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.

Bury Me With My Highlighters

As I've aged and gone deeper and deeper in to Holy Shit My Skin is Dry territory, I've developed a slight obsession with highlighters. More specifically, I'm on a never-ending quest to find the best cream-and-liquid highlighters for my stupidly pale skin. And trust me: I've tried dozens. You name it, there's a good chance I've tried it (or immediately written it off because the shade was too dark or sparkly). I like to pretend that I'm absolutely satisfied with what I have, but why lie? I'm always looking for something even better!

I've got 6 highlighters rotating in my current arsenal. All of them have distinct positives and negatives, which I'll outline in this post. I'm also going to provide some suggestions for similar products/shades if your skin is not as stupidly pale as mine, but you want a similar look.

ON POWDER HIGHLIGHTERS: I don't wear them anymore, but Shiseido High Beam White and Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight are two of the best options for pale/light skin on the market. If you want something more glittery, try The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, but use a very light hand.

ON DRUGSTORE OPTIONS: There are no drugstore options on this list for two reasons:

1. There are very few cream/liquid highlighters available at the drugstore.
2. Most of what is available at the drugstore (Hard Candy Living Doll, Revlon Skin Lights) is too dark for my skin.

Practically Pure White Shades

Dim daylight on top, flash on bottom. From left to right: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna, MAC Strobe Cream.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, $41 for 1.7oz 

THE RAVE -- This is the most expensive-per-unit highlighter on this list, but it's also the most cost-effective if you look at it critically. A small amount of this super-glowy, slightly-shimmery creamy liquid will go a VERY long way. The packaging is a sturdy, clear, plastic bottle (so you can gauge how much you have left) with a pump that's easy to control. Makeup artist Lisa Eldridge helped boost this product's popularity, yes, but it's so gorgeous and buildable that it was destined for cult classic status regardless. Becca Pearl is my go-to highlighter for photography and nights on the town.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The Becca SSP liquids contain avobenzone, a sunscreen that may cause irritation or breakouts in some skin types. I haven't had any problems with flashback, but I'm incredibly pale; people with darker skin tones will want to really test this sucker out in flash photography if they're interested in wearing it for, say, a wedding. A lot of people advocate using this all over your face and/or mixing it in to your foundation, but I think the slight shimmer makes this a less than optimal choice.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Becca has many SSP shades. Opal is the go-to for people with medium/tan skintones, and if you're darker skinned, you've got two great options: Rose Gold and Topaz. I think the Rose Gold shade is limited edition...if it is, they need to make it permanent, because there's nothing else quite like it.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna, $21 for 0.12oz

THE RAVE -- One of the newest additions to my collection, Luna is the culmination of years of lust and waffling. I've owned other CCB shades before (namely Pearl and Hush), but sent them off to better homes in favor of paler pastures. Luna, however, is straight up white and glowy. It is one of the best options for the palest of pale skins. Luna is very buildable: you can use a small amount for a natural glow (one of my male friends does this, and it's virtually undetectable on his skin), or you can layer it for a stronger shine. I also find it incredibly long-lasting, in part because of the slightly sticky texture. As a bonus, the small pot = travel friendly.

THE DOWNSIDES -- That sticky formula will get on some people's nerves, particularly if you're an oily-skinned person. It can also feel a bit heavy on the skin if you apply too much. If you're easily squicked by pot packaging, this is definitely not the product for you.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Again, the MAC CCBs come in many shades; Hush and Shell are nice options for light to medium skintones. If you're very dark skinned, you'll want to look to another cream product, like Illamasqua's Gleam Cream in Supernatural.

MAC Strobe Cream, $10 for 1oz

THE RAVE -- This is the cheapest and most versatile product on this list. While it's most often used as a highlighter, it's technically a moisturizer, and a decently formulated one at that. This stuff works great under foundation for a little "boost," if you're dry and dehydrated like I am this winter. The super-thin formula makes Strobe Cream just about impossible to overdo. It's my go-to for work because it looks so seamless and natural. I like to mix some of this in to my body lotion before a special event to give a little extra glow to my skin.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The full-sized bottle is a bit of a trap: you pay more per ounce than you do for the travel-sized bottle. Strobe Cream tends to dry and cake up around the opening of the tube, leaving a disgusting gummy residue; I have to wipe it with a baby wipe about once a month. Because this is a moisturizer, it might eat away at some of the foundation underneath, particularly if you're oily skinned.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- MAC occasionally releases limited edition "bronze" versions of Strobe Cream, usually with the summer collections. Burberry Fresh Glow has a very similar effect and comes in two different shades.

