Fall 2010: RMK Nail Color EX in P-21 Deep Purple Rose

There are 4 new Nail Color EX shades from RMK for fall 2010, nice rich colors perfect for this season. I haven´t tried RMK nail polish before but when I saw this post on Rouge Deluxe I had to get that same color P-21 Deep Purple Rose because it looked like an awesome autumn color.

I got this product from Gooddealer as his price was the best however if you include the shipping and handling fees it turns out to be a slightly pricey nail polish. I have to say it´s absolutely worth it as the texture/color etc. are just perfect. 

I am not much of a nail polish person even though I have 100s of colors but there are some points that are really important for me (and probably the majority of other ladies, too.)
Ease of application (brush, leaves no strokes), opacity (with such rich colors I am looking for a good opacity!), drying time (the faster the better) and wear (that the nail color stays glossy and doesn´t chip for at least 4 days which is something i only encounter with the P&J nail colors). Furthermore I generally don´t like chunky glitter in my nail polish or a color which dries to a flat finish or gets dull/scratched quickly.

The RMK Nail Color EX fulfills all the criteria above, it´s very pigmented, applies smoothly, dries quickly and leaves a wonderfully glossy shine for at least 4 days. There was no chipping until removed the color on the 4th day as I wanted to try out another color I just got. 

Overall this is an absolutely fantastic product and sometimes it´s just worth paying a bit more for great quality. I know the nail pro ladies will flame me but this wears way better on me than OPI or Chanel =P 
I used a base coat from P&J and the Rapidry top coat from OPI (which I like better than Seche Vite btw).
The color is a deep berry plum shade, just what I like right now.

Retail 1525 Yen for 12ml.

Sorry for my ugly NOTD, had to trim my nails as they were breaking (a problem I often have).

Rating: 5/5

Spring 2010: RMK Gel Emulsion Compact SPF27 PA++ in #201

Hmmm yea, I still try new foundations hehe =) Despite having found pretty much my Holy Grail color match in the Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist (and I got the liquid version recently for the upcoming warmer weather) I still can´t resist ordering foundations especially if the color swatch looks amazingly pale =P


I actually already ventured into RMK´s foundation world with their cream foundation but it wasn´t good for me as it oxidized really badly on me (though the color #201 looked perfect at first). So I was definitely hesitant to try their new Gel Emulsion Compact but alone the name made me too curious and the swatch in #201 looked super light so I bit the bullet (high price tag!!) and got it.


The compact this comes in is actually very plain and ugly as well as the velvet pouch it comes in (already looked worn as the refill was pressed against it inside the box!). Seriously for the price they charge they could come up with something more elaborate and pretty. Or at least something that feels heavier and sturdier.
Also the refill doesn´t snap into the compact tightly as it always pops out when I open the cover of the refill.


When I first got my compact and refill set and I opened the small case with the foundation I was shocked by how heavily pink it looked. I know that the colors starting with a "2" are the pink-toned color whereas the ones with "1" are on the neutral - slightly yellow side but it looked seriously too pink.
But as soon as I swatched the foundation I was totally thrilled as this was a super pale color and the pink tones weren´t as obvious on my skin as in the compact!


The Gel Emulsion Compact foundation feels creamy and moist at first but dries down to a nice lightweight velvety matte powdery finish some seconds after application. You have enough time to blend the color before it dries down so the finish is really even and smooth.
The coverage it gives is about medium so if you need flawless coverage you should use concealer in addition.


The thing I dislike about the foundation is that it has the tendency to accentuate any (even minor) rough patches, tiny facial hair or fine lines one might have. So if one´s skin isn´t totally smooth the foundation doesn´t look even. I wore it on a day where I really had rough irritated skin and no moisturizer and primer could help evening it out so the foundation looked absolutely terrible. I removed it and chose a creamier liquid one instead.
Otherwise it gives a really pretty smooth finish and a very even skin-tone.
The color is just perfection. I actually felt it´s even on the lighter side for me and that means a lot as generally the lightest foundation shade won´t work for me as it´s usually to dark. As mentioned above the pink tones of the foundation aren´t obvious and the color just blends into my natural skin-tone flawlessly.


So overall I can recommend this for anyone who doesn´t have big skin-troubles to cover up. Also I think someone with mature skin might not find this to be the perfect choice as it accentuates and settles into fine lines (I actually didn´t know I had so many =X)
However the price (5775 Yen) is hefty so I am sure there are more perfect foundations out there!

RMK Creamy Foundation in #201

For some reason I am always keen to try out foundations - always on the hunt for THE perfect match for my annoyingly pale skin. I have quite a few foundations that match me almost perfectly but who knows, there might be the miracle foundation out there!


My latest acquisition is the Creamy Foundation from RMK in #201. This is one of the first times I actually decided on a pink-undertoned foundation which is something hard to find in Japanese brands (at least in a pale color...darker pink-toned ones are available there without a problem). The RMK foundation colors starting with "2" are the pink-toned ones whereas the "1" foundations have light yellow undertones.


The Creamy Foundation comes in a heavy cube-shaped glass jar with a spatula provided for hygienic use.

The texture is a soft cream which is not too emollient for my taste. The coverage is about sheer-medium I'd say. I prefer medium-full coverage but the RMK is ok in that department. The finish is slightly dewy but not greasy or oily.


