These five new Shiseido products will give you head-turning results

13 September 2018

By Fashion Quarterly

The visible feels invisible with Shiseido’s inventive new colour collection.

It’s easy to think there’s nothing new in the world of beauty, but the 127 items in Shiseido’s vibrant new makeup collection beg to differ. Less concerned with prescriptive uses and more about innovative textures and creative license, each product demands acquaintance via touch and play.

We came away from our first encounter sporting glistening skin, the sharpest of cat eyes and arms lined with swatches from the 74 lip shades in four finishes. In each category, new products deliver incredible depth of pigment in a palette that plays both to high-fashion trends and classic hues.

Here’s our pick of five hero items that will be workhorses in your beauty bag while delivering head-turning results.

GELS REDISCOVERED
VisionAiry Gel Lipstick, $50
The star player, this gem shows how far formulations have come, gliding on weightlessly yet leaving lips lush with dense colour. In our opinion, the buttery-smooth finish with a touch of shine is unmatched. The variety of reds in this 28-shade troupe is exciting enough, but the plums and nudes are sure to see plenty of action too.

DEWS RECREATED
Aura Dew, $55
As its name implies, skin looks touched with glimmering morning dew thanks to these three multi-use shades. What appears to be a pot of loose pigment picks up on fingers or a brush like a powder and blends almost like a cream for dense colour with that IRL KiraKira sparkle. It’s perfect to illuminate eyes and skin, or even pressed lightly on the centre of your lips for incredible dimension.

INKS REDEFINED
Kajal InkArtist, $45
This punchy, pigment-packed, easy-to-apply liner suits artistic types and novices alike. With a high water content, the application is drag-free, melting across skin with zero effort. The smudging tool is useful for creating smokey eyes, but ensure you work quickly as it’s budge-proof once set. Our favourite part is the way it looks freshly applied even hours after application.

POWDERS REINVENTED
Minimalist WhippedPowder Blush, $50
Blush amateur or authority? Here’s another must-have, regardless. The tiniest amount of soft mousseline whip blends swiftly when applied with fingertips, leaving a pretty velvet-matte flush that could easily be your own or intensified for a power-pop of colour.

BRUSHES REMODELLED
Daiya Fude Face Duo Brush, $90
In a collision of tradition and technology, the sculpted shape and lacquer finish of five new brushes give a nod to Japan’s heritage and classic calligraphy while ploughing into the future with forward-thinking multi-use design. Our favourite is the dual-end Daiya with dense bristles to buff on liquids and diffuse powders for an airbrush-like finish. The opposite end’s angled gel dome works like a fingertip, gently massaging product into the skin. Look out for the unique flat-tip brush that can create both lip and eye lines, too.