Slightly Tinted

Dim daylight on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Makeup Forever Uplight #11, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, Benefit High Beam

Makeup Forever Uplight #11, $29 for 0.55oz

THE RAVE -- Any time somebody asks for a highlighter that's dewy rather than sparkly, I give MUFE a shout out. The Uplights are some of the best and most underrated highlighters on the market today. The gel formula is incredibly light and blendable, and like the Becca SSP, a little goes a long way. I find that few highlighters look quite as luminous and "lit from within" (whatever that means) as MUFE Uplight #11. This shade has a definite pink tinge to it.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The packaging for this stuff is HORRENDOUS: the pump is always getting clogged with dried-out product, and it's difficult to control how much is dispensed. This gel formula dries quickly, so you have to work fast.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- Unfortunately, Makeup Forever only makes two Uplight shades in the "dewy" finish: #11, seen here, and #12, a soft yellow. They may go ashy on dark skin tones. If you really want the dewy effect, but you're worried about how such pale shades will sit on your skin, try getting a sample and mixing a small amount of the Uplight with your foundation.

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, $38 for 0.17oz

THE RAVE -- If you have dry skin and your highlighter loves to settle in to your fine lines, this may be the product for you. The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is always slightly see-through, even when you layer on tons of product, which means you'll always see your skin through the product and it'll never look heavy. It has an incredible glow to it and, although it's slightly sparkly up close, it tends to look quite natural and gorgeous in photographs. I let my mom borrow this on the rare occasions when she wears makeup, and it always looks beautiful on her. Although it looks close to white in the swatch photo, there's a slightly yellow-gold pearl in here that warms the product up.

THE DOWNSIDES -- This product is basically mica and a few other ingredients in coconut oil, so it's not the best option for people who are oily skinned, live in humid climates, or are allergic to coconut oil. The brand's creator and namesake, Rose Marie Swift, apparently thinks makeup that lasts all day is a bit unnatural, so this is not a luminizer that's designed to last all day in extreme conditions.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- RMS Beauty's Buriti Bronzer is basically the same product with a different coloration. The warm, bronzey tone is fantastic for accentuating dark skin. As an added bonus, it's less expensive than the Living Luminizer.

Benefit Moon Beam, discontinued

THE RAVE -- The shade of this highlighter is like no other. Depending on the light, it can be a soft, glowing peach, a luminous pink, or a sparkly fuchsia. It's INCREDIBLY frosty and noticeably shimmery, so it's not for people who like a natural look. I personally wear it on my rare "heavy makeup" days, or when I'm spending the night in a dark drag bar. It looks absolutely incredibly in low light and photographs like a dream.

THE DOWNSIDES -- The most obvious downside is that Benefit discontinued this product because they hate us and want us to be unhappy for reasons. Benefit's other highlighters--High Beam and Sun Beam--are pretty, but not as unique as this one. Also, the infamous Benefit packaging sucks bigtime: you apply the product with a brush akin to a nail polish applicator, and it feels weird and makes it difficult to dot the stuff on evenly.

IF YOU'RE NOT SUPER PALE -- You should still be okay with products like Moon Beam, since it's not exactly designed to look "natural." I haven't found anything quite like it yet (somebody, help me dupe this!), but if duochrome is your thing, try some of your satin-finish eyeshadows on your cheeks.

25 Tops: Lancome Pale Lip

We all know I'm not the best about utilizing nude lipsticks. But what you might not know is that there are also days when I want to wear makeup, but I don't want to function that much. I mean, yes, it's usually a relaxing experience, a creative experiment I relish. There are always those days, though, when I want it on my face instantly. I don't want to fuss with foundation, I don't want to fiddle with 50 products, and I don't want to perfect my lip line. Those are my days for lazy eyeliner and an "I can smear this on and nobody will know I didn't exercise restraint" lipstick.

So on this particular day, I decided to use a bit of concealer and powder for my base, and I brushed up my brows to add some "interest" to an otherwise lazy makeup look. It may be "brighter" than what I normally do, but trust me, it's lazy.

Lancome Pale Lip was a gift from a subscriber during my YouTube heyday. Even if I didn't care for the color, I would probably cling to it because of that sentimental value. (I like to pretend I've gotten over the whole "But it was a gift!" mentality, but it still rears its head from time to time.) Luckily, I actually like this lipstick. It's sheer, creamy, and not-that-long-lasting, which pushes it out of my usual wheel house. But as you can probably tell, it fills a specific function: it lightens and softens my natural lip color without looking gray or ashy. That's not something I need often, because again, I'm generally quite lazy and bland with my eye makeup. But I do like the look from time to time. This lipstick is therefore on the KEEP list.

I'm also putting RMS Beauty's Living Luminizer on the KEEP list. Even if I didn't like this product on my face, I would keep it around for my mom's sake; it looks really beautiful on her skin. (She doesn't wear makeup too often, so if she needs it, I just hand it over to her; otherwise, it stays in my travel makeup bag.) My MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Genuine Orange, however, is going in the PURGE pile. It's a lovely, creamy pencil with decent staying power when I use it on the lips, but because I decided to keep an orange that doesn't need lipliner, it can't serve that purpose anymore. I tested it on the eyes here, and while I love the fun pop of color, it's a little too creamy for that purpose. It was hard to get a sharp wing, and you can see how it transferred in to my crease, despite the fact that I used a primer and powdered over it. This fun pencil deserves a new home.

