Swatching RMK
RMK is one of my top favorites brands, specially when it comes to blushes. I am really surprised that these blushes aren’t more often reviewed and raved on the blogosphere. When I wanted to expand my collection I couldn’t find enough information or swatches online then saw a mission for me here… so I have gathered a few products and today I will show them to you, believe me, it’s not a sacrifice to spend my money on RMK, whatever the product the chances it doesn’t work for me are so minimal that I absolutely don’t mind taking the risk.
RMK was launched in 1997 by Rumiko, a Japanese professional makeup artist, I just wish her brand was more easily available. Thanks to Rouge Deluxe I got the info that Rumiko is actually going to leave her place to a new Creative Director in 2013. I just sincerely hope that RMK’s phylosophy will remain exactly the same.
Unlike other brands, RMK manages to create vibrant and bold colors and make them wearable on a daily basis, I mean “easily” wearable, no need to blend for hours and to need to be a scientist to pick the right amount of product. RMK claims that their makeup will make you feel “happier, sexier and fresher”, it’s exactly what I want and what it does to me, I like to wear discrete makeup for work but discrete and subtle does not mean flat. I love when natural comes with some kind of twist, therefore, most of my RMK products made it into my Holy Grail sanctuary…
Seven obsessions, one weakness and one disappointment
It’s time for confessions…
Have you already been obsessed with a beauty product ? If you didn’t, I am happy for you. If you did, how did you get around it ???
I am very passionate about beauty products, it’s a hobby, an insanely expensive little hobby. On a weekly basis I discover new products, find new favorites and from time to time, get my hands on some crazy obsessions. They would not stop me from living my life happily but they will haunt me until I manage to get (enough of) them.
My HG brushes and more
My reason fails me when it comes to makeup brushes, I have this unrestrained curiosity to discover more and more and I don’t think I will ever have enough of them. The worst part is that it’s not going to end soon and due to the newest acquisitions that keep on coming my favorites may change on a regular basis.
When I finally calm down and my wallet gets some peace and quiet you then send me new links and trigger my inner beast again ! I don’t know if I have to thank you or blame you, probably both, but I do enjoy it, a lot.
I am creating this post due to high demand, I received a few emails recently about brushes and thought that it was time for a new post on that topic, it will certainly help me address these questions a little bit more in detail.
Your questions were related to my favorite brushes: whatever the price, whatever the brand. After a few days, weeks actually, of deliberation I came to the conclusion that it would not be easy to answer and the result would involve a lot of them, more than 140 actually, 140 is not the total amount of brushes I have, it’s just the number of brushes that made it into my very top favorites. I did my best to narrow it down to just a very few by category but still, too many.
These are most of my HG brushes :
New brushes : web discoveries – Part 2
If you have been reading the recent comments, you may know that yesterday I received a few new brushes, 6 bought on the Tanseido website and 3 on the Rakuten website. In the afternoon I managed to also buy a funny brush but you’ll know more if you get to the end of the post…
My research at the moment is specially targeting :
- Mac 239 dupes
- Small (tiny) and very soft laydown brushes
- Suqqu dupes
- Big eyeshadow brushes OR small cheek brushes
- Foundation brushes
With that in mind, I ordered the following brushes :
I have to say that my (and our) determination is transforming our research for exceptional brushes into a fun an scarily easy process…
Eyebrows – Focus on Tom Ford, Suqqu, Shu Uemura
Although I am not doing much on my eyebrows on a daily basis, it does make a difference when I do and with a smokey eye look it’s just simply mandatory. I really truly deeply prefer not to overdo my eyebrows, I always try to keep it to a minimum and as natural as possible, I find that the more I do on them the older it makes me look and we don’t need that 
If you were thinking of enhancing the shape of your eyebrows, you may want to watch a few tutorials or videos first if you are not sure what to do, there are hundreds of them out there ! Have a look at this one by Wayne on eyebrow shapes, it’s funny and interesting and he made another even funnier here. Jen is also absolutely amazing, I love how clear her tutorials are and how helpful, she summarizes every single step here. Pixiwoo also share their experience in a video and if you watch all these videos you will know everything you need to know about eyebrows. For those who lost their eyebrows or have over-plucked them, I love this video, I think Carly has simply great ideas and I could listen to her for hours. I did over-plucked them two years ago, not much but I did and I have been told off by my an esthetician, she told me they would not grow back again, but luckily they did. Actually, I prefer to wax around the eyebrows, top, underneath the arch and in the middle of both, I love how soft it feels afterwards and to tell you the truth, I hate plucking them, every hair out equals a sneeze and apart from my boyfriend who laughs like a drain, I don’t really find it very enjoyable so I only pluck them when necessary in between each wax appointment.
