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For Holiday 2018, Shu Uemura has teamed up with French chocolatier La Maison du Chocolat to create a delicious collection inspired by all things chocolate. Filled with rich browns and flattering berries, the collection offers everything from lipsticks to eyeshadow palettes. I've got some key pieces to share with you today. To see some swatches and read my review, click......
Shu Uemura | Holiday 2018 La Maison du Chocolat Collection | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" ($115 CAD for 8 g):
Housed in a sturdy plastic compact designed to look like a small box of gourmet chocolate, the Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" offers eight berry-themed brown eyeshadows: three mattes, four satins, and one glitter. The palette comes with a large mirror and also included are two small eyeshadow applicators (one sponge-tipped, and one dual brush-tipped). All eight shades are nicely pigmented. The satins are creamy and buttery smooth while the mattes are relatively silky and non-patchy. The one glittery shade was a tad sheerer than expected but it gets the job done as a subtle glitter topper. To my disappointment, though, the eyeshadows are not chocolate-scented (same for the "Dark Cacao" palette below). Nevertheless, this is a beautifully-packaged and well-formulated palette that's a rather good alternative to the recently-released Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette (reviewed here).
Shu Uemura | Holiday 2018 La Maison du Chocolat Collection | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Dark Cacao" ($115 CAD for 8 g):
A more cool-tone neutral palette, "Dark Caco" offers three mattes and five satin shimmers. The formulation is consistent across the board with the exception of the medium matte brown in the right lower corner, which is surprisingly sheer. The glittery gold in the palette, however, performed much better than the glitter from the "Framboise Berry" palette. It is much more opaque and refined and can be used on its own as a base color.
Shu Uemura | Holiday 2018 La Maison du Chocolat Collection | Shimmery Powder in "Luster Gold Dust" & "Luster Rosé Dust" ($40 CAD for 2.5 g):
Available in two shades, the Shimmery Powder is a multi-use loose powder designed to add a little sparkle and glow to the cheeks, eyes, lips, and the decolletage area. The powder comes in a clear plastic jar paired with a sifter opening. Included is a little puff applicator but I would recommend using a loose powder brush to provide a more even dusting. "Luster Gold Dust" is a pale gold champagne while "Luster Rosè Dust" is a pretty rose gold. The powder is very light and non-gritty although there is some irregularity in the size of the shimmer particles, resulting in a more flakey, patchy application when used as an eyeshadow. When applied sparingly as a highlighter, however, the powder gives a fun and festive sparkle.
Shu Uemura | Holiday 2018 La Maison du Chocolat Collection | Rouge Unlimited & Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipsticks ($36 CAD for 3.4 g):
With four shades available for the Rouge Unlimited formulation and six shades available for the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte formulation, Shu Uemura fully indulges us with a wide range of chocolate-inspired lipstick shades. Infused with a delicious chocolate scent, both lipstick formulations are highly pigmented and easy to apply. The original Rouge Unlimited has a slick, creamy sheen while the Supreme Matte variation is surprisingly lightweight and comfortable on the lips. See below for a breakdown of the three shades I have here.
"Hazelnut Ganache" Rouge Unlimited: This is dark chocolate brown with just a hint of red. The formulation is super slick, creamy, and buildable to a full and even coverage.
"Deep Cranberry" Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte: This is a gorgeous deep red with a fairly neutral undertone. The color is very unique and the formulation is opaque and even.
"Ripe Cherry" Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte: A dark reddish chocolate brown that's essentially a matte version of "Hazelnut Ganache", Ripe Cherry is pigmented but just a touch patchy upon application.
Shu Uemura | Holiday 2018 La Maison du Chocolat Collection | Chocolate Top Premium Curler ($25 CAD):
As is traditional with all Shu Uemura holiday collaborations, Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat offers a special edition of its best selling eyeshadow curler. The curler itself remains unchanged but it is adorned with a small metal lanyard shaped like a piece of chocolate from La Maison Du Chocolat. This is a great collector's item and conversely, a great gift for those who do not yet own a Shu Uemura curler as it's priced the same as the original.
