Tag Archives: shu uemura

I had the pleasure of working with Wales Wong, photographer and editor of Veux magazine, for the second time. We had so much fun planning this colourful candy-themed photoshoot with hairstylist Carlos Pang and model Alayna Kellett. We couldn’t help but munch on our candy props while working!

Here are some behind the scene shots:

Although timing for the shoot was really tight, we managed to squeeze in 4 fun, bright looks for a feature in Veux mag’s 4th anniversary issue:

I also had the chance to share some tips on summer makeup at the new “strobing” trend which has taken over traditional contouring this season:

I look forward to doing another collaboration with Veux mag!

review: takashi murakami for shu uemura holiday collection 2013

November 15, 2013

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about the collection…

this year, shu uemura has collaborated with japanese pop, animé and otaku artist, takashi murakami, for their 2013 holiday collection. murakami is known for his “superflat” style which uses classical japanese painting techniques to create pop art.

his upcoming artwork is called 6 heart princesses (6HP), which is an animation film that will be aired as a TV series next year. the premise of the series is 6 regular girls transform into 6 good princesses who fight against 1 evil princess. the transformation is reminiscent of sailor moon!

the shu uemura holiday collection consists of one of the good princesses (pink princess) and the evil princess (black princess). the theme for the collection is “dual beauty” which suggests that every woman has two sides: naughty and nice. the two palettes, pink and black, allows us to express both natures.

how to use the colours…

pink princess palette

the pink palette contains 7 warm eyeshadows and one powder glow on blusher. the darker brown shade is typically used for the lash line and contouring. the reddish brown is used for the centre of the lid whereas the orange shade is used to blend out the reddish brown to create a flawless gradation. but of course those are just general guidelines on how to use them, you can use the however you’d like!

the iridescent white and yellow shadows are used for highlighting (the brow bone, the inner corners of the eyes) and the iridescent pink shades can be used to highlight the centre of the lids or used to soften edges of the brown shades for nice gradations.

swatches…

black princess palette

this palette is perfect for creating colourful smoky eyes, which is the trend for this holiday season. it’s easier to create a smoky eye using the new gel liner to start (lining the eyes), then using the black shadow along the lash line blending upwards. following the liner, use either the dark violet or gold shadows on the centre of the lid, blending into the black shadow.

the green shade can be used to soften the black shadow edges to create gradation and the silver or the iridescent lavender can be used as accent highlights to the inner corners of the eyes are the bottom lash line.

swatches…

review of the palettes…

the texture of the eyeshadows are phenomenal. they are similar to the velvety shadows in the karl for shu palettes – extremely smooth and intense colour payoff. the difference that i noticed is that these shadows feel almost creamy to the touch; when applied, it feels like cream but has a powder finish. it’s like the cream and cheek stain of this collection.

the shadow are, however, very delicate. so be careful when transporting the palette because i find that the shadows can break apart if not handled with care. the black shadow of my black princess palette cracked on route to me in the post.. so sad! but there are, of course, ways to repair broken eye shadows using alcohol. i’ll be fixing my palette!

the new s curler…

this is the new generation s curler by shu uemura. it’s designed so that you can curl sections of lashes at a time. this curler is ideal for smaller eyes which may be harder when using the original lash curler since not all of the lashes seem to get curled.

personally, i’ve never had a problem with the original curler, but i love this new one when . i like to clamp my real lashes to the falsies using this curler so that they merge together – avoiding the horrible 2 set of lashes look!

this new curler is far improved from the the original mini curler by shu uemura because it doesn’t have the side bars which got in the way of curling before. i was so happy when shu came out with this curler! i was using another korean brand mini curler before this, but the padding is nothing compared to shu uemura’s!

new pencil gel liner…

this is the ultimate liner for me. i had always been using the shu uemura painting liner (a gel liner that dries completely waterproof, even when i use it on my waterline; no smudging). the only thing that i found tedious was having to clean my brush every time i applied liner. with the new gel liner, i can get that gel finish without the brush.

the finish is smooth and it’s soft so it’s easy to apply when tight lining eyes.

cream and cheek stain…

so when i first got this, i was thinking that my lips would look like i just ate a popsicle or a lollipop because that’s what tends to happen whenever i try a lip stain. but the finish of this stain is different. it comes out of the tube creamy but as you smooth it out, it becomes velvety and soft.