Once you have the shape that matches the best your eyes and your face, the product you’ll use to fill them in depends on what you need to add to the shape and the density. Mine don’t really behave but at least they are not high maintenance, I don’t even fill them in on a daily basis and if I do, just roughly. If I do a stronger look then I’ll need to balance and frame my eyes a bit better and therefore I will pay a bit more attention to them.
Since I have a few high-end and rare products, I will share my thoughts on them with you. If you have tried them already or have favorites, please also share for whoever is interested in perfecting their eyebrows
These are the products I most enjoy using :
- Mac powder eyeshadows (or any other eyeshadow). It can be cheap, fast, nice and easy when you don’t need much precision.
- The Tom Ford Brow Sculptor, expensive like no other, fast, great when you want a bit more precision and with a great long-lasting result.
- The Suqqu eyebrow liquid pen, not cheap, not easy to find either, when you want precision and long-lasting results.
- The Shu Uemura Hard Formula eyebrow pencil, not cheap, not easy to find, when you don’t need much precision and when you have some brows !
- A long-lasting matte pencil liner (like Mac Duck or any other waterproof pencil) and an eyebrow brush, not that cheap but reasonable, when you want long-lasting results with adjustable precision since it will depend on the brush.
- A special palette for eyebrows containing powder, wax and tools. Easy but maybe a bit too bulky if you don’t need to use everything.
- (more…)
My 2012 brush awards
I thought it could be a fun idea to start the year with some pictures of the most exceptional brushes I have come across during 2012. I have tried to narrow down the list to the minimum but there are still so many of them !
I wanted to pick the most exceptional and unique, the ones that have surprised me the most, not exactly the most necessary. I will make sure I share at least one link where you can find them in order to get more details on the brushes. They are not in preference order, just brand by brand. You will see the picture of the brush(es) and below the picture a small comment on each.
The most lovable brush !
Koyudo designed the most creative and tempting brushes I have seen this year, I am nearly scared when they release new brushes because I know there is a big chance than an order will follow. This macaron has been released in 3 colors, there is also an orange and a purple, it’s adorable, incredibly soft, tiny, very densely packed and firm, not the most necessary brush I admit but I have to say that this one is one of the most beautiful brushes to look at.
I use it to apply powder or blush, the surface covers approx 4cm and it’s only 5cm tall.
My current favorite makeup brushes
Makeup brushes is actually the main reason why I started this blog. I was often reading beauty blogs and the comments and suddenly I thought that having so many brushes could actually be helpful to others, the questions were often related to their size and comparison to similar ones and that’s something I thought I could provide.
I am easily tempted when it comes to brushes, I mean easily. If I can, I will. Sometimes I know I am making a huge mistake but I need to see by myself…
It’s only my opinion that I will share here, not the one of a Master in makeup brushes, but I will always give you my humble and honest opinion and experience, whatever the brand. I also want to mention that if these are my HG, they may not be HG for everyone and I haven’t tried all the brands available today – thanks God ! The prices are also often high and paying a high price for a makeup brush is not always something that everyone can or want to do, I don’t mind doing it, but it has to be worth it.
I have tried to narrow down the list to the very top favorite brushes for each usage, I clearly cannot select all of the brushes I love otherwise I will make a post a mile long, so here you will only see the ones that have seriously blown my mind.
In this first picture, I have just gathered together the very top selection of all the brushes mentioned in this post, I will very briefly cover them under each category, these few have been serious great discoveries for me, some are just insanely beautiful, others are incredibly efficient and often unique.
Summer 2012 favorites
I don’t know about you, but here in Switzerland you can clearly feel that summer 2012 is over.
I thought I would write a post on products I have been using the most during the last season, this can involve LE items, older season items, early fall releases… I just took all the products that have been used and loved the most and here they are :
Holiday post – Beauty items packed lightly…
I used to pack too much makeup in the past but I am getting better, this time I really have to pack even lighter, I don’t have the choice since we are leaving on our motorbikes. Not my favorite means of transport but next year I will do something more “me”, maybe New York or the Maldives ?
