Shu Uemura
Category: Cosmetics & Beauty Supply [Edit]
3333 Bristol StreetSouth Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 957-0521
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: No
28 Reviews for Shu Uemura
Love the make up. Hate the employees. If you want to buy Shu Uemura products, go to Neiman Marcus in Bev Hills. Yeah I know it's a commute but Justin at the counter is awesome!
I've already raved about Justin in my review of Neimans in Bev Hills but he really is that great. He does my makeup with no appointment, even when he's busy, and never pressures me to buy things. Half the time he would tell me, you really don't need all of this sweetie. I mean how many sales people tell you that?!
I'm so used to Justin, when I went into the actual store, I was really disappointed. The girl at the counter wasn't helpful and gave me the wrong product. Not only that she was annoyed that I interrupted her conversation with a friend. I didn't know I was at Walmart.
If the employees weren't such lame asses the store would of at least got 4 stars
The actual Shu Uemura store however, the people there are rude and not helpful. Not only that, they don't give you free samples. Seriously WTF.
Everytime I buy cosmetics at Neiman Marcus, Justin my makeup artist gives me a boat load of free crap. Not because I ask, just because he'll be like, here's some free stuff. I love the free stuff because it's all travel size.
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I love how shopping at OC's South Coast Plaza is now so much more fulfilling than shopping up at LA's Beverly Center, Westside Pavillion, or Century City Mall. I mean, forget about making destination trips up to LA just to go shopping because they have more branded boutiques up there. South Coast has always been pretty great, but has been opening up many more reasons to make it your only destination mall. One of those reasons is the Shu Uemura boutique (right across from MAC in the Saks wing).
I'm sure you'll know by now that the Shu Uemura eyelash curler is a must have. I had to rely on curling mascara throughout much of college until I found Shu Uemura, and now I carry around the thing in my purse religiously. I can't say enough about the makeup - I usually don't wear anything but mascara and stuff to fill in my brows, but when I do, I opt for Shu Uemura - the tones are natural, light on the face and easy to apply. They really do makeup for Asian skin tones quite well. The skin care products are also quite good - they gave me a few samples of their face cleansing oil and cleansing wash and I was instantly a fan. Also, they aren't too expensive either - they are a much better value and quality than MAC products.
The one downside of this place is the service - it's just inconsistent. I love when makeup places don't make it so unyielding to ask for a consultation. On more than one occasion, I've nearly had to wait around for 15-20 minutes while 2 employees were consistently going from the counter to the stock room, while 1 was on the floor doing what appeared to be their friend's makeup. However, on other occasions, it's been just the opposite.
If it wasn't for the inconsistent service, I'd give it an extra star as their product is top notch, and this is especially for Asian skin tones.
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I think Shu Uemura products are amazing. I'm especially in love with their bronzer in warm sun, H9 formula eyebrow pencil (looks oh so natural) and the depsea moisture replenishing emulsion spf 15. I find that some of their employees are very friendly while others are not so. I find that "Levi" is very friendly and knowledgeable of their products.
I needed to have my makeup done on a Sunday for my Engagement pictures. I had tried to make appointments at Senna and another studio, but all were closed on Sunday. What to do?! Head to the Mall !! Wow, that conjures up pictures of bad 80's coming of age films...But seriously...
I went to Shu Uemura - I have always loved their Lash Bar and many of their products. I met Brittany - makeup artist, and really loved her eye makeup, and on a leap of faith asked if she took appointments. She booked me for the Sunday we were getting our pictures taken. I was a little nervous because I didn't do a "trial" run so I didn't know how it would turn out...FABULOUS! I loved my makeup. Brittany can do my makeup any time, she's fantastic.
For her services the charge was purchasing $75 worth of product. If I had gone to a makeup studio it would have been over $100 just for the service. I bought product, but Brittany didn't try to load it on or up sell me. I ended up buying what I wanted and being very happy with my makeup.
