Eye Shadow Review : Shu Uemura Pressed Shadow

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Cost:  RM60/$22AUD (at time of purchase in Malaysia) / Aust. $36

Weight:  21g/0.07oz

The Background Story

I first heard of Shu Uemura (SU) while watching makeup tutorial videos on Youtube.  A majority of the beauty gurus were reviewing and comparing the SU eyelash curlers and that sparked an interest for me. Then a few months later a friend told me that SU was readily available at the David Jones beauty section. I was stoked and went along to see her splurge on her products. I wasn’t yet sold on his eye shadows as I wanted to try them out and see swatches. And true to my nature, I did a little research on SU both as a person and a brand. He was big on healthy skin and non-harming products for his customers' skin. This became the underlying aspect of his cosmetics. He also believed in enhancing a subject's natural beauty, not artificially creating it using cosmetic products. I say, kudos to Mr Uemura!


The prices here in Australia are ridiculously high..well, I thought so anyway, so I was hesitant to purchase anything. So many months later while I was on vacation in Malaysia, my sister and I went on a (mostly) SU shopping spree, hence the Malaysian currency I used in the description. Ah..it was pure bliss. I felt sorry for my sister’s boyfriend and his cousins waiting around for us when we would spend ages at the stores. Malaysians are lucky enough not to pay taxes or duties on their cosmetics so the prices are extremely cheap compared to Australia. If only we would follow suit...

The Facts

SU eye shadows come in 4 textures:

MATTE (M): is extremely velvety smooth and gives an even finish.

PEARL (P): has a silky reflection of light that gives colour and radiance.

IRIDESCENT (IR): delicate and subtly changes colour as light shines on it.

METALLIC (ME): goes on smooth so gives a liquid, metallic glow. Very intense colour payoff.

Colour by numbers:

M, P, IR, ME = texture finish

100 digit = colour , 10 digit = brightness (0 bright to 9 dark)    

For example: P 900  P = texture; 9 = color (white), 0 = brightness (brightest)

So basically, the last digit is there for decoration only!

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Anyhow, the colours in my (rather small) collection are as follows:

ME BLACK 990 – a dark charcoal colour and highly pigmented (my favourite for lining eyes)

ME SILVER 900 – extremely bright and sparkly, a good choice for holidays or adding ‘oomph’ to eyes

ME PURPLE 700 – a medium grape colour with shine

ME GREEN 550 – a gorgeous forest green, extremely pigmented with nice colour payoff

ME ORANGE 200 – more coral than orange, very pigmented with a nice glow

M WHITE 900 – chalk white, not as intense as the other colours

M BROWN 810 – a taupe colour with golden flecks for sparkle

I didn’t realise just how many metallic shades I had purchased! But I am still a little apprehensive about going all out with shadows on my lids; it’s something I have to overcome soon. There are a lot of looks I would love to try and play around with. I am still pretty subtle when it comes to wearing eye shadow. I mostly use the shadows to line my waterline for a quirky look, strangely enough, the orange is very natural looking.

The shadows are highly pigmented and it has a very soft and velvety feel. It also lasts a long time on the lids without the need for touch-ups. The colour payoff is very high, so a little goes a very long way. I tend to have oily lids, so I always prime them before shadow application. This also helps to intensify the shadows and lasts longer to.

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Ingredients

Unfortunately, only the ingredients for the matte shadows were available on SU’s website. The following is a breakdown of the ingredients.

Talc is a naturally occurring silicate mineral (any group of substances containing negative ions composed of silicon and oxygen) of magnesium. Current, extensive research indicates there is no increased risk of lung cancer when using talc-based products or for those involved in the manufacture of talc products. It is mainly used as a filler in products to bulk it up. It is also an absorbing agent to “dry” up natural skin oils. Is known to cause breakouts for some users.

Calcium Carbonate is chalk and is used as an absorbent in cosmetics.

Zinc Stearate The zinc salt of stearic acid. It has multiple functions in cosmetics, including serving as the basis for soap. Also serves as a colouring agent, slip agent, and thickening agent in cosmetics.

Boron Nitride A synthetic, inorganic powder and has absorbent properties similar talc.

Silica Mineral found copiously in sandstone, clay, and granite, as well as in parts of plants and animals. Used as an absorbent powder and thickening agent. There has been wide debate as to whether silica is a safe ingredient or not, but it is known that the compound used is safe and regulated. (See this review)

Phenyl Trimethicone Silicone with a drier finish than dimethicone.  Detackification (process of making a substance less tacky) and emolliency (quality of being able to soften, soothe or smooth something) in cosmetic products.

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate An ester of the solvent neopentyl glycol and heptanoic acid, a fatty acid made from grapes. This ingredient functions as an emollient and thickening agent.

Lauroyl Lysine Amino acid derivative that functions as a skin- and hair-conditioning agent. It also contributes to a product’s texture by helping to gel solvents, while also remaining stable under high heat conditions.

Polymethyl Methacrylate is a film-forming agent and when applied leaves a pliable, cohesive, and continuous covering over the skin. This film has water-binding properties and leaves a smooth feel on the skin.

Dimethicone a silicone fluid used to give a smooth feel to a cosmetic crème or lotion. Water repellent agent, promotes easy spreading and leaves a smooth feeling without feeling either sticky or oily.

Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate Synthetic compound derived from fatty acids and used as an emulsifier, emollient and thickening agent.

Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate A synthetic compound derived from glycerin and a fatty acid and used as an emulsifier.

Octyldodecanol Emulsifier and opacifying agent, primarily used as a thickener in moisturizers because of its lubricating and emollient properties.

Octyldodecyl Myristate Mixture of octyldodecanol (thickener) and myristic acid that forms a new compound used as a skin-conditioning agent and emollient.

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride is an oily mixed ester composed of caprylic and capric fatty acids derived from coconut oil and glycerin. The desirability of Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride in cosmetics and personal care products is based on its stability, solubility and lack of odor and color.

Methicone One of the simpler silicones due to its less complex molecular structure.

Tocopherol Vitamin E, an antioxidant.

Canola /Canola Oil Plant lipid that has barrier-repair and anti-inflammatory properties.

Phenoxyethanol Common cosmetic preservative that is considered one of the less irritating ones to use in formulations.

Methylparaben/ Ethylparaben/ Propylparaben/ Butylparaben Parabens used as a preservative in cosmetics. It has a broad spectrum activity against bacteria, moulds, and fungus that can contaminate cosmetics.

Conclusion

A majority of these ingredients are commonly found in eye shadows. A lot of thickening agents and emollients are used in SU pressed shadows which contributes to its colour performance and texture. I am in love with these shadows, the quality is great and there is broad range of colours to choose from. Also, the sale assistants (SA) are friendly and helpful.

Keep happy and safe!

-Mai