Yazbukey for Shu Uemura

Ottoman princess and jewelry designer Yaz Bukey has teamed up with Shu Uemura to create a whimsical and oddly cute collection this year, filled with pop colors and beautiful textures. Split into 4 specific personalities, the products are themed to coordinate and all packaged in identical colors.

• Sexy Yaz - pink packaging
• Smart Lola - green packaging
• Romantic Betty - yellow packaging
• Daring Tina - blue packaging

I don't have the full collection to show you; just a few pieces from each of the sets, including the key piece, the I Love My Shu Shu palette, which contains 7 ultra-smooth shadows and a blush shade.

The rich, warm, jewel-toned colors in this palette kinda remind me of the 6 Heart Princess's Black Princess palette from awhile back. There are no duds in this palette. The colors are all very silky and blendable.

The only thing is I would probably throw out those applicators in the palette. Especially the brush applicator. There's something which either looks like an overly long blender or a laughably small blush brush. Nah-uh. Chuck that and use your own brushes.

Also, most of the colors are actually matte or satin, so the textures are quite flattering and easy to work with. 

Aside from this, there are the  regular products like the cleansing oils, UV Under Base Mousses, and gel pencils done up in the seasonal packaging. I tell you - you will not be able to bear throwing out the boxes because they're half the charm. 

The expressions are just too cute.

Shu being Shu, there are also a couple of different collectible false lash designs. My favorite is this subtle pair of Yaz lashes, which are black interlaced with hot pink. There is also a pair of Tina designs which are spiky, jeweled strips. 

No less wearable, but more suited for night.

And seriously, don't they look darling in their box with the lip??!

Speaking of lips, there are 4 Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte lip colors with the collection. A red for Yaz, a pink for Lola, orange for Betty, and a day-glo violet for Tina.

Now this shade really made my eyes pop because it's the one I'm most curious about.

As you can see the swatch below, it takes on an almost glowy blue cast, almost like the lipstick has a blue pearl (which it doesn't if you look at it up-close). Whatever colorants they used just picks up the light and throws it back blue. If you want a very lightweight color that is also extremely daring, look no further.

My main criticism for this shade is the fact that the Supreme Matte textures are that of the very thin, lightweight, new-generation matte lipsticks that can't really be built up to full opacity, so they have more of a tendency to go on slightly patchy, especially if you're wearing very dark or very pale shades.

You can see from my hand-swatch above. Trying to apply more will just wipe off what you applied below, so it's really not meant to be worn thick like MAC matte lipsticks.

 The shade is fun for sure, but if you have dry lips make sure you prep beforehand, because again - these lightweight matte textures are often actually less forgiving and conditioning than thicker traditional oil-based mattes. I didn't apply balm beforehand, and it just made the texture of my lips all the more obvious, although it's actually comfortable to wear. My guess is that the red shade would be the most forgiving of the 4.

There are also nail polishes in the collection, which I haven't had a chance to see myself yet,

All in all, this is a super-cute collection for those who don't like "typical cute stuff". It's very eclectic and quite sophisticated actually. And ultimately, it's a great way to step out of your comfort zone from the typical neutrals this season, what with a lot of the other high-end brands coming up with the usual neutrals, bronzes, and aquatic colors.

The Yazbukey for Shu Uemura collection launches 1 May in Singapore, but will be pre-launched at Tangs Orchard on 24 April! See the full collection on the Yazbukey for Shu site here!