better off with a cream formula. I, meanwhile, was pretty surprised to find that the contour was light enough for me, but both shades (highlight and contour) worked well, so I think this is a pretty good option for pale-skinned people.

Finally, I know this kind of review isn’t much use unless you can actually see the products in action, but, well, I couldn’t figure out how to use the remote with the new camera in time to get a semi-decent photo, so here’s a couple of awkward iPhone selfies, instead: you’re welcome.

awkward selfies are awkward

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COMMENTS
  • Poppy

    REPLY

    Re dark circle – it’s been a battle of mine too. Recently I discovered concealer from the collection range at Superdrug – its £3 or something silly but utterly amazing. Way better than many expensive ones I’ve tried.

    October 1, 2017
  • Rebecca M

    REPLY

    I think the blush color looks really pretty on you. Very natural flush. I’ll have to try it out, though I believe my pale skin has a bit more yellow undertones than yours.

    October 1, 2017
  • Alicja

    REPLY

    I’m really excited to try this on!
    (I was even thinking about asking you Amber – is rimmel used a lot in UK? Is it considered “cheap”/ “basic”/ “for teenagers only”?

    It’s really suspicious, that it’s not being sold anywhere in Germany: I’m trying to understand why. :/

    October 3, 2017
      • Alicja

        REPLY

        Thanks anyway :)))

        October 4, 2017
        • Nita

          REPLY

          Hey Alicja, I think I’ve seen Rimmel in the usual stores in Germany – Mueller, DM, Rossmann, probably in Douglas too. I used to live in Cottbus, so it wouldn’t be restricted to bigger cities! If not, maybe you can order online?

          November 3, 2017
  • Interesting point about sponge applicators – I am a fan of beauty blenders so I would say sponge one would be good for me but I never tried , and I think you may have a point here squeezing it out may be tricky !

    October 26, 2017
  • Veronika

    REPLY

    What hair colour are you using? It is so pretty!

    January 5, 2018
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