Shu Uemura Sale: Wanting Make-up Brushes

Now through Friday, May 14: Use coupon code HAPPY for a site-wide 20% discount at Shu Uemura and also get free shipping with any purchase over $50! Maybe a late Mother's Day gift, early birthday present, stocking up on brushes... whatever the reason, we're happy to have a reason to get more Shu in our bathroom vanities and makeup drawers.

Sidenote - Anyone else think it's ironic/bittersweet that the company is celebrating the one-year opening of its online store and yet is slated to close all physical counters and stores in the US later this year? At least we can breathe a sigh of relief that we'll still have access to our favorite Shu products through some way. Also, operations will still be chugging along profitably in Asia and elsewhere internationally; Loreal has only decided to exit the US market.

We at Coastalpolitan luuurve Shu Uemura and aren't afraid to show our devotion to some favorite products, including its skincare line, world famous eyelash curler, makeup, etc. This time around, I've been wanting to try his makeup brushes and the 20% discount presents the perfect opportunity.

Having the right tools is key to the application of great makeup, and brushes are an essential part of that toolkit. Most of mine are from MAC, they're great and I have no complaints about their quality or variety, but would like to add some newbies to my collection. I've heard great reviews of Shu brushes - "so soft!", "picks up the perfect amount of powder!", "no shedding!" - and am looking forward to adding my own two cents. They're definitely not a bargain, but having the right brushes will amplify and bring out the best in your makeup products.

I'm mainly looking at Shu's face brushes collection since I need something to better apply liquids and powders with... and also because you can never have too many fluffy brushes (so what if I just like to twirl them around my cheek sometimes?)

• Natural goat hair foundation brush
•  I'd get this goat hair powder brush just for its pretty color
• Angled blush / powder brush would be ideal for carving out cheek contours
• Not a face brush, but of note - this is the most expensive brush I've ever seen: the Kolinsky brush 15. Yowza. At $270, this brush is not in consideration for purchase but interesting to learn that this exists. The price tag is attributed to the hair type - kolinsky mink hair, the softest and most expensive material for brushes. Reviews rave about it, now I'm itching to get to a counter to feel it for myself!

Do you have any recommendations (either brushes or otherwise) for Shu Uemura?

Stocking Stuffer Bling

Looking for a stocking stuffer that will be sure to win over any gal in your life? While passing through the Petaluma Outlets last week, I was pleasantly surprised to find the infamous shu uemura eyelash curler on sale for only $10 at the Designer Fragrances & Cosmetic Co.! The red boxes were stacked throughout the store and calling for me to buy them for all the girls in my life. This beautiful limited edition 24K gold-plated version retails for $24 and is one of THE best eyelash curlers on the market. Hurry and grab some before they're all gone! They will not disappoint.

Shu Uemura Hautelook Sale Alert

Hautelook is hosting a sale on one of our absolute FAVORITE make-up brands tomorrow at 9AM! This is such exciting news!! What products don't we love from the brand?! However, some absolute staples you may want to get your hands on include:

-Eyelash curler (nothing compares!)
-Cleansing oil
-Glow On Blush (especially M Pink 30)

Don't have an invite for Hautelook? Click here! Happy shopping!!!

Blushing Winter Cheeks

t's not hard to tell that shu uemura is a definite Coastalpolitan favorite! I can't help but fall in love each time I walk by the counter at the mall and although my collection is small and humble, my shu uemura goodies are fun and irreplaceable!

Like Janice, I'm absolutely obsessed with blushes. "Um, why do you have so many?" is a reaction I get most often whenever a friend rummages through my makeup bag. So that I can have one color to fit each mood and setting, of course! Plus, what girl doesn't love pink (okay, maybe that's just me)?

The current look I've been aiming for is the perfect pink hue--the kind that's usually triggered by walking outside on a cold day. As most of my days are spent indoors (boo.), I had to find something to help me fake this illusion. I actually bought two blushes to add to my collection recently, Glow On in M Pink 30 and P Peach 45, but M Pink 30 is the one I'm in LOVE with. Gorgeous color that it is, the color seemed a bit overwhelming to me in the beginning. However, I've finally mastered layering this on with the perfect light swipes and haven't worn any other blush since!

As luck would have it, you can pick up Pink 30 (1 of the 3 shu blushes offered) for 20% off via Sephora's F&F Sale!

EDIT: Unfortunately, these beauties are all sold out on Sephora.com, but trust me when I say that this is worth the $21 regular price!

Eye Awakening Discovery

Trips back to Berkeley and the SF Bay Area always make for some great weekends: I love the people, places, food, and weather (most of the time). I've only been back twice since moving to LA and it never fails to surprise me that after having lived there for 4 years, there's still so much I've never seen/done before!

On my most recent trip, I didn't just discover some fantastic new food places, but also a girl's most needed accessory: pink eyeliner! Like many, I've heard countless tips about lining the bottom waterline with white eyeliner as an eye-popping trick (a la Tyra Banks). However, being darker toned, my little Asian eyes have never really been able to pull off the look the way it's meant to be done. While getting ready for a night out with the girls, I noticed this cute little pencil in my friend's make-up pile. It was perfect! The shu uemura brand has always caught my attention for its vibrant coloring, so I'm not surprised that the Spring Mode Drawing Pencil in Me Pink is another one of their fabulous concoctions.

