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how to get fresh purple eyes with the new shu uemura celestial garden collection

February 5, 2012
how to, reviews
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spring 2012 is all about colours! if you’re like me, and prefer more subtle options, then you’ll love the new shu uemura celestial garden collection. the colours are bright, but soft and blend easily together.

here’s how to create fresh purple eyes for spring using the air eyeshadow trio :

STEP 1: start with creating a perfect canvas. for glowing skin, prep with the shu uemura stage performer instant glow. it evens out the skin tone and fills in fine lines for plump, supple skin.

 

 

STEP 2: use brush 18 to apply shu uemura face architect illuminations moisture fluid foundation (i use colour 564; if your skin tone is more yellow, opt for the colours that begin with the number 7). set with face powder matte for a silky finish and finally, set everything by spritzing with depsea water facial mist (my favourites are rose and lavendar) – this is how to get glowing skin as opposed to oily skin.

 

 

STEP 3: starting at the centre of the lid, apply the purple shade using brush 10. blend away from the centre, all the way up to the brow bone. add more purple to the centre of lid. apply same shade to the bottom lash line.

STEP 4: use brush 8HR and add the blue glitter shade to the inner corner of the eye, blending slightly into the purple.

STEP 5: apply the earthy brown of the double-end eye pencil to the upper lash line. thicken towards the end in order to create a base. blend out the line with brush 10.

STEP 6: use brush 10 and apply the brown shade of eyeshadow to the outer edge of the eyes. do the same to the bottom 1/3 of lash line. line again with black painting liner; then blend and extend the line using matte black eyeshadow.

 

 

STEP 7: finish the eyes by curling lashes, applying natural mascara in black and of course, apply a pair of shu uemura falsies. i’m using slant black false lashes.

 

 

STEP 8: lips! i dabbed some pro gel cealor to my lips to get the true colour of the beautiful blooming pink lip gloss in the celestial garden collection.

 

 

here is the look:

thanks for reading! more looks to come…

create a light, airy look using the new shu uemura celestial garden collection

January 29, 2012
how to, reviews
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waiting for spring to arrive? try playing around with some fun brighter colours to beat the winter blues! the new shu uemura celestial garden collection features soft and playful colours which is perfect for the bright colours that we’re seeing on the runways. colours can be intimidating, but shu uemura always creates colours that are bright, but so subtle when applied to the skin. the colours add a touch of highlight creating a luminescent effect.

find out, step by step, how to create a light and luminescent look using the new collection…

STEP 1: use the misty brown end of the double-end eye crayon all over the lid to create a base for the eyeshadows. blend out with your finger or a brush. then use the earthy brown end to darken the lash line; extend the colour out to create a shape for your eyes and line 2/3 of your bottom lash line beginning from the outer edge. soften the lines using brush 10.

STEP 2: using brush 10, pat the light yellow eyeshadow in the light eyeshadow trio beginning from the centre of you lid and blend away from the centre (creating a gradation). apply the same shade in the inner corner to brighten the eyes and continue the colour on the bottom lash line beginning in the inner corner.

STEP 3: using brush 10 pat the green glitter shade in the same palette to the centre of your lid blending it into the yellow. apply the green to the centre of the bottom lash line.

STEP 4: using brush 10 apply the brown shade to the outer corner of the eyes (over top the earthy brown eyeliner base applied earlier) and to the bottom lash line. blend inwards. use brush 8HR to blend out the harsh edges.

P.S. These palettes were named amongst the most beautiful palettes by vogue paris! Great thing about them is that they are refillable. you get to keep the beautifully designed palette. you may even choose to refill it with one of the shu uemura glow on blushers.

STEP 5: the natural mascara keeps “hard-to-curl lashes” curled after having used the shu uemura lash curler. i use this before applying falsies because it creates a good “lift” for the falsies to sit on. for this look, i used shu uemura lashes in luxe brown. (i also lined my eyes using painting liner in black and tight-lined as well using brush 4F).

STEP 6:  for dewy, glowing cheeks, apply the fairy pink or sunlight peach creamy dome blusher to the apples of the cheeks in circular motions blending outwards to create gradation.

