Shu Uemura holding the brush he designed (above)

A big devoted fan of Bobbi Brown brushes for years, I have only recently discovered Shu Uemura brushes and have to say that in these brushes the perfect balance of the professional functionality and artistic design can satisfy the most demanding and spoiled tastes. Each Shu Uemura makeup brush is hand-laid in place for shape and optimal makeup results. She Uemura really has a brush for every makeup purpose.

Shu Uemura Brushes (above)

Shu Uemura brushes are classified into three central categories based on hair quality and desired finish: Synthetic, Natural and Kolinsky.

Synthetic brushes are made of interlocking synthetic fiber – very smooth and soft
Application: Soft layering of powder color or application of cream color or concealer
Suitable for beginner makeup brush users

Natural brushes are made of various types of natural materials: Squirrel, Badger and Pony. Hand stacked in place for various shapes and sizes
Application: Layering of color with a variety of touches – from very soft (Squirrel) to firm (Badger) Suitable for all makeup brush users

Kolinsky brushes are made of pure kolinsky (red sable) hair, with the best porosity for application of the most intense, truest form of color
Application: Precise layering of color, especially for creation of specific gradations Suitable for all makeup brush users, especially professional artists

This year, he would have turned 80. Mr. Shu Uemura was born in 1928. All his childhood he dreamt of becoming and actor. Unfurtunately, these dreams were not to come true because of the severe illness in his late teens that left him with a weakened constitution. Recognizing that this would create obstacles in the future should he still condsider acting, he began searching for vocation that would allow him to creatively express himself but at the same time would not be so physically demanding. Since he was always fascinated by conceptions of beauty, the young Shu Uemura decided to become a make-up artist, and enrolled at Tokyo Beauty Academy. He was the only male student in a class of 130.

But his real career as a make-up artist began in 1955, when a make-up artist from the set of “Joe Butterfly”, a Hollywood production being filmed in post-war Tokyo, came to the beauty school in search of a male assistant.

Shu Uemura (above)

He spent several years creating the onscreen faces of Hollywood stars, but did not become popular until 1964 when he transformed Shirley MacLaine into a geisha for the movie “My Geisha.” He was a particular favorite of Frank Sinatra; during the shoot of “Only the Brave,” Sinatra presented him with an elaborate make-up box inscribed with the words “shu shu baby for his birthday.”

Shu Uemura returned permanently to Japan in 1965 and established the Shu Uemura Make-up Institute, the first Hollywood style make-up studio in Japan. He also brought home a number of US cosmetic products unknown to Japan, often distributing them to his students. To satisfy soaring demand, in 1967 Shu Uemura opened Japan Make-up Inc. officially importing American make-up products to Japan as a business.

In 1968, the beauty world recognized him for creating the first Mode Make-up, a revolutionary concept in make-up design as artistic expression. His fame rose dramatically after staging a series of large-scale make-up shows, attended by thousands of industry professionals and make-up devotees. To meet his stringent standards of beauty and skincare, he established JM Laboratories Inc. in 1971 and initiated the in-house production of skincare products. In 1983, he opened the first Beauty Boutique in Tokyo’s upscale Omotesando district, followed by an award-winning boutique in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris in 1986. From 1986, he actively expands the international presence of his boutiques with openings in New York, Los Angeles, Taiwan, Milan and London.

Shue Uemura Beauty Boutique in Omotesando district, Tokyo, Japan (above)

Over the years, Shu Uemura has gained international recognition as being at the cutting edge of the cosmetics industry. In 1998, the launch of DEPSEA WATER was the first time deep sea water had been incorporated into a skincare product garnering his worldwide acclaim and numerous awards . “Muroto Factory Museum,” opened in 1999 in Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture, was developed in response to the overwhelming success of DEPSEA WATER as a source of deep sea water. He also opened “Shu Uemura Atelier Factory 1999″ in Odaiba, Tokyo, in 1999 combining factory and boutique to create bespoke colors of cosmetics tailored exclusively for individual customers.

The brand partnered with the L’Oréal group in 2000 pioneering a new chapter in beauty for the 21st century. tokyo lash bar, opened in shu uemura counters worldwide in 2005, is a modern cosmetics play-space that opened the make-up palette to customers and introduced the launch of annual false eyelash collections. In 2006, revolutionary lipstick collection rouge unlimited incorporated ground-breaking hybrid pigments enabling precision color-range creation never before achieved. The 2007 launch of phyto-black lift, the first anti-aging skincare line based on the power of black phyto-ingredients, was followed by the launch of Art of Hair, shu uemura’s first professional hair care line.

Shue Uemura, applying makeup to a model (above)

Shu Uemura has been at the helm of cutting-edge cosmetics by fusing the science and art of beauty into an inspired business. Usage of the latest technologies with natural extracts into his products and constant innovation in the fields of make-up research and skin care formulas, as well as retail and package aesthetics, he will remain a pioneer that continues to break boundaries in beauty creation.