makeup

(image from www.rmkrmk.com)

The Kanebo-owned RMK is the creation of Japanese makeup artist Rumiko. Its main consumer group includes those in their thirties and late twenties who tend to go for trendy colors with a sophisticated edge. For fall 2008, RMK’s ’80s Color collection places emphasis on neutral shades for the eyes and injects vibrancy into them. Today I am reviewing items from this collection.

(Jelly x Powder Eyes in 01 Natural Coral Beige
and 04 Silver Gold Beige)

– Jelly x Powder Eyes in 01 & 04

Jelly x Powder Eyes is a new creation from RMK for fall 2008. Those familiar with RMK might know that the brand has been carrying Jelly Eye Color (available in 6 (mainly pastel) shades) for some time. For this season, new eye duos are created with one shade of the same (jelly) texture and another complementing powdery shade. (The jelly shade is on top and the powdery shade is at the bottom.)

The two shades in the duo are designed to be layered. The jelly shade goes on first as a base color and the powder is layered on top. As you can see, the base shade is not necessarily lighter than the powder shade. As with 01, 02, 03, and 06, the jelly shade is the main shadowing color and the powder adds a veil of shimmer.

01 (Natural Coral Beige, left in photo) and 04 (Silver Gold Beige) are the lightest two duos of the six, and both have a nice light-neutral finish that will flatter those with fair and light complexions. The coral in 01 Natural Coral Beige can look too orange when worn alone, but, paired with the pale beige, the overall finish is a delicate shimmery warm gold.

Both shades in 04 Silver Gold Beige are quite sheer, but the shimmery particles in the gold powder shade are larger and much more sparkly than those in the pale beige in 01. I think this would be a good duo for evening makeup, as it creates a sparkly pale gold finish that looks nice alone or over darker neutrals.

I really like the texture and the staying power of the jelly shades. They are dense but are very easy to apply. (A great way to apply them is simply to use the sponge tip (marked J as seen in the photo), which dispenses and blends the powder effortlessly.) They basically feel like a gently wet powder that quickly dries up to a smooth finish with an impressive staying powder. I strongly recommend using a cleansing oil or a bi-phase eye/lip makeup remover to remove them.

(Jelly x Powder Cheeks in 02 Soft Rose
and 03 Soft Coral)

– Jelly x Powder Cheeks in 02 & 03

Again, Jelly Powder Cheeks are existing items, and RMK has come up with three new colors and paired a sheer powdery shade with each of them to create Jelly x Powder Cheeks. The jelly shades are easily applied with fingertips and the powder sets the color. The powder can also be applied slightly above the cheek bone to create definition for the face. (Both shades in the duo have shimmer.)

02 (Soft Rose) can look very dark (and almost too shimmery) when swatched on the back of the hand, but the finish is surprisingly natural on the cheeks and the shimmer doesn’t look obvious. (This is again a typical example of blushers from Japanese brands.) I usually use matte blushers and I can happily live with the subtle shimmer. The soft rose tone should suit most skin tones, and there is a natural transparency to the finish (as if the flush came from within the skin). 01 (Soft Coral) is my less preferred one, as it is a little too warm for me and does not have enough pink undertone to look natural.

Because of the creamy texture, I recommend putting on the jelly shade before your powder foundation or after your liquid/cream foundation.

(Irresistible Lips C in 22 Natural Rose)

– Irresistible Lips C in 22

RMK revamped its lipstick lineup a couple of years ago and launched three ranges. With Irresistible Lips B as the core range, Irresistible Lips M offers a satiny-matte finish while Irresistible Lips C creates a natural watery shine. (I bought 03 (a bright neon pink) from the Irresistible Lips C range when it was launched. I might review it a bit later. Before that, you can catch a glimpse of it here.)

22 Natural Rose is a muted rose-toned red that looks very elegant and is a great shade for fall and winter. It goes well with neutral eyeshadows as well as plums and warm purples, which are very on-trend for fall 2008.

What I like about Irresistible Lips C is its controllable color pay-off. One layer gives an ultra-natural tinted look that softly unifies the lip tone, an extra layer instantly imparts more color and shine, and a third layer creates extra volume for the lips with rich color. Typical of lipsticks from Japanese brands, all the different degrees of color pay-offs offer the beautiful sense of transparency (with no overly opaque finishes). The color wears well and doesn’t dry out the lips. The added scent is unusual among Japanese lipsticks (which are usually scent-free), but I like the very light cassis scent, which is never over-powering.

Overall, I think this is a very wearable collection and the shimmery neutral-toned colors are far from boring. It is particularly worth looking into if warm neutrals are your type of eyeshadow colors, and you will find shades for cheeks and lips that go very well with them.

(RMK is currently available in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Maylasia, Hong Kong, and Macau. UK is the only country outside Asia where RMK is available. Please check here for all the RMK retail points.)

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Can’t Live Without – RMK Cleansing Oil N

Japanese Beauty Brands in the UK

Beauty City Guide – London

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