Review! Rimmel BB Cream

Do you take your skincare seriously? I do :) I think if you work on 'perfecting' your skin, you can get away with a simple eyeliner and a lipgloss...This is where BB creams come in...the Rimmel BB Cream boasts 9 benefits in the 1 product including: primes, moisturises, minimises pores, conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens and helps protect. I was excited to try this product because at only $12.95 for a 30ml bottle and with 4 shades to choose from, this could be a cheaper alternative to my current tinted moisturiser (by the Balm).

Initial thoughts?
The shade I had was medium which is a touch too light for my complexion. The consistency of the product was also very thick and creamy which I wasn’t really used to. The overall finish of the product was matte especially on my cheeks and forehead – I probably applied to much around my nose as it started looking cakey even before the powder was applied. On the first day of application, I thought the product looked ok on my skin.

Best way to apply?
On my very first application, I used my hands and massaged the product onto my skin. This helped warm the product out for easy blending. I also tried a flat foundation brush but was left with streaks across my face. Not hot. Lastly I tried a flat top synthetic kabuki brush by Sigma (F80) and it worked like a dream (i.e., better than my hand application)! Took a while for me to figure out how to make this product work for me - I'm glad I tried the kabuki brush cos it really affects the overall finish of the product on my face (and the star rating of the product hehe)!

The product also set very quickly so I would apply it in small areas of my face, i.e. right cheek, left cheek, chin and neck, nose, then lastly, the forehead.

Note: the end of the video below includes a demo of how I applied the product :)

Pros
 * Great coverage
* Matte finish (even without powder it is quite matte!)
* SPF 25!!
* Smells nice
* Natural, good finish
* Inexpensive! $12.95 a tube!
* Stays put for the whole day, although my T-zone got a bit oily by the end of the day with no touch ups.

Cons 
* Quite creamy - this can affect how you choose to apply the product
* Sets quickly - need to work quickly
* If I use a flat top kabuki brush to apply the product which in my opinion is the best method, it will inevitably use up more of the product than if I used my hands
* When I used too much of the product (particularly around my nose), it would get quite "cakey" and highlight my flakey or pores on my nose >.<

Overall Rating
I enjoyed this product once I figured out how to use it and if I ever decide to repurchase, I would probably go a shade darker (this might alleviate the cakey/flakey problem above). My overall rating is 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. Given the price point and the accessibility, this BB cream does not perform too bad at all!

Please see my review of the L'oreal Nude Magique BB cream for a comparison.

Let me know what you thought of the Rimmel BB cream!

 It is really hard doing selfies on timer!! >.<