REVIEW: RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up

I've tried several products from RMS Beauty, and while thus far, the Living Luminizer is the only one to really work for me and my needs, I've been impressed with the company's aesthetic and formulations as a whole. After a good year of circling around this product, I finally found a lightly-used pot on a blogsale and took the plunge.

The RMS website describes the "Un" Cover Up as "a foundation or a light concealer" that "visibly melts into the skin while covering imperfections and redness." It's a relatively bare bones formula, comprised primarily of oils and pigments; in fact, coconut oil is the #1 ingredient (which is the case for a lot of RMS products). Lots of oil bodes well for dry-skinned folks like me, but if you're sensitive to those sorts of ingredients, you'll definitely want to patch test first.

I absolutely adore the packaging of RMS Beauty products, by the way. The frosted glass jars have sustained numerous dropsies from me, the lids are clean looking, and the overall presentation is simple and elegant. This is the kind of stuff I enjoy pulling out of my handbag and showing off.

Dim daylight on top, flash on bottom. From left to right: RMS Beauty Un Cover Up in 00, NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia, Paula's Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Thing in Level 1, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly.

I obtained a pot of the lightest shade, 00, recommended "for the true snow whites." While this isn't the absolute darkest "first shade" I've ever seen a brand produce, I think it's kind of weird to advertise this for truly pale people. I'd peg 00 at about NW15, maybe a hair darker, with some definite peachiness to it.

Because of how dark this product is, I decided not to try it as an overall foundation. I knew it would look ridiculous on me. (And before I get the comments: I've already decided to stop wearing the PC tinted moisturizer because it's just too dark compared to my neck. We're gettin' finicky here at BOGL!) Instead, I tried it as a spot concealer and an undereye brightener.

On the left, we have my face with a 1 thin layer of MAC Face & Body foundation, but no concealer. You can see that I have a few small blemishes--one on my chin, one on my left cheek (your right)--and dark undereye circles. On the right, I have added a thin layer of the RMS Beauty Un Cover Up to both blemishes and my undereyes. The coverage on this product is definitely sheer: while it softened up my blemishes and brightened my undereyes, it never completely covered them.

First, the good. This is definitely a creamy concealer. That makes it very easy to blend on to the skin with just the warmth from your fingers. It also has a bit of a glow to it (which it damn well should, with all of the oils in the formula), which makes it look particularly beautiful on the undereye area. And if your blemishes aren't as stark red as mine are, this might provide enough coverage for your spots. If you have a hard time finding a concealer that won't dry out your skin, this could be a good option for you.

Now for the bad. A common philosophy amongst creators of "natural" products is that makeup should not last all day because that's "unnatural." Alright, fine, your philosophy is your own. To be fair, I've never heard Rose Marie Swift herself say this, and I'm also kind of freaked out by stuff that lasts for 12+ hours without needing touch-ups.

But in my opinion, makeup should at least last for a few hours. The RMS Beauty Un Cover Up barely lasted from the time I put it on to the time I finished my cup of coffee and got on the bus for work--that's less than 2 hours. By that point, the Un Cover Up had creased all over my undereye area and slid off of my blemishes. Setting with powder helps a bit, but it sort of defeats the purpose of having a glowy, non-drying concealer. I can't imagine wearing this all over my face and trying to hug someone or spend a few hours at work; it'd smear everywhere. And I have dry skin!

I'm also really disappointed in the shade range. There are only 5 shades of this product, and while it is on the sheer side--meaning you get some leeway in terms of finding a match--the darkest shade isn't that dark. Hence, there are limited options for truly ebony skinned people in the RMS line.

This isn't a terrible concealer. It's got a nice glow to it, it's easy to blend, and some people may enjoy it for their undereyes. But its usability is limited by the shade range, poor longevity, and low coverage.

RATING: 2 out of 5.

RMS Beauty Un Cover Up is available at RMSBeauty.com for $36.