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glitter eye for shu uemura part 1

July 17, 2012
Beauty
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i’ve been working on a series of photos for the shu uemura glitter eye collection: new glitter pressed eyeshadow shades, cream shadows and silk smooth shadows. it’s been such a fun process; from preparing face charts, to doing test shoots with various models and lighting setups with photographer james mui and then creating the actual and final images with photographer mark darren  to submit to shu uemura.

i had the pleasure of meeting and working with talented model adriana chira; together we created a smoky olive look using a combination of the new shadows and one existing shade (ME472) and the shu farfallina lashes. it was so fun to see the colours morph under different lighting setups; the soft grey background gave such a subtle smoky eye with hints of glitter, while the white background really made the colours look punchy.

here are some of the images that were captured during the process of this project (although this post is entitled “part 1”, it’s in no particular order). more photos (parts) from this project to come!

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
how to, reviews
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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:

smoky eyes: linda and kevin’s wedding

May 14, 2012
Bridal, how to
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i had the pleasure of being the makeup artist for linda and her lovely bridesmaids in november of 2011. when i met linda and her sister for the first time for her makeup and hair trial, she wanted very natural makeup since she normally doesn’t wear any at all. later on, her sister convinced her to go for something more dramatic and i’m so glad she was open to the idea.

natural makeup is always so lovely for brides, but that doesn’t mean that smoky eyes shouldn’t be worn on the wedding day. with the right makeup products, you won’t need to worry about smudging if you happen to turn on the waterworks! i used shu uemura black painting liner which is waterproof once dry.

for linda’s makeup, i used a mix of black, grey and silver makeup. and of course, i used my go-to eyeshadow m dark brown 895 to warm it all up. i use this shade with almost all makeup looks that i create.

linda has very fine and thin hair and she wanted some serious volume for her wedding day. so for her hair, i curled it with a straightening iron to ensure the curls stayed all day long, i backcombed her entire head to add volume then brushed and pinned it all to the side.

for the bridesmaids, to go with their pewter dresses, i chose champagne eyeshadows.

here’s a video done by talented cinematographer vladimir druts. check out some of his work; he does a wide range of work: from weddings, to documentaries to fashion cinematography.

see below for a list of shu uemura eyeshadows used to create the bride and the bridesmaids’ looks.

linda’s smoky eyes:

bridesmaids’ champagne eyes:

how to create warm sea green eyes with new shu uemura eyeshadows

May 14, 2012
how to
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the weather is getting much warmer! time to switch our darks for some colour. for those who always stick to neutral eyeshadows, a simple way to incorporate a bit of colour to your look is to switch your base colour eyeshadow in your shu uemura quad to a fun coloured eyeshadow. makeup is all about experimenting, so have some fun!

i chose to experiment with one of the new shu uemura eyeshadow shades: P light green 520. i simply used it as my base colour and did my makeup as i would normally. to keep the look soft, i used shu uemura brown painting liner on my upper and lower lash line rather than black, which can be a bit harsh. i also used shu uemura farfallina lashes, which are a mix of brown and black which keeps the look soft as well.

this is the look i wore to launch the new mamechiyo limited edition collection of uv underbases and cleansing oils (pick them up now before we run out! i’m stocking up on the bb beige uv underbase!):

here’s how to create the look:

FACE:

  • mamechiyo uv underbase in bb beige to even out my skin (especially those blemishes from occasional breakouts)
  • face architect smoothing fluid foundation in 564 (medium light sand)  (which is semi-matte because my skin tends to get a bit oily in the warmer months)
  • glow on in 561 (it’s a matte medium peach) on the apples of my cheeks, then i soften the edges on my cheekbones using glow on P510 (a pearl light peach)

EYES:

  • since the band of the false lashes is a little thicker than the natural lashes, i used brush 10F (flat brush) to press painting liner in brown in my upper lash line (creating sort of a base near the lash line)
  • use brush 10 and eyeshadow P light green 520 and apply from lash line up, creating a gradation form lash line up to crease.
  • use brush 10 and apply P medium brown 875 to lash line and outer corner. soften outer corner with m dark brown 895 and brush 11.
  • use brush 11 and apply m light beige 813 to brown bone and blend into the dark brown to soften.
  • use black painting liner and brush 4F to tight line upper lash line
  • use brown painting liner and brush 4F to line upper and lower lash line.
  • use brush 10F and m dark brown 895 to soften lower lash line
  • use brush 5R (pencil brush) and me gold soft gold 335 to inner corner
  • curl lashes, apply ultimate natural mascara in brown (it’s light and keeps the curl of the lashes so that the falsies can sit on top of them and use them as a base) and apply farfallina lashes which adds some serious volume and length!

click here to discover shu uemura eyeshadows

click here to discover shu uemura hand crafted brushes 

BROWS:

  • hard formula in seal brown. start in the middle of the brown and apply in strokes following the direction of hair growth
  • soften the brown using brush 6OB to brush through your brows

LIPS:

And here’s my lovely shu uemura team at yorkdale holt renfrew launching the mamechiyo collection and featuring our new rouge unlimited lipsticks and new eyeshadow shades:

how to create a soft coral look for summer using new shu uemura eyeshadow shades

May 9, 2012
how to, reviews
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dear shu fans,

shu uemura just launched new shades of eyeshadows! for those who love shu eyeshadows, you know  how beautiful the texture is. it’s the best eyeshadow out there; it’s made up of minuscule powders to adhere firmly to the skin, so it goes on super smoothly which gives the appearance of a creamy finish.

