Strictly speaking, I’m not sure that Ruby Hammer’s makeup collection can really count as new, but it’s certainly a game changer. It certainly isn’t Ruby’s first time at the rodeo. If you were around in ’98, you’ll doubtless have fond memories of Ruby & Millie makeup. It was the brainchild of global MUA Ruby Hammer and beauty PR dynamo Millie Kendall. It was genuinely trailblazing, genuinely inclusive and much mourned when it closed in 2011.
Ruby Hammer’s eponymous range incorporates all the wit and passion of the above, and more. Each product has beneficial ingredients built into the formulation to do good, as well as look good. She’s worked with all the supers (Kate, Naomi, Rosie) and her creations have been seen on runways and red carpets alike. You can view this range as a clear and honest reflection of a lifetime spent enhancing beauty.
My favourite product is the undisputably innovative Mascara & Brow Duo. I want to describe this as a lifesaver, but that’s a bit hyperbolic and I don’t want to undermine its brilliance with fluffy language. This hasn’t saved my life, but it has enhanced it. The ends respectively house a brow gel on one side and the other a lash-enhancing tubing mascara. It’s a clever pairing but the real genius lies in the brush size: positively miniscule. You might (like me) believe more is more when it comes to brows and lashes, but the size works amazingly well at capturing each individual lash and hair to coat and condition. I was lucky enough to be invited to a masterclass with Ruby herself, who shared some of her tried and tested tips, like when applying brow gels, use a firm hand. Start off by depressing the wand slightly into the base of the brow and push up briskly to define and sculp. With the mascara, Ruby advocates brushing down the lashes from the lid first before swiping up from the other side to guarantee no hair will be left behind. The effect is noticeable. Intense, impactful but elegant and defined rather than showy or dramatic. The small but mighty philosophy is also apparent in a precision eyeliner and liquid liner which makes both simple and straightforward in use.
There are Cheek Colours, sticks of balmy pigment which can be applied with brush or fingertips for a subtle flush or a vivid pop of colour. Available in red, pink and nude, don’t be afraid of the former – it looks bold but, as Ruby points out, it simply echoes the most natural source of colour for our cheeks: the blood running through our veins. The texture is rich enough to be used on the lips, too, for matte effect colour but if you’re after something more juicy and plumping, the Lip Serum Balms have colour payoff in a range of dewy shades. I love the moody Berry tone and also the FX iterations in light-reflecting Clear and shimmering Gold.
There’s more including some pro-level brushes and other tools, but this is still a capsule collection; one that is growing steadily with each addition carefully considered and having spent some years in development. Like with fashion, it isn’t about adding more for the sake of it: “you build a wardrobe, it’s the same with makeup”.
From £18 rubyhammer.com
