Last night I began my first splurge vs. save experiment and I am excited to share the results.
After visiting Sephora to return my splurge purchase, I stopped by CVS to see if I could settle on some items to try. I decided to try a few products by Rimmel, a primer, foundation and a contour pallet. 
For my new 'save' look I used the products in the picture above.
Rimmel Stay matte foundation 103 True Ivory Retail $5.29
Rimmel Contour pallet- Kate 003 Golden Bronze in Retail $6.79
Rimmel Stay Matte Mattifying makeup primer-003 Retail $5.29
Sephora Eyebrow powder ( I believe this is discontinued)
Sephora Cream Lipstain in #13 Marvelous Mauve $14
Clinique High Impact mascara in black (an old favorite I always have on hand)
I was able to get the three Rimmel products at CVS for a total of $8.00!!
If you are interested in a breakdown of how to score these products for even less than retail, check in at the bottom of this post and I will break it down step by step!
The results were pretty amazing! Now, I am not the most photogenic person or the best photographer (I rarely take selfies), but I think you can get a good idea of the finished look using my new products! I was going for an all day look that wasn't too overdone, and this took me about 5 minutes. I went with no eyeshadow, which is my favorite makeup to play with, so that I could really see if the products shined on their own without the extra sparkly distraction.
I also wore the look to work all day teaching and took a picture of the wear after a full day of rubbing my face and eyes and being in and out of the AC.
After a hard day of work
After crashing in bed for 30 minutes after work and having baby hands all over my face...(please excuse my unruly eyebrow hairs)
As you can see, the staying power of all three products was pretty insane! In my after work picture, I can still see the sparkle from my highlight. After I rolled around with the baby for a bit, much of the sparkle disappeared, however my coverage was still good and the bronzer was still noticeable.
My product reviews:
Rimmel Stay Matte Mattifying Primer: To the touch, I was skeptical of this product. It felt a little like sunscreen and the scent left little to be excited about. It has the scent of a basic lotion, which is really not an issue. Most primers have a little scent to them, so this took me by surprise. It didn't have a bad smell, just none at all which is probably a good thing really. The product spread really well and as it isn't a thin consistency, took a fraction more product than I am used to for a primer but not by much. Once set, the primer was surprisingly smooth to the touch. It didn't feel heavy or thick and was very breathable. My skin felt great, and had a nice matte finish. If you love a glow, this is not the primer for you, but if you are like me, and like a matte look, this one is wonderful. I am excited to use it again!
Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation: This foundation has all types of rave reviews and it truly lived up to the hype. It is all in the name. The texture has no way to be described except as a mousse. It feels thick when dispensed, and surprisingly airy and smooth to the touch. It has a slight cooling effect when being applied and spreads very evenly and full coverage. It does not feel heavy and dries smooth and matte. I honestly forgot that I had it on until the students were asking me why I was wearing makeup today. It never caked or dried out and felt fresh and smooth all day. Even my dry patches never broke through. I will be keeping this in my drawer and stocking up every sale!
CON: Buying foundation at a drugstore makes it hard to find your match. I am not positive this is my perfect color but it looked pretty close.
TIP: You can ALWAYS return makeup, even open, to CVS and Walgreens as well as the Splurge stores like Sephora. So, though it may take some back and forth, you shouldn't have to spend more money to get your perfect match.
Rimmel Sculpting Palette (Kate) in 003 Golden Bronze: As a beginning makeup contour-er (?) I absolutely loved this palette. It was simple, easy to blend, complementary colors and gave just the right amount of shine that lasted all day! I applied the bronzer below my cheekbones, the highlighter slightly under the eyes in the same stroke as the bronzer and filled in with the blush in between and blended like a maniac. I also used a little highlight and contour on my nose and teeny amount of the contour below my chin and at my hairline. I am excited to build a bold look with this, as well as be able to use it for a subtle contour during the day. It is a very forgiving pigmentation that can go for a light application or flown blown contour.
I would say experiment number one was a success and I will be keeping all three products and adding them into my makeup repertoire immediately!
Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? What should I try next? Comment below and let me know your thoughts!! Check back soon for experiment #2!
Find CVS saving breakdown below.
Now through Saturday, all Rimmel Products are 40% off at CVS ( and this promotion runs from time to time depending on when you are reading this, you may just want to check the ad)
Create a CVS Extracare account if you do not have one already and add the beauty club if you don't already have one. This will give you $3 back for every $30 you spend on beauty PRIOR to coupons but AFTER sale pricing.
I was able to purchase all three items for around $12 after the 40% off but that's not all..
CVS also has a second promotion on RImmel products. When you spend $9 on any combination of Rimmel, you receive $4 back in extra care bucks that can be used LIKE CASH towards your next purchase right away!
And if that is not enough... there is also a printable coupon on Coupons.com for $3 off of Rimmel Eye products!!
Have fun and comment below with any questions or thoughts!