I started packing, even though I could absolutely leave home only with my moisturizer, my mascara and my lip balm, I decided to pack some more things, still too many but let’s see what I can do…, so far it sums up to :
Ultimate flattering matte and satin eyeshadows for everyone
Some years ago I felt it was time to upgrade my makeup products and adapt my makeup routine, I sat at the Trish McEvoy counter one day and they told me what I was doing wrong. They kept on saying “Now you have to… Now you cannot..” it was a bit upsetting because I had to face the fact that I wasn’t 20 anymore and I was also sad because I loved shimmery and metallic textures and daring looks. However, when I left their counter that day, I looked much younger and refreshed, they weren’t wrong at the end 
I am in my 40′s and it’s now a necessity for me to pay attention to what makeup I wear and how I wear it, these are my eyeshadow rules and recommendations :
- Find the right texture, not too powdery, not too shimmery, if you see that the texture accentuates the wrinkles and settles into the lines, upgrade your makeup to a more appropriate eyeshadow finish
- Place the dark colors at the right place, use smaller and more precise brushes
- Blend well and define without harsh lines
- Find the colors and the looks that are the best for you, “Less is more” is definitely the best way to go, but with the right products and right techniques there is no reason you could not afford a more dramatic look
- Always use a primer, it will help to prevent the eyeshadow from sliding into the fine lines and I choose a primer that is lighter than my foundation (Laura Mercier, Trish or UD Eden)
- After applying the eyeshadow, if I find that the result is too shimmery and not appropriate, I take a cotton a go softly over the eyeshadow application, it really does help to remove that over shimmery-looking effect when I don’t have time to start over.
- I sometimes use secret-weapon products like the Trish Line Refiner for around the eyes orthe Chantecaille Lip contour for around the lips…
- Last but it’s actually the most important advice I could give you : use good make up brushes !
The eyeshadows I will show you here are mattes, satin, some are even more shimmery but they all are extremely forgiving and flattering, I have tried to pick mostly mattes but I really love a more luminous and silky finish so there’s a bit of everything :
Most of them are extremely expensive brands, you can find less expensive brands that also work well but here I am talking about ultimate results and most of the time you will have to pay the price for that.
Some of these palettes might be discontinued and I am really sorry about that, but, it will show them to you anyway, this will give you an idea of what the brand has and if one day you come across some sale or outlet, then you may even find them at a good price. If I mention them here, it’s because I highly recommend them and I am hoping that if they are not available anymore, the Brand will re-promote them or add them into their permanent collection.
A short shopping trip to London…
The tiny duck is a lip gloss…
I am just back from a 4-day shopping trip in London, I know some of you are wondering what new make up items I got over there, so here they are and I added some swatches for part of them. Some were already in my most wanted shopping list and others are new discoveries.
I had the most wonderful time in this city, as always… I will not only share the hauling but also give you some more details on the trip, maybe you are planning to go there soon and you are wondering where are the best places to shop for make up and beauty.
I have been traveling to London very often, either for work, for shopping, or for special events like the RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) and soon also IMATS (International Make-Up Artist Trade Show).
First, the haul. Then, if you are interested, there will be more about me and about London and also some personal tips if you are planning to go there for shopping, just grab a coffee and keep reading if you feel like… it’s a bit long I am afraid
Tom Ford Bronzing powder in Terra
Since I love Tom Ford blushes, I could not pass on the bronzer… a huge and extravagant compact with a big amount of product and a price that goes with it.
For this summer, Tom Ford released a shimmer bronzing powder “Gold Dust” and a matte ” Terra” that will both be part of the permanent line.
Terra bronzer
Tom Ford eyeshadow quads – I can wear sparkle again…
I have been using Tom Ford eyeshadow quads for a while now and I am glad I waited before I shared my thoughts.
Now that the honeymoon phase is over I can speak with more objectivity
My profile
A few years ago it did not really matter if I was using a high quality eyeshadow, I could not really see that much difference on my lids, as long as I loved the color and the texture, I was very happy. Today I can clearly notice the difference since my eyelids are getting older.
I prefer to stay away from metallic, glitter and sparkles or too shimmery finishes, they don’t look great on me anymore and sometimes they make me look older and tacky.
First impressions
When I saw the Tom Ford quads, I saw the glitter and I thought I would not love them at all. It took me some time to want to have another look at them and it’s only when they convinced me to try them at the TF counter that I realized the glitter was actually gorgeous !
