RMS stands for Rose-Marie Swift, who having worked as a celebrity make-up artist on the New York fashion scene for over 20 years, decided to formulate the ultimate colour cosmetic line for the health savvy and fashion conscious woman. We caught up with Rose-Marie to find out why she started her brand and what natural makeup can do for your skin. RMS Beauty was created after you found out there was a high level of toxins in your blood. Can you tell us a bit about what happened and why you decided to make your cosmetics 'cleaner'? When I was in my late 30s I began to experience some health issues that were causing many problems physically, mentally and emotionally. After an extensive series of tests including hair, urine and blood, I learned from my lab results that my body was inundated with extremely high levels of heavy metals, pesticides and other chemicals as well as ingredients also used in cosmetics. After years of rebuilding my own health, I realized that I needed to be an advocate for healthier cosmetics and help other women claim their right to healthy beauty. To achieve this goal I created RMS Beauty. How does RMS Beauty work on the skin? What benefits can it offer compared to other makeup brands? My innovative natural cream range is not only 100% free of harmful chemicals, but also works to heal and nourish the skin with healthy and beautifying results, truly making it “skincare with mineral colour.” Selection of the highest quality raw ingredients is based on cultivation and processing criteria that sets this line apart from others. When a raw material is processed for use in cosmetics, it typically undergoes a lengthy process. I discovered the majority of ingredients used for natural cosmetics (organic or not) go through multiple steps from deodorizing, refining, and fractionating during production to heating to extremely high temperatures again during manufacturing. These processes render the ‘natural’ ingredients equivalent to man-made chemicals, stripping away all beneficial nutrients and enzymes that support healthy skin and life. RMS Beauty products, on the other hand, are formulated with raw, food grade, organic ingredients in their natural state, from cultivation, straight through to manufacturing. Organic ingredients like raw coconut, cocoa and shea butter as well as the highest quality cold-pressed organic jojoba oil (known for being the closest to human skin) contain some of the most powerful, nourishing and healing properties that the skin thirsts for. These oils also have a long shelf life lessening the worries of rancidity and free radical damage to the skin. Many oils (even though they may be good) have a very short shelf life, therefore, are most likely rancid before they even make it onto the store shelves. Essential oils are therefore added to improve the smell of these inferior oils. RMS Beauty products including the RMS Beauty Oil do not contain steam distilled essential oils, as they have been known to adversely affect the potency of herbal extracts, may cause rashes and skin irritation to sensitive skin and can cause long-term skin dehydration. We believe essential oils should be used for therapeutic use and not for daily application to the skin, the cosmetic industry is completely overusing them. You've worked with plenty of A-list stars, do you think there's more they (and the beauty industry as a whole) could do to promote the use of healthier cosmetics? The models work in a very chemical-laden industry and an industry that is very directed towards youth and beauty. Most have been seriously educating themselves on what works best for health... both inside and out. Unfortunately, due to the strong hold that the traditional beauty industry has on these artists, they tend to keep this knowledge under wraps in fear that it could be detrimental to their future earning potential. Some have definitely not been held back from promoting healthier beauty products and I commend them tremendously. If you had to pick 3 staples for every girl's makeup bag, what would they be? First of all my RMS Beauty oil for perfect skin. Next a red lipstick that way you can never go wrong no matter what (dress it up or dress it down), and my favourite product ever - the RMS Beauty Coconut Cream to remove all your makeup at the end of the night. You've just launched the Wild With Desire Collection of lipsticks and lip liners. How should these be used for maximum impact? This richly pigmented lipstick requires minimal application for full impact as they are created for maximum impact in both colour payoff and long lasting without drying out your lips. To add more impact to your lips create a perfectly defined lip by using the RMS Beauty lip liner. This allows you to exaggerate your natural lip shape in any way you desire. For a more subtle look, diffuse the colour with a lip brush or blot with a tissue. I am a firm believer that lip liner should match your natural lip colour rather than the shade of lipstick. If you follow this rule, you will see a more realistic result that is modern and softer in appearance. Choose from daytime nude or night time nude to match your natural lip colour. My one exception to the rule is red. Dressed-up red pairs perfectly with RMS red lipstick to achieve a fabulous signature red lip. What's next on the horizon for RMS Beauty? Quite a few new and exciting things are coming to RMS Beauty… Stay tuned! Shop here for RMS Beauty
