lashes and strokes: karl lagerfeld

Happy New Year, everybody! :D

How's has 2015 been treating you so far? Bad? Good?

For me, it has been a super packed one. Not that I'm complaining but 2014 had been a sharp learning curve for me, I was initially planning to come up with a post to sum up 2014 but I had a hard time putting together what I want or can share with all of you. I still can't seem to open up on a personal level here. Ever since I started university, I learnt a lot about branding - especially self-branding, the importance of privacy, and filtering whatever you put online.

On a lighter note, allow me to get back my typing flow again. My writing/blogging skills are super rusty that I crumble inside everytime I start a post. The majority of the time, the post would end up in the drafts collecting 'dust'.

Anyhooooo (anyhow).. Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on Shu Uemura's 2014 holiday collection. I was blessed with the opportunity to play around with Shu Uemura's 2014 Holiday Collection. I have been using the palette for the past month and it was my go-to palette for almost every look. You think, you name it.

Shu Uemura Shupette has-it-all eye & lip palette - RM350

It fits in my palms purr-fectly.

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the box was
this soft, furry white pouch with dazzling blue stones as eyes.

The back of the palette

This was too cute to ignore. I love you too, Shu Uemura!:)

There's this cute white paw prints on the protective film and again, too cute to ignore!

Close-up

Shupette has-it-all eye & lip palette comes in a white, sturdy plastic casing with a reflective, built-in mirror-like as its front cover. There's an animated picture of Shupette on the right side and the mirror-like front cover does get smudgy with fingerprints but no worries, it is easy to clean. Just give it a wipe down and it looks like new!

In this palette, there are a total of 8 eyeshadows and 6 lip colours. All of the eyeshadows has fine shimmer and the texture is buttery smooth. To be honest, I was expecting dry, dull, shimmer-packed eyeshadows. But boy, I was so wrong. The eyeshadows swatched beautifully and it seems to melt on your eyes making it look bright and youthful. I will let the swatches do the talking.

As for the lip colours, I was also expecting sticky and weak colours as I have experienced it in most palettes and again, I was proven wrong. They were a dream to apply and looked beautiful on the lips without needing to use a lip balm. On to the swatches!

Shu Uemura, you have outdone yourself this time ❤

Swatches of the left side of the palette.

As you can see, on the left side of the palette which consists of warmer, earthy colours that were meant to be use for daytime or for an everyday look. From the swatches, there are no tugging or powder residues for the eyeshadows - buttery smooth all the way. The lip colours, my favourite would be the red shade in the middle. See the white circle? That's the swatch of the pastel nude shade and I think it is meant to be semi-transparent. It is for those who doesn't want any lip colour but still want to achieve a glossy and plump finish for their lips.

Swatches on the left side of the palette

On the left side of the palette, the colours leans more towards cooler tones and dramatic shades for both eyeshadows and lip colours. This side of the palette is meant for night time or for occasion such as parties, etc. My favourite shades has to be the taupe-ish purple base eyeshadow and the pearly black eyeshadow. I was blown away by the pigmentation of the black eyeshadow. You can use it as an eyeliner if you prefer to travel light and it gives a softer look if compared to pen/pencil black eyeliner regardless of any formulas. The lip colours are.. AH-MAZING.

If you love the attention, the pink lip colour is the colour for you. But if you are like me, who loves the dark, smoldery look - the berry red lip colour is our 'thang'. As for the last shade, it's meant for to be used especially if you have a super heavy eye makeup going on. It is best to stick to a nude or near to natural lip colour to even the look/face out. I know cakes are delicious and is the main attraction of a party but you wouldn't want to look like a birthday cake now, do you?

Shu Uemura Shupette eye-need-shu liner - RM75

When it comes to pencil eyeliners, it is really hard to please me. I look for longevity, smudge-proof, sweat-proof, and water-proof in most of my eyeliners. Sounds like a big, pair of shoes to fill in, Shu Uemura's eyeliners seem to almost fit in. The shade of this eyeliner is called Midnight Black, and the shade does live up to its name. It's a gorgeous black eyeliner with an electrifying blue sheen to it when the light hits it. The only thing that gets me is that I find it a little dry to work with. Maybe there's a technique to it that I have not figured it out yet. I will share it with you when I have found a way to make it work for me.

