A pioneer in clean beauty who founded the globally acclaimed RMS Beauty brand is in Bermuda to celebrate style on the island.

Rose-Marie Swift, who grew up in Vancouver, Canada, took to experimenting with make-up in childhood on her sisters.

She admired the looks of old Hollywood actresses, such as Sophia Loren, who became renowned as iconic figures of beauty.

Her first big break came when her sister introduced her to a hotelier in the area frequented by performers in the late 60s and early 70s, and recommended Swift as a make-up artist for burlesque dancers.

The cosmetic company in Vancouver that she used to create looks for dancers asked her to do make-up for a magazine cover featuring a famous international model.

Its success made her a name in her home country.

She recalled: “I kept getting all these make-up jobs. I was literally the make-up artist in Vancouver.”

As word spread, she embarked on an extensive career as a make-up artist in Europe in places such as Paris, London and Hamburg.

Ms Swift eventually settled in the United States, with her work featured in publications such as Vogue and on supermodels such as Gisele Bündchen and Miranda Kerr.

She explained: “The whole time I did make-up, I never trained.

“I just had the eye, the personality to entertain the girls. Before I knew it, I’m getting these huge jobs with some of the biggest and best people in New York, in the world.”

Ms Swift was a make-up artist for the women’s lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret when she was inspired to create RMS Beauty.

She had disliked putting harsh products on the faces of young models that fell short of the natural look they were aiming for.

In 2009, Ms Swift launched RMS Beauty — a pioneer in the brand of clean beauty.

Her goal was for beauty products using ingredients that were not only natural, but good for the skin.

Early on, she encountered roadblocks with production, and was unable to find a lab willing to take a chance.

Ms Swift eventually partnered with a lab to develop products using ingredients such as jojoba oil, shea and South American buriti fruit.

Her approach to clean beauty that was effortless, accessible and sustainable won renown for RMS Beauty.

She explained: “I wanted to put in ingredients that were conducive to life force energy, to healing and that were good for the skin.”

Ms Swift is on the island to share her love of make-up and a product with Bermuda. In 2023 RMS Beauty launched an exclusive product, the Bermuda Rose blush.

She wanted to create a pink blush that was luminous but sensual, catering to a variety of skin types.

At its creation, Ms Swift had not visited Bermuda — but two ambassadors inspired her product’s name.

Mia and Jennifer Page are the mother-daughter duo behind the Bermudian boutique Cassine, dedicated to natural beauty products with a focus on environmental sustainability.

The store has carried the RMS Beauty products since opening in 2018, and was named the 2024 RMS Beauty Global Independent Retailer of the Year.

The two built a strong relationship with Ms Swift, visiting her home in Savannah, Georgia and now hosting her on the island.

Ms Swift said: “I’ve kind of been to every single island in the Bahamas and the Caribbean with Victoria’s Secret, so I thought the island would be something like that but it’s different here.

“It’s more majestic than the other islands. There’s a lot more happening here.”

She praised the local hospitality, adding: “Everyone is so friendly. You see it in their eyes, it’s not a show; they sincerely feel it.”

In partnership with Cassine, she will host an exclusive one-night masterclass at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art today.

Tickets are limited and available to purchase on Cassine’s website