STEP 6: to get the true colour of the beautiful juicy glosses, dab a bit of pro gel cealor to the lips, then apply the corona orange gloss for beautifully moist and plump lips.

and here is my look:

check back next week for my look using the airy palette!

golden globes 2012: best makeup looks… get the look!

January 16, 2012
Beauty, reviews
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our favourite celebs walked the red carpet at the 2012 golden globes with the trendiest makeup looks. from soft pink to red hot lips, they each had a look that caught the camera’s lens. playing with different lip colours is something that all girls should try this season. playful lip colours paired with the right eye makeup is what creates the perfect makeup look.

rooney mara and glee’s naya riveria were my favourites; rooney mara looked perfect with her flawless skin and pink lips, while naya rivera looked ravishing in velvet red lips.

to recreate rooney mara’s look at home, try using these shu uemura products:

matte soft skin: face architect glow enhancing powder foundation (for higher coverage, simply wet the sponge to apply the powder foundation)

rosy cheeks: dome blush in fairy pink

soft winged eyes: P light pink 125 all over lid; M soft brown 851 for crease to contour; m black 990 to create soft winged eyes – a modern spin to the traditional solid wing.

full lashline: tightline eyes with painting liner in black

lashes: natural volume lashes

matte lips: rouge unlimited supreme matte in angelic pink (my favourite!) or pk19 in the sakura collection (it’s a cool pastel lavendar pink)

 

 

 

 

to recreate naya rivera’s look at home, try using these shu uemura products:

creamy matte skin: nobara cream stick foundation and blend using a sponge. it’s high coverage so it’ll conceal imperfections.

contour cheeks: glow on blush in matte amber 761

bold brows: hard formula brow pencil

soft lined eyes: drawing pencil in black and smudge using brush and matte black eyeshadow

velvet lips: rouge unlimited supreme shine in rd185 apply to lips, then blot with a tissue, repeat. this will create a velvet finish.

 

 

 

have fun experimenting!

try icy eyes and warm lips with the shu uemura WKW holiday collection

November 8, 2011
Behind the Scenes, reviews
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for a photo shoot with photographer teddy chau, i was creating a makeup look using the shu uemura wkw holiday collection burning in water palette on model effie tsorovas. the colours are so vibrant and are so well captured in photos. here is a behind-the-scenes shot / sneak peak at the look:

the collection is so beautiful; from the packaging, to the colours.

holographic image taken during the creation of wong kar wai’s short film “mask”.

drowning in flame palette. so lovely for creating soft, natural, romantic looks.

the perfect accent to a holiday look. jeweled love partial lashes. a must-try!

burning in water palette. for eyes that make a statement.

the beautiful premium lashes – dance in glitter.

such pretty nail polishes! i shall do a post on these soon. i’m wearing these colours as we speak.

i wanted to create a wearable look using the burning in water palette. sometimes we’re afraid to use bold colours, but give icy eyes a try this winter season:

warm up the edges with brown eyeshadow to make the look very wearable. i’m also using the shu uemura ultimate natural mascara which keeps lashes curled. for my brows, hard formula in seal brown for brows that stay put.

rather than a bold red (i used the wkw rouge luster on effie), try the wkw  pink flush for a softer look:

it’s an extremely moisturizing lipstick. i’m absolutely in love with this lipstick.

how to get rid of those fine lines and “de-puff” your eyes using shu uemura red:juvenus eye treatments

November 6, 2011
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if you answer yes to either one of the following questions, then you’ll want to read this post:

  1. take your finger and lift your cheek area, right under your eye, do you see thin lines? or do you see very fine lines when you smile?
  2. do you wake up some mornings with puffy and dark under eyes?
if you answered yes to question#1, then you better start acting now. it’s the first signs of aging and it’s what i’m experiencing right now. to prevent these fine lines from becoming wrinkles (which is when the second layer of your skin begins to loose it’s elasticity), i’m using the red:juvenus line-reducing eye essence in the morning and in the evening following my regular skin care regime. the red:juvenus line is designed to aid in the first signs of aging. the line is enriched with anti-oxidant ingredients (pomegranate, red currents and tomato extract).
if you answered yes to question#2, shu uemura has come out with a new product to instantly get rid of those puffy, tired eyes. it was inspired by the shiatsu massage technique which encourages circulation and flow. bringing circulation back to the eye area will decongest and take away the puffiness. i’m using the shu uemura red:juvenus roll-away instant eye fatigue. it contains guarana fruit extract which instantly reduces dark circles. use this product in combination with the line-reducing eye essence and carry it in your purse and have it handy when your eyes are feeling tired at work. there’s a trick to using this new product: using the cool silver ball to press on the pressure points around the eye area:
give these products a try, your skin will thank you!
want more tips on skin care? message me if you have any requests.

go bronze with shu uemura color atelier!

