BEAUTY: EVER HAD A wow moment? In fashion it's that rush of certainty you get when you try on a garment the colour, fit and shape of which suit you perfectly, and there's no way you're leaving the shop without it.
One of my beauty wow moments happened many years ago when a friend left a pot of bronzing powder behind after an overnight stay. It looked nothing out of the ordinary, but being the nosy parker that I am, of course I had to have a go. The unpronounceable Japanese name meant nothing to me as I nonchalantly swept the product over my neck and chest, which immediately took on a silky gleam with collarbones highlighted to perfection. Wowzer! This was a bronzer like no other and she wasn’t getting it back either.
The eponymous range founded by make-up artist Shu Uemura is one of the most respected in the beauty business. The story began in the 1950s when Uemura completed a make-up artist course in his native Tokyo, the only male in a class of 130 students. Heading to Hollywood to further his career, he got his big break when the make-up artist on the set of the film My Geisha became ill and Uemura was asked to step in. His transformation of actress Shirley MacLaine into a Japanese geisha launched his career as one of Hollywood’s most successful make-up artists.
Heavy stage make-up was routinely used on film sets, and removing it efficiently without stripping the skin of moisture was a problem he set out to solve. The resulting cleansing oil garnered him instant success and even in today’s fiercely competitive market, one of the oils is sold every 15 seconds worldwide.
Uemura continued to pioneer, inventing the first make-up primer, a multi-award winning eyelash curler and brushes which are on every make-up artist’s wish list. It was also the first brand to offer product testers to customers, who range in age from 15 to 80.
The range is now available at Brown Thomas in Dublin, where the counter layout encourages sampling and playing with the products, and you’ll surely be seduced by the beautiful colour palette. Sadly that bronzer is no longer part of the range, but there’s still plenty to tempt.
Looking for the perfect eyebrow pencil? It’s here, honed like a warrior’s sword to perfectly shape brows (with free after-sales sharpening service). Seal Brown (€19) is a wonderfully neutral shade, which I’ve yet to better. The cleansing oils (€34) are wonderful – the range includes formulas for different skin types. Those famous eyelash curlers (€24) open up the eyes and give a lift to the entire look of your face, and the younger set will love the Tokyo Lash Bar – a visual explosion of cutting-edge party lashes.
Prices at the lash bar are from €19.
