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behind-the-scenes: my karl for shu photoshoot – prestigious bordeaux palette

October 21, 2012
Behind the Scenes, how to
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for the exciting karl lagerfeld for shu uemura launch, i had the pleasure of creating two looks using the two beautiful eyeshadow palettes from the collection. for the first of the two looks, i used the prestigious bordeaux palette to create a soft and romantic look for the holiday season. the eyeshadow texture is so velvety; it was so easy to put together a rich look.

photographer mark darren mui, retoucher james mui, hairstylist danny mak and beautiful model geneviève helped to make it all happen. my husband came along to help me take step-by-step photos during the creation of the look.

step-by-step:

(to view shu uemura products click here. to browse shu uemura brushes, click here.)

karl for shu painting liner in blackish satin purple using brush 10F

shu uemura double-ended eye crayon to define crease

blend to desired shape using natural brush 10

prestigious bordeaux palette deep purple shade in crease using brush 10, then soften with

brush 11

create gradation with deep brown shade and brush 11

extend outward to desired shape using brush 11

fill centre of lid using light purple shade and natural brush 10

deepen crease using deep purple shade and brush 5R

deep purple shade to lower lid using brush 10 then create gradation using deep brown shade and brush10F

curl lashes

tight line and line eyes using painting liner in blackish satin purple and brush 2R

line lower lash line with painting liner and brush 2R

highlight inner corners using golden glitter shade and brush 4R

apply shu uemura xtreme stretch mascara (it’s a fibre mascara so you can build volume and length)

lightly fill brows using shu uemura hard formula (seal brown)

apply red blush from palette using brush 15; use patting circular motion for a natural flush

line outside of lips with shu uemura cover crayon concealer and blend with synthetic brush 10 (to prevent lipstick from bleeding)

apply luxe burgundy lipstick using lip brush

dab golden glitter shadow to centre of lips for a holiday accent

apply karl for shu mini lashes

paint nails in karl for shu royal beige

decorate with nail stickers! (they came with the nail polishes)

hair styled by danny

and voilà! here’s the finished image:

how-to: autumn eyes and crimson lips using karl for shu collection

October 13, 2012
how to
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as promised, here is the first of the looks  that i’ll be creating on myself for the karl lagerfeld for shu uemura collection. one of this fall and holiday season’s trend is all about rocking red lips paired with soft neutral eyes. for this easy-to-do and very wearable look, i used the prestigious bordeaux palette and 2 shades of red lipstick from the collection: mon shu red and luxe burgundy.

for the look, i used the 2 brown shades, the golden glittery shade, the deep purple to deepen crease and the red blush (i know it looks very red, but it looks so good on!)

so here are the steps! (i was sitting at my vanity table with a window to my right so the lighting kept changing! please excuse the colour and quality of photos – all done with my iphone!)

  • for my skin, i used tsuya skin serum and uv underbase
  • foundation is face architect smooth fit fluid foundation in 564 (medium light sand)
  • concealer is point cealer in medium light sand

  • i just realized that i left out one photo. before softening edges, i used brush 5R and the deep purple shade to deepen my crease.

  • curl lashes
  • then use xtreme stretch mascara for top and bottom lashes
  • apply shu uemura soft cross lashes (or your favourite shu lashes)

  • apply red blush using brush 15 – dab (as the blush is very pigmented) and create a soft gradation

experiment with a red that suits you best. i first tried mon shu red (to the far left), then i dabbed luxe burgundy (second from the left) to the centre of my lips. i found this gave my lips more dimension and i personally like the crimson tone better for my skin:

this is the mon shu red on its own with no lip liner and no concealer/foundation on my lips

this is in natural light in front of my window (wow, i need a tan! lol)

this is after i dabbed the luxe burgundy to the centre of my lips. i found it gave a more velvety textured look.

 

thanks for reading!  i’ll be doing another look using the smoky palette soon! remember to check back!

how-to: orange & pistachio chocolate for fall

August 26, 2012
Beauty, how to
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for the collection, our international artistic direct kakuyasu uchiide created a beautiful chocolatey look using the orange & pistachio palette. for second look that i did for the new shu uemura fall 2012 chocolat-donna collection, i wanted to use the palettes in a slightly different way. i focused more on the pistachio green in the orange & pistachio palette since it’s such a unique colour. i also wanted to incorporate the mint & vanilla palette, so i used the mint green shimmery shadow for highlighting.

photographer mark darren helped me to create these lovely images of model and actress sarah lian:

decorate a sensual chocolatey eye with hint of pistachio to the centre of the lids. this really switches up the typical neutral eye. complete the lovely lady-like look with a bold and glossy red lip for added drama.

