G-Dragon, 2NE1, Rihanna, Rita Ora... just a few clients of Korean designer Kathleen Kye. Every year, Shu Uemura puts out a fabulous limited edition collection (or two) made in collaboration with a fashion designer. This summer, it's Kathleen Kye. She's known for her high fashion streetwear characterized by fresh, vivid, graphic and forward-looking designs. And it totally shows.
The Kye for Shu Collection is described as "kool, kreative and kommunicative...using witty designs to showcase cutting edge Asian beauty"and very clearly inspired by K-Beauty It's a full collection of 24 products including coloured brows, cushion foundation and blush, cleansing oils and even haircare.
Apart from the products, my absolute favourite part of the collection is the illustrations on the packaging. The packaging has got a combination of 13 different little drawings, each with symbolizing something special - shades, a bandaid, headphones, a gummy tiger, a love lock, hibiscus, coffee, Korean porcelain, 24 hours, shaking hands, an a alarm clock and a popsicle.
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Kye for Shu brow:palette in walnut brown x acorn & seal brown x stone gray swatches
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Kye for Shu brow:palette in walnut brown x acorn & seal brown x stone gray packaging
Kye for Shu brow:palette in walnut brown x acorn & seal brown x stone gray swatches
Kye for Shu Uemura brow:palette in seal brown x stone gray, walnut brown x acorn (also available in cappucino x dark rose) ($55 CAD each)
walnut brown x acorn is very clearly the wrong shade for my jet black hair, while seal brown x stone grey are the perfect combination of grey and a cool brown to define my brows. It's surprisingly hard to find good shade matches for my common black haired brows. The powders are stellar - soft, with minimal fallout and buildable pigment. My only issue is the price tag, as there are some fab brow duos floating around at a fraction of the price of the brow:palette. The palette is also available in cappuccino and dark rose, a more unique pairing inspired by the K-wave.
walnut brown x acorn is very clearly the wrong shade for my jet black hair, while seal brown x stone grey are the perfect combination of grey and a cool brown to define my brows. It's surprisingly hard to find good shade matches for my common black haired brows. The powders are stellar - soft, with minimal fallout and buildable pigment. My only issue is the price tag, as there are some fab brow duos floating around at a fraction of the price of the brow:palette. The palette is also available in cappuccino and dark rose, a more unique pairing inspired by the K-wave.
Kye for Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure in dark rose wand
Kye for Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure in dark rose swatch (right)
Kye for Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure in dark rose ($26 CAD, also available in dark violet)
I am obsessed. Coloured brows are not a trend that I would ever think that I would be into for everyday. But the Kye for Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure in dark rose makes me so happy. Dark rose is a deep purple with quite a bit of brown, so on naturally jet black brows it ends up being a deep, somehow natural-looking purple. From far away, my brows look slightly filled in and set neatly into place. Only close up and personal is any colour noticeable.
The eyebrow manicure has a small wand that's flat on one side and bulbous on the other, for precision or for quick application. It can be worn on top of powder for extra fleeky brows or on its own for a naturally purple look. I dyed my hair a red/purple a few months back so it's not all that odd that I'm matching my hair to my brows.
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I am obsessed. Coloured brows are not a trend that I would ever think that I would be into for everyday. But the Kye for Shu Uemura eyebrow manicure in dark rose makes me so happy. Dark rose is a deep purple with quite a bit of brown, so on naturally jet black brows it ends up being a deep, somehow natural-looking purple. From far away, my brows look slightly filled in and set neatly into place. Only close up and personal is any colour noticeable.
The eyebrow manicure has a small wand that's flat on one side and bulbous on the other, for precision or for quick application. It can be worn on top of powder for extra fleeky brows or on its own for a naturally purple look. I dyed my hair a red/purple a few months back so it's not all that odd that I'm matching my hair to my brows.
