RImmel is my new (old) favorite makeup brand.

Yes - this is technically a Fashion blog. But you and I know that a great outfit is usually paired with an equally awesome hairdo and some fabulous makeup.

I confess that I'm an Anglophile. I studied at the Royal College of Music in London my junior year of college, and the experience was nothing short of transformational. The textures you encounter in London are strikingly dissimilar to that of New York, despite the plethora of cross-cultural references. London is a blend of the New World and Old World - architecture stretching back centuries juxtaposed to punk-mod hangouts; churches sandwiched in between local pubs.

The image I left with (and trust me, I had to be dragged out of London; literally) was that Londoners took care of their appearance. For instance, the sidewalks are beautifully uniform and clean - no trash or black gum marks are usually found. And this translates to the canvas of their beauty regimen. Case in point: their most popular drugstore, Boots (the British version of Duane Reade) has an incredible selection of merch in the beauty department, that would put Sephora to shame. For me, it was like being a child in a candy store and a toy store all in one. The majority of stuff I came home with, I purchased at Boots - also because there were many brands not offered in the US, and products not released outside of Europe.

One product line that has made it across the Atlantic, however, is Rimmel London cosmetics. Now, I didn't automatically grab makeup from this brand after reading the word "London" on it (I try to keep my obsessions in check with a bit of restraint) - but on a recent trip out of state, I found myself perusing the beauty aisle in search of a couple of lipsticks in red hues, after searching my makeup bag and realizing I'd left my collection of reds at home. I came across Rimmel's Lasting Finish lipstick line (honestly? because it was eye-level) and out of curiosity, dabbed some color on my wrist. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the color glided on, and how velvety smooth the consistency was. I bought two colors (166 - temptation, a wine-red, and 124 - bordeaux, a dark plum-red) and merrily went on my way.

I do not think I've been more pleased with a lipstick - and that's saying a lot (Sephora's brand lipsticks are fantastic, and Revlon is also a standard for me), but putting this lipstick on makes me want to plan outfits around them! The hues, the lasting color, and the texture of the lipstick are all so wonderful that I'm planning to take a trip back to my drugstore ASAP to experiment with more Rimmel.

Any lipstick brands catch your fancy?

Update: I discovered that Target has partnered with Boots to bring a selection of its store collection to the US! Boots is now available at your local Target! Wooooooo!