the colour is more like what i’d expect from a lipstick as opposed to a lollipop! personally i love this because it’s super easy to take out with me for my cheeks and lips. it’s great for those lazy or busy days (which i’ve had many lately) where i can just add some colour to my face so that i look less tired without having to do the whole works with my eyes.

the nail polishes…

the collection features 2 nail duos: pink and glitter & purple and gold. i have the purple and gold one which is a nice change from the typical red nails for the holidays! the shades can be used alone since the gold polish has a thicker consistency compared to previous glitter polishes by shu.

you can use them together to create some nail art…

i used 2 coats for the purple polish; it goes on smooth without streaks. for the gold polish, i just used one shade as embellishment.

i’ll be doing some makeup looks soon!

christian louboutin for shu uemura lashes!

July 5, 2013

Beauty, Creative, how to

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international artistic director for shu uemura, kakuyasu uchiide, designed a lovely pair of limited edition lashes for the christian louboutin exhibition at the toronto design exchange exclusively available in canada!

i used the rouge et noir lashes to create a femme fatale look captured by photographer mark darren mui and edited by the retoucher extraordinaire james mui. we wanted to create a sultry, moody photo composition to complement the seductive and enchanting lashes.

how to get the look:

face:

ultime8 cleansing oil
red:juvenus toner, serum and lotion
stage performer instant-glow
nobara cream cover stick 764 and pentagon sponge
face powder matte in colourless and brush 18R

eyes:

m black 990
p black 995
ir 985
me 472
natural brush 10, 10F, 10
black painting liner
brush 4F

brows:

brow manicure in ash brown

cheeks:

glow on 761
brush 20

lips:

nude lip liner
mon shu red lipstick (karl lagerfeld collection)
burgundy luxe lipstick (karl lagerfeld collection)

lashes:

rouge et noir lashes in collaboration with christian louboutin

visit www.shuuemura.ca to find out more about the lashes!

how-to: cherry blossom princess for shu uemura ob collection – pink editorial makeup

March 23, 2013

Beauty, Behind the Scenes, how to

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the shu uemura spring collection designed in collaboration with japanese artist ob, features four princesses each with their own persona. the second makeup look that i did was based on the cherry blossom princess.

here’s a look behind-the-scenes at how i created the look using the pink spring palette on lovely model christine mccabe:

some retouching on set

FACE:

apply uv brightening mousse using pentagon sponge to brighten and even out skin tone
brush 18 to apply FA illuminating moisture foundation in fair beige
cover crayon concealor under eyes, around nose and corners of mouth. blend with synthetic brush 10
set with face powder matte in colorless using brush 18R

EYES:

use brush 10F and apply brown painting liner lightly to top and bottom lash lines

load up natural brush 10 with light pink shade and press all over lids all the way up to brow and on lower lid
brush 11 and light pink shade to soften edges and extend slightly onto temples

use brush 11 to extend light pink shade onto cheekbone area

natural brush 10 and apply dark pink shade to crease; soften with brush 11

brush 5R or 10 to apply dark pink shade along outer lower lid

use natural brush 10 to layer light brown and deep brown shades into the outer crease area of eyes; soften with brush 11

CHEEKS:

brush 15 to apply glow on in M soft orange 542 (blending into pink shade on temples)
brush 15 to apply glow on P vivid orange 551 to cheek bones (blending with the pink shadow and the M soft orange glow on)

line water line with pearly gold drawing pencil
curl lashes
apply natural mascara in brown
apply sakura flower mini lashes

add more colour if necessary

after having put on the lashes, i decided to deepen the crease area further with the brown shades

LIPS:

line lips with nude lip liner

fill in with ob sakura pink rouge unlimited using lip brush

HAIR:

soft princess curls hairstyle designed by Lip Lap of Initium Hair in Markham, Ontario.

and here’s the completed image:

hope you enjoyed the post! share with all of the makeup artists out there! have fun experimenting!

how-to: ocean princess for shu uemura ob collection – pastel editorial makeup

March 20, 2013

Beauty, Behind the Scenes, how to

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for spring 2013, shu uemura collaborates with young japanese artist ob to celebrate the rise in a new sensitivity in art. according to ob,

“… reality lies in the world of ambiguity. In between the innocent, beautiful dream world and the physical world. That is what [she] want[s] to express in [her] collection.” – ob

she created a universe where four princesses can be found: cherry blossom princess, moon princess, forest princess and ocean princess. for the collection, i had the opportunity to create four makeup looks using the new spring eyeshadows and lipsticks to reflect the four princesses.