Wayne, gossmakeupartist in Youtube calls this pressed glitter “grown-up sparkle” and I couldn’t agree more. There’s something different about it… it looks actually very beautiful and wearable.
Is it worth the price tag ?
Now, to see if the final price justifies the acquisition of one or more quads, you have to consider your expectations and your budget.
What I expect from make up is to be able to create an intense, sophisticated modern look, easily and that lasts all day, I don’t want to look tacky but I love to use daring shades or textures in a wearable way and on a daily basis.
My expectations are all met with TF, depending on the quads, with more or less accuracy.
Now let’s talk about the price. We need to put this into perspective, in Switzerland all make up items are awfully expensive, if you tell the price of a Tom Ford quad to someone here that usually buys Dior quints, YSL quads, or Chanel or any other high end brand, a Tom Ford quad is cheaper in comparison and they won’t be shocked.
His quads are expensive but you will have to pay for the luxury branding and the amount of product you get. That said, you pay when and if you are happy with what you get in return. If TF does not meet your expectations, it’s clearly not worth it.
You will get a fair amount of shadow for your money and it will last you a very long time, it’s clearly more worth it for someone who will use them on a regular basis and who will use ALL of the shadows in the quad.
The quad
I am sure you already know what they look like, but here they are :
A dark burgundy masculine heavy compact with 10g of eyeshadows. Two applicators, cute, but … well… not really useful unless you forgot your own brushes…
Tom Ford blushes
The day I was the most impressed with a make up application was the day I had my make up done at a Tom Ford counter in Harrods. I went from the most exhausted looking face to the most glamourous look in about half an hour, my addiction to Tom Ford began that same day.
Tom Ford is a powerful man, I love his range. The first time I heard about his make up launch, I could not wait to fly to London and see it by myself, I did my best to schedule a business trip as soon as possible and I rushed to the TF counter.
First thing I saw from far far away : the blushes. They were hanging in the counter glowing and shouting my name 
My first impression : I thought I could never wear them !
I was afraid to get close to them, I was fearing disappointment. I tried to get a bit closer and wanted to swatch them… but the people working there were so pushy that I just wanted to leave…
I tried again at another TF counter, this time it was even worst. I like to be left alone for a little while and only go talk to them when it’s time this sounds weird but I am not an awful person, just need a little time to think, on my own.
My last try was finally the one, I ended at the Harrods TF counter and they were amazing. I loved their attitude and I even stayed for a full face make up application.
7 Tom Ford brushes, 5 more to go… A short review of the ones I own today
I admit, I love luxury.
Tom Ford says :
“My mission is to bring luxury back, expressed through my voice and my style. It is important to me to instill glamour, integrity, and sophistication in everything I do.”
Everything in these brushes feels luxurious, the packaging, the handles, the quality of the natural or the synthetic hair and the finish, but there’s a catch : the price. Their price starts at 35 Gbp for the cheapest brush up to 80 Gbp for the Bronzer brush.
The Tom Ford brush collection is made of 12 white bristle brushes, natural or synthetic depending on the brush, the handles seem to be made of the same material and color as his eyeshadow quads, blushes or the new lipsticks.
I have 7 Tom Ford brushes and I will be giving you some information on the ones I own today :
| Tom Ford Brush |
Full length | Hair length | Width of the ferrule foot |
|
| 05 Bronzer | 17.2 | 4.2 | 3 | |
| 06 Cheek | 15.8 | 3.3 | 2.3 | |
| 02 Cream Foundation | 15 | 2.5 | 2 | |
| 11 Eye Shadow | 17 | 1.5 | 1 | |
| 12 Eye Shadow contour | 16.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | |
| 13 Eye Shadow blend | 17.3 | 1.8 | 0.6 | |
| 14 Smoky Eye | 16.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
Table is in cm (cm x 0.39 = in)
I have always preferred brushes with white bristles, whatever the brand. They look dirty faster than black brushes but I have washed these many times and they always clean perfectly well and revert to the original color, no stains left behind at all.
I have tried to ask at the TF counters what hair they were made of, they always replied “natural hair”. What natural hair ? They could not tell me, at that time they had just launched… I had a very short look at their file since it was open on the counter and I read “goat” and “horse” but I am sorry I cannot tell you exactly which one since they could not confirm…
They are so incredibly soft, I guess that for the bronzer brush, they may have picked goat hair from the neck region since these are the softest, longest and thinner hair but this is only a guess…
- They are well-balanced and feel heavy.
