RMS Beauty “Un” Powder Review

RMS Beauty’s “Un” Powder is a natural setting power with a two-ingredient clean formula, that promises to minimize shine and pores. Sounds good, right? Let’s see how it performs.

If you’re into sustainable and conscious living, there’s a chance you’re also paying more attention to the ingredients on your skincare and makeup products.

Even though I am not the biggest makeup user, I sure am picky with the products I buy. Focusing on the company’s philosophy, its product formulas, if these are vegan and cruelty-free. Yes, the package is also important for me. Unfortunately, despite some brands’ efforts, most of the packages within this segment are still far from being eco-conscious. 

Why RMS Beauty?

RMS Beauty is one of the most renowned brands when it comes to sustainable and clean beauty. It’s one of those brands that usually appear in beautifully curated pictures on Pinterest when you’re looking for these sort of conscious beauty products.

Besides not being widely known as mainstream makeup brands or even high-end ones (like Urban Decay or Charlotte Tilbury), its products retail for a similar price (30 euros or higher), and are relatively hard to find (if you live outside the US).

As a makeup and conscious living enthusiast, I really wanted to give this brand a try and see what the fuzz was all about. But after taking a deeper look at their product portfolio, I realized that my combination skin wouldn’t love most of these. So, instead of spending a lot of money on something I knew (beforehand) that wouldn’t do any wonders for me… I’ve narrowed it down until I found something that could suit my needs: the “Un” Powder.  

This is a translucent loose setting powder that promises to set your makeup while controlling shiny areas and minimizing the pores.

What does the brand say about this product?

According to RMS Beauty’s website, the “Un” Powder is a weightless, oil-absorbing finishing powder that diffuses skin as it sets and softens makeup to create a smooth, natural, translucent finish. Formulated with 100% silica that reflects light and sets makeup while it minimizes the appearance of pores, softens skin, and absorbs all oil without a trace of residue.

My experience using RMS Beauty “Un” Powder

First of all, this product is available in two versions: tinted and untinted. As the latter was the only one available on Sephora’s Spain website, and I was a bit skeptical about which tinted version I should choose, I decided to give the untinted version a try.

The product retails for 37,99€ for 9 grams of product, at Sephora Spain. Which is a lot of money for so little product. I haven’t paid attention when I’ve placed the order (this brand is only available on Sephora’s website), and I became a little disappointed when I received such a tiny pot. 

I have to say that I considered returning it to the store, as it seemed too much for such a tiny product. However, part of my work here at The Sustainablist is to review products with more sustainable and conscious formulas. So, how could I skip the one product that I could try from RMS Beauty?!

The RMS Beauty “Un” Powder pot comes with a small puff inside and a protective sticker to prevent the powder to get out of its case before we use the product for the first time. Once I removed the sticker, I’ve noticed that the holes on the case are really small. Which means the product doesn’t get out that easily. The good part? It prevents us from wasting product, as only a tiny bit of product is needed to set the whole face.

According to the brand’s website, the best way to apply the product is with the puff. As I like taking the test a little further, I’ve set one side of the face with the puff and the other one with a small setting powder brush.

Applying the RMS “Un” Powder with a setting brush

I’ve applied the RMS Beauty “Un” Powder on top of all the liquid products (foundation and concealer). As this was my first time with a puff, I started setting my makeup with a small brush. It allowed me to get better control of where I was applying the product. I’ve been extremely careful to pick just a hint of product and press it gently on my skin. Even though I have just applied my makeup, and there wasn’t any shine to deal with, I could tell that my skin looked a little more matte. What about the pores? Well, they were as visible as ever.

Applying the RMS “Un Powder” with the puff

Given my lack of experience, it was a bit harder for me to apply the powder with the puff. After a few attempts, I realized that the best way was to gently press with its top on my face - without dragging. However, after applying it and comparing it with the other side of my face, I could tell that my pores looked less visible. 

Application method aside, my skin looked more matte after applying this product. Given its white tone, I was afraid it left that cast look on my skin. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.

After using it for over 8 hours during a hot summer day, I’ve noticed that it helped control oil and shine (I have combination skin). However, at the 5-hour mark, I used a blotting paper to check if oil would come out and it did. This means, it’s not infallible but it really helps in the shine and oil control. 

My verdict

Would I recommend it? Well, that’s a tricky question. If you’re into sustainable beauty and you’re a fan of RMS Beauty, than yes. This is a good (yet pricey product) and, from what I’ve read so far, it will be a great add-on when you’re using other products from the same brand. 

If you’re into clean beauty but don’t want to spend this amount of money on such a tiny product, then Honest Beauty’s Invisible Blurring Setting Powder ($22.99) might be a good option for you.

In case you’re just trying to make your makeup a bit more conscious (in terms of formula and animal testing), drugstore brands like NYX Cosmetics or Essence might be a good fit. Want something more high-end but effective? Well, in that case, Tarte. 

Would I repurchase it? No, I don’t think so. First, because of its price. Even though it will last practically forever, as I need the tiniest amount of product every time I need to set my face, this is not the sort of makeup product that I use much often. Second, I’d rather spend those 37,99€ on a nice skincare product or eyeshadow palette. 

It’s not a bad product, it’s just… I happen to prefer others that do the exact same thing.

7/10