Bright lips, pretty eyes: Here's what K-beauty brand Rom&nd has to offer
It was the bold claim of a mask-proof glossy lip that intrigued me enough to want to try a Korean brand that has been getting consistent buzz within the local beauty community. Bet I got an eyebrow raise with that one. Rom&nd is the brainchild of Kbeauty guru, Saerom Min. (With the “Rom” taken from her name + a stylized version of “and”.) The brand features makeup with minimalist packaging that manages to represent color range well, peppered with some trendy collabs in between.
The lip product in question? Rom&md Glasting Water Tint (around P350-P440 / 4g). It can be described as a gloss-tint hybrid. It takes on the more liquid consistency of lip tint and combines it with the wet sheen of gloss. Surprisingly, the formula glides on smoothly and without any stickiness. (If anything, the word slick comes to mind.) The doe foot applicator is rounded at the tip, rather than the usual slanted kind. It distributes a fair amount of product, but makes precision a little tricky once you get to the edges of the lips. Luckily, the pigmentation is on the sheer side and therefore forgiving. You can easily correct without encountering any awkward, blotchy stains. There’s also a juicy peach scent and a sweet, syrupy taste.
I was able to try three shades, two of which are part of the permanent collection while the last one is part of Rom&nd’s collab with Korean fashion brand, Neonmoom. Pink Valley is a hot coral-tinged red. Rose Stream is a rosy brownish red. Limited edition Soft Pool is a soft magenta pink and is housed in the collab design’s lavender tube.
While I mentioned earlier that there’s a good range of color, the Glasting Water Tint line’s shade variations don’t stray too far from each other. They are all of medium intensity and are typically within the family of reds or browns. So if you’re into more vibrant, high-contrast shades, you might want to check out the Rom&nd Juicy Lasting Tint line instead.
So is it really mask-proof or transfer-proof? Not quite! But what makes the Glasting Tints so interesting is the way the pigment is suspended in the shiny, moist medium. Usually when you wear a lippie and you drink from a glass or wear a mask, the entire formula transfers. In this case, most of the pigment seems to sink onto the lips while the glossy part stays on the surface and acts like a barrier. It’s similar to the effect of topping lipstick with gloss, but all this happens in one step. When the transfer occurs, it’s the glossy part that lifts and you only see a hint of color coming off. Most of it is still left on the pout until I eat, and then I have to reapply. It keeps my lips moisturized for at least two hours.
Now if you want to be extra, there’s also the Rom&nd Glasting Water Gloss (P440 / 4.2g). This takes the Glasting Tints from shiny to glassy, creating a lip plumping look that smoothes out lip lines. You can technically achieve a similar effect by doing two coats of the Glasting Tint, but you lose that color nuance and they just end up looking like different shades of red.The gloss has a strong minty sensation that I find refreshing. The applicator is also noteworthy for an easy-to-clean bendy spatula type rather than a fuzzy doe foot. I got the shade Dream Land from the Neon Moon collab. It has three layers of micro sparkles: pink-gold, purple, and blue. But the sparkle bits don’t distinctly show up until you get within five inches close.
Finally, I was drawn by the opposite route that Rom&nd X Neon Moon Rom&tic Moonight Better Than Eyes Palette in Dry Evening Primrose (P525 / 7.4g) went. Most of the shadow quads by the brand feature three matte shades and one with shimmer/sparkle, but Dry Evening Primrose has varying amounts of sparkle in ALL four shades.
Going clockwise from top left, you get the ff.:
Sheer bronze with medium-sized silver sparkles that has a dry powder feel.
Copper-gold duochrome pressed round glitter with a rose gold shimmer base. This has a soft, waxy texture that allows for the glitter to cling on and apply in its fully packed glory.
Reddish brown with sparsely scattered fine gold sparkles. It’s the most pigmented of the four.
Metallic coral pink with pink and bluish medium sparkles. This is the second most pigmented.
Swatches: Dry Evening Primrose eyeshadow palette, Glasting Water Tints in Pink Valley, Rose Stream, Soft Pool. Glasting Water Gloss in Dream Land
I initially thought that these shades would only work as toppers for more pigmented shadows from my personal stash, but I was amazed to be able to create a complete eye look without using any other eyeshadow. Without primer, they fully crease by the 5th hour of wear, but the sheer, glittery nature of the shadows prevent the creasing from looking too obvious.
As for sourcing Rom&nd products, there is a local flagship store on both Lazada and Shopee. However, the Glasting Water Tints, glosses, and limited edition collections are not carried as of the writing of this article. I purchased mine from Korean sellers on Shopee. You can also find Rom&nd physically in Merrymart stores.
Overall, I’m thrilled with each and every piece I got from Rom&nd. The hype is real, and I’m looking forward to getting more. Have you been following this brand? Give me your recos!
