Unsung Makeup Heroes: Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara and Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Price and ease of use: two of the main, biggest things I factor into my makeup buying decisions. If something is way too complicated or doesn’t apply well, I’m not going to use it. And if it’s overly pricey or not worth investing in, I’m not going to buy it, which is why I love both of the two products I’m showing you here.

I first encountered Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara a year (maybe two?) ago when it was the birthday gift at Sephora. It came in a mini version with a nude lipstick, the shade of which I can’t remember now, unfortunately. I’ve since finished the lipstick, and I’m almost done with that particular mascara, but I also have a second one that I keep in my purse.

This mascara has served me SO well. The mini one has been perfect for my purse (and, let’s be honest, I kind of love the mini versions of most things). It’s great daytime and nighttime looks.

The wand is also a perfect shape, in my opinion. Wider at one end, it tapers down to a really nice point that gives me lovely, fanned out lashes every time. It also deposits just the right amount of product.

And the color is another factor for me. It’s a gorgeous inky black. If you like brown mascaras, you’re out of luck, because this one only comes in black, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it released some other colors.

One of my other favorite products is Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent, which I’m wearing in the pic below. I saw someone write about it a few years ago and scoured drugstores for it. I’ve been using it ever since as my everyday matte finishing powder.

It’s not cakey, doesn’t break me out, and I often use it on its own atop my moisturizer to make sure that I’m not oily.

I feel like Rimmel London doesn’t always get a lot of praise online, and I’m not exactly sure why. I’ve been loving this powder for a few years now, and as you can see, this one has lasted me a LONG time. I’ve only recently started to wear away at the fleur de lis imprint.

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Translucent and Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara in Black are crucial to my everyday face. Unless I’m just bumming around the house for the day, you can bet I have at least one, if not both, of them on.

In case you’re wondering, I’m also wearing Estee Lauder New Dimension Plump+Fill Expert Lip Treatment on my lips, iT Costmetics bye bye undereye concealer in medium, Becca Shadow and Light Contour Mousse in Cocoa, and a touch of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Warm Rose.

Did you also get Smoky Extravagant when it was the Sephora birthday gift? Do you like it? And do you happen to remember the name of the matching lipstick it came with so that I might finally be able to repurchase another?