As a side note, I decided to PURGE both of my NARS Velvet Matte lip pencils. While they are truly beautiful, and I would gladly recommend them to most people, they aren't as long-wearing as similar colors in my collection. More specifically, they have a lot of silicone-y slip that makes it difficult to get a super-sharp lip line, and they can smear throughout the day. That's a plus for people who want a matte color that want dry their lips out, but like I've said: I usually want my bright, matte lipsticks to behave like carpaint.

I wore my Bite Beauty lip pencil in Velvet to my sister's wedding picnic recently, and I let her borrow my Lipstick Queen Saint Pinky Nude, and both of those are currently in the KEEP pile. Lipstick Queen Saint Berry, however, just doesn't flatter my skintone, so it's been PURGED.

CURRENTLY IN THE KEEP PILE:
1. Hourglass ORLL in Muse
2. Hourglass ORLL in Riviera
3. Hourglass ORLL in Icon (mini size)
4. Chanel RAL in Dragon (DC)
5. Lancome Pale Lip
6. Bite Beauty HPP in Velvet
7. Lipstick Queen Saint in Pinky Nude

CURRENTLY IN THE PURGE PILE:
1. MAC ACL in Neon Orange
2. MAC SL in Sounds Like Noise (LE)
3. NARS VMLP in Cruella
4. NARS VMLP in Roman Holiday
5. Lipstick Queen Saint in Berry

CURRENTLY IN THE MAYBE PILE:
1. MAC ACL in Impassioned 

KEEP SLOTS LEFT: 18

REVIEW: RMS Beauty Living Luminizer

The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is to the makeup world what Marina and the Diamonds is the music: it's simultaneously a cult favorite and a relative unknown. This probably has a lot to do with who talks about the product and who does (or rather doesn't) use it: it gets mentioned in magazines from time to time, it pops up in a few YouTube videos, and the few makeup artists and models who use it gush over it. But RMS Beauty is an indie company without major television marketing campaigns (at least in the US), so the average consumer is not going to know about the brand, let alone get hyped up over their highlighter.

I am not the average consumer. Not only do I read magazines, blogs, and press releases obsessively, I also pore over professional beauty breakdowns, seek out little-known brands and products, and am generally willing to experiment by putting odd things on my skin. In that sense, I'm definitely in RMS' target group.

I didn't buy the RMS Beauty Living Luminizer for nigh on a year, however, because...well, it's a high-end product, I'm kind of broke, and I'm notoriously picky about highlighters. I've used dozens, but only a few have stayed in my collection throughout the years, all liquids. I just wasn't sure if this supposed miracle-in-a-pot was going to suit my tastes.

Then an incredibly lovely lady sent me her pot, saying it was "too yellow" for her and that the texture no longer suited her skin. And she's not lying about the color.

The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is mostly pearly, but it definitely has a hint of "white gold" to it. Actually, to me it's like a cream version of Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight powder, or a softer MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (click here for swatches and pictures of both). I don't think it'll be noticeable on most skintones--it doesn't seem to be on my N10ish skin--but if you're as remarkably pale as our dear Driveler is and/or more on the pink side, that yellow tone may be more prominent. Becca Pearl is definitely a "pure pearl," with no hints of yellow or pink, while Benefit High Beam and MUFE Uplight #11 have a pink tinge to them.

What's most remarkable (and most beloved) about this highlighter, however, is its translucency. All of those swatches are quite heavy, but you can still see my skin oh so clearly through the RMS swatch. This is one of the many reasons why it's often talked up for mature skin: it will never be completely opaque or look heavy, because you will always see your skin underneath. It's really quite remarkable.

The other reason why this product is often recommended for mature skin is because of its texture: mature skin tends to be dryer, and this is an emollient highlighter if ever I saw one. The first time I touched it, I just about jumped out of my skin; I wasn't expecting something so...sticky, I suppose. It feels a bit like Vaseline, and a little goes a long way.

While this makes for a smooth, seamless application and plenty of comfort on my dry cheeks, I have to note that the Living Luminizer never dries down completely on my cheeks. It doesn't transfer or feel heavy, but if I touch my skin with my finger 15-20 minutes after application, it still feels a bit tacky. An hour after application, the product has mostly dried, but there's still a hint of "wetness" there. And I have very dry cheeks as a general rule. This leads me to believe that it's not the best product for oily skin or humid-and-hot-summer use.

I'd also like to dispute the claim that there's "no glitter" in this product. There's definitely some shimmer, as this HD photo--shot while I was wearing the teeniest hint of Living Luminizer possible--clearly shows. It's not visible to the naked eye or in standard definition photos, and it doesn't look BAD, as the shimmer is quite finely milled...but if you're completely opposed to shimmer in any way, shape, or form, this might not be the product for you.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this product. It has a lovely (if unusual, for me) texture, it applies like a dream, it's totally travel sized, and it definitely gives my skin a healthy glow. Will it replace my HG Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl? Not a chance. But will I keep it in my emergency makeup bag and recommend it to friends? Absolutely.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

The RMS Beauty Living Luminizer is available at the RMS website for $38.