Love it: rms beauty's new Luminising Powder

Celebrity makeup artist and the organic beauty mogul behind rms beauty , Rose-Marie Swift has been a make-up artist for over 35 years, so when I was given the chance to get up close and personal with her a couple of years ago I was beyond excited. 

Swift’s work has been featured in Vogue (French, Italian, American, Nippon, China, Russian) W, Harper's Bazaar, I.D., Self Service, V, Allure, Numéro, Marie Claire, Glamour, Interview, and Elle. Her make-up has appeared in ads for the likes of Diane Von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton, and her photographic partners over the years include Mario Sorrenti, Peter Lindbergh, David Simms, Annie Leibovitz, Arthur Elgort, and Patrick Demarchelier. The words “industry legend” have been bandied about, and with good reason.

She visited New Zealand for the first time when we met as a guest of Mecca Cosmetica, who stock her products exclusively Down Under. After us she was flying to Australia and then on to Los Angeles, where she was to be a guest at supermodel Miranda Kerr’s wedding to tech mogul Evan Spiegel. I spent a morning speaking to her about her unique approach to makeup, which has that ever-elusive “glow” as its end goal, and came away with so many beauty hacks I felt like my brain was going to explode!

Clearly one smart cookie, the ageless beauty also gives some great insight into natural and organic beauty solutions, stressing that we mustn’t be so affected by marketing, product claims and brand names: “just get cleaner makeup”. All of which bring me to her line, rms beauty. It is essentially an original, pure, organic colour cosmetic line that performs and then some. Based on living and organic principles, each product is created to hydrate and illuminate vital, radiant skin and is the perfect choice for your best ever ‘natural’ look. rms beauty  is dedicated to transforming the way women use makeup, creating a product that is not only non-toxic, but actually heals and nourishes skin. Consider it skincare with mineral colour - giving make-up a whole new meaning.

rms beauty already makes the most beauty editor-approved highlighter on the planet in the form of the legendary Living Luminiser, which I have been using in various shades since meeting its creator and absolutely adore. So it was with EXTREME excitement that I greeted news that the all-natural beauty brand has released a powder version of its popular highlighter in three shades: Grande Dame, a pale champagne; Midnight Hour (above), a beige, warm peach; and Madeira Bronzer, a shimmering, cool-toned bronze. Having played with two of the three shades now I am totally hooked, and what I love most is the fact that the powders are so finely milled that the finish is sublimely subtle, but you can build them to be as blindingly strobed as you like.

The silky smooth, luminising powders challenge traditional formulas in that they are refreshingly non-drying and will actually enhance your skin to create a luxurious highlight. They leave your skin moisturised and radiant, and their light never dulls.

Those in the know recommend that you apply them using the rms beauty Luminising Powder Brush, and after trying a few different options, I have to agree. Designed with perfectly angled bristles and retractable, it precisely applies powder highlighter to illuminate features and give dimension to the face. It is also 100 per cent vegan, and made of the safest highest-quality synthetic hairs. I have found that loading just a little product on the brush is the best way to start, then layer up as need be depending on how deep with pigment you want to go.

So there you have it – amazing. The rms beauty Luminising Powders and Brush will be available exclusively at Mecca Cosmetica and online at www.meccabeauty.co.nz from 26th February 2019.