RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek

During a stint at MAC Cosmetics, I had the fortune of an all-day training onsite at one of their stores. We spent a lot of time discussing eye makeup—MAC's eyeshadows are legendary both in color range and color payoff—but towards the end, I was growing overwhelmed with the sheer number of color choices. Decision fatigue is the aptly coined termed for the ambivalent, I want it all, I don't know what I want, someone help me decide, it all looks good stream of thought that renders me hapless when getting ready in the morning.

"All these eye looks are great," I ventured to the training manager, "but what about lips and cheeks? Some of us look sickly without some color, but how do we pull off lip, cheek and eye makeup without looking like clowns?" She nodded knowingly. "It's really easy. The trick is to—no matter what—make sure that your lips and cheeks match. You can pull off any combination of eyes, lips and cheeks, as long as the latter two are the same shade."

And she's right, of course. But powder blushes render this very hard to maintain, and in the spirit of less is more, using one product to satisfy both needs makes much more sense. And after becoming wise about what's actually in it, who wants to ingest their blush?

Demure: a soft pink rose with a hint of mauve

Here's where the clean beauty industry makes things very easy. There are a few brands out there with color that are safe enough to use on the lips, including RMS Beauty, Vapour Organics Li, and Tata Harper. RMS's Lip2Cheek is buttery and sheer. Its principle ingredient is coconut oil, so there's no stickiness, but it does soften upon application once it hits the skin and warms up.  RMS Beauty has gone mainstream, now offered at both J.Crew and Anthropologie (yaaay!). I've added the latter's impeccable swatches, which are very true to life. 

Here's to looking pulled together, easily and with minimal effort. 

Smile: a sheer coral with a retro feel

Demure (also used just on the cheeks) Used on a fresh day look on the wonderful website, sophiedahl.com

Beloved: a true red with just a hint of poppy

Demure (used just on the cheeks) from a J.Crew shoot. Photo by Brian Derballa.

Here, on Miranda Kerr, Rose-Marie Swift used Lip2Cheek in Rapture on her lips, with a slight bit added over the apple of her cheeks. (Photo from Vogue Australia.)

 Here, Lip2Cheek in Promise is used as a blush on the cheeks. (All products used here are by RMS Beauty, check out their blog here for details on what else was used.)

Ingredients:

*Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, * Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit (Buriti) Oil, Tocopherol (non-GMO), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) seed Oil, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, and may contain: [+/-Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxide CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Mica CI 77019] 

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC 

$36 RMS Beauty, The Detox Market, or Anthropologie. 

RMS Beauty Eye Polish

RMS Beauty is the creation of Rose-Marie Swift, a stellar make up artist whose work spans two decades and countless advertising campaigns, runway shows, and magazine covers. (She's also Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen's go-to makeup artist.) After discovering the detrimental effects that working in the beauty industry had on her—and her client's—health, she took matters into her own hands and created an upscale eponymous line. Enter little glass pots of coconut oil-based products that build beautifully and comfortably, resting on the skin with a sheen that looks believable. No brushes required—it's the un-makeup makeup. Once only procured in indie establishments, mainstream stores like Anthropologie are now carrying the line. Check out their gorgeous photographs at right and below....

RMS Beauty's signature eye polishes are cream eye shadows evolved. These pots of color are universally flattering—trust me, anyone can wear any of these colors! They aren't too shimmery, sparkly, or shiny, but rather, are modern and understated, with a subtle gleam. Plus, they're finger-friendly, and the coconut oil in the formulas moonlights as a natural anti-bacterial agent. 

RMS Beauty Eye Polish in Magnetic

However, they're not crease proof. I emailed Rose-Marie and here's what she said: "[T]hey are not guaranteed crease proof, but there are easier ways to apply it. Never have any eye cream or moisturizer underneath. Apply minimally and really work into the eye lid almost like you were polishing. Sounds strange I know, but these eye shadows are unique because the oil in them cause that dewy reflective look and make the eye look younger."  

I asked about using them with a liner, and she responded, "You need to keep a slight separation from the line and the shadow, 1/8 and the shadow will blend down slightly and have room [to spread] when not right on top of the liner.  My new powder can be used, but it will absorb the shine."

I'll pat these over powder shadow for a dewy look, or to tone things down if I get too enthusiastic with my eye makeup that morning. I tried patting Alima Pure shadows to stabilize them, but they still slip considerably during the day. You will need to reapply, especially if you're not in an arid climate. 

However, these pots are multipurpose! I use Solar as a gold highlighter on cheekbones and lips. I'm super pale, but the color gives a warm sheen in the summer months. Seduce and Magnetic look fantastic as an eyeliner on my lower lids; they stay put and soften during the day to a natural gleam—great if you're wanting an understated smokey eye. And Lunar is a great highlighter on cheekbones, cupid's bow, or the bridge of one's nose.

RMS Beauty Eye Polish in Magnetic. (used as a primer beneath a gold shadow.) Photography by Bryan Derballa.

RMS Beauty Eye Polish in Lunar

SHADE GUIDANCE  

(Taken from RMS Beauty's website.)

From left to right, beginning with top row: Inspire, Karma, Seduce, Magnetic, Solar, Lunar, Imagine.

Lunar: A champagne pearl shimmer that can double as a highlighter for a frosted evening look. 
Solar: A warm, golden bronze that can be used as a highlighter when blended subtly over the skin or lips. 
Karma: The ultimate color for a sultry, smoky eye. A rich, dark brown/black shadow with just a hint of silver makes this a very sophisticated color. Also great when used as a smoky liner.
Magnetic: Her biggest seller is this taupe/silver shadow with a hint of mauve. 
Seduce: A sensuous earthy brown hue that can double as a contour. 
Inspire: Metallic baby blue with a hint of silver, very 60s.

RMS Beauty Eye Polishes in Magnetic and Karma

Here, Rose-Marie applied her eye polish in Karma and a black  eyeliner to the inner rim of the eye. (From the RMS Beauty Blog.)