Such a lucky girl. I recently did a shoot for a company that generously gifted me with a 10000 yen gift certificate to Hankyu department store, a large luxury chain in Osaka, with a few locations in Tokyo. I naturally, burned through this and them some at the cosmetics counters, where I hauled for the Addiction review I wrote a few weeks ago, and these lovely goodies from Shu Uemura.

Quality aside, one thing I love about Shu is their commitment to color. Rich, complex hues that stay put and don’t morph into pale, faded weirdness by the end of the day. By the time I hit the counter I’d spent most of my certificate on Addiction but had enough left over to pick up some great finds for my winter palette.

Eyes: Cream Eye Shadow in P Beige

The cream pots come in two formulas, matte and pearl. With shadow, pearl can range anywhere from glitterface to chalky, but Shu delivers a lovely, true pearl texture with just the right amount of sheen… and it’s available in eight shades no less.

Sheer, creaseless (I mean it), and a great lay down color for layering pressed shadow. A great daily go-to.

Drawing Pencil- ME Purple 10

Finding eyeliner in anything other than black or brown in Japan is tough, but Shu does a lovely, incredibly wearable pencil in blue, khaki, and purple. Again, there’s a formula option of matte or metallic. I chose metallic since I already have a Visee matte purple. It’s definitely smudge-able, but I prefer a super clean mini-wing. I’ll play with it for sure.

Nails

High-quality nail polish makes SUCH a difference. I almost always wear nudes on my manis and this red has officially converted me. The formula is fantastic—goes on silky and dries FAST. RD 170 might not be available in the U.S., but this one is.

GWP: Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

I received the cleansing oil as a gift with purchase and I have to say I’m not blown away with it. It does make your skin softer, no question, but it didn’t remove my makeup very well. It worked great on my eye makeup… but as a nightly skin cleanser I think I prefer something a with a little more power for squeaky clean skin. I wouldn’t buy it, but I’ll try the sample out and see if I change my mind.

Artful, luxe, and pro-quality, Shu Uemura is still one of my favorite Japanese lines, and definitely one of the spendier brands I use, but with colors and formulas this lovely I have to say: it costs more and it’s worth it.

 

 

 

MORE JAPANESE PRODUCTS

The Japanese Drugstore        Splurges and Steals            Addiction by Ayako