To risk stating the obvious, I find that makeup brands founded by makeup artists tend to create superior products.
People, usually women, whose bread and butter is applying cosmetics to the highest standard, on many different faces, often in intense environments, know their onions when it comes to developing an excellent foundation or (spoiler!) the best cream eyeshadow.
Years of hands-on experience, or as with RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie Swift, decades, is an unbeatable education. It's something no cynical conglomerate or celebrity casting a flinty eye at the big bucks beauty market can come close to. Case in point: The entire RMS range. But particularly Cashmere Matte Eyelights, a new launch that is - and I don't use this term lightly - an absolute belter.
Why RMS Cashmere Matte Eyelights is my beauty buy of the week
Most cream eyeshadows have great advertising - a subtle wash of colour, yes please - but I find their promise to performance ratio out of whack.
It's a bit of a 'me' problem; I have oily skin and hooded lids that are getting less firm with every passing year, so anything I apply on them gets all warm and melty and slips around. This one did not, and I can't even really tell you why.
This range of eight neutral shades, i.e ones you'd actually want to wear, all have a soft matte finish. I tried Mallo Coast, a dusty taupe that's more modern than a cool brown, and intensifies blue, green or grey eyes.
You need the teeniest blob, hence the cute painterly tube's narrow nozzle. I squeezed it onto the middle of my lid then smooshed it around with a small brush (you could use your fingers, mine just aren't delicate enough). It blended like a dream, set fast, then, miracle of miracles, simply stayed put for the promised eight hours without creasing.
Because I have cream shadow trust issues, I initially used a primer on one lid, which actually worked against the formula's beautiful blending properties. Learn from my mistake and don't bother with anything except a smudge of this, maybe your best mascara after. Truly, it looks gorgeous as-is.
My hooded lids and I demonstrating this flattering, subtle cream eyeshadow
Finally, let me tell you about Rose-Marie Swift, who has worked with huge designers and the most famous faces imaginable, but her real genius is speaking truth to power and acting on it through her brand.
RMS is essentially the OG of 'clean' beauty, predating the Gwyneth-propelled Goopification of the industry. Swift has studied and scrutinised cosmetic chemicals and isn't afraid to call out BS. Her ultra-considered formulations reflect this care and attention to detail.
Honestly, clean beauty is not even a top priority of mine, but briliantly formulated makeup is, and that's RMS; easy to work with, delicious-looking and flattering on the face, particularly if your 20s are in the rear view mirror. I can't list everything I love here (ok, a few: Luminizer, Lip2Cheek, Un-Coverup Concealer) but I'm always quick to snaffle any samples that come into the office, and I'm yet to try a dud.
Sound good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
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