Moments after sitting down in Rose Marie Swift’s very hip Manhattan loft, she surveyed my face, declared my blush was in need of an update, deftly pulled out one of her new lip2cheek stains, and within seconds I was sporting a healthy, rosy glow that looked natural and, if I do say so myself, quite lovely. By the time I left 60 delightful minutes later, Ms. Swift had given my eyes and lips similar transformations, and I strutted through Union Square looking and feeling like I had just received a makeover by one of America’s top makeup artists.
When the products arrived at my shop in St. Paul, however, I stared at them a bit helplessly and wondered just how I, a mere clinical-pschologist-turned-business-owner, could possibly recreate that same look with these cream-based blushes and shadows that were so different from the pressed powder variety I had used my whole life.
So I called Jessa Blades, a Manhattan-based makeup artist who worked alongside Rose Marie during Fashion Week and uses only natural cosmetics on her clientele (you can read all about Jessa here). She graciously offered some invaluable tips for getting the most out of rms beauty’s truly stunning color collection.
Blades’ favorite lip2cheek shades are Rapture and Illusive. “The rapture brings life to every color lip, especially for women over 40 who are losing color in their lips. It evens out the lip area, and brings life back to it. That’s what Rose Marie’s products do; they give life to the skin, making it look healthy and alive, which is really the essence of makeup, helping you look like you do on your healthier, most hydrated day”.
To apply Lip2Cheek to the lips, Blades suggests applying a small amount of rms lip balm first to moisten the lips. Then, using the ring finger, tap a small amount of the product onto the lips, blotting once or twice and applying another light layer of balm, rms Living Luminizer, or a light gloss on top if you want a bit of extra sheen.
As a blush, Blades emphasizes that “the big key [with using lip2cheek] is to make sure your skin is pretty hydrated. I will even throw on some rms balm first since my skin is always dry.” After hydrating the skin and applying foundation (lip2cheek can also be used on bare skin), Blades recommends taking the smallest bit and putting it on the apples of the cheeks in a circular motion and then blending back toward the ear.
In case you haven’t taken a look at rms beauty’s cream eye shadows, do so now. They are the most stunning array of gorgeous, universally flattering cream shadows I have ever seen, and designed to create a sheer layer of rich, natural-looking color that enhances and brightens the eyes. Unlike other natural cream shadows, they are not sticky or hard to work with. These silky smooth shadows warm immediately to the touch and glide on easily and quickly. Blades’ preferred shade is Magnetic, “because in general that
color tends to look good on most people, and with blue eyes, it looks fantastic.”
Blades favorite product, however, is the Living Luminizer. “I don’t think there’s anything else like it on the market. The way it lays on the skin, on all skin types, it brightens and illuminates, but doesn’t leave any glitter, like all of the others I have tried.” She has found numerous uses for the one-of-a-kind luminizer, as a highlighter high up on the cheekbone, a little down the bridge of the nose, and when she’s looking particularly sleep-deprived, “I will take the tiniest bit and put on the inner corner of my eyes and it reflects light to give the look of being awake.”
To check out the entire rms beauty collection, and read more of Jessa Blades’ expert tips, head to The Nature of Beauty’s rms beauty page.
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