Review: Rimmel Apocalips

Although it seems like I can't mention a beauty bit without giving a mini-review, I think this product in particular deserves a post of it's own. Enter the Rimmel Apocalips. I remember a while back when the Rimmel Apocalips were released in the UK, there was much hype surrounding the liquid lipstick-gloss hybrid thingy. It took at least nine months for it to hit the Canadian drugstores and I nearly jumped for joy when I saw them on a trip to Walmart. I was swatching each tester on the back of my hand for about ten minutes before deciding on the shade, appropriately named Apocaliptic. I put it on as soon as I got home but was surprisingly disappointed by my initial application... here are my thoughts:

Color: The pigmentation of this product is absolutely stunning, I love how extremely pigmented the gloss is and the color is like nothing else I have come across. I would explain it as a deep dark magenta that still manages to be very bright against my pale complexion. I seriously give this whole range two big thumbs up for the many beautiful shade selections, from peachy-pink nudes to reds to a gorgeous plum.

Finish: Though the Apocalips are marketed to be a long wearing, they have an incredibly glossy, high-shine finish. I personally prefer a creme or matte finish to lip products when it comes to wearing bold colors. The lipstick screams for attention and I don't think it's very wearable for daytime. The combination of high shine and bold color is just not my cup of tea.

Longevity and Wear: I applied the product in thin layers, building up three coats for maximum impact (I also applied one thin layer for a stain-like effect). My main issue with this product is that it never really felt like it dried on my lips. Even after three very thin coats of the lipstick, it looked and felt like wearing a wet lipgloss. After wearing it for about an hour, it had started to come off in the middle of my lips and seemed to have moved to the perimeter of my lips and feathered slightly above my lip line. It looked as if there was a thick line of super shiny gloss around my lips with bare splotchy bits in the center. Gross. I would also like to mention that in the hour I wore this product, I did not eat/drink, but had a chat with my sister. I cannot imagine how this would last for any amount of time as the wetness of the product allows it to slide around the lips and easily transfer.

Overall I am so disappointed with this product. It is likely that many of you reading this will have loved the Apocalips, as it seems the rest of the beauty community has given it the seal of approval... but that's the way the cosmetics industry goes, right? There's the good, the bad, and the ugly. And what works for one may not necessarily work for others. This is just my own humble opinion on my much hyped product that I don't think I will be reaching for this party season (or ever for that matter). I think Rimmel missed the mark on this one, but I am patiently waiting for their reformulated, repackaged Moisture Renew Lipsticks to hit Canadian stores.

Sadly, I would not recommend the Rimmel Apocalips and I do not plan on risking my precious limited funds for another disappointing, unwearable product. Have you tried the Rimmel Apocalips? Did you like the product? If so, please let me know your technique for best application results in the comments below.

Thanks for reading :)