Rimmel Apocalips/Show Off Lip Lacquer Review
RIMMEL LONDON‘s apocaliptic lip lacquers — or “show off” lip lacquers, as officially called in the US — have been my latest obsession. they are a lipstick and gloss hybrid (though rimmel describes them as “neither a lipstick nor a gloss”), with some mild staining abilities thrown into the mix. i only have 5 of the 13-and-still-seemingly-growing shade collection, but i adore each and every one of them and could probably wear only those five lip colors for months without getting bored.
the apocalips lacquers come in these slick black tubes that have some fancy-shmancy prism-cut cap going on. you can see the color of each lacquer right on the packaging, which is always a good thing. when the tube is new, the middle part of the inside plastic is clear of product and once you pull out the applicator that little section gets filled with your lacquer!
the applicator is also not your typical doe-foot wand: it has a little “pocket” which holds more product, so you don’t have to dip your applicator 47 times to get the coverage that you want.
left to right: luna, celestial, nova, apocaliptic, big bang
all the same, application won’t be an issue. these lacquers go on smooth, creamy and wonderfully opaque. i definitely think of them more as lipsticks than lip glosses because of overall consistency and longevity–but with a pretty shine to top off your look!
here are some lip swatches of the five shades under natural light:
luna, a pretty pale coral, is easily one of my favorites from the bunch. it is surprisingly flattering (albeit in need of some getting used to when first applied!) and i have nothing else like it in my collection.
celestial is my go-to everyday shade. you just can’t go wrong with mauve-y pink, especially one that still makes a statement even while toeing the line of “safe.”
you know how in every lip color collection there is that one, bright, bubblegum pink? with the apocalips line, it’s nova.
apocaliptic is a gorgeous fuchsia-bordering-red hue. get ready to turn heads with this one!
and the star of the show: big bang. i find this to be a true red; a great match for my warm undertones. while i haven’t worn it nearly as much as the other shades i own (you know how you sometimes do that with things you deem “too special”?), i plan to make more of an effort to incorporate it into my looks.
these lacquers, while undoubtedly stunning, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. they take a while to set and dry to their semi-matte finish, so you can expect a glossy, slighty smear-y, set of puckers almost throughout wear. i find that applying just thin coats helps out with this issue, plus waiting for the product to dry is pretty much a no-brainer. the more pigmented shades do stain your lips a bit–which can be a good thing or a bad thing. me? i love it.
interested in buying? i’m sure some local online sellers offer these already, but i purchased my rimmel apocalips lacquers on ASOS and the show off lip lacquers via drugstore.com.