Have you spotted the new Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat Collection in stores? Are you planning on picking up any of the pieces? Share with me in the comments below!
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" |
Housed in a sturdy plastic compact designed to look like a small box of gourmet chocolate, the Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" offers eight berry-themed brown eyeshadows: three mattes, four satins, and one glitter. The palette comes with a large mirror and also included are two small eyeshadow applicators (one sponge-tipped, and one dual brush-tipped). All eight shades are nicely pigmented. The satins are creamy and buttery smooth while the mattes are relatively silky and non-patchy. The one glittery shade was a tad sheerer than expected but it gets the job done as a subtle glitter topper. To my disappointment, though, the eyeshadows are not chocolate-scented (same for the "Dark Cacao" palette below). Nevertheless, this is a beautifully-packaged and well-formulated palette that's a rather good alternative to the recently-released Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette (reviewed here).
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Framboise Berry" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Dark Cacao" |
A more cool-tone neutral palette, "Dark Caco" offers three mattes and five satin shimmers. The formulation is consistent across the board with the exception of the medium matte brown in the right lower corner, which is surprisingly sheer. The glittery gold in the palette, however, performed much better than the glitter from the "Framboise Berry" palette. It is much more opaque and refined and can be used on its own as a base color.
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Dark Cacao" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Ganache & Praline Eye Palette in "Dark Cacao" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Shimmery Powder in "Luster Gold Dust" & "Luster Rosè Dust" |
Available in two shades, the Shimmery Powder is a multi-use loose powder designed to add a little sparkle and glow to the cheeks, eyes, lips, and the decolletage area. The powder comes in a clear plastic jar paired with a sifter opening. Included is a little puff applicator but I would recommend using a loose powder brush to provide a more even dusting. "Luster Gold Dust" is a pale gold champagne while "Luster Rosè Dust" is a pretty rose gold. The powder is very light and non-gritty although there is some irregularity in the size of the shimmer particles, resulting in a more flakey, patchy application when used as an eyeshadow. When applied sparingly as a highlighter, however, the powder gives a fun and festive sparkle.
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Shimmery Powder in "Luster Gold Dust" & "Luster Rosè Dust" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Rouge Unlimited & Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipsticks |
With four shades available for the Rouge Unlimited formulation and six shades available for the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte formulation, Shu Uemura fully indulges us with a wide range of chocolate-inspired lipstick shades. Infused with a delicious chocolate scent, both lipstick formulations are highly pigmented and easy to apply. The original Rouge Unlimited has a slick, creamy sheen while the Supreme Matte variation is surprisingly lightweight and comfortable on the lips. See below for a breakdown of the three shades I have here.
"Hazelnut Ganache" Rouge Unlimited: This is dark chocolate brown with just a hint of red. The formulation is super slick, creamy, and buildable to a full and even coverage.
"Deep Cranberry" Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte: This is a gorgeous deep red with a fairly neutral undertone. The color is very unique and the formulation is opaque and even.
"Ripe Cherry" Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte: A dark reddish chocolate brown that's essentially a matte version of "Hazelnut Ganache", Ripe Cherry is pigmented but just a touch patchy upon application.
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Rouge Unlimited & Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipsticks |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in "Hazelnut Ganache" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in "Deep Cranberry" |
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in "Ripe Cherry" |
As is traditional with all Shu Uemura holiday collaborations, Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat offers a special edition of its best selling eyeshadow curler. The curler itself remains unchanged but it is adorned with a small metal lanyard shaped like a piece of chocolate from La Maison Du Chocolat. This is a great collector's item and conversely, a great gift for those who do not yet own a Shu Uemura curler as it's priced the same as the original.
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| Shu Uemura x La Maison du Chocolat | Chocolate Top Premium Curler |
Availability:
Shu Uemura is available in stores at The Bay, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, select Sephora, and www.shuuemura.ca.
