Saturday 14 March 2009

RMK Powder Foundation EX

It has been quite a few years since RMK revamped its powder foundation. I was intrigued by the promise of the Powder Foundation EX which has a pearl powder part for adding a glowy finish. It was launched in Singapore earlier this week, just in time for the Isetan Private Sale.


When the SA tried it on the back of my hand, I was very impressed by how smooth and natural it looked with good coverage. She first applied the matte powder foundation with the sponge and then applied the pearl powder with the brush. The SA said that the finish is supposed to be like that of liquid foundations, much more natural and dewy-looking without looking powdery and dry. And indeed it was. I walked around the store for awhile, trying to decide whether it was worth the S$105 price tag and then finally caved as I liked how glowy it looked.


Alas, after wearing it for the last two days, I came to the conclusion that it was inferior to my current staple, Lancome's Maquicake UV Infinite #40. The Lancome foundation provides good coverage and oil control, with an excellent color match to my skin. I usually prefer my foundations to be on the fairer side and neutral-toned so that my skin looks less dull. The RMK foundation, on the other hand, had poor oil control. In 1.5 hours, my nose was already looking shiny. The color match was decent, and looked natural but I felt that the coverage was less than that of the Lancome foundation. I also hated the included sponge which has a strange texture that does not spread the foundation smoothly but instead it actually squeaks when it rubs against my skin! The pearl powder part does add a nice glimmer.

The price is also a bit extreme considering that powder foundations from higher end brands like Guerlain, Chanel and Dior are usually in the S$80+ range. But the RMK one comes with the brush, which is useful for applying the pearl powder. One consolation is that the price in Singapore is actually cheaper than the price in Japan, 6825yen (S$115).


I also picked up the Super Basic Liquid Concealer and Irresistible Lips C #19, a glossy plum shade. The concealer does quite a good job of covering up my under-eye dark circles and lasts well.


Here's the GWP I received: Portable brush, Creamy Soap N 30g, Recovery Gel 3g, Face Protector 8g, Skin Smoother 8ml and Makeup Base 15ml.


The portable brush is excellent with very soft bristles.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Iris,

Wow, the RMK foundation is indeed expensive. =( I hate it when we spend so much on a foundation and it didn't work out.

I am using the same Lancome foundation as you. Same colour too. But I don't know why for me, the oil control isn't really there. I applied it at 6:30am, and by 9:30am, I can see my t-zone becoming shiny. Is it because of my ettusais makeup base + t-zone oil block?

For me, I find that the coverage isn't really there when I compared it with Sofina Raycious (my all time favourite). So I am quite confused.

Can i ask what else do you apply before you apply your Lancome foundation?

Haru said...

Hey AhCapp!

I'm definitely going to experiment a bit more with the RMK foundation to see if I can get it to perform better.

For me, any foundation that doesn't make me oil up in the first two hours is good enough! I haven't tried the Ettusais items you mentioned so I can't say if they're the 'culprits'. Ettusais skincare just doesn't work wel for me, doesn't absorb into my skin and tends to make it more sticky.

When I use the Lancome foundation, I usually prep my skin only with moisturiser, which these days is Kenzo Cream with a Zing. I'm surprised you said Raycious as Raycious is usually more on the sheer side! For me, the Holy Grail was Revue but I haven't repurchased it since Coffret D'Or came out.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Iris for your feedback.

For me, Revue and Maquillage powder foundation will float on my skin or should I say cake up on me? =( So I really don't know what's wrong with my skin or my application methods.

Hahahha yes, Raycious is indeed supposed to be on the sheerer side. But it was ok for me. Just too bad that it's considered "old" in the market and i didn't want to buy the old refills now. I have used a total of 4 Raycious refills =P

I will try to apply my lancome without any primer or whatsoever tomorrow and see how it goes =)

Anonymous said...

rmk is pricey.. bt the quality does not seem to match up

Anonymous said...

for me the problem is dryness... my skin is very dry and sometime it peels..or cake :( any recommendation? it's sensitve too..tks

Anonymous said...

Hi Haru
May i know how much is the Liquid concealer in SGD?

have you tried the face powder N before?

thanks~

Haru said...

Hi,

Sorry, I haven't tried the face powder N. I can't remember the exact price of the concealer, but I think it was around S$50+.