to get the look:

FACE
  • for a flawless canvas, prep skin with concentrate (tsuya skin was used on model – review on this product to come soon!)
  • apply tsuya uv underbase mousse to smooth away pores so that foundation glides on perfectly (review to come)
  • use brush 18 to apply face architect smooth fit fluid foundation in 564
  • use cover crayon concealer in 7YR ML to under eye, nose and outer corner of lip area and on blemishes and use synthetic brush 10 to blend
  • use brush 18R and face powder matte in colourless to set
EYES
  • use natural brush 10 and apply creamy eye shadow in p medium olive 461 to eye socket to create shape
  • use natural brush 10 and apply matte light brown shade from the pistachio & orange palette over the creamy shadow; use brush 11 to soften
  • deepen definition using brush 10 and apply dark matte brown shade from the same palette to crease and lower lid
  • use brush 11 and apply pistachio shade to the centre of lid
  • use brush 4R to apply orange shade to inner corner and lower lid
  • use brush 12 highlight brow bone with peach shade from palette (the mint shade from the mint & vanilla palette was used on model)
  • leave brows or simply apply brow manicure in ash brown to leave focus on the eyes
  • use brush 2R to line eyes with black painting liner
  • curl lashes and apply stretch xtreme mascara
  • apply choco-lash partial lashes
CHEEKS
  • use brush 20 to apply apricot glow on to apples of cheeks
LIPS
  • line lips with nude lip liner 
  • use lip brush to apply rouge unlimited in rd160
  • apply clear lip vinyl over top
TIP
  • if enlarged pores are of concern, a quick tip to fix this is to apply face powder matte in colourless before applying foundation and again after. by applying the loose powder before, pores are smoothed away, which creates a smooth canvas for foundation to glide over.

i didn’t have my husband there to take some step-by-step photos this time. i’ll be sure to bring him next time!

how-to: raspberry & mocha chocolate look for fall

August 22, 2012
Beauty, how to
7 Comments


chocolate paired with raspberry and mocha creates such a delightfully rich palette. for the fall season, create sensual smoky brown eyes using metallic warm shades and rich matte brown shadows.

for the new shu uemura fall 2012 chocolat-donna collection, i created two makeup looks using two of the three delicious palettes. the first of the two was using the raspberry & mocha palette. if you’re looking for the most neutral and wearable of the three palette, this one would be your pick.

raspberry & mocha is the one in the centre

for this look, i wanted to show off more of the pinks and purples while using the browns to contour. i love that all of the palettes come with both medium and dark brown matte shades which are so perfect for contouring and creating a lovely chocolate smoky eye.

here’s how to create the look (and some behind-the-scenes photos taken by my wonderful husband):

FACE

  • base: stage performer instant glow (it was designed to use on runway models backstage to instantly correct imperfections including fine lines. it has a chroma-adjuster so it adjusts to the colour of your skin when applied)
  • use brush 18 and apply illuminating moisture foundation (764 was used on model)
  • use synthetic brush 10 to apply point cealer (medium light beige for model)
  • brush 18R to set foundation using matte powder in colourless

 

 

 

EYES

  • use eye light pencil white on brow bone and blend with brush 10 (apply onto lids also if desired to intensify eyeshadow colour)

  • use natural brush 10 and brown cream shadow to create crease shape
  • use brush 12 to apply pink shade on brow bone
  • use brush 11 to apply matte brown shade over top brown cream shadow

  • brush 10 to apply pink shade to center of lid
  • brush 10 to apply purple shade to crease and extend out to temple; brush 11 to soften
  • brush 5R to apply deep brown shade to outer corner to add depth
  • brush 10F to apply deep brown and metallic brown to lower lid
  • brush 4R to apply pearl shade to the inner corner
  • brush 2R to line eyes with black painting liner
  • curl lashes and use stretch xtreme mascara (which is a waterproof fibre mascara, so you can build volume and length by applying several coats – i love this!)
  • apply choco-lash

 

 

CHEEKS

  • use brush 20 to apply frambosier blush contouring cheeks then apply apricot blush to apples of cheeks

LIPS

  • rouge unlimited BR 750 and gloss 283

NAILS

  • 2 coats of dark chocolate then apply icing glitter on tips for dark chocolate champagne nails!

we had a hard time choosing just one image for shu uemura; here were are initial final four:

 

these are unedited images

 

here’s the final image captured by talented photographer mark darren with beautiful model stephanie nicholson with hair styled by eliza tam:

 

 

i’ll be blogging about the orange & pistachio palette soon – stayed tuned!

how-to: shu uemura glitter eye collection part 2

July 21, 2012
Beauty, how to
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My inspiration: Summer is a season filled with fun bursts of colour; Dazzling the eyes with glittery purple and blue hues is a playful way to create fresh and flirty eyes. balance the look with soft shimmery pink lips and rosy pink cheeks.

for our series of images for the shu uemura glitter eye collection, my photographer mark darren and i had the chance to work with beautiful and talented actress and model Sarah Lian. it was awesome to be able to work with her, as she is a shu fan herself and had done modelling for shu uemura malaysia when she was working there.

for the summer season, i wanted to create a look that was bright and punchy. i wanted to show off the beautifully pigmented new pressed glitter shadows. to enhance the colours, i used the new cream shadows as a base. this look can also be done for monolid eyes.

to re-create this look: (click here to see the shu uemura website to discover products and tools or visit your local shu uemura counter at Holt Renfrew)

FACE

  • apply stage performer instant glow to even out skin tone (with the chroma adjuster, it adjusts to your natural skin tone) and to smooth away lines and pores.
  • use brush 18 and apply face architect smooth fit foundation in 554 (medium sand).
  • use synthetic brush 10 and apply point cealer in medium beige to under eye area and blemishes
  • use brush 18R and apply face powder matte in colourless to set makeup

EYES

  • use natural brush 10 and cream purple shadow P796 and create a gradation from the lash line up, covering the entire lid
  • use natural brush 10 and press G blue 646 over the purple cream base, then apply G turquoise 641 to the centre of lid
  • use natural brush 10 and apply G purple the the outer corner of the eye and sweep inward
  • use brush 5R and G purple to contour the eye socket
  • use brush 5R and apply P790 to outer V
  • use brush 11 and apply G pink to soften the outer purple edge
  • use brush 11 and apply G white-silver 909 to brow bone and temples
  • tight line eyes with brush 4F and black painting liner
  • apply stretch xtreme mascara after curling lashes
  • apply false lashes black diamante or natural volume and line eyes with liquid liner
  • use brush 10F and press P790 to bottom lash line over top black painting liner. apply stretch xtreme mascara to bottom lashes.

CHEEKS

  • use brush 20 to apply glow on 345 (soft coral) to apples of cheeks
  • use brush 20 to soften edges and to highlight cheek bones using glow on P510 light peach
  • optional: use brush 20h and use glow on 761 to contour

LIPS

  • apply rouge unlimited supreme shine PK306 to entire lip
  • apply rouge unlimited supreme shine PK337 to centre of lips for dimension

FOR MONOLID EYES

the same steps can be applied for monolid eyes. photographer james mui helped me produce this lovely photo of amanda z. i used the exact same products and steps on amanda as i did on sarah, except i used the black diamante lashes on her instead and the foundation colour is 764. the great thing about darker coloured cream shadows is that you can use them to create a gradation from the lash line up for monolids to create the appearance of wider eyes.

when doing makeup for monolid eyes, remember to keep opening your eyes as you apply the shadow to make sure that it still shows when your eyes are opened.

use brush 5F to draw thicker eyeliner on the upper lid so that it still shows up once eyes are opened. paint on the painting liner creating a gradation from the lash line upwards.

have fun experimenting!

how-to: get waterproof eyes using new shu uemura stretch xtreme mascara & brow manicure

June 18, 2012
how to, reviews
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just in time for summer! shu uemura has released two new great products that are both waterproof. great for the humid summer months and outings to the beach.

  1. shu uemura stretch xtreme mascara. this mascara is a fibre mascara that’s waterproof. you can paint on layer after layer to achieve the desired volume and length for your lashes! the wand is also slightly curved so it fits nicely onto the lash line. this mascara was actually designed with asian lashes in mind, so that bristles on the wand grab onto the smallest of lashes and builds volume for sparse lashes.
  2. shu uemura brow manicure. i have been waiting for shu to come out with a brow gel! it’s finally here! it’s sweat-proof and waterproof. it comes in two colours: honey glaze and ash brown. it has a handy wand with bristles designed to create the perfect brows. one end has shorter bristles to paint each brow (brushing the hairs upward) and the other side has longer bristles to brush the brows into place. i like to use this product in combination the the shu uemura hard formula (brow pencil – i use colour seal brown). i soften the colour using brush 6OB (angled badger hair brush designed for brows). My brows are quite sparse so I draw in the shape with the hard formula pencil, then paint my brows with the brow manicure to really give colour to my brows and to put them into place since my brows, like most asian brows, grow downwards. i don’t like to trim them because i don’t have very many hairs as it is, so i prefer to brush and place them aside using the brow gel.

here’s a photo with my right eye’s lashes curled using the shu uemura lash curler and coated with stretch xtreme mascara (3 coats). i also coated my bottom lashes (2 coats). my right brow is also done with the hard formula brow pencil and hairs painted and set in place with brow manicure. a very  natural finish.

what a big difference it makes! for more length, i could’ve continued layering the mascara for a more dramatic effect.

try it! it really opens up the eyes.

how-to: prevent travel break outs! keep skin clear

June 15, 2012
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i love traveling. i absolutely have the travel bug! but the one thing that i dread most about traveling is break outs. because of the change in environment, diet and time zone, my skin tends to get quite bumpy whenever i travel. the worst is when i get those big pimples deep under the skin that take forever to heal.

good news is, i FINALLY found a way to prevent travel break outs! during my visit out west for shu uemura, my skin began to get bumpy as soon as i landed in vancouver – the airplane tends to do that to my skin; i’m convinced it’s all the bacteria! but i could be wrong lol – but luckily, national trainer for shu uemura lori lucas shared with me a simple trick to heal the skin so quick and prevent break outs. lori is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to shu skincare!

it’s as simple as this:

  • use LOTS, i mean LOTS of toner! i used to try to limit what i put on my face because i was scared it would irritate my skin, but actually, it really calms it down. i used two cotton pads of toner morning and night.

  • use shu uemura award winning hydrability alnight quench SOS moisture essence. it’s basically an instant facial mask. i call it a face mask for lazy people.. lol.. because you just smooth it all over your face before bedtime and you don’t need to wash it off. it’s got a high concentration of our famous depsea water (glacial water extracted from polar regions containing lots of natural minerals from deep in the ocean). don’t be afraid to put lots on! your skin’s texture will be improved dramatically over night, i swear!

  • spritz lots of depsea mist during the day. i also had a small bottle that i used on the plane. the re-filtered air tends to really dry out the skin and make it flaky. the skin will them produce more sebum which i find breaks out my skin. this restores moisture to the skin and calms it down.

what you’d be doing is normalizing your skin; helping it maintain balance. we tend to get dehydrated when traveling because we don’t drink enough water or eat enough fruits and vegetables. when we don’t drink enough water, we’re not expelling the toxins from our body. the toxins need to come out from somewhere, so that’s why we see it appearing on our skin. how sad. but i finally found a way to prevent all of this! feeding my skin depsea water throughout the day and night really prevented the bumpy skin! i couldn’t believe it. i’m so happy that i finally found a way to keep my skin nice even when traveling.

try it! it really works! go to any of the holt renfrews across canada and discuss with one of the beauty experts at the counter. test it out, trust me, you’ll love it.

how-to: smoky purple crush look using new shu uemura glitter shadows

June 13, 2012
how to, reviews
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i’ve been having so much fun playing with the new shu uemura eyeshadow textures. there are 3 new silk cream shadows which can be worn alone, as a base for shadows or overtop shadows and 6 new cream eyeshadows. these are perfect for enhancing the new glitter shadows and help to prevent eyeshadows from falling onto the face during application.

there’s also a limited edition refillable eyeshadow/blush case in white! love <3. here’s the palette i created for the purple crush look:

  • new medium purple cream shadow
  • new G purple glitter shadow
  • new P dark plum 790 pressed shadow
  • new G blue glitter shadow

this look is super easy to create…

FACE:

  • glow on stage performer to even out skin tone and texture
  • face architect smooth fit foundation in 564 (i recently switched to this one because it’s more matte than the illuminating moisture foundation since i’m oilier in the summer months and the smooth fit foundation also contains SPF)
  • face powder matte in colourless for T-zone
  • cheeks: glow on M 324 (available in Holts Canada only) and glow on P light pink 315 to highlight

EYES:

click here to see the new shu uemura glitter and cream shadows, new stretch xtreme waterproof fibre mascara and new brown manicure brow mascaras

click here to discover shu uemura hand-crafted brushes

upper lid:

  • use brush 10 and apply purple cream shadow blending from the lash line upwards creating a smooth transition
  • use brush 10 and pat G purple glitter over top the cream shadow
  • use brush 10 and apply P deep plum 790 to the inner and outer parts of the eye to contour the eyeball and create dimension.
  • use brush 11 to soften the edges
  • use brush 4F and black painting liner to draw a wide line on the lash line and tight line the eyes
  • *tip: use eyelash curler to curl the luxe black lashes first, BEFORE applying them on your lashes.  this gives the falsies a really good lift and it really widens then eye once applied.
*the tools that you use to apply shadows are even more essential when working with glitters. the best shu uemura brushes are made with kollinsky hair (asian mink) which is very porous. it picks up colour and deposits on the lip minimizing any fall off onto your cheek and gives high colour intensity.