I haven't gotten the chance to create some crazy, statement eye makeup.. So here are some everyday "eye-makeup" I have created from the palette :

I just love the warm, earthy tones that glows on my eyes! ❤

Shu Uemura Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek in Pink - RM100

Left : Unblended swatch of Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek
Right : Blended swatch of Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek

As a self-proclaimed makeup ~~hoarder~~ lover, I have come across powder, liquid, cream, and stick formulas for blushers but never have I seen a "cushion-like" formula. Ladies, meet Shu Uemura Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek in Pink. It's formula is described as "marshmallow-like" formula by Shu Uemura and I have to agree to that. Observe the first picture on its top right, I took an upclose picture to show you how soft the formula by leaving an imprint on the surface even when I gently pressed it. It's not powdery yet creamy. I can't seem to place my finger on it.

How and what did I use to apply this blush? That's a tough question. I tried using my fingers but that didn't work too well. I resorted to getting a cream blush brush from Zoeva (128 Cream Cheek Face Brush) and that.. let's just say I didn't achieve the look I wanted. My skin has been suffering from a major breakout of late and the surface is filled with imperfections. I found that this Silk Cushion Cheek emphasizes the imperfections on my face, hence I wouldn't recommend it if you have an uneven skin surface like me. But however, if you have a flawless skin, this blush would look lovely on you as it doesn't leave a flat, matte or powdery finish. Glow, girl, glow!

Conclusion

I don't get easily excited about a holiday collection or any makeup collection because I just can't seem to keep up with it. The only exceptions are, the MAC Cosmetics Archie Collection, Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Collection and now, Shu Uemura's Shupette Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Collection. If you are a cat lover and a makeup lover, this holiday collection is a must have. I kid you not. I regretted not taking back the Shupette life-size cardboards :(

If you were to ask me which of these items I would recommend, it would be the Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip palette. I know it is pricey at RM350 but I'll leave it to you to do the calculation. If you only want certain colours of the eyeshadows or lip colours, you can get their Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Trio or Shupette Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio. Both of them are priced at RM120 each and it's available in 2 colours.

As for the Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liner, it's priced at RM75 each and it's available in 2 colours : Midnight Black and Gala Brown. Do you need this? Yes, if you have ran out of eyeliners or you simply just love cats. You can't ignore those cute, printed paws on the eyeliner. Last but not least, the Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek priced at RM100 each and it's available in 2 shades : Orange and Pink. Do you need it? Yes, if you don't have a blusher or if you have flawless skin or if you want to achieve that Korean/Japanese glowy skin.

Here are the price list for Shu Uemura's Shupette 2014 Hoilday Collection :

Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip Palette - RM350
Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Trio - RM120
Shupette Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio - RM120
Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liner - RM75
Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek - RM100
Shupette My Precious Glitter Set - RM150
Shupette Pampearl-me Face Powder - RM140
Shupette Tsuya Skin UV Under Base Mousse - RM135
Shupette Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil - RM360/450ml
Shupette Fabulous Cat Nail Enamel - RM60
Shupette Eye-Need-Shu False Eyelashes - RM100
Shupette Furry Fantasy Premium False Eyelashes - RM250
Shupette Flair Eyelash Curler - RM65
Shupette With-Love-From-Paris Brush Set - RM240
Shupette Make-up Trunk - RM1,500

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Sarah :)

Disclaimer : These were gifts for reviewing purposes and it does not affect my thoughts or views of the products.

I'm aware my blog has been very quiet of late. So many things has happened and I can't seem to put a stop to it, just have to go with the flow. Feeling unmotivated to do anything does not help either. Working on this blog, my upcoming classes for Masters, and teaching will definitely be on my 2015 list with the aim to share more, be consistent in my studies, and be a better educator. I'm human and am fully aware that I won't be able to do everything on my own. My dear readers, you are my drive to be a better blogger. Thank you for being with me from the very beginning till today. Hope you will continue this journey with me :)

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It is the time of the year where a year comes to an end and a new beginning is approaching. Some of you may have already come across this new line from Shu Uemura. I'd truly believe that it is the best collection from Shu Uemura for the year 2014.