October 14, 2011
Beauty, reviews
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i just love experimenting with makeup. why? because it’s so interesting how different colours and different makeup looks makes the same face look so different. janice wu is my favorite model – i’ve used her all throughout the shu uemura beauty make-up art competition; she looked so different with each look! photographer, mark darren, and i got together again with janice and transformed her into a bronze goddess. this time, i had my hairstylists, danny mak, on board for hair. it was an amazing team.

using a shu uemura customizable palette, i put together a quad of pressed eyeshadows to create the look; it’s so convenient to mix and match the eyeshadows.

here’s the look that i created:

products used:

face architect smoothing fluid foundation in medium beige. this foundation is amazing! i use this on myself during the cooler months. it doesn’t look like foundation when it’s on the skin – totally melts in. when zooming in on the photos, mark darren noticed right away that i had used a different foundation on janice’s skin. the nobara cream stick foundation, on the other hand, is amazing for matte, high coverage, the face architect smoothing foundation is great for creating that healthy glowing skin.

*favorite tool: shu uemura natural 18 goat brush this brush applies foundation like no other brush does. it’s dense and soft so it glides on streak-free, filling all pores and fine lines. the synthetic brush 14 is great too because it’s easy to clean, but i prefer using it with the nobara cream stick foundation; i find it works better in blending the thicker foundations.

shu uemura painting liner in brown for a natural look, i blended the painting liner into the lashline to create an illusion of denser lashes. it resists water really well, so it stays put even in the upper inner rim.

shu uemura color atelier pressed eyeshadows i used:

base colour: ME medium brown 856    *ME = metallic

crease colour: ME medium brown 885

eyeline: M dark brown 895     *M = matte

accent: G bronze (inner corner and lower lashline)    *G = glitter

shu uemura glow on blush in medium peach 561 (matte) a universally pretty colour blush for any skintone.

going colourful with shu uemura colour atelier eyeshadows!

October 2, 2011
Beauty, reviews
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i met beautiful ellen d. during a wedding booking that i had this summer. she was one of the bridesmaids and when i learned that she had done modelling before, i just had to ask her to be a model for a photoshoot with me and photographer mark darren.

i wanted to try something colourful using shu uemura colour atelier eyeshadows. i was inspired by the colours found in the shu uemura mini khaki lashes: blues, greens and oranges. ellen has great features for a strong bold winged eye and she rocked this photoshoot! mark directed and captured the perfect gaze that jumps right out of the photo.

products used:

shu uemura nobara cream cover stick foudation – i love using this foundation for photoshoots. it’s high coverage and buildable without the heavy cakiness. because it’s a cream consistency, it glides on smoothly.

shu uemura painting liner in blue – i’ve used other gel liners before, but i must say that this one is my favourite because it doesn’t dry too quickly, so i can draw a smooth clean line and adjust it until it’s perfect. it’s creamy and not “watery” like some gel liners that don’t allow enough control when drawing a wing.

shu uemura colour atelier pressed eyeshadows – i used these colours:

base colour: matte beige 813

crease colour: ME 471 and P Green 595 *ME = metallic

lower lid colour: ME 686 (blue)

accent  outer colour: M 260 (oragne ) *M= matte

accent inner corner: G silver *G = glitter

browbone: M 907 (matte white)

shu uemura glow on blush M561 – i think a lot of people get scared off by shu uemura bright colours, but honestly, once it’s on the skin, it melts in and looks so natural. brides always ask me which blush i used on them and the glow ons are my go-tos.

shu uemura rouge unlimited crème matte – a nice nude beige colour that goes nicely with the bold dramatic eyes

shu uemura mini khaki false eyelashes

how i keep my skin looking fresh – shu uemura depsea water facial mist

September 15, 2011
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i used to think keeping my skin dry and oil-free would mean i’d keep pimples and clogged pores away. this totally does not work: over-drying my skin actually made my skin produce more oil on top of dry skin – not attractive! overuse of oil blotting paper does the same.

