Shu Uemura has been the bees knees of skin care and cosmetics for a long time now. I first ran across the brand when I travelled to Japan in 1998 and was blown away by the beauty of their stand alone stores which were packed floor to ceiling full of candy box colored eye shadows and long luxurious false eyelashes. The sales assistants were beautiful Japanese girls with immaculate faces and up to the minute hair cuts. Wow! This was clearly a different world to England's bland department stores staffed by matronly 'customer service advisors' who consistently recommended peach lipstick and brown eye shadows to everyone they saw - boring!

So when I got to meet Mr. (or Master) Shu himself who was by then a mature and powerful man, and model for him, I just couldn't believe my luck. Suddenly, I was able to see close up how he created his looks, the way he swished his brushes and how he layered makeup to get amazing results. At first I was terrified as his assistants wouldn't dream of presenting me to him until my face was perfectly stripped of all makeup and plucked to perfection. Normally makeup artists are by their nature very down to earth and calming, however, this was more like preparing to meet the Queen! Everyone was always extremely nervous to keep things up to his incredibly high standards. The cleansing, toning and moisturizing process alone would take more than 45 minutes each time and would be performed with the meticulous nature of a surgeon.

Mr Shu would study my face from every angle and watch the reflections of light as would an artist on a blank canvas. Then, finally Shu would begin to sculpt the face in a manner unlike any other makeup artist. He really had passion for his craft and the intensity of having him apply my makeup was equally exhilarating and exhausting. Working with him inspired me to understand makeup and beauty and since then I have been totally hooked on his products. I realised how colours, textures and shades can totally alter a person's face and that with a bit of effort you can look dramatically different - and best of all - waaay more beautiful than you look first thing in the morning :) Hurray!

The best bit: These are professionally developed products that serve the beauty industry as well as the more discerning girls about town. Expect quality, high pigmented colour tone, low chance of allergy and beautiful packaging.

The worst bit: The choice of colours and products can be overwhelming as there is so much on offer. Also, many items overlap and perform the same job, therefore quite a bit of trying and testing can be necessary. The shop assistants are friendly but not all that forthcoming so you have to be confident and really explain what you need and tell them you must try before you buy.

Our favourite Shu Uemura products:

	BRIGHTENING CLEANSING OIL Right, so this is actually a cleanser and brightener in one, thank goodness for the scientific techies that helped to create this wonder. Go science nerds of the world! Lift off the days pollution, makeup and grime in easy oily swipes on cotton pads and reveal a new super clean you. Reduce spots, dryness and other blemishes at the same time as your complextion getting 'brighter'. This is a fairly expensive product but you hardly need to use any per serving and therefore the value for money is fair. Have a try in the shop and let us know what you think:) HK$620
	PRO SPOT CONCEALER Target those spots and blemishes head on with the handy stick design. This product really 'sticks' (ha ha - get it? )to the area keeping you concealed and the attention firmly on you and not your embarrassing spots - yea! Lightly dab it on, and press press press it into the skin. Keep reapplying until you are satisfied and then fix with a light flash of powder. Carry with you throughout the day to keep you picture perfect. HK$155
	GLOW ON OK, so you want a natural looking blush to pop those cheeks and make you look alive, friendly and healthy? Then you have to get Glow On. Check out the choices of colour to choose the best one for you. The texture is long lasting and sheer to look really natural. Apply in the apples of your cheeks and softly up to the top of your ears blending it carefully. Even put a little on your nose and forehead for a more modern look. Get practising at home in a clear DAY light lit (not artificial) mirror and smile when you see your refreshed reflection. Beat those night before blues once and for all! HK$150