One of my personal favorite Holiday 2012 Collections has been Shu Uemura’s collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. I’ve reviewed part of my haul already (see: Prestigious Bordeaux Eye and Cheek Palette, Blackish Satin Purple Painting Liner), but now here’s a look at the three out of the four lipsticks I managed to snag. I got Celebrity Beige and Luxe Burgundy, while my beautiful sister Isabel got Mon Shu Red.

Before all of the swatches and samples, I think we ought to take a moment to fawn over this limited edition collection’s super cute packaging. Is it annoying if I call it kawaii? Because it totally is.

The top half, where the transparent cap goes, has the Shu Uemura logo on its silver body, with a bunch of red dots circling the perimeter. I love Shu Uemura’s transparent caps on lipsticks because it’s very very easy to tell what lipstick you’re reaching for with just one look. As for the bottom half…

It’s Mon Shu Girl, the red-eyed wonder! I know some people (namely those who don’t care much for makeup) aren’t tickled pink by her cuteness, but I totally am. I love how her eyeshadow color changes between the shades from the Prestigious Bordeaux and the Smoky Velvet palettes from this collection. The body is sturdy, the tube easy to twist. Apart from being pretty, it’s functional.

Now, onto the lipsticks! For the sake of easy comparison, here be my bare lips:

First up is Celebrity Beige, a pretty peachy beige nude (phew!) with a smattering of shimmer. It doesn’t look like it can do much, but I love it because it colors my lips just a notch and brightens up my face. It’s great for a very fresh look for the day, I think.

Celebrity Beige swatch It can show up pretty pigmented, especially if your lips are quite pale, like my arm. My lips are pretty pinky as is, though, so there’s not a lot of difference.

“Hi!” said my pimple. As you can see, Celebrity Beige is great for a healthy, glow-y look. I’ve paired it with a simple neutral eye and a pale blush. It’s not going to turn heads—either for good or bad—but I think it enhances what is natural and is perfect for a quick look.

I only have eyebrow powder, an assortment of eye products and eyeshadow (Benefit Lemon Aid, Fanny Serrano, bareMinerals, MAC), a pale pink blush from Fanny Serrano that I got for free when I bought eyeshadow, and Celebrity Beige!

Next up is Mon Shu Red, named after Mon Shu Girl! It’s a pretty red with coral-y undertones and a little shimmer. I didn’t get this because I’m a bit intimidated by bright lip colors, but I’m happy my sister did! It’s not a too-heavy red and is still pretty casual for the day, if you’re in the mood for brighter lips.

This Mon Shu Red swatch makes it turn up a little blue-y, but I think it might be my lighting.

I took this lip test with a bare face upon waking up because I forgot to do it last night (heh). I don’t know about you, but I think I can actually change my shirt and leave the house with just this on. Amazing!

Lastly, we have Luxe Burgundy, the darkest one from this collection. It’s a rich, deep burgundy with a bit of a shimmer, just like the rest of the lip colors from this collection. And I honestly can’t remember why I got this!

I mean, it’s insanely pretty and I love the shade, but now I think that it might be a little too vampy for soft!Carina. I fell in love with it when I swatched it at the Shu Uemura counter, but now I’m thinking of where I can wear this. Hmm.

Luxe Burgundy swatch. What did I tell you? Pretty.

Maybe I just need to rustle up a bit of courage to wear this out. It’s a really pretty mature shade and though I feel like a kid sometimes, I must remember that I am 24 and that I can afford to look that age sometimes.

In terms of formula, these lipsticks are amazing. They go on smoothly and are not drying, but it’s better to swipe them on smooth and hydrated lips because they tend to cling on any dry flakes, Celebrity Beige most especially. They’re not exactly long-wearing, but they’re easy to apply. I would also suggest a lip liner for the darker shades, just for a cleaner overall look.

I always attribute my love affair with lipstick to my first tube of Chanel Coco Rouge, but now that I think about it, I was also enamored by this tube of Shu Uemura lipstick I got for my mom as a present from a trip to Hong Kong. It was a pretty mauve with a satin creme finish and I loved it to bits.

All three swatched together, L-R: Celebrity Beige, Mon Shu Red, Luxe Burgundy. I’m fighting the urge to get the last shade, Parisienne Pink, just so this picture of swatches is complete.

Cute surprise: the box is lined with the SU x KL pattern!

Ingredients, for those who care.

So, that’s that! The more I look at the items carefully, the more I can say that this collection by Karl Lagerfeld and Shu Uemura is so tight and well-designed. The lipstick colors are all wearable and are lovely with the other items in their collection. I would say that the collection is a big, big hit, and you should definitely get yourself a little holday gift of Mon Shu cutness if you can.

VERDICT: Beautiful, wearable shades, in an amazing non-drying formula that glides on smoothly and is well-pigmented. Cute case doesn’t hurt it either.
Would purchase this again? I would, if I could but they are limited edition!
How much? Php 1,350 or $30 for 0.11 oz.
Where to buy this in Manila? Shu Uemura counters in the Philippines. To my knowledge, there is one in Trinoma (beside Kiehl’s), one in Rustan’s Makati, and one in Rockwell Powerplant.