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…

This is my little collection, some items are Limited Edition but most of these are available. I have to label them because the packaging is similar, you can imagine how much time I save in the morning:

Let’s start with the blushes.

They have several options :

• RMK Airy Matte Cheeks (New)
• RMK Creamy Sheer Powder Cheeks
• RMK Ingenious Powder Cheeks (Matte or Pearl)
• RMK Ingenious Jelly Cheeks
• RMK Sheer Powder Cheeks
• RMK Mix Colors for Cheeks

I won’t be able to show you all of them since I don’t own the Jelly or the Airy today, but I’ll show you the other ones I own. First let me just tell you that RMK scored in all categories : texture, finish, longevity, I have never found a blush that has this high quality. On top of that, they are appropriate for anyone,  it will depend on the shade but so far all of these look amazing on my skintone (neutral, NW20 for reference). If I really had to, I could throw away all my other blushes and keep only these RMK, but we all know this won’t happen…

The Ingenious Powder cheeks Matte

MT-03 Strawberry pink : you can watch a video of Lisa Eldridge applying it and also acess here a picture of the blush on an RMK model.

There is a lot of glow in the MT-03, but it’s divine, I don’t see a matte blush here but anyway I don’t like matte blushes without any glow at all, powder looks terrible on my skin. The more you build it the more it will be opaque but it will never look powdery or heavy, just very very strong and dramatic if you take it to the extreme, but just like the other RMK blushes, they are buildable from the sheerest glow to the most stunning opaque perfection.

MT-04 Rose Pink

Same qualities repeated here, matte with a glow, not as intense as the MT-03 but not entirely matte either.

I am afraid I don’t know which one is the Shiseido, tomorrow I will take the pan with me to the shop and will check it out.

MT-05 Peach

Slightly more matte here but not entirely, just the right balance. If you look at the swatches, at the bottom of the picture you can see powder residue on some products (Burberry, D&G), that will just not happen with RMK.

MT-08 Natural Brown

I remember Ernesto (working at the RMK counter in Selfridges) telling me “you know this is a shading blush”, me “yes” (…and GIVE IT TO ME NOW… 😀 ). It was out of stock … so I had to calm down and order it.

The Kevyn Aucoin will deliver a more natural shadow for sculpting but my skin prefers a more pinkish contouring, I have to be very careful with the KA otherwise it will look muddy, I don’t have that problem with the RMK.

The Ingenious Powder cheeks Pearl

P-09 Holographic Soft Coral

This range is more complex, they have some holographic effect to them therefore they will be more obvious on the skin, I use them as highlighters on top of bronzers for example or on their own. They look stunning in spring and summer.

When you look at the Shu blush, it also appears interesting and it is beautiful, but then when applied, RMK really keeps it’s holographic effect and the Shu looses a bit of its complexity.

P-10 Holographic Coral Pink

This will rock your night, gorgeous but obvious, not tacky-obvious but if you want a statement shade that’s a great one to go for and if you love coral pinks you’ll be in heaven. It’s so creamy and silky, better than the Shu or any other one.

P-11 Holographic Shiny Pink

When I received it, I didn’t think I would love it. It looks a bit too neutral in the pan but this looks so insanely sexy, the sparkles are not that visible on the cheeks (although some will be there but will fade away). One of my favorite looks is to pair this blush with Cle de Peau T5 lipstick and the Benefit “sexiest nudes ever” palette. The little sparkles on the lipstick  “bring back” the sparkles on the blush in an elegant and sexy way, the whole look is very flattering, a bit on the daring side for a day at the office but fantastic for a casual day or even an evening out.

The Sheer powder cheeks

02 Coral Orange

I have just receive these two sheer powder cheeks, I could not try them yet, since I am still a bit sick, wearing this on my pale sick skin could be a bit scary to look at right now. When I’ll feel better, I’ll update this post with my personal experience.

EX-03 Rosy Brown

Same as above, I will try it and will let you know. It’s very sparkly so I probably won’t be able to use it for the office hours…

The Mix Colors for Cheeks

Now we enter a whole new dimension for a blush. It can just not get any better than that. You can either pick one or two shades or swirl them together, whatever the combination it will be gorgeous.  They have a shine, a glow more than a shine. The powder is very finely milled and is very easy to apply and blend, delivers an application that lasts all day on my skin.  They don’t come with a brush but they have a mirror inside.

They take very little place in your beauty bag but have the most stunning impact, this is what I call enhancing your complexion, worth every penny.

I have a Givenchy blush that has the same idea behind, a mixed glow with several options, but the RMK are more unique and flattering.

The RMK 15th Anniversary palette is meant to be used swirling your brush across all the colors, this process will pick just the right amount of each shade onto your brush.

The Creamy Sheer powder blush is more creamy than powder, the yellow pan is very soft shimmer, the coral is stunning.

For the eyes…

I don’t have many products, I am not crazy about them unlike the blushes. These are the only ones that really tempted me.

The Mix colors for eyes in 08 Beige is really subtle, I need to add some lining there to define my eyes a bit more but for an office day it’s very elegant and fresh.

The Mix colors for eyes in 09 Gold Brown, I am just loving the dark shade there, did you already bought a palette for one shade ? I did.

The Ingenious Waterproof pencil has great lasting power, I prefer the Addiction Rabbit Hole but at least I can switch between the two.

The RMK single eyeshadow BR-01 has a nice texture, not powdery and blends well. I wanted to get more but they are a bit on the expensive side…

RMK Dusty Bright Eyes 03

It’s a little cream pot with a sparkly pan that swings open underneath, sparkly but more opaque than the TF.

I often wear Mac Blackground for a smokey eye, I refuse to stop despite my old age 😀  There is a smokey eye for everyone I believe. The RMK has nice lasting power and does not crease but I wear a base and set it with either the sparkly pan or a different eyeshadow.

For the lips… 

I don’t have many products. The one I enjoy the most is the RMK lip crayon in 01 Pink.  I love it so much, it’s fresh, makes my face look so much more alive. The lasting  power is not that excellent and it doesn’t look like there is much product in these lip crayons, I will get to the end of it, and I will repurchase over and over again.

I add some comparison swatches here. I swatched the RMK 01 Gold Pink twice so that you see the gold is really in the center but it’s very subtle.

The Dior 240 is a bit more coral, I am in my second tube but it’s very expensive here, what I like about the Dior and the RMK is that they have some color but look a bit like a balm, easier to wear than a true lipstick. The RMK  doesn’t dry my lips but I have to exfoliate them because wearing these bright pink-peachy shades do enhance the flaws.

Just wanted to add a picture of their two mascara wands.

I prefer the RMK Extra Deep W, delivers a fuller appearance of my lashes. The Separate Curl adds visible length but BOTH keep the curl ALL DAY LONG, I insist, all day long, amazing.

For the RMK Extra Deep W, you have to apply the mascara, then the fibers, then the mascara again. Does it make a difference ? yes it does and it’s worth it.

When I visit Selfridges UK, I always see Ernesto and we always have a chat, he is very helpful, always happy and friendly, he recognizes me every single time I go there maybe because when I go, I spend a long time playing with RMK products. He doesn’t know about the blog and he must think I am crazy 😉  I think he is just shocked about the quantity of RMK items I buy at their counter  😀 “here’s the crazy one again...”

I just don’t understand why there isn’t more passion around these blushes, they deserve all our attention.

I couldn’t cover all the aspects but if you have any questions, do let me know !