Rimmel Lasting Finish 35HR Foundation in 200 Soft Beige: The #1 Best Seller Dividing Long-Time Fans

The Product at a Glance

Rimmel Lasting Finish 35HR Foundation in 200 Soft Beige is a full coverage liquid foundation currently holding the #1 Best Seller badge in UK face foundations. The 30ml tube retails at £10.99 but is regularly available for £7.99, which works out at £2.66 per ml. That alone is why it keeps getting recommended as a Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless alternative (the CT runs over £40 for the same 30ml).

Shade 200 Soft Beige falls in the medium range with a neutral undertone. It's one of the most widely-worn shades in the lineup, sitting in the middle of what is actually a decent inclusive range for a drugstore product. Rimmel has built this foundation around four marketing pillars: 35 hours of wear time, hyaluronic acid hydration, SPF20, and a vegan cruelty-free formula.

On paper, it's ambitious. In practice, the reviews tell a more layered story.

What You're Actually Getting for £7.99

Let's look at what Rimmel packs into this formula. The headline ingredients are sodium hyaluronate (a hyaluronic acid salt that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water), 2% niacinamide (known for smoothing texture and supporting skin barrier function), and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E, a skin-loving antioxidant). SPF20 comes from zinc oxide nano particles, which is actually a decent choice for sensitive skin compared to chemical filters.

The formula is D5-free (a silicone that's been restricted in wash-off products in the EU), vegan and cruelty free. The base uses dicaprylyl ether and dicaprylyl carbonate as emollients, which give it that smoothing slip when it goes on.

There's also a fragrance component with limonene, linalool, geraniol and citronellol listed as potential allergens. This matters because multiple reviewers have flagged the smell as a problem, which we'll get to.

The Old 25HR vs New 35HR Question

If you've used Rimmel Lasting Finish before, you need to know this upfront. The 35HR version is a reformulation of the older 25HR foundation that had a cult following, and that change is the single biggest talking point in the reviews.

Some long-time fans are not happy. Sophie, who used the old formula for years, wrote: "Doesn't last as long as it used to, goes patchy and dry looking like a liquid to powder type matt foundation, clings to any imperfections... I now however have to find a new foundation." Emma put it simply: "The Rimmel 25 is definitely better." A reviewer named L went into detail: "Tacky quality compared to previous 25hr formula, with it drying down looking more cakey. Different ingredients too... medium coverage, previous formula had better coverage."

The new formula has delivered for other reviewers though. If you're approaching this as a first-time buyer with no loyalty to the old version, you're walking in without that comparison baggage. That matters, and the reviews bear it out: new users tend to rate it higher than returning users.

Coverage and How It Wears Through the Day

Coverage is where the 35HR still delivers for most people. Rimmel calls it full coverage, and the majority of reviewers agree that it covers well without caking. Donna Meadows shared this: "I have a purple vein on my nose caused by an operation many years ago, and felt so self-conscious of it, but after using this product, I cannot even see it, it covers so well." That's a strong endorsement when you're comparing it to foundations costing four or five times as much.

CrystalBerry, who uses it as an evening foundation, described it as "full coverage, good on my dry skin and a radiant finish... isn't cakey and doesn't settle in my under eye wrinkles too much." Tomjav1992 called out how it feels on the skin: "Coverage is good without feeling too heavy, and it lasts well throughout the day. Blends easily and gives a smooth finish."

Longevity is more variable. Rimmel markets 35 hours, and that's a marketing number, not a real-world one (they measure against competitors under controlled conditions). In actual use, most reviewers say it lasts a full working day comfortably. On oily skin it's a different story. One reviewer said it slipped off her face in three hours, and Rosetta mentioned it transferred onto her clothes and phone. If you run oily, you'll want a setting powder and possibly a setting spray to get anywhere near the claimed wear time.

The Hydration Story and Dry Skin Performance

This is where the reformulation actually makes sense on paper. Adding hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamin E to a long-wear foundation targets the usual problem with long-wear formulas, which is that they dry out the skin and cling to flaky patches by mid afternoon.

For dry and combination skin, the new formula mostly works. CrystalBerry called it "good on my dry skin and a radiant finish." All Bla, who has older skin, mixes it with a moisturiser: "I always mix half and half with simple moisturising day cream. Great value." Sameera Bokhari said: "The finish is matte but it's not dry, it leaves a healthy glow on your face."

The flip side is that a couple of reviewers noted the formula dries quickly from the bottle itself. MrsBeautemps warned: "It's not sticky but for something that contains hyaluronic acid, it does dry out quite fast from the bottle so be careful when building layers and blending." So work in smaller sections and blend promptly.

The Smell Nobody Warned Me About

One thing you won't see on the product listing: several reviewers hate the scent. This came up often enough to flag properly. Azaeliah Beak said it "smells like furniture polish." MB wrote: "It smells like bad cheap make up." CollEEn: "Has a real bad smell... won't be using or purchasing again." Kindle Customer, who otherwise rated it 4 stars, described "a strong chemical smell when applying which does dissipate upon application."

The ingredient list includes parfum/fragrance plus hexyl cinnamal, limonene, benzyl salicylate, linalool, geraniol, citronellol and alpha-isomethyl ionone, all of which are common fragrance allergens. If you're sensitive to scented cosmetics, or you just don't want your foundation to smell like anything, this is something to weigh up. Not everyone notices it, but enough people do that it's not a fluke.

