In the last few years, RMK brought out deluxe makeup palettes for the holiday seasons. (See the palettes for 2008, 2009, and 2010.) There is no exception for holiday 2011, and today I am taking you though RMK Christmas Palette 2011.
RMK Christmas Palette 2011 includes:
– Christmas 2011 Powder (powders for eyes, cheeks, and face)
– Separate Curl Mascara in 01 (mini-size, 4.7g)
– Gloss Lips N in EX-03 (mini-size, 5g)
– Original Pouch (in collaboration with Kate Spade)
Also in the palette are a double-ended eyeshadow brush, a blusher brush, and a face powder brush.
Unlike some of RMK’s Christmas palettes for previous years, the lip gloss and the mascara are not stored inside the compact.
The upper layer of the palette features six eyeshadows, three blushers, the eyeshadow brush and the blusher brush.
The eyeshadows come in a neutral duo (a warm brown and a pale gold-toned beige), a purple duo (a blue-toned purple and a pale blue), and a green duo (a forest green and a pale green). The three shades on the left of the duos are medium-to-dark, and they can be either intense shading colors or soft lining colors.
Finish-wise, the three lighter shades have a shimmery finish. The warm brown and the forest green have a glowy finish with a veil of soft shimmer, while the blue-toned purple has a softly shimmery finish. (It is more shimmery than the warm brown and the forest green but it is not as shimmery as the three pale shades.)
The texture of the three pale shades is soft and fluffy. The purple is soft and creamy, while the brown and the green are slightly on the dry side.
All the shimmery particles in the six shades are multi-hued. The staying power is generally good, but there is some shimmer fallout from the pale blue and the pale green.
The neutral duo appeals to me the most mainly because it is the easiest to wear, but I also like the fact that the forest green is relatively muted and not overly vibrant. While I love purples, the purple in this palette is slightly too blue-toned for me.
I like the idea of these multiple duos as they are well-coordinated on their own and there are mixing and matching possibilities. Personally, I would prefer one light-to-medium shading color in one of the duos.
The blusher trio looks similar to RMK’s Mix Colors for Cheeks. The one on the left is a cool pink and the one on the right is a coral pink. Both are moderately pigmented with a glowy finish. The one in the middle looks white in the pan but goes on as a pale yellow gold. It has a pearly finish with fine shimmer. The powder is soft and very easy to blend.
The three shades can be mixed together to create a soft pink with a gently pearly finish. I usually prefer matte blushers, but I do like the combined finish from the trio as it doesn’t look overly pearly or shimmery. You can of course use the three shades separately. The blusher brush included in the compact is soft and easy to use.
The design of the face powder (on the lower layer of the palette) is essentially the same as that of RMK’s Pressed Powder N. No shade name is indicated on the product packaging, but it is noted as Pressed Powder N in Baby Pink on RMK’s website. (It looks similar to Pressed Powder N in 01.)
The upper half of the powder (with two blocks and one strip) has a pearly finish with fine shimmer. (The shimmer in the strip is higher-toned.) The lower half has a velvety matte finish with a touch of glow. (There is no shimmer.) The texture of the powder is very smooth and velvety.
The four sections are designed to be mixed together as an all-over finishing powder, but I find that the combined finish is too pearly (and slightly too white-ish) for my liking. I prefer using the lower half (which is translucent and not white-ish) as an all-over finishing powder (it has good pore coverage) and the upper half (very sparingly) as a highlighter. The powder brush included in the compact is nicely soft and dense.
Separate Curl Mascara in 01 is regularly featured in RMK’s Christmas makeup sets. See my thoughts on it here.
Gloss Lips N in EX-03 is my favorite part of the set. It is a sheer cool-toned pink with fine semi-sparse multi-hued (predominantly pink-toned) sparkles. The sparkles look relatively muted under sunlight and they look beautifully sparkly (not glittery) under most artificial lightings.
It layers very well, and the finish is very glossy, which I like. I also love how dimensional the sparkles look. On the whole, it adds fullness and dimension to the lips very effectively.
Also included in the set is a gold rectangular makeup bag created in collaboration with Kate Spade, with bow, strap, and hardware charm details and fuchsia-pink lining.
The spade charm (with “RMK x kate spade New York” engraved on it) is a very nice touch.
Overall, RMK Christmas Palette 2011 features both wearable and more vibrant shades for the eyes as well as two of RMK’s most popular items (the mascara and the lip gloss). Depending on how you use the eyeshadows, you can create both classic and colorful looks. For me, the highlights of the set are Gloss Lips N in EX-03, the blushers, and the glamorous RMK x Kate Spade makeup bag.
(The product featured in this article is provided by RMK.)
Related posts:
Review: RMK Dusty Bright Eyes in 03 Grayish Brown (Fall 2011)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
how can i get the RMK & Kate Spade holiday makeup palette,i live in the us? thank you, amy
Hi Amy,
As RMK is not available in the US, I am afraid that your best bet is probably eBay. (Also, as the set is a limited-edition item for holiday 2011, the RMK retail points in department stores will probably not be carrying it now.)
Thank you for your question!