They really did end the year with a bang, or maybe it is because I have an undying love for cats. Yes, cats. Shu Uemura does have a way with women. Their 2014 Holiday Collection is Shupette - Shu Uemura X Karl Lagerfeld.

According to Shu Uemura, "This holiday season, "Shupette," the most spoiled feline of celebrated fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld takes you to the beauty journey from Parisienne chic to Tokyo kawaii with her glistening blue eyes!"

"I'm a famous furry beauty Shupette Lagerfeld, queen of catnaps,
spoiled glamourpuss, and social media's most wanted."

eye-need-shu trio - RM120

Shupette's Flair Eyelash Curler - RM65

CUTENESS OVERLOAD! :D

I should have taken back the Shupette cardboard home. Regretting it.

The ever talented Lisa Yap, the Elite Make-up Artist prepping the model for a day to night look.

eye-need-shu false eyeslashes (RM100)

Daytime look

Close-up.

Products used (eyes) :

tsuya eye (eye cream & as a base) - RM160
shu-eye-need trio in 02 - RM120
eye-need-shu liner in Gala Brown - RM75
eye-need-shu false eyelashes - RM100

Lisa Yap working her magic by transforming the day look to a night party look with only a few tweeks!

furry fantasy premium false eyelashes - RM250

Night time/Party look

Close up

Watching and observing Ms. Lisa Yap demostrating with the new Shupette products made me feel like a cat playing with its toy - filled with interest, passion, and curiousity. I have been observing her since I got a chance to work part-time with Shu Uemura in two separate events. She's famously known for creating purr-rfect, natural-looking eyebrows. That I kid you not. She has this classy and elegant vibe and her makeup skills is purr-fect. I may sound like I am trying to do some serious buttering here but don't get me wrong. She never once came off as snobbish, always ready to impart knowledge when asked. It was an honour being able to work with her even if it was from afar. *gleeful*

Shu Uemura took this opportunity to introduce two new comers to their eyebrow liner line - Shu Uemura Eyebrow Manicure and Shu Uemura Eyebrow Ink during the session. I'm unable to comment much on the product as I haven't gotten the chance to test it out yet. But I have my eyes on the Eyebrow Manicure. Say no to Crayon Shin-Chan eyebrows!

Shu Uemura's Eyebrow Manicure comes with a unique double-sided bristle which is specifically designed for the recommended application method by using the shorter bristles to apply and longer bristles to blend to achieve natural coloring. It comes in two shades which are Ash Brown and Honey Glaze. If I'm not mistaken, the swatch above is the shade Honey Glaze. It contains 3.5g per tube and it is priced at RM100.

Whereas for Shu Uemura's Eyebrow Ink, it claims to have a 24-hour wear for an ultimate artist-like lasting natural eyebrows. I think I would leave it to the Shu Uemura Sales Assistants to explain and demonstrate how you can make it work for you. It does seem like a promising product if used properly. So if you are in mall, just swing by at one of their counters to test it out. It comes in 4 shades which are Ash Brown, Honey Glaze, Palm Beige, and Tawny Gold. It is priced at RM100 each.

Here's a swatch from Shupette Pampearl-me Face Powder.

Shu Uemura Shupette Shu Uemura Pampearl-me Face Powder. The name given for this powder is truly spot on. It has micro-fine pearly shimmer with a satin finish but fret not, it doesn't make you look like a disco ball. This powder is meant to be used light-handedly to kill off any dullness which may be caused by extremely matte liquid or powder foundation. Technically, it gives that pearly glow to your skin minus the oil shine. But again, heavy application may lead to possible heart-attack that your boyfriend or husband may experience if they were to encounter you without prior notice. Teehee.

Read individual product reviews here.

Please excuse the quality of the pictures. All of them are taken with my handphone, Sony Xperia TX. I adjusted mainly the lighting in most of the pictures, watermarked them, and that's about it. No heavy editing whatsoever.