Shu Uemura Murakami Holiday 2016 Collection | Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks: Review and Swatches

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Shu Uemura partners up with an amazing designer or artist each year for its holiday collection and this year's Shu x Murakami Holiday Collection is just beyond adorable. Boasting the cheeriest print from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the collection introduces three beautiful Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine Lipsticks ($36 CAD) and two Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks ($36 CAD). To see some swatches of all five shades, click......

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks

Packaging:
The Rouge Unlimited original and the Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine Lipsticks come in a double-layered lipstick tube with a shiny silver inner core and a clear acrylic shell. Because these are part of the limited edition Shu x Murakami Holiday Collection, the outside of the lipsticks are printed with a happy flower design from Murakami. The Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shines have the pink flowers while the Rouge Unlimited originals have the red flowers. Lastly, the lipsticks have a flattened tip for an easy, on-the-go application.

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks

Formulation:
As I've mentioned, two of the lipsticks (OR 520 and WN255) in this collection are the original Rouge Unlimited lipsticks while the other three (RD 164, Rouge Bloom, and Pinky Bloom) are Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shines. Interesting, all five shades feature a pretty similar jojoba and shea-infused formulation; they are sheer, slick, and very moisturizing. The softer shades (ex. Pinky Bloom, OR 520) really don't last very long and although the brighter shades (ex. RD 164) wear off just as quickly, they do leave the lips nicely tinted. See below for a breakdown of all five shades.

Rouge Unlimited "OR 520": A soft peach cream that's part of the permanent collection, OR 520 is semi-sheer but buildable. The color is a bit unflattering for my skin tone but I'm glad that it's very smoothing and hydrating.
Rouge Unlimited "WN 255": Despite appearing like a very deep mauve in the tube, this shade swatches much brighter and sheerer. I am actually surprised that this isn't a Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine. The color is scattered with very fine silver sparkles and like OR 520, WN 255 is available as part of the permanent Rouge Unlimited range.

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited in "OR 520"

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited in "WN 255"

Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine "Pinky Bloom": A limited edition shade made for this holiday collection, Pinky Bloom is a soft cool-tone pink infused with a fine dusting of silver sparkles. The color is quite sheer and I find it to be a bit too bubble gum pink to wear on a regular basis.
Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine "RD 164": Despite looking more like a bright red in the tube, RD 164 is actually a beautiful bright pink. The color is translucent but not patchy. This shade is available as part of the permanent collection.
Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine "Rouge Bloom": This is a sheer orange-red with a very fine shimmer. Again, despite being sheer, the shade is not at all patchy. Like most of these shades, Rouge Bloom is easy to wear-very much like a tinted lip balm.

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine in "Pinky Bloom"

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine in "RD 164"

Shu x Murakami Rouge Unlimited Sheer Shine in "Rouge Bloom"

Availability:

Shu Uemura is available in stores at The Bay, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, select Sephoras, and www.shuuemura.ca.