shu uemura Eye-Conic Collection: Duo-Color Cheek Refills (LE)

The Duo-Color Cheek Refills of the Shu Uemura Eye-Conic Collection, gave me pause; Sweet Pink seemed “normal” enough, but the vibrant orange-y hue of Fresh Apricot was somewhat … scary-looking, at least to me. I worried needlessly, as these products combine a highlighter portion along with the blush colour, which means that they can be worn separately or swirled together for a glowing tint to the cheeks. A normal glowing tint, not the clown-cheeks variety.

shu uemura – duo-color cheek refills in Sweet Pink (left) & Fresh Apricot

Sweet Pink – limited edition (CAN $42.00) – With my skin colouring (light-medium with olive undertones), pink blush can be extremely difficult to pull off, but this shade seems to just work. Slightly warm toned, this peony shade gives that perfect healthy flush to the cheeks, without coming off as a wind-burn. Pigmentation was decent – not too light, but not overly saturated either, and it lasted approximately 8 hours before any significant fading. The pearly highlighter portion has enough gleam (without overt sparkles) to impart a gorgeous glow, especially when the two are swirled together. Finely milled, there was some powdery kickback when I applied my brush to the pan – easily remedied by tapping the excess off first.

shu uemura – Sweet Pink duo-color cheek refill: highlight (left), blush (middle), blended (right) in sunlight

shu uemura – Sweet Pink duo-color cheek refill: highlight (left), blush (middle), blended (right) indirect light

Fresh Apricot – limited edition (CAN $42.00) – The first thing that surprised me, was how softly this colour applied – NOTHING like the almost neon vibrancy seen in the pan. The second thing was how it not only didn’t really show up against my skin tone, but failed to suit me as well – unusual, since peachy shades are what usually work for me. The highlighter portion seemed a touch chalkier than that of Sweet Pink and was a bit trickier to apply, as well. Worn separately, I found these shades to be rather difficult. Swirled together, however, proved not only the easiest method, but the most flattering – albeit more in an overall highlight capacity than a blush, as pigmentation was on the lighter side. Lasting power was approximately 7-8 hours, although the glow was still evident even after all that time. With a similar kickback, this shade works best when buffed into the skin to avoid looking powdery.

shu uemura – Fresh Apricot duo-color cheek refill: highlight (left), blush (middle), blended (right) in sunlight

shu uemura – Fresh Apricot duo-color cheek refill: highlight (left), blush (middle), blended (right) indirect light

shu uemura – limited edition Fuchsia-Fusion custom palette

shu uemura – Sweet Pink & Fresh Apricot duo-color cheek refills in the Fuchsia-Fusion custom palette

shu uemura – Sweet Pink blush (left) & Allure Mauve triplecolor eye shadow (right) in the Fuchsia-Fusion custom palette

shu uemura – Fresh Apricot blush (left) & Gypsy Brown triplecolor eye shadow (right) in the Fuchsia-Fusion custom palette

I can’t stop playing with the Fuchsia-Fusion Custom Palette and the combinations one can make (as is obvious by my above photos, lol!). Blushes are something of an obsession with me (as if all other makeup/nail polish isn’t?) and I’m always excited to try new products. From the two shades here, my surprising favourite turned out to be Sweet Pink – finally! A pink shade that looks GOOD on me! While Fresh Apricot failed to be a suitable blush shade for my skin tone, I was able to make it work as a peachy-hued highlighter. As the decorative swirls are not exactly conducive to applying separately, note that you’ll need a narrow blush brush if you want to pick up each portion individually – otherwise, mix & match to your heart’s content.

These two Duo-Color Cheek Refills are limited edition and available in Canada through The Bay (online as well as select stores) and Holt Renfrew. Find more information via:

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