Goodies I Picked Up in Asia - Part 1 - Shu Uemura

Last month, my husband and I took an amazing trip to Asia. We stopped in several locations but because we were flying around a lot (and due to the restrictions on carrying liquids on board), I waited until our final stop in Hong Kong to pick up some beauty products. These days I hardly pay attention to purchasing souvenirs, it's just cosmetics and skin care for me when travelling!

I always like to check out local drug and department stores when I travel, but I was especially excited to do this in Asia. I feel like Asian women are really into the latest and greatest skincare. Also, since my skin is quite fair, I can always fit into their foundations, even when they only have one or two shades (which is quite common). My top skincare concerns are oil control and evening the overall tone of my face and these appear to be the top concerns of Asian women as I found these products everywhere. Even the large brands in America seemed to have special Asia-only lines that focus on whitening and brightening. So it is pretty exciting to take a look around at all of these products you cannot get at home. There are a couple of products I picked up that I will definitely be looking for online once I run out. 

Shu Uemura is a brand that I have never tried before. I know that there is a Shu Uemura counter at the Holt Renfrew near me, but I think it may just be a lash bar. I'm not sure that you can get the full line in Canada, or even in the USA right now. I knew there would be a Shu Uemura store in the mall close to the hotel I stayed in while visiting Hong Kong, so this was my chance to try a couple things. 

I only picked up two items, although there were plenty of others tempting me. The two things that stood out to me were the POREraser and the double ended concealer. 

The POREraser is basically a primer with a mousse consistency. The sign at the store advertised that it is Asia's top-selling makeup base and reduces the touch-ups required during the day. It is available in either beige or pink. I chose the beige as I do not like putting too much pink into my skin. It foams up in your hand like a hair mousse so it is a bit strange at first, but then it smooths onto your face and feels almost creamy. 

The consistency is foamy, like a hair mousse

After applying POREraser, my face looks smooth, and it does minimize the appearance of my pores. If my skin had fewer discolorations, I may consider just applying a light layer of powder and skipping foundation altogether, but this is not the case, so I apply my foundation as usual. I really do notice that fewer touch-ups are required when I use this primer! I normally need to use an oil-blotting tissue mid-morning, or by lunchtime at the latest, but with this, my makeup looks fresher and I look less oily for much longer. I have even gone a whole day without my oil-blotting tissues. 

The ingredients and directions on the packaging are all in, what appears to be, Japanese, so I couldn't read this while I was at the store, but I did find out later that this product contains alcohol. I'm not sure exactly what type of alcohol is in this, but it does not irritate my skin at all. I suppose it is just something to be aware of. 

My conclusion on Shu Uemura's POREraser? It's a keeper! I really like it after a couple of weeks of use. A quick google search told me that I am going to have a hard time repurchasing though. I could not find it. Darn. 

** Edit - I found this in-store at my Holt Renfrew! So happy! **

The second item I picked up is the Cover Crayon. This item is double ended so there is a lighter shade and a darker shade. There are also two versions of the product, and I got the lighter of the two. The reason I picked this up is because I had seen someone on You Tube (sorry, I cannot remember who), use this on their waterline to brighten up the eyes. I had never seen anyone use a concealer in this way, and I'm not actually sure if this is a good thing for my eyes, but wow does it work good. My waterline stays bright all day with this. Normally anything I apply to my waterline sort of smudges and disappears after an hour or so, so I was quite amazed by the staying power of this concealer. I have also used this on redness around my nose and on my cheeks, and of course, this is also a good use. So overall, I'm happy with this product, although concealers in this pencil form usually last me forever, so I won't have to worry about repurchasing anytime soon.

I was eyeing the Shu Uemura eyelash curler, but ultimately decided against it. I took a pretty close look and honestly could not figure out how it could possibly be any different than the Tweezerman version that I have at home. 

Overall, I'm really happy with my Shu Uemura purchases! Makes me think I should have picked up a few more things from them! 

Do you have any favorites from the line? I'd love to hear.

Thanks for reading!