this is how i created the ocean princess:

FACE:

apply UV brightening underbase using pentagon sponge to even out and prep skin for application of pastel colours
brush 18 to apply FA illuminating moisture foundation in fair beige
cover crayon to conceal darkness under eyes and redness around nose and lips. blend with synthetic brush 10.
brush 18R to apply face powder matte in colourless

EYES: (blue palette) click here to read my review on the eyeshadow palettes

cover crayon on lids to even out skin tone for pastel colours. blend using synthetic brush 10.
brush 10F to apply brown painting liner on upper and lower lash line
natural brush 10 to apply light blue shade all over upper and lower lids…

extend out to temples

natural brush 10 to apply deeper blue shade to crease…

…brush 11 to soften.

brush 10 to apply light blue and deep blue shade to lower lid

brush 10 and brush 11 to apply lavender shade above temples blending into the blue shade.

brush 15 to apply yellow shade on cheekbone blending into blue shade on temples.

fill in brows using hard formula in seal brown

line water line with pearly white drawing pencil
curl lashes
apply natural mascara in black
apply oceans beads mini lashes
brush 2R to line upper and lower lash line

CHEEKS:

brush 20 to apply glow on in M soft pink

LIPS:

line lips with nude lip liner
fill in with light beige rouge unlimited
apply gold gloss to centre of lips

HAIR: designed by Lip Lam for Initium Hair

and here’s the final image:

for the makeup artists out there, have fun experimenting with this look!

review for the ob collection to come soon!

how-to: spring 2013 trend – aqua marine eyes

March 17, 2013

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getting ready for spring? it’s time to pull out some colourful eyeshadows and to shop for some new makeup goodies to add to your collection! flipping through magazines and browsing online, i was inspired to create a aqua marine makeup look to reflect the spunky colourful liners seen on the runways this spring season.

loulou magazine also featured this look in the march 2013 issue:

image taken from loulou magazine march 2013 issue

this is my version using the new shu uemura spring 2013 dream blossom blue palette:

this look is so easy to recreate:

FACE: keep skin soft and fresh using minimal makeup

cleanse skin using cleansing oil (i like to use the fresh one – pink bottle)
hydrate skin so that makeup smoothes on nicely; for very clean and fresh looking skin, i recommend using the hydrabtility intense moisture filling
apply shu uemura bb perfector cream – available in stores in canada
lightly dust loose powder matte to areas that tend to get overly shiny i.e., nose and forehead
spritz face with depsea water (i’m currently using mint)

EYEBROWS: for a softer spring look, shape eyebrows so that they are more straight than arched

shape eyebrows using shu uemura hard formula (i use seal brown)
soften them using brush 6OB
i like to set my brows in place using the shu uemura brow manicure in ash brown

EYES: i used the dream blossom blue palette for this look. click here to read my review on the palette.

click here to view the brushes that were used for this look.
the ocean beads lashes used for this look are part of a collaboration with japanese contemporary artist OB and shu uemura. OB created a magical world where we can find four princesses living in a fantastical universe each having their own distinct features. these lashes were created with the ocean princess in mind.

CHEEKS:

apply new P soft pink 324 glow on on apples of cheeks using brush 20 using the flat side of the brush for most smooth and colour intense application. click here to read my review on the new glow ons and on tips on how to use them.

LIPS:

make sure lips are well moisturized. i like to use the depsea hydrability lip balm.
apply new ob sakura pink rouge unlimited for a cute pink pout

have fun experimenting with this trendy aqua marine look!

how-to: spring 2013 trend warm smoky eye

March 15, 2013

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spring is finally around the corner! i’m sure we’re all looking forward to ditching those bulky winter coats and to tap into some of the new spring 2013 trends! march’s issue of loulou magazine outlined the hottest makeup trends for this spring. several of which can be created using the new shu uemura dream blossom collection.

the first trend that i’ll be featuring is warm and mysterious smoky eyes. i think this look is best achieved using matte eyeshadow shades while keeping skin and lips clean and neutral.

image taken from loulou magazine’s march 2013 issue

here is my version:

to recreate this look:

FACE: keep skin clean and fresh

always properly cleanse and prep skin. i used shu uemura fresh cleansing oil (the pink bottle) and the hydrability line.
apply pore eraser uv underbase using pentagon sponge
apply illuminating moisture foundation (my shade is medium light sand 564) using the same sponge
dust a very small amount of face powder matte in colourless on areas that then to get oily. we want to keep skin fresh, so use a minimal amount.
spritz face with depsea water (i’m using the mint one right now – refreshing!) to get a dewy finish and to set the makeup.