Still I don't think that I like this foundation. First let me tell you that the color #201 looks exactly like my skin when applied first. That might sound great....

But I have one major problem which ruins the foundation for me more or less: It oxidizes. After 5 minutes the foundation turns noticeably darker and more orange.
Also, in combination with powder and/or concealer (I tried several ones I should add) the foundation gets a bit blotchy and has the tendency to clump up in certain areas of my face.


I thought that a makeup-artist-brand like RMK would offer great foundations but honestly I am not terribly impressed with the Creamy Foundation.

So my major pet-peeves are:
-Color changes
-Coverage too sheer
-gets uneven in combination with powder or concealer

The best foundation out there still is Maquillage's Climax Moisture Gel Foundation in OC-00 which provides great coverage, an excellent color match and a flawless and even finish.

Spring 2009: RMK Spring Translucence

As promised here are now my reviews/thoughts on a few of the new RMK Spring items.


The products I got are:
-Translucent Cheeks & Eyes 01 (retail 5250 Yen)
-Translucent Eyes 05 Translucent Gray (retail 3575 Yen)
-Irresistible Lips C #25 Shiny Coral Beige (retail 3150 Yen)


First off I have to rant about RMK's compacts. I just hate the super shiny mirror-finish which just looks like a smeary mess after touching it and is a pain to photograph. I know it's somewhat stylish but it just annoys me hehe.

-Translucent Cheeks & Eyes 01:


This was the item that attracted me most but it's probably the most disappointing one of the lot. It's a pretty little blusher compact (The flower theme is very cute!) but it's just not really that special or gives any oomph as it's a very light sheer (well, that's the "Translucence" theme) color. I have probably 10495940 similar pinks from other Japanese brands that are like 1/3 of the price.


The palette is supposed to be used on cheeks and eyes. The 2 eye colors are the lilac on the bottom right and the pale pink next to it. These 2 colors have shimmer whereas the rest of the colors are on the matte side.
The eye colors are pretty but I don't use pastels on my lids as they totally wash me out I can wear these 2 colors with some darker crease color but all in all I don't see much use of them so for me this is rather a blusher palette.


The color I achieve from swirling my brush across the compact is a pretty soft pink with a very light sheen but it takes me about 5 layers to see the color.
I really like the color that comes out but honestly I don't think this palette is worth the 5250 Yen (about US$59!) price tag at all!
I paid US$44.90 incl. shipping

-Translucent Eyes 05:


When I first swatched this I was quite disappointed with the total lack of pigment in the gray shade and was sure this would get a negative review from me.
But I have learned that testing something with my finger on bare skin can totally differ from using a brush on a primed eyelid.


The compact the Translucent Eyes comes in is really tiny, not much bigger than an RMK single shadows or a blusher (I think it's the same size even). I somehow imagined the eyeshadow duo bigger but I won't complain now as I don't use up shadows anyway so smaller compacts don't bother me really.


There is a smaller stripe of the highlighter color which is shimmery. The darker color has a very strange smooth and sheer texture but can be picked up well with a brush. The colors are very blendable and soft and look pretty worn together. I wore this for many hours today and it still looked fresh when I removed it.

I used the gray on my lids and blended it upwards with the pink worn on the rest of my eye up to my brows
According to my friend Iris from Rouge Deluxe the light pink highlighter is supposed to be used on top of the pastel gray but I a not so much into layering usually.


The colors are a soft silvery light gray and a sheer shimmery petal pink.
There are 4 other duos, all with a pink highlighter and a soft light color.
Retail is 3675 Yen = approx. US$42 (I paid US$34.99)

-Irresistible Lips C #25 Shiny Coral Beige:


I had a few RMK lippies around some time ago but didn't like them. They were drying and the colors were off (one was called "beige pink" and was a horrid bright matte orange on me).
The pic of the new Spring color #25 was very pretty and it was only US$21.99 on Facial-Shop (while this retail for 3150 Yen = approx. US$36) so I added it to my order anyway.


I am so glad I got this as this is seriously one of the prettiest lippies I got in the previous months.
It also has a smooth creamy and moisturizing texture with an interesting glistening (but not glittery or frosty) finish. It looks just divine.


The color is very neutral, a sheer corally beige but with a certain depth which makes it an interesting shade of lipstick. Even though it looks a bit orange on the pics it's definitely not when it mixes with the natural pink of my lips.


This has a certain flowery scent which doesn't linger though.
I highly recommend checking out the Irrisistible Lips C range!

Spring 2009: RMK Spring Translucence (teaser)

I am not normally a fan of RMK ... their stuff hasn't been outstanding in my opinion and the colors/formulas just rarely worked for/appealed to me (just a few items).


However this spring I really fell in love with their cute new Translucent Cheeks & Eyes palette in 01 Translucent Coral Pink. And since I found the items already listed on Facial-Shop along with a few other RMK spring items I ordered it right away. The price was very good (US$44.90 shipped whereas it retails for 5250 Yen which converts to about US$59 right now).


I won't go into detail now as thorough reviews/swatches will follow. So here is just a pic of the items:
-Translucent Cheeks & Eyes 01
-Translucent Eyes 05 Translucent Gray
-Irresistible Lips C #25 Shiny Coral Beige