Shiseido Make-Up Reimagined

Shiseido was established in 1872 in Ginza, Tokyo and ever since the brand have been sharing Japan’s rich heritage and groundbreaking technology within their beauty products. Fast forward to now and Shiseido have reimagined their make-up line and introduced a whole new way of using and thinking about make-up.

If you know Shiseido you probably know their skincare, I am a big fan of the Shiseido beauty sleeping mask. When reinventing the make-up they wanted to incorporate this, however they did not want to have cosmetics that just had skincare claims, they wanted to introduce the same textures from their skincare lines into the colour items and so therefore the cosmetics line is divided up into dews, gels, powders and inks.

I got my hands on a few pieces from the new collection and put them to the test.

MINIMALIST WHIPPED POWDER BLUSH £32

I was most excited to try the powder blush as it has a mousse like texture that dries down almost instantly to a matte finish thanks to the AirFusion Technology. I tried out Sonoya – a warm pink shade, each shade is named after Shiseido’s brand muses and collaborators from the company’s inception to the current day. I tried using my fingers at first but then settled on using my beauty blender which gave a lovely finish. It’s easy to apply and it really does dry down. I love a cream blush but sometimes hate the fact it doesn’t dry down, so this is like a hybrid of a powder and a cream and I really love it. It’s a subtle amount of colour that is easily buildable and gives a gorgeous natural look.

ESSENTIALIST EYE PALETTE £38

First thing I love about this palette is the design of it, it is super sleek and thin and easy to fit in a bag or make-up bag. You would be forgiven from just looking at it that it was a simple design, but Shiseido have put much thought into designing this. It was inspired by the Japanese textile called fukusa, which is used to purify tools for a traditional tea ceremony, the palette is designed to feel smooth and comfortable in your hands but also epitomizes the idea of ‘luxe tech’ in which luxury beauty intersects with state-of-the-art technology.

In each eye palette are 4 colours, I have Platinum Street Metals which has four shimmers; white gold, silver, pewter and bronze. The colours are soft to apply and go on easily and the shadows I would say are quite sheer and light, for a very natural look. Being a palette I felt these colours actually didn’t go the best together, I could see myself using them more on an individual basis but not where I would use one for the brow bone, eyelid, crease etc, more I would wear one shade and maybe mix it with others. If you want a very everyday sheer look, this however could be a perfect palette for you.

ARCHLINER INK £22

I am no novice to a liquid eyeliner, but this one from Shiseido is completely different. It has a specially angled micro tip to make it easier to apply in those hard to reach areas that can often get blocked by your hand. I am so used to using a paint brush style pen that this was tricky, but once I started to get the hang of it I could see it working very well. The pen is fine and is ideal for creating a flick – with a bit of practice of course! It is very black and seemed to stay on well and didn’t smudge, which is all you really want.

MODERN MATTE POWDER LIPSTICK £25

I’m a sucker for a magnetic lipstick and this one closes just so beautifully and again has that smooth texture of the casing just like the eye palette. Ok so I’m not the hugest fan of matte lipsticks and yet this one has me absolutely hooked. Why? Well it doesn’t feel like a matte at all. It looks like one, but the feel is so different, more of a balm or velvet lipstick. But don’t let that put you off, this is nowhere near a balm, this is a lipstick and the colour pay-off is amazing. I have the shade Selfie which is a purple pink, yet very wearable.

LACQEURINK LIP SHINE £25

This lip product is like a liquid lipstick and a gloss put together, it is definitely more of a gloss but it takes with it the high pigment of colour you’d normally find in a liquid lipstick. It has a unique blend of oils to be hydrating on the lips for long-wear. I tried out the colour Scarlet Glare which is a deep red, the colour was stunning but when it comes to glosses I never find a red works for me in that format. It was quite difficult to apply and I could see it easily transferring. I liked the feel and the idea of this and loved how non-sticky it was, but for me I think I would only wear it in a lighter shade.

VISIONAIRY GEL LIPSTICK £25

In contrast to the Modern Matte Powder Lipstick is a gel lipstick from the new Shiseido line. This innovative product has a combination of agar, clay and copolymer gels that allow high levels of pigment to converge with water for a cushion-y, comfortable feel. The formula is made of 15% water to provide a cooling burst upon coming into contact with lips for intense hydration. The lipstick also comes in an air-tight silver wrapper to preserve its longevity and integrity. I tried out Volcanic 218 and it did not disappoint, a punchy orangey red with a shiny finish. It was super pigmented and the colour was very vivid, as well as feeling extremely comfortable on the lips.

Shiseido have definitely took their time to work on these products, the styling and the textures are leading the way in beauty and I would  happily look to try more from the range.

Available to buy now at Shiseido, John Lewis, LookFantastic and Feel Unique.