After scouring multiple Nordstroms for the pencil, I finally picked up this much need addition to my make-up collection! The pencil is creamy and smooth, perfect for a quick and easy application without the worry of eye irritation. The pink hue also has the perfect hint of glimmer in it. No, not glitter, but glimmer and shine. This is a great feature that sets it apart from Benefit's best-selling Eye Bright, which is matte and thus doesn't show up as much when I wear it. I love that I can stick to lightly lining my waterline for daytime wear and then upping the oomph factor by drawing the inner corners of my eyes for a night out!

Review: Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing Oil

First, an update on the "Less 'Poo" post - I've now been washing my hair every other day for the past month and a half. Not quite as quick and grease-less as I'd hoped, but improvement is there.  The first day (day of shampooing) is still the best; that's when my hair is light, fluffy, and so smooth I tell the bf to finger comb it. Mmm sooo softt.

On the second day, it still gets oily, though less so than before and the old hair-funk smell isnt (as) overpowering.  I usually opt to pin back my bangs/front hairs on the 2nd day so it stays out of my face.  What I discovered t is that the 2nd day is the best time to curl my hair or get some kind of wave into it, because the texture stays much longer!  I think I'll continue Less Poo-ing; if my hair is anything like me (and it probably is), it likely is more stubborn than most and needs extra time to change =P


 

Keeping in line with fighting oil with oil, I've been using the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil in Fresh for awhile now, and I like it!  My roommates both love this, and there are 3 big bottles in our bathroom.  It's really pretty, and the aesthetic of the bottles psychologically makes me want to wash my face more.  I had tried it haphazardly a few times before, but never really stuck to it.  Now I know that it's important to give this a fair shot, and commit to using it continuously until your skin adjusts itself.

How I use it: With clean dry hands, I push out a pump of the oil in my hands and rub together. Then I smooth it over my face for 90 seconds or so and gently but firmly spread it to all inches of my face.  The oil is a great makeup remover so in the last 10 seconds or so, I use it to remove my eyeliner and undereye concealer - just make sure not to open your eye or else you'll go blind.  Then I add a bit of warm water to my fingers and start up a milky lather on my skin - this is the "emulsifying" action, and essentially turns the oil into a creamier cleaning agent. Alchemy in motion! Ah the magic of science.  I repeat this step until I feel that the oil is gone from my face.

After I pat dry, my skin isn't taut or shiny, like how it normally is with more severe acne cleansers, of which I am no stranger to.  Ever since I was a teen, my skin has gone through many many cycles of breakouts, and the conventional wisdom is to zap all those oily blemishes with stringent cleansers.  That gets me right back in the same rat race as with my oily hair however, so I need to break that. I like that this cleanser is oily, but not too rich - there are multiple formulas in the Shu skincare line, with ones specifically for drier skin (the orange Enriched formula), and one to whiten (the blue Brightening one). For me though, the pink Balancing is great.

For follow-up, I use a toner and then moisturizer. It's not absolutely necessary, but it's peace of mind for me to make sure I don't break out from using this. I know others have complained about pimples from oil cleansers, but I suspect it's because they don't use a toner.



Next up, I want to try the green Premium A/O cleanser, which has green tea extract in it, and is purported to be great for oily/combination skin.  My only gripe about these is the steep price ($75/big bottle... geez), but I guess I'll save on foundation with better skin!

Shu Uemura Friends & Family

What's not to love about holiday season? Layering up with cute coats and scarves, tree lightings, crossing off items on wish lists, but best of all, all the Friends & Family events going on! Yeah you knew there was a beauty motive behind it.

Now through December 1st, Shu Uemura is offering 20% off your total purchase when you use the code SHUFRIENDS at checkout. Shu almost never has sales, so use this opportunity to gather wood for the winter, so to speak.

Need product recommendations? Most of what I love from Shu aren't makeup products per se - though I like and own several of their color products (they make great eyeshadows and blush), what I really like are Shu's skincare items and beauty tools in prepping the face.

I was introduced to the line through their highly acclaimed Eyelash curler, that is my number 1 must-have. I don't know any girl who has heard of Shu but doesn't own their curler. When I was 16, I saved up money to buy my first haha. Many replacements after (think I'm on #5 now), I'm still as enthusiastic about this curler as I was on day 1. A note - over time, the hinges will become softer and the curler will lose its shape. This happens with all curlers, and is the reason why yours should be replaced every so often... ideally every 4-6 months, although I don't practice this. I will say though, when I use my roommate's new curler, I can definitely tell a big difference in lash appearanace.

Depsea Water Facial Mist is another item in my shopping cart, as something I've been eyeing for awhile but didn't have the heart to pay retail. Facial Mist is similar to MAC's Fix+; you can spray it before and after foundation to set it, after powder to take away any cakeyness, and anytime your face feels dry and needs moisture. I like this particulary for cold New York winters, when my face takes a beating everytime it faces the wind. A technical improvement over Fix+ is that Facial Mist sprays on sheerer, whereas I feel Fix+ has a harsher spray. I would go with Rose, because the color is so pretty and smells classic!

Basic Mascara is another goodie-but-pricey-when-not-discounted. This simple mascara is great for daytime, and the applicator is really exact to grab all the wispy hairs. I also love the reflective pewter silver tube - it feels sturdy in my hand and makes the application process even more enjoyable.

The hardest part about Friends and Family events is remembering their named purpose - that they are meant to gift others with, and to share with friends and family.. but I end up buying all the products on my own wishlist instead! Funny how that works.