BROWS:

naturally define brows with small strokes following the direction of hair growth using hard formula (my shade is seal brown)
i like to apply the brow manicure to keep my hairs in place (i used ash brown)

brow manicure

EYES: this look was created using the pink palette from the dream blossom collection (click here to read a review on the palettes) this technique works for monolid eyes as well.

these are the brushes, products and tools that i used (click on images to visit the shu uemura website):

brush 2R

brush 4F

brush 5R

natural brush 10

brush 11

eyelash curler

brown painting liner stretch xtreme mascara

CHEEKS: keep cheeks pretty neutral. add a bit of colour for dimension.

contour cheeks using glow on 761 and brush 20h
add a touch of P soft orange (click here to read review on glow ons) to apples of cheeks using brush 20

LIPS: for this look, keep lips very neutral so that the attention is all kept in the eyes.

line lips with neutral lip pencil
fill lips with new rouge unlimited in light beige

have fun experimenting! more spring looks to come!

review: shu uemura dream blossom glow on blushers

March 14, 2013

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the shu uemura spring 2013 dream blossom collection features five new glow ons. these glow ons are all of pearl texture so they reflect light subtly giving the most natural glow of colour. shu uemura glow ons have always been amongst a makeup artist’s favourites. it’s because of it’s smooth texture that creates such a flawless, non-powdery finish. it’s extremely finely milled and is even safe to use around the eye area.

from top to bottom: P light yellow 020, P vivid orange 551, P soft orange 542, P soft coral 332, P soft pink 324

left to right: P light yellow 020, P vivid orange 551, P soft orange 542, P soft coral 332, P soft pink 324

P soft yellow 020

P soft yellow is perfect for highlighting. it gives a beautiful glow to cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. i find the finish and highlighting effect is best when applied with brush 13G. for the smoothest and most beautiful application, be sure to use the flat side of the brush to apply glow on.

brush 13G (click on image to visit the shu uemura site)

P vivid orange 551

P vivid orange is a high pigment glow on so a little goes a long way! this shade would look lovely on tan skin. i would recommend using this shade after having had a bit of colour from the sun. if your skin is still fair from the long winter months, i would opt for the P soft orange shade. i suggest applying this glow on as a contour (more in the hollows of the cheeks) using brush 20h. use a light sweeping motion beginning from the upper part of ear sweeping towards the nose in a diagonal line. *picture an imaginary line going downward from the outer part of your eye and be sure not to pass this line!

brush 20h (click on image to visit the shu uemura site)

P soft orange 542

P soft orange is such a warm and peachy shade. it looks so great on fair skin, but also gives a healthy sun-kissed glow to tan skin. i would recommend applying this shade to the apples of the cheeks using brush 20. for the most colour payoff, but sure to use the flat side of the brush to apply (and not the tips of the bristles). most shu uemura brushes are designed flat, as opposed to dome-shaped. this gives a smoother finish with precision and avoids fall off or having powder fly everywhere!

brush 20 (click on image to visit the shu uemura site)

P soft coral 332

P soft coral is one of my favourites! it gives the most natural rosy flush to the apples of the cheeks. my foundation shade is medium light sand 564 and i find that this shade and the P soft pink look best. i find that pink blushers brighten up my skin as opposed to the orange shades.

P soft pink

P soft pink is such a pretty shade. it’s perfect for a sweet makeup look. it looks adorable on fair skin and on more tan skin it peaks through like a healthy flush. i recommend applying this shade on the apples of the cheeks using brush 20.

doubles as an eyeshadow or a glow on case

the collectable unmask palette case, just like the regular shu uemura cases, can be used for eyeshadow and glow on refills. simply slide out the inside holder and pop in the refills! no magnets or adhesive required.

pick your shade and have fun creating your makeup looks!

review: shu uemura dream blossom collection lashes

March 11, 2013

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shu uemura has always been known for our intricate and artistic false lashes. whether it may be natural lashes, lashes for a slight accent or the dramatic collectable lashes, shu uemura has always been the go-to to decorate our eyes. i’m always so excited when a new season arrives because i’m curious to see what our international artistic director kakuyasu uchiide, has designed.