Kye for Shu Uemura drawing pencils in M white 91, ME pink 12, ME navy 61 and M black 01
Kye for Shu Uemura drawing pencils in M white 91, ME pink 12, ME navy 61 and M black 01 swatches
Kye for Shu Uemura drawing pencils in M white 91, ME pink 12, ME navy 61 and M black 01 ($28 CAD each)
I'm already very familiar with the Shu Uemura drawing pencils (see my previous review here). They're some of my favourites and remind me a lot of the newer Make Up For Ever Aqua XL liners in texture, pigmentation and longevity. The drawing pencils in white, pink, navy and black are stellar, as expected and I can't find fault in any one of them. They glide on smoothly and last forever and a day on the lids. It seems like Shu Uemura also has updated the pencil material, so they're easier to sharpen!
I'm already very familiar with the Shu Uemura drawing pencils (see my previous review here). They're some of my favourites and remind me a lot of the newer Make Up For Ever Aqua XL liners in texture, pigmentation and longevity. The drawing pencils in white, pink, navy and black are stellar, as expected and I can't find fault in any one of them. They glide on smoothly and last forever and a day on the lids. It seems like Shu Uemura also has updated the pencil material, so they're easier to sharpen!
Kye for Shu Uemura Sheer Color Balm in Melt in Orange
Kye for Shu Uemura Sheer Color Balm in Melt in Orange swatch (left)
Kye for Shu Uemura Sheer Color Balm in Melt in Orange ($36 CAD)
The Kye for Shu Sheer Color Balms are a new-to-me product. They're one of those colour adjusting pH products that are unique to each person's chemical balance. On me, the Sheer Color Balm provides a sheer neon glow. A wearable neon that is.
It's a balm, so it glides on and feels comfortable on the lips but no staining or extra long wear-time. I have to be careful with this one and exfoliate before applying because the colour is strong enough that it can emphasize my dry patches if I'm not careful. Otherwise, a great product for everyday and also available in Hugged in Peach and Glow in Pink.
The Kye for Shu Sheer Color Balms are a new-to-me product. They're one of those colour adjusting pH products that are unique to each person's chemical balance. On me, the Sheer Color Balm provides a sheer neon glow. A wearable neon that is.
It's a balm, so it glides on and feels comfortable on the lips but no staining or extra long wear-time. I have to be careful with this one and exfoliate before applying because the colour is strong enough that it can emphasize my dry patches if I'm not careful. Otherwise, a great product for everyday and also available in Hugged in Peach and Glow in Pink.
Kye for Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil and Kye for Shu Uemura POREfinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil
Kye for Shu Uemura POREfinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil ($38 CAD for 150mL)
A review of the Shu Uemura POREfinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil has been a long time coming, as I'm currently using up a bottle from a previous collection (not the Kye for Shu). It's meant to have a water-like texture that removes sebum from pores and leaves the skin shine-less. As a makeup remover, the POREfinist felt like lightweight for an oil and got the job done. My only issue is the scent. It bothers my eyes and makes them water, even after rinsing them with water. I preferred scent of the Whitefficent cleansing oil from the Mika for Shu collection.
Kye for Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil ($48 CAD for 150mL)
I'm still getting through the POREfinist but I'll update my thoughts on this cleansing oil in the future.
Sorry if this post was a little long for you. There's just so many great things to say about the Kye for Shu Collection! As aforementioned, there are 24 products in the range and by no means is this all of them. The ones I haven't included in this post are the Shu brow sword, blanc:chroma brightening UV cushion foundation and fresh cushion blushes. I'll cover the haircare (Shu Uemura Art of Hair) in an upcoming blog post!
Press samples featured
Kye for Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil ($48 CAD for 150mL)
I'm still getting through the POREfinist but I'll update my thoughts on this cleansing oil in the future.
Sorry if this post was a little long for you. There's just so many great things to say about the Kye for Shu Collection! As aforementioned, there are 24 products in the range and by no means is this all of them. The ones I haven't included in this post are the Shu brow sword, blanc:chroma brightening UV cushion foundation and fresh cushion blushes. I'll cover the haircare (Shu Uemura Art of Hair) in an upcoming blog post!
What do you think of the Kye for Shu Uemura Collection?
Press samples featured
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