Rimmel Cool Matte 16 Hr Mousse Foundation gets merely an OK from me, although I think those who want something really sheer might like it. I absolutely love Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation and thought that perhaps the Rimmel product would be similar. It turns out that the two products really are not much alike. Maybelline provides good coverage that is not too heavy, while Rimmel’s mousse is very sheer.

The Rimmel foundation, although labeled as a “mousse,” really has more of a cream/lotion texture to it. It does appear to be a bit whipped, but not much. I found that while the shade I tried (#100, Ivory) was about right in tone for me, it barely provided any coverage. This stuff was as sheer as some of the tinted moisturizers that I have used. The sheer nature of the product could be a good thing for those who desire a sheer coverage foundation, especially in a matte form, but it did not work for me. I also did not get 16 hours of wear from it. I doubt that I even got eight, but it was hard to tell because the product had so little coverage to begin with. With all of the long wearing stuff, I tend to just cut the promised time in half for my expectations. Personally, I have found that none of them really seem to meet their claims and the companies would be better off leaving an hour figure out of product names. Why make promises that you can’t keep?

The product did go on pretty matte, and that is a nice feautre in a sheer foundation, since many other products this sheer are things along the lines of tinted moisturizers. I simply need more coverage because I have hyperpigmentation and melasma. In the end, if you are looking for a fairly inexpensive foundation that is very sheer and matte, this might be worth a look. But if you want much coverage, take a look elsewhere. As for that 16 hr thing, just ignore it and expect a normal length of wear.