This week I am excited to bring you my review of Rimmel Cosmetics, the incredibly reasonably priced British cosmetic line available here in the US exclusively at Wal-Mart, of all places. With prices skyrocketing at $4.97 (!), and with colors and textures rivaling the spendiest of boutique brands, what's not to like here? Read on!

Hydrasense Flawless Hydrating Make Up ($3.97)
There are a couple of choices for foundation from Rimmel, depending on your skin type. Because I have dry skin, I selected Hydrasense in Porcelain. This is a terrific lightweight foundation with light coverage that goes on smoothly, looks natural on, isn't overly dewy or shiny, and, as far as I can tell, doesn't cause or aggravate acne. The Porcelain shade is too light for me, but at this price I'll just go back and get the next shade darker and mix them. For foundation on a budget, this is a good choice for normal to dry skin.

Hydrasense Flawless Concealer ($3.97)
I don't typically like concealers in a tube with a sponge wand applicator - the coverage is usually too thin and the product too creamy - but I've been happy with this one. I chose Light Ivory, a good shade for fair skin tones. It goes on smoothly, and I love how the applicator doesn't pick up too much color, so you can actually do a little blending with it. It's creamy and easy to blend but there's enough staying power that it doesn't crease wildly or fade away after just a few hours.

Colour To Go Cream Blush ($2.97)
I love these little squares of cream blush. I picked a medium rosy pink shade called Trainspotting. It has soft, sheer color and a nice, subtle shimmer. The packaging can pose a bit of a little challenge because the lid is not hinged (it just pops on and off), but that also allows it to be slimmer than most compacts. At such an amazing price, if you love cream blush, or even if you've never tried it before, this is a great way to try the texture and play with some new shades.

WaterCool Shadow ($3.97)
I've been using powder eyes shadows for several seasons, but once we started getting some warm weather, they felt so heavy and chalky. I loved the look of the BECCA cream shadows I tried recently but was not about to pay $21 a pop, so I was thrilled to find these from Rimmel. Shiver, a pale white, and Cool Down, a chocolate brown, fit the bill for what I was looking for. They are smooth beautiful colors that resist creasing (a little concealer or foundation on the eye lid helps), and they are just so simple to put on. Start with a tiny dab and add more as you need to; they are effortless to blend and layer.

SpecialEyes Eye Liner Pencil ($1.97)
Of all the Rimmel products I tried, this one of the least remarkable. It's a perfectly fine eye liner pencil, so what more do you need, really? It lines easily with minimal drag and sharpens with a standard sharpener. It's not quite as smooth as the $15 Vincent Longo pencil I had been using, but I'd rather take that left over $13 and put it toward something that really matters. I picked SpecialEyes in a basic brown, Panama. Since most eye liner pencils are supposed to be manufactured in the same factories anyway, you really can't beat this one for less than $2.

100% Waterproof Mascara ($3.97)
Now that it's summer and my kids are out of school, we've been spending a fair amount of time at local swimming pools. Nothing says Lame Mom like mascara running down your face in front of all the other Cool Moms, so I switched to this basic waterproof formula. It has a great brush that applies just the right amount of color to the lashes without being overly wet or clumpy.

Sheer Temptation Lipstick ($3.97)
I don't wear much lipstick, and when I do I want it to be sheer (unless I'm going out). This one has a smooth texture and lightweight feel. I picked Desire, a sheer berry red - a nice choice if you like reds but want something with less impact than a typical RED. One thing to note, though - this lipstick has a strong watermelon candy odor (like a Jolly Rancher). If I had to choose a scent for lipstick, I would choose a fruit scent over something perfumey any day, but that's me. It doesn't bother me and would not keep me from buying it again.

You can find these terrific Rimmel products at Wal-Mart stores across the US.

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!