- I did not experience any eyeshadow fall-out during application.
- They did not shed.
- Most of them are very densily packed.
- The hair are perfectly shaped, I just cannot find any flaws on the ones I have.
- They don’t have a funny smell.
- If they fall on a hard surface, I am not sure how they would react, my bronzer brush did and there is a very tiny chip on the handle, you cannot see it unless you look very close but they may be more fragile than any other Mac or Louise Young.
- The gold ferrule is exactly the same gold color as the Hakuhodo S100 series, but I don’t know if they are also made of brass-rolled 24-karat gold with clear coating…
The packaging
They are protected with a small plastic brush guard that covers the bristles and also another full size plastic brush bag, they come in his typical TF boxes.
They are made in Japan, JAPAN is engraved on the back of all the brush handles.
An overview of my current favorite make up brushes
I am not a make up artist and my opinions are only based on my personal experience with the brands I tried. I love make up brushes and after a few years into make up, I have gathered a few of them. The day I discovered that a good make up brush could make a significant difference in a make up application I was intrigued and started to build my collection.
I have taken pictures of the brushes that I love the most and that I use regularly, for each category I highlight my very favorites and tell you why I love them so much. The same brush may be pictured in different categories since I try to get the most of each one of them. I apologize it’s a bit long and mixed up…
My profile
I have extremely dry and sensitive skin, only a few moisturizers work for me and of course the ones that work are extremely expensive. On a daily basis I use the Laura Mercier Repair creme without SPF. Before discovering this moisturizer I could not wear foundation at all, even foundations for dry skin, I had dry patches and flakes within 2 hours of application.
I prefer to apply my foundation with a sheer coverage, sometimes medium coverage but either way I always aim to achieve a glowy look and I don’t usually powder afterwards.
When I wake up, even after the shower, my skin is still really sensitive, using a soft brush on my eyelids and my face made a big difference in my daily routine, the application is so relaxing and smooth, and that’s why I love soft brushes so much.
These are the make up brands that I use the most :
- Rouge Bunny Rouge
- Tom Ford
- Chantecaille
- Le Metier de Beaute
- Guerlain
- Chanel
- By Terry
- Suqqu
- Shu Uemura
- Mac
I will always try to use products and techniques that don’t emphasize my wrinkles or that don’t look heavy or cakey, I am not a make up artist, my opinions are only based on my personal experience.
Foundation, buffing and stippling
In the picture below, you will see my favorite foundation brushes :
Favorite foundation brushes
I’ll try to give you some examples with some of the foundations I love to wear :
- For mineralize cream foundation (Mac) : Real Techniques stippling brush or RM Radiance
- For liquid foundation (Tom Ford, Burberry, BB, Laura Mercier, By Terry, etc) : RM Radiance, Hakuhodo G5556 4mm, Sigma F80 or Coastal Scents Bionic. With the Radiance, no need to buff afterwards but with the others I still like to buff with the Mac 187 or any other similar stippling brush, even though it’s not really always necessary.
- For very liquid foundation (Mac or Make Up For Ever face and body) : LY 34, I noticed the bristles suck a lot of foundation but with a very liquid foundation that’s the one I would reach for, mainly for body foundation.
- For mineralize powder foundation (Bare Escentuals) : Coastal Scents Bionic for a flawless and heavier coverage and Chanel 1 for a more natural sheer to medium coverage.
My top favorite is the Rae Morris Radiance, the finish is like an airbrushed application. The price is high but worth it and I could live only with this brush.
A Tom Ford experience in Harrods
That week, I was in London for work, I was so happy to be there ! A paradise for me ! So many excellent brands to try that I just couldn’t wait to get started !
Work during the day and in the afternoon or evening visit to the beauty counters !
Tom Ford counters were busy that week, I wanted to see his new products by myself and ask a few questions, I finally managed at Harrods. They even asked me if I wanted my make up done… I was a bit embarrassed since I was exhausted, my face looked really dull and tired, I just wanted to have some rest, but the temptation was really too strong and I accepted !
Actually her approach at the TF counter was really soft and friendly and not too pushy or snobbish if you see what I mean… I loved that ! That is also why I accepted.
Recent Comments