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Posted by Dain, Tuesday, January 22, 2008 10:46 AM (Eastern)
Sets and palettes are very pleasing to the eye, but it is rare that I'd buy or recommend one. It is very difficult to find one in which all the shades are wearable, and if they are, they tend to be bland and boring. Even less likely is the probability that each and every product is extraordinary. I have palette prejudice, I am a set bigot, probably I am just picky to the point of anal retentive. So when the SA flagged me down with this set at Barneys, I huffed, "I just want the LIPSTICK and BLUSH BRUSH!" I never bought that particular brush (Shu Uemura 20) and lipstick (Chantecaille Saturn), because I wandered to the shoe department to buy some Roberto del Carlo boots and lost track of the SA who was holding it for me.
I had read in Allure's Best of Beauty about the 13G shadow brush. It is wide with a pointed tip, made out of beautiful black and amber striped squirrel hair. "Squirrel hair!" says my sister. "They comb the squirrels," I added hastily, "no animal is harmed in the process." We sniggered over a factory of Japanese women combing a bunch of pampered squirrels. It is really a beautiful brush, and I expected to get no end of use from it. I did not, sucker I am. It is too big, too soft, and yet the hairs are rough. Better for blending, but since when do I need a blending brush in the first place? So, I put 13G up for swap and went to the Shu Uemura boutique to get the fabled 10. Much better, but the ferrule was loose, and I had to come back.
The SA seemed embarrassed that such a thing could happen to a Shu Uemura brush (the gold standard of brushes), and promptly found me another. She paused, and lifted up the set. It was $55, my lone eyeshadow brush was $67. She explained its virtues (I did need that new blush brush still), and again, I was skeptical. Wouldn't the blush brush be too small? No, it is larger and fluffier than the NARS I am currently using, and it never flops around the skin, but spreads well for a spectacular diffusion of pigment that will cut down on blending. Modeled on the 20, but with deliciously soft goat hair. The next brush is a synthetic concealer brush, and I didn't think it would be useful until I remembered I might want to try the dense, pigmented MUFE Lift Concealer soon, and that this would come in very handy. It can be also used for many other things, especially creams. Then came the 10 I wanted, a little squatter but just as versatile in firm, precise kolinsky sable. Use the flat side for washes, the tip for smoking out liner, and if you are deft and desperate, the side will function as a crease. Next came the 6M lip brush, but I figure I know how to put lipstick on by myself by this point. Point concealer? Hm, I rarely break out. Precision detail shadow? Yes, that might work nicely.
It is a perfect set with perfect brushes, though it would have been even nicer with a liner brush. All the Shu Uemura brushes in this set are of the highest quality, with beautifully tapered bristles that ensure no harsh edges, so you don't waste time blending. The brushes are exquisitely soft on the skin, and yet they are precise. It is hard to describe. They glide over the skin, instead of just flopping a bunch of bristles onto it. It is almost an organic reaction to the contours of your face. I suspect that is what makes Shu Uemura brushes so superior, not only the quality of the hair and construction, but the way they behave with pigment on the face.
Comes in a sleek black pouch for $55, separately, they would cost much more. They are compact, but not minuscule. Available everywhere Shu Uemura products are sold, but it is a Holiday 2007 Limited Edition, so buy now if you are interested. (They seem to have plenty in stock, however.)
Labels: shu uemura
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