for those who have yet to discover shu uemura eyeshadows, there are five different finishes to choose from:

  1. matte (M) – extreme colour payoff with a super soft texture
  2. pearl (P) – reflective pearls to give a silky shine
  3. iridescent (IR) – changes colour with light reflection at different angles
  4. metallic (ME) – silicone based oil for a deep metallic shine (appears dewy)
  5. glitter (G) – fine glitter that’s perfect for highlighting the inner corners of the eyes or to layer on eyeshadows

with all the pinks and corals that we see this season, try creating a soft coral look for this summer season. i was recently in japan and noticed all the girls with bright pink and peach cheeks and fluffy eyelashes; this is such a sweet, dolly look which is what we’ve been seeing on the runways as well.

here’s how to create the look:

SKIN:

for even and fresh looking skin, i used limited edition shu uemura bb beige uv underbase (SPF30) from the mamechiyo collection. (bb stands for blemish balm; it has higher coverage to even out skin and improves the texture of skin over time). then i used shu uemura  face architect glowing fit powder foundation (which contains SPF26) in 564 (medium light sand). a powder foundation for summer time is great, it’s mattifying and doesn’t feel heavy.

CHEEKS:

use brush 20 and apply shu uemura glow on M medium peach 561 to apples of the cheeks (for dolly look apply more colour to the centre of the apple and create a gradation extending outwards). use glow on P light peach 510 to highlight cheekbones, bridge of nose and under eyes.

EYES:

  1. use drawing pencil in brown and line upper and lower lash line and smudge/soften with finger.
  2. use brush 10 and apply P light coral 131 all over lid. tip: start from lash line and create a gradation upwards covering the entire lid.
  3. use brush 10 and apply P medium brown 875 to outer corner of eye. tip: gently sweep the colour on and use patting motion to soften; this will prevent fall off of eyeshadow onto cheek
  4. use brush 11 and dab a small amount of P dark brown 895. use this to soften the edges of the medium brown shade.
  5. use brush 11 and apply P light beige 822 to brow bone and blending into the P dark brown 895.
  6. use brush 10F (flat brush) and press P medium brown 875 into outer 2/3 of lower lash line.
  7. use brush 10F and press P light coral 131 to inner 1/3 of lower lash line. (tip: if you have dark circles, apply you can extend the coral shade lower than the inner corner of your eye; this will reflect light which reduces the darkness).
  8. use brush 2R and black painting liner to line upper and lower lash line. don’t forget to fill under and in between your upper lash line to create an appearance of a fuller lash line.
  9. curl lashes and apply shu uemura ultimate expression mascara to upper and lower lashes.
  10. finish with shu uemura smoky layers false eyelashes.

left to right: ME light silver 935, ME soft gold 335, P light coral 131, ME soft pink 155,  P light green 520, P light blue 611, P medium brown 875, P dark plum 790, ME light beige, 825, P light beige 822.

LIPS:

i’m using one of the 19 new shu uemura lipstick shades. its improved formula has much higher colour payoff (higher coverage) and is more moisturizing than the previous formula. it also has great staying power. the colour i’m using is PK320 (seashell pink). the colours always look brighter in the tube, but look super natural when applied to lips.

have fun experimenting!

my colourful photos for shu uemura mamechiyo collection

May 7, 2012
Beauty, Creative
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shu uemura worked in collaboration with japanese contemporary kimono designer mamechiyo who designed the lovely floral packaging for the collection of four new uv underbases and for four cleansing oils. each of her designs were inspired by japanese botany: willow tree, cherry blossom, peony and plum.

to reflect the characteristics of these plants and to celebrate mamechiyo’s wonderful designs, i created a makeup look for each of the four designs. like mamechiyo’s designs, each of the makeup looks tell a story. i had talented hair designer carlos phang of Spellbound Hair Design on board to come up with the perfect hair for each of the looks.

with the help of my photographer mark darren mui and his sidekick james mui, my makeup looks came to life:

BOTAN – Peony (model: Amanda Z)

Inspiration: Young green leaves of the peony flower blooming in Spring; Its strong, fresh leaves supporting the soft, delicate flower. Bold deep green is paired with soft pastel green to portray this image.

UME – Plum (model: Aya S.)
Inspiration: During the cold winter months, the Japanese plum announces the coming of Spring. It brings a feeling of warmth during the chill of Winter; An array of cool and warm purple tones are blended together reflecting this transition.
FUJI – Willow (model: Effie Tsorovas)
Inspiration: Inspired by the Japanese willow tree. Its branches blowing in the wind creating whimsical colours with its leaves and flowers.
SAKURA – Cherry Blossom (model Ellen D.)
Inspiration: Cherry blossoms create a romantic and soft Spring atmosphere. The pinks found in the various species of cherry blossoms are so captivating. This makeup look portrays the intense pinks of some cherry blossoms, as well as the soft pink of others.
to see how i created these looks and for a list of products used, visit www.shuuemura-usa.com. it will be up soon!
our work is being displayed as we speak at holt renfrew locations across canada! here are a couple photos from the calgary location:
visit any holt renfrew location to check out the collection and to see my work!