The good news is that the smell fades once it dries down. The bad news is that if you're reactive to fragrance, you may not want to wait to find out.

Does 200 Soft Beige Actually Match?

200 Soft Beige is positioned as a medium, neutral undertone shade. It sits right in the middle of the shade range and is one of the most purchased tones in the lineup. Neutral means it's not leaning cool (pink) or warm (yellow/golden), which in theory makes it flexible for a range of skin tones.

In practice, a few reviewers said the actual shade runs lighter than the product illustrations suggest. Chioma Nwakamma wrote: "It's lighter than my skin, I wish I went for a darker shade, was deceived by the bottle color." Halfpenny echoed this: "This is the second one I've bought that I can't use, because they've been very much lighter in colour than the illustrations showed them to be."

If you're between shades, sizing up is the safer bet. Amazon's returns policy covers unopened beauty products, but shade matching from phone screens is always a gamble. Worth checking your current foundation shade and comparing the undertone before ordering.

Neutral Undertone Shade Lineup

200 Soft Beige sits in the neutral undertone family. This is the sweet spot for people whose skin doesn't lean obviously pink or yellow. You can usually tell which camp you're in by looking at the veins on your wrist: blue means cool, green means warm, a mix means neutral.

If Soft Beige ends up too light, Rimmel offers progressively deeper neutrals. If it's too dark, there are lighter neutral options above it in the range. The neutral family tends to be the most forgiving if you're a first-time Rimmel buyer and aren't 100% sure of your exact match.

Why Mature Skin Users Keep Coming Back

One group loves this foundation almost unanimously: women with mature skin. AJ's review captures it well: "I've been using this for years and it never fails. I've tried other more expensive brands but have always been left disappointed. The coverage and moisture balance is perfect for mature ladies and gives a natural, dewy glow. It spreads easily and covers blemishes and imperfections well without being too heavy."

JEAN B., who has used Rimmel foundation for around 30 years, said: "I think it suits my skin colouring and gives a good coverage which lasts all day." Tim Tallyn, 54 with oily/combination skin, wrote: "Best foundation I have purchased in a long time! It doesn't feel heavy and gives great coverage."

The combination of hyaluronic acid and the lightweight liquid formula seems to work with older skin better than heavier, mattifying long-wear foundations that settle into fine lines. If you're in your 40s, 50s or 60s and getting tired of foundations that age your skin by drying it out, this is worth a try.

The Problems You Should Know About

Beyond the smell and the old-formula loyalists, a few other issues came up in the reviews worth flagging.

Skin reactions: Beth reported the new hyaluronic acid formula caused "face to go bright red with hard dry skin patches that took days to heal" after years of no issues with the old version. Raman Chaudhary reported a more serious reaction involving skin burns (though this could point to a counterfeit product, which is worth being aware of when buying beauty on Amazon). If you have sensitive or reactive skin and you've previously tolerated the 25HR formula, patch test the new one first.

Transfer: Despite Rimmel claiming it's transfer-resistant, several reviewers said it rubs off onto clothes, phones and collars. If you run a bit oily or you're leaning on a huggy friend, assume it will transfer.

Packaging: A small cluster of reviews mention missing seals, broken nozzles, or leakage on arrival. This is more likely an Amazon fulfilment issue than a product defect, but check the seal when it lands and photograph any damage before opening in case you need to return.

Who This Foundation Is Actually For

After reading all 100 of the most recent reviews and matching them against the product claims, here's who this is for.

Buy this if: you have normal, dry, combination or mature skin, you want full coverage that doesn't look heavy, you're shopping on a budget but not willing to compromise on ingredient quality, you're new to Rimmel with no loyalty to the old 25HR formula, and fragrance in makeup doesn't bother you.

Skip this if: you loved the old 25HR formula (you will likely be disappointed), you have very oily skin and need something that truly lasts 8+ hours without touch-ups, you're sensitive to fragrance, or you've had reactions to niacinamide or hyaluronic acid in the past.

Worth noting: the 4.5-star average across 5,388 ratings reflects the fact that roughly 70% of reviewers are rating it 5 stars. The 1- and 2-star reviews cluster around the reformulation complaints and skin type mismatches, not fundamental product failures. That's a reasonable split for a product in this category.

Final Thoughts: A Solid Drugstore Buy With Caveats

At £7.99, Rimmel Lasting Finish 35HR Foundation in 200 Soft Beige is one of the easiest drugstore recommendations I can make. Amanda's review captures why it holds the #1 spot: "I've tried all different foundations, from Charlotte Tilbury to Armani, Max Factor, Nars. And I got this and I've found it, the perfect foundation. Not cakey, glides on lovely with nice coverage, and fantastic value for money."

The reformulation controversy is real and you should walk in with your eyes open. If you were a 25HR loyalist, you may want to stock up on the old version while it's still around, or accept that the new one is a different product and judge it on its own merits. If you're new to Rimmel, the 35HR version with hyaluronic acid is a good entry point and arguably better suited to dry and mature skin than the old formula was.

5,000+ people bought this in the past month. It's the #1 Best Seller for a reason, and at a third of the price of the high-end options it's going up against, it's a sensible first try for anyone looking to upgrade from a basic drugstore foundation without spending £40+.