for this spring 2013, it’s all about colour. splashes of pastels and vibrant primary colours have been seen all over the runways. on point with the trends, shu uemura’s spring dream blossom collection has two beautifully designed colourful, feathery collectable lashes: rainbow feather S and rainbow feather L.

rainbow feather L

the rainbow feather L lashes are so fun for those artistic makeup lovers out there. of course they are not day-to-day lashes, but they are definitely lashes that makeup artists love to have fun with! the long colourful feathers are perfect for an artistic photoshoot. the eyeshadows from the same collection are perfect for creating a backdrop for these lashes (click here to read about the eyeshadows). the shadows should be applied all the way about the brows and onto the temples; makeup artists can really play around with blending and colour placement to accentuate the lashes.

these playful lashes were also featured in the march issue of loulou magazine in the beauty trends section.

rainbow feather S

the rainbow feather s lashes are a little more subtle compared to the rainbow feather L, although still pretty dramatic! but these lashes can be worn on a bold fashionista as the bottom layers of the lashes are black, so when eyes are open, an accent of soft colourful feathers can be seen above the long black lashes. (click here to see how they look on). they are basically like the slant black shu uemura lashes, but decorated with fluffy colourful feathers.

if you’re a shu uemura fan, i’m sure you’ll want to get your hands on a pair of these before they are no longer in stores!

shu uemura can now be found in sephora in eaton’s centre in toronto and can now be purchased online on the new shu uemura canada website.

have fun experimenting with some colour!

review: shu uemura 2013 blossom dream spring collection – eyeshadow palettes

March 10, 2013

reviews

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shu uemura has come out with yet another beautiful collection for this spring season! the blossom dream collection has all of the beauty essentials to create looks that follow spring 2013’s makeup trends. the collectable eyeshadow palette cases are refillable. the mask on the palette is a tribute to mr. shu uemura’s introduction of the first oil-based cleanser in japan in 1967 called unmask. the inspiration came to him while working with hollywood celebrities back in the 60s. mr. shu uemura was curious as to how these celebrities kept their skin in such good condition even after all of the heavy and cakey makeup that was being used at the time. he discovered that they were using oils to cleanse their skin; he then created his own oil-based cleanser with botanicals and gentle oils. the rest is history.

the collection features three vibrant pastel eyeshadow palettes; all of the colours are perfect for creating trendy and fresh spring looks. beginning with the eyes, all along the runways, we’ve been seeing pastel ombré eyes, color layering on eyes, intense pigment liner with matching eyeshadow and soft smoky eyes. all of which can be easily created with the new shu uemura dream blossom palettes. all of the eyeshadows in the three palettes are matte texture.

the green palette has the perfect shades for fun colourfully lined eyes. the lime green shadow has great pigment that can be easily packed on using shu uemura’s brush 10F to create fresh green liner on the bottom lashline. (i’ll soon be creating some looks on myself to demo!). as for the lid, simply sweep on the pastel green shade or apply the pastel yellow shade for a fun pastel ombré look.

the pink palette is perfect for creating beautiful monochromatic looks. use the deeper pink to line the lower lid and in the eye crease and use the pastel pink all over lids. the two brown shades are great for adding depth in the crease area and to avoid having eyes look irritated – an easy mistake when using pink shades around the eyes. (again, i’ll create a look on myself to demo). click here to see a look that i created for shu uemura’s website.

the blue palette is my absolute favourite! the pigments show up so well and effortlessly. i’ve been seeing cool blue eyes everywhere lately! on the runways, on the red carpet and in magazines. for a super easy spring look, try sweeping the pastel blue all over lids and follow with black mascara. or for a more fun look, use the deeper blue as liner for the bottom lash line – brush 10F is the best tool for this; it picks up the pigment and deposits it without any fall out so it creates a perfect line. click here to see a look that i created for shu uemura’s website.

overall, i love the matte and smooth texture of these eyeshadows. the colours are so soft so they can easily be used to create fresh spring looks. the deeper colours in the palettes are very pigmented which is great because they can also double as colourful liners – super trendy this spring season!

the palette cases are also reusable, so after you are finished with the eyeshadows, you can refill the palettes with the regular sized shu uemura eyeshadows. the design on these palettes truly reflect shu uemura’s legacy and are such great collector’s items.

to shop online in the US visit www.shuuemura-usa.com.

to shop online in canada, visit the brand new canadian site www.shuuemura.ca.