lower lid:

  • use brush 10F (flat brush) to press P deep plum 790 onto the outer 2/3 of the lash line
  • use brush 4F and brown painting liner  to fill in between the lashes and on the waterline then press P deep plum on top – this will really set the liner! it will seriously stay on all day
  • use brush 10F and press G blue glitter shadow on the inner 1/3 of lash line and onto the centre of lower lid (overlapping the deep plum)
  • apply new strech xtreme mascara to lower lashes

the new stretch xtreme  mascara is waterproof. it’s a fibre mascara so you can keep applying to build length and volume.

BROWS:

  • i used new shu uemura brow manicure. i absolutely LOVE this new product. the little brush has 2 sides, one with shorter bristles to paint each brow (sweep upwards) and other side with longer curved bristled to put the brows in place. best part is that it’s water and sweat proof! just in time for summer!

LIPS:

how-to: pink lemonade look using new shu uemura glitter shadows

June 12, 2012
how to
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shu uemura has just released fun new shades of glitter eyeshadows! What’s even more exciting is that shu uemura has also released new cream eyeshadows which are perfect to enhance the glitter shadows and to intensify the colour of any of the other pressed eyeshadows. i absolutely love, love, love the silky texture of the cream shadows and that they allow me to press on the glitter shadows without having the glitter fall onto my cheeks (we all know how hard that is to wipe off if you’ve already applied your foundation!).

for the warm summer weather, why not try a wearable pink lemonade look? p.s. my eyes aren’t really that big, i’ll teach you how to make eyes appear wider.

FACE:

  • bb beige uv underbase mousse (the green mamechiyo bottle) | pentagon sponge
  • face architect illuminating fluid foundation in 564 (medium light sand) | brush 18
  • face powder matte in colours | brush 18R
  • glow on M | brush 20

 

 

 

 

EYES:

click here for the complete collection of new glitter and cream eyeshadows

click here to discover shu uemura hand-crafted brushes

upper lid:

  • base: use finger tip or brush 10 to apply brown cream shadow blending from lash line upwards creating a gradation
  • base: use finger tip or brush 10 to apply pink cream shadow above the brown and a dab a little to the centre of your lid to create dimension
  • inner and outer corners: use brush 10 and M dark brown 895 shadow and contour your eyeball (i know this sounds funny). asian eyes are usually more flat, so we need to create the illusion of dimension.
  • use brush 5R and sweep G light brown along upper lash line all the way up to crease
  • use brush 10 and press G pink on the centre of lid and above crease (placing glitter on the centre of lid gives dimension and makes eyes appear wider)
  • use brush 4F and brown painting liner to draw a thick line to upper lash line (you should really see the line when your eyes are opened). soften that line by sweeping M dark brown 895 on top using brush 5R
  • use brush 4F and black painting liner to tight line upper lash line and to line the base/roots of upper lash line. extend the liner outwards (not upwards) to create wider eyes
  • *trick: to prevent painting liner from drying out while you’re using it, flip it over onto the table while you’re applying
  • curl lashes, apply ultimate expression mascara and luxe black falsies

lower lid:

  • use brush 4F and brown painting liner (black will close up the eyes making them appear smaller) and fill in between lower lash line – all the way to inner corner and fill the inner corner also (this makes eyes appear wider)
  • use brush 10F to press M dark brown 895 into lash line to set the painting liner
  • use brush 10F and apply G yellow to inner corners and centre of lower lid
  • *trick: use liquid liner pen to draw a few bottom lashes on the outer 1/3 of lower lid to make eyes look wider
  • apply gold liquid liner to inner corner and to bottom of of outer edge (flick) of liner – this will lift the eyes

LIPS:

have fun!! the sunshine is out, play around with some glitter!

how to create brown dolly eyes

May 16, 2012
how to
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for the prom fashion show event at holt renfrew yorkdale, i wore a brown dolly eyed look which turned out to be a favourite amongst clients and online shu fans. i’ve received a few requests on how to create the look. so here it is step-by-step:

 

 

SKIN:

for a dolly-look, it’s important to have “porcelain”-like skin. i don’t mean that it needs to be porcelain pale in colour, but it needs to be even and glowing.

 

 

EYES:

LIPS:
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