Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer: Review & Swatches

It's February (which is crazy), and it's getting closer to Valentine's. Whether you're single or you have a special someone, you want to look hot. You need a lip product that won't flee at the first sign of a drink/food. In comes the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer, the American version of the Apocalips. Now these have been floating around Walgreens for awhile, and I just seem to keep getting more. With the affordable price tag, and frequent BOGO sales, it's a little hard to pass up.

To continue reading the review and see swatches, click the link below.

Now these lip lacquers have been a huge phenomenon across the pond, and many had been waiting anxiously for it to show up in the States. I don't know why there was a need to change the name, since Apocalips sounds infinitely cooler. In any case, the actual product is the same, and in the end that's all that matters. Also one added benefit with the Show Off version is that there are shimmer shades if that's what you enjoy.

Starting with packaging, they did it right. Rimmel figured out the perfect way to ensure that your lippie hasn't been tampered with. This is great since it's a rather common occurrence to find lip products open and tested in the drug store (since there are no testers). When you first open the tube, the well for the wand is clear and has no product (pic above). Once you actually pull up the wand, it pulls up the lip lacquer with it and fills the area that was once clear (pic below). Because of this nice feature, you won't go home with a used product.

Another nice feature of the packaging is that you know what color you have since the color of the product is visible through the packaging, and it's true to the swatched color. When you have a lot of colors of the same product, it's hard to keep them apart by name/number alone. I'm liking the color indicators and packaging that easily shows the color of the product. I'm lazy, and I have better things to do with my life than memorize shade names.

The last bit of ingenious product packaging is the shape of the wand. It's a doe-foot applicator (which I prefer) that also has a well in the middle that pools the product. This way you don't have to dip the applicator back into the tube a thousand times to get the coverage you want. Usually I don't even need to re-dip the wand back in for more color. What's in the well is enough.

In terms of wear time and application, all the shades I have are great. Each one creates an opaque color, that can be toned down if that's what you prefer (just wear extra balm underneath and dab the color instead of swiping). It lasts a good time on the lips, and even through eating/drinking it wears well. There is some fading, but most of the shades fade evenly, so I don't find that to be an issue. There is a weird smell to these lippies though. It's a fake/plastic fruity (?) scent. It's not pleasant, but it wears off and I can handle the smell. Since the shades start off semi-matte and become matte as it dries down, it can become a little uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time. I find adding a little more color or a light layer of balm/gloss on top will help with this. Essentially it wears like any other long-wearing formula.

Swatches

The following hand swatches are of mostly the matte shades. I only have one shimmer shade since I wasn't sure how I would like the formula/look of it. I was actually pleasantly surprised. From left to right: Luna, Stellar, Galaxy, Aurora, Celestial, Nova, and Apocaliptic. I have different lighting swatches to show the shimmer factor on Galaxy a little better.

Luna, Stellar, Galaxy, Aurora, Celestial, Nova, Apocaliptic

Luna, Stellar, Galaxy, Aurora, Celestial, Nova, Apocaliptic

The following lip swatches have the color descriptions as well :)

Nova is a carnation pink shade with a slightly cool toned base. It's bright, but still wearable "neutral" shade with a pop. The cool base is more obvious on the lip swatch.

Apocaliptic is a bright raspberry fuchsia color. It's also cool toned and very vibrant. I do believe this is a shade that exists in the original British version as well.

Galaxy is a muted mauvey-pink with shimmer. I was pleasantly surprised that the shimmer added a extra layer of sheen to the lips without being obviously sparkly. This didn't leave any chunks of glitter behind once it dried down either.

Celestial is the other "neutral" pink of the shades I have. It's a warmer yellow-toned pink with beige undertones.

Aurora is a bright, deeper coral with a hint of orange undertone. It's a warm shade and almost verges on the tomato red spectrum. This was a shade that I like better in the tube than on my lips, but that's just personal preference.

Stellar is a bright warm toned red that leans to the coral spectrum. It's not a true red, but it's too dark to be a coral. It's also almost neon in it's intensity.

Luna is the lightest shade I own. It's a pale peach. Due to the paleness, this applied a little patchier than the rest of the shades. It also tended to settle into the lip lines a little. This was my least favorite shade.

Bottom Line: Despite the weird smell I actually really like these. I think the quality is there and it's cheap to boot. There are a variety of colors to fit any mood. The only shade that didn't perform as well as the others is Luna. Also just be forwarned that it is a little drying on the lips. I still want to look into a few more colors.