The New Shu

Taking on board the intricacy that is Japanese beauty, I plan to execute beautifully simple makeup looks incorporated with delicate hair.




Day Time look -

Product list - 

Mac - Face and Body foundationIllamasqua translucent powder

Naked palette 2
Illamasqua Disobey bronzer
Unknown contour palette
Rimmel mascara

face - use foundation brush to gently and evenly apply all over face, make sure to only apply a small amount

Use Disobey on all structured areas of face lightly,

Brush Naked palette through brows with brow brush

Add Naked Palette to tear duct of eyes, and top of cheek bones.

High Summer Beach -

Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser 

Illamasqua translucent powder

Naked palette 2 + 3 
Illamasqua Disobey bronzer
Unknown contour palette
Roller Lash

face - use foundation brush to gently and evenly apply all over face, make sure to only apply a small amount

Use Disobey on all structured areas of face lightly, but over the temple and eye socket more defined.

Brush Naked palette through brows with brow brush

Add Naked Palette to tear duct of eyes, and top of cheek bones.

Add MAC St Germain + and vaseline over the lips lightly.

Night Time Look -

Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser 

Illamasqua translucent powder

Naked palette 2 + 3 
Illamasqua Disobey bronzer
Unknown contour palette
Roller Lash

face - use foundation brush to gently and evenly apply all over face, make sure to only apply a small amount

Use Disobey on all structured areas of face but making more emphasis on the temples at the top of the head, and eye socket more defined.

Brush Naked palette through brows with brow brush

Add Naked Palette to tear duct of eyes, and top of cheek bones.

Add MAC Spirit to lips.

Spring Summer - 

Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser 

Illamasqua translucent powder

Illamasqua Metalic pallette - bronze
Unknown contour palette
Roller Lash

face - use foundation brush to gently and evenly apply all over face, make sure to only apply a small amount

Use Disobey on all structured areas of face but making more emphasis on the temples at the top of the head, and eye socket more defined.

Brush Naked palette through brows with brow brush

Add Naked Palette to tear duct of eyes, and top of cheek bones.

Add MAC Spirit to lips.

Additional Nail Look - 

Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser 

Illamasqua translucent powder

Illamasqua Metalic pallette - bronze
Unknown contour palette
Roller Lash

face - use foundation brush to gently and evenly apply all over face, make sure to only apply a small amount

Use Disobey on all structured areas of face but making more emphasis on the temples at the top of the head, and eye socket more defined.

Brush Naked palette through brows with brow brush

Add Naked Palette to tear duct of eyes, and top of cheek bones.

Add MAC Spirit to lips.

OPI Nail Polish - Purely Nude

NSI Acrylic nail tips, monomer and powder.

Project Evaluation

During my journey with Beauty and the Brand, I have explored lots of different areas of beauty that I typically would not have before. I always tend to be drawn to the more theatrical side of design, however focusing on Shu Uermura has really opened my eyes to the intricate details that lay within Japanese beauty. I have tried to make my looks subtle, yet striking. I have particularly enjoyed developing my beauty makeup skills and feel this is an area that I now have a great fondness of. I tried to focus my research mainly on Shu Uemura and was really inspired by how personable and fun all of their collections are, hence creating my own collection Flora & Fauna. In using this as my theme for some of my looks I started to take a great interest in the small details, such as the hair and accessories used and even the nails. I have really enjoyed doing the hair for this project, which I usually do, but the makeup is where I have got my most enjoyment from which is unusual. Given the chance to complete the project again I would like to spend more time experimenting with different typical Japanese traditions as well as modern looks.

Shu Research + Visuals

video introducing this section of the blog

high fashion, minimalist, glossy

Intricate features

possibly inspired by geisha white paint more theatrical 

Simplistic shapes 

Chosen brand + evaluation.

Shu Uemura - The art of beauty.

Founded and named after legendary japanese make-up artist and beauty pioneer, Shu Uemura, the brand breaks all boundaries in beauty creation.

inspired by an aesthetic and professional spirit of the artisan, the Shu Uemura brand was developed on the founder’s holistic philosophy that beautiful make-up starts with beautiful skin. believing that quality of skincare is essential in creating beautiful make-up, the most advanced skincare formulas using powerful phyto-ingredients are used as the first step to revealing every woman’s unique beauty.

blending nature, science, and art together with brand’s pioneer spirit combine to create cutting-edge make-up, innovative high performing skincare and elegantly crafted professional quality tools that fuse simplicity and elegance.

the extraordinary spectrum of colors and textures found within Shu Uemura’s atelier enables every user to become a true artist, liberated to freely experiment with infinite expression and make-up designs.

explore the world of Shu Uemura and find your own unique beauty.

Above is an extract from the Shu Uemura website, and is a brief introduction to the brand, and the heritage behind it.  I have decided to focus on Shu Uemura, as I feel as a company they have the perfect balance between having artistic license that is exciting and exotic, and products that can be translated into anybodies day to day look. The Japanese are infamous for doing things differently, and Shu Uemura are no exception to that. They have this unbelievable subtlety when it comes to expressing colour, and the delicate hints of pigment are what I believe separate this brand from all the others out there. 

I have been exploring the fascinating world of Shu Uemura's ad campaigns and I have found that they are in fact quite distinctive. There is a gentle softness to all of the makeup looks, despite the theme or colours that are being used. Shu Uemura in particular is a brand that I believe is heavily influenced and inspired by Japanese heritage and popular culture. This is evident through the collection I'm about to show you, and from the second I seen it, it blew my mind it was so purrfect. 

To the unknown,  at a first glimpse this collection is undeniably adorable. A beautiful model wearing cat ears, holding a white persian kitty, whats not to like? However, on the contrary, the model in this campaign is the accessory and the cat is no other than Karl Lagerfeld's beloved pet and muse Choupette. Its bizarre fashion endeavours like this, that restore my faith in the world. The way this collaboration has been executed is genius, from the clever play on words with the collection name 'Shu-pette', to the illustration on the packaging, its the perfect balance between cute and cooky. 

I believe that this collection says a lot about the brand and in particular, the audience that it appeals to. Typically, Japanese pop culture is predominately focused around all things cute and fun. I'm not sure this collaboration would have had the same appeal or charm if NARS or Dior for example, had done it. 

                                                                                                                                                   

Here are a few other collections and campaigns that I thought were as  beautiful in form as they were in function. Shu Uemura focus on the tiny details of their branding and packaging and this is something that separates them from a lot of other high end brands on the market. This is also something that makes for a fabulous gift.

'Mika for Shu'

Shu Uemura & Aya Takano

This is a miniature art exhibition, created to display the collection in the main Shu Uemura shop in Japan. I think this is such an unbelievably creative and unusual way of advertising a collaboration.

Takashi Murakami Collection

This is from a collaboration with Viktor&Rolf, the packaging is so beautiful, I love this.

                                                                                                                                                

Shu Uemura shops + counters;

It's apparent from the images above, how versatile the Shu Uemura counter style is, especially pending on the collection at the time. Despite the clinical use of white, the uniform is far from boring. There is a futuristic element with the curves and shapes, and over all I think the counters are really effective and striking. 

I love the 'Tokyo Lash Bar' addition, as I think its a fun way of displaying the infamous lash collection at Shu Uemura. 

                                                                                                                                                 

The team behind the brand;

                                                                                                                                                  

Shu Uemura - The art of hair