Shu Uemura Spring/Summer 2012 Celestial Garden Collection

Already available at the Shu Uemura counters here, Celestial Garden is the brand’s ethereal Spring/Summer 2012 offering and its 134th Mode Makeup Collection.

Created by Kakuyasu Uchiide, Shu Uemura’s international artistic director, it’s a collection that I’m certain will appeal to many local ladies, thanks to their visage-brightening colours. They might be cheery in hue but aren’t ghastly harsh on the face; instead, they start off sheer and layer well. All freshness and light, the products exemplify the collection’s name with their softness of tone and glimmering shimmer.

The three Eyeshadow Trios (S$65) in Air (lime green/pale canary yellow/warm earth brown), Light (sky blue/sunset lavender/cool earth brown) and Scent (light floral pink/sherbet orange/dark brown) contain pans that are individually smaller than the regular Color Atelier ones.

However, the case – prettily decorated with a filigree design – easily fits two regular Pressed Eye Shadow pans and one Glow-On blush pan.

The different textures in the shadows allow you to create dimension on the eye. As you can tell, the shades aren’t crazily pigmented but are, as a whole, pastelly-soft.

I’m especially drawn to the first iridescent colour in each trio; they add a translucent veil of prismatic shine to the eye.

It would be perfect if an eyeshadow palette came in this combination!

New to the Shu Uemura makeup repertoire are Creamy Dome Cheeks (S$39) in Fairy Pink and Sunlight Peach, two easy-to-use cream blushes – simply swipe and gently blend for a natural flush and smooth finish.

Alas, the packaging is somewhat of a mishap – rather than a flip-top lid, they come with a tight screw-top cover that has a tendency to nick the dome. It’s best to pry it open slowly.

If you can overlook the packaging lapse, these two lightly-textured, soft-focus hues are something to try. They’re hard to go wrong with and will please women who want a subtle kiss of colour on the cheeks.

Gloss Unlimited (S$39) in Blooming Pink and Corona Orange are two special edition lipglosses in this collection.

Though they look juicy and pigmented, they’re actually translucent. Lustrous and shimmery, these glosses add a beautiful tint to the lips.

Also available are Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipsticks (S$40), which I didn’t get a chance to swatch. Here are BG 957, PK337 and PK 340 which the brand says are soft and moisturising colours.

Somewhat incongruous to the collection is the Double-End Eye Crayon in Misty Brown/Earthy Brown (S$34)…perhaps to balance the other airy-fairy hues?

A shimmery greyed taupe paired with a rich burnished brown, this eye crayon felt velvety and pigmented at first swatch. I’m not certain of its staying power but it certainly didn’t feel as crease-prone as some of the earlier Shu crayons.

Ultimate Natural Mascara in Dark Brown (S$50) is a limited edition mascara that promises to give definition and hold a curl, while endowing lashes with a natural tint of colour. The brand likens the tint to a reflection of sunlight. I’m taken aback by the price, so I hope it lives up to its claims!

Although they aren’t as attention-grabbing as the Dance in Glitter Eyelashes from the Shu Uemura x Wong Kar Wai collection, the individual lashes of the Celestial Garden Angel Wink False Eyelashes (S$41) have a subtle beauty to them, thanks to their holographic foil.

As with many of the brand’s fashion falsies, these twinkly lash lovelies are limited edition.

Here are some Celestial Garden looks created by Kakuyasu Uchiide. (Click to enlarge.)

And here’s a video of the making of the unexpectedly striking ad visual.

Image/video source: Shu Uemura Singapore