during my training with mylène fillion, national trainer for shu uemura, i learned one important thing: there’s a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. dry skin is a skin type, whereas dehydrated skin is when your skin is lacking moisture/hydration. when it’s dehydrated, it will produce more oil.

facial cleansers that leave the skin “squeaky clean”  is dehydrating. the hydro-lipid layer of the skin is being stripped causing your skin to loose moisture. that’s why cleansing oils are much better for your skin.

After I’m done cleansing my skin at night with the fresh cleansing oil, i use shu uemura depsea water facial mist in lavendar. it helps the absorption of lotion applied afterwards. shu uemura has different scents for different purposes – lavendar is calming so i like to use it before i go to bed. the rose one also smells amazing!

“deep-sea water is taken from the depth of the ocean where sunlight does not reach, at 200 meters. completely free of artificial color, natural aromatic extracts are then added to become lightly scented mists that rejuvenate and hydrate the skin, hair and body.”

during the day, i carry the fragrance-free neutral depsea mist with me. sometimes, my makeup doesn’t look as “fresh” as it did when i first applied it – not as dewy, more dull, so i just mist during the day. when it’s hot out, it helps with the greasiness, when it’s cold it helps with the flakiness.

i think i’m officially obsessed. it’s quite a big bottle, not heavy to carry. it can be found at any holt renfrew location.

summer to fall… go for matte lips and glowing cheeks: shu uemura novadiva collection

September 11, 2011
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the weather has been all over the place lately. some days it’s cold, some days it feels like it’s still summer! i don’t know what outfit to put on in the morning!

today was my friend’s bridal shower, so i decided to get dolled up with a mix of shu uemura’s summer collection and their new novadiva fall 2011 collection. i wanted a soft and slightly autumn look, so i chose matte lips – which is an awesome look for fall – and glowing peach cheeks. and of course, my nails are painted in shu uemura coquettish brown for a soft autumn look. for my eyes, i used the summer collection’s sunset gold palette with the black painting liner.

for my lips and cheeks, i used the new fall 2011 novadiva collection which can be found at holt renfrew. pick up your favorite shades of matte lipsticks now, as they are only in stores for a limited time!

so pretty! it’s the limited edition custom palette quod with decoration inspired by the pattern of lace in pearly black. it’s reusable for eyeshadows and blushers. my favorite!!

i put the novadiva fall 2011 cream cheek blush in gentle amber and the cream shimmer highlighter in radiant pearl.

this is one of the 5 rouge unlimited supreme matte lipsticks in angelic pink (i’ll add another post about the other colours soon!). the lipstick does not at all make my lips look dry and has extreme staying power!

with the radiant pearl shimmer highlighter and a sponge, i dabbed it on my cheekbones up to my brow bone (a c-curve).


i dabbed the gentle amber cream cheek blush on the apples of my cheeks with a sponge in a circular motion blending outwards. 

nail polish in coquettish brown.

fall nail polish… must have!

September 9, 2011
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the weather has gotten cooler so quickly! fall is just around the corner. it’s time to pick some new shades for the new season. fall/winter nail colours are more subdued than spring/summer colours. personally, i tend to gravitate towards more neutral and nude shades anyhow just because i find it easy to match with any outfit.

i also have a lot of deep toned nail colours like that i like to use in the colder months, but winter/fall colours doesn’t mean that you have to go with grey, black or deep burgundy (although all of those still look fantastic). this season, i’ve chosen soft brown – it looks amazing.

i’m so happy because shu nail polishes are now being sold! the new novadiva fall 2011 collection carries a beautiful brown-pink shade called coquettish brown. i’m wearing it right now and am loving it! anyone who knows me knows that i always have short nails, so it definitely gives a more femminin appeal. it’s an elegant colour that has very fine sparkles, so it catches the light beautifully and looks slightly different depending on the lighting.

i’d definitely recommend this shade for those searching for their next fall shade or for those who’d simply like to get a very versatile colour that matches easily with any outfit.

i put the nail colour on yesterday and went over it with a clear top cop: