About Shu Uemura
In the world of cosmetics and beauty, there are few who are as revered and celebrated as Shu Uemura. The Japanese makeup artist had been working in Hollywood as a stylist for several years when he was asked to transform American actress Shirley MacLaine into a Geisha for the 1962 movie My Geisha. He got his big break when the original makeup artist was unable to work due to illness, and his ability to transform the Shirley MacLaine into an authentic-looking Japanese woman caught the attention of Hollywood’s leading figures and Uemura was soon working on celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson. Shu Uemura built on his reputation and created his own international cosmetics brand, which he named Japan Makeup, in 1967 launching his first product, a cleansing oil, which is still extremely popular to this day.

 
The company’s name changed to Shu Uemura Cosmetics in 1983 and continued to produce fabulous products such as Face Architect Remodeling Cream Foundation, Rouge Unlimited Crystal Shine Collection, Powder Foundation Natural Glow Finish SPF 22 and UV Under Base SPF 10. Not content with simply creating cosmetics, Uemura’s pursuit of perfection led him to create a range of handmade makeup brushes, fragrances, and fake eyelashes as well as opening his own school for makeup artists in Tokyo. Today, Uemura’s company has branches in prominent cities such as New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong. The great man died of pneumonia in 2007 at the age of 79, but the company lives on through his family.