I know that going into the store may be a little daunting because there are some very bright shadows, and funky colored lip glosses, but just think of it as an artists pallet...you can blend those colors. I was really impressed with many of their products I had never used before!
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I have been a real enthusiast for Shu Uemera for quite a long time -- and of course, I was floored when I found out that the South Coast Plaza Mall was going to have this amazing boutique accessible to anyone and everyone. I myself am a free-lance make-up artist and I completely love the products and the amazing artists who work in the boutique. My favorite is Alex --- he is amazingly kind and works wonders!! If you want quality then I suggest you try this place because the MAC store across the way won't be as accessible. My motto is if you receive amazing service even if you don't wind up purchasing anything then try this place out -- the staff is not pushy at all. Now if you were to go across the way to the M.A.C. store you will find a few pretentious artists who believe that ignoring, or putting down customers, will make a sale. I think not --- never underestimate or discriminate who walks through your doors he/she might be the person that may serve as your inspiration or in this case a great review.
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These are a few of my favorite must haves from here:
+Lash Curler - no, my lashes aren't fake!
+Basic Mascara - makes those newly curled lashes look GOOD
+Liquid Eyeliner - stays on forever
+Deep Sea Therapy Lip Balm Spf 15 - what chapped lips?
+The powder blush - good for all skin types
+The Cleansing Oil - perfect complexions are in your future
+Lipgloss - perfect glossy puckers.
I will say that most of the time service is good - every now and then you'll get someone whose not really into helping you but nonetheless will help you if you know what I mean. You'll find every color under the rainbow and realize when you try on something how genius Mr. Uemera and his cosmetic development team is. It's not hype or beauty lies - they really do know their skincare and color.
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One of my oldest and dearest friends gave me the mini eyelash curler for my birthday from Shu Uemura and I was totally impressed! Thanks, girlfriend, for sharing with me one of your favorite things! It's a keeper!
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Okay okay, after all the hype and buzz I finally gave in and bought the eyelash curler. I couldn't wait as soon as I got home I had to try it and YES, it really does work! Huge difference between this and Revlon.
Still too skeptical about the product I didn't buy the mascara. I have a big problem with spending that much money on something you have to throw away in 3 months. :( But, a few weeks later I broke down and bought the BASIC Mascara, and it works awesome. No clumping and the wand isn't too big so you hit the top of your eyelid.
Sometimes it's true you get what you pay for. Definitely the best mascara and eye curler yet!
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My girlfriend introduced me to the best eyelash curler in the whole wide world! I love it! It works great and leaves my eyelash curled for the whole day. It doesnt cling onto my skin. I'm just glad I found a superb eyelash curler FINALLY!
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Superior to MAC in terms of service. It helps that it's more empty in here, so if you need help, you get it.
I came in to get a blush and a case, and the makeup artist was soooooooo nice. He was outrageously metro/gay and was such fun! He spent so much time helping me choose a blush and try on a few products that I had wanted to try, too. He didn't get my skin tone match (too pink and dark), and the gloss/lipliner shades he chose for me made me look 10 years older, but it's the thought that counts :P
I think the blushes and e/s are the best items Shu carries. Words cannot describe how much I love my P Amber 83. I think the skincare line and cleansing oil and lipsticks are overpriced (Ponds' cold cream or baby oil works just as well, ladies), but you really can't go wrong with the blushes here.
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unfortunately i wasn't born w/ long, glamorous eyelashes..but after hittin up the "eyelash bar" at shu uemura i've been glammin it up w/ my new voluminous lashes!
i love how this store is bright, clean & not swarming w/ a bunch of people like MAC. i also highly reccomend that if you're ever looking to purchase false eyelashes you should definitely get them here. they're pretty expensive starting at around $24 a pair, but in comparison to the $11 lashes i got at MAC...you relaly get what you pay for b/c shu's lashes are much easier to apply, fuller, and more glamorous.
minus one star for the service though b/c when i was browsing the employees didn't offer much help and when i decided to buy some lashes i felt like they just wanted me to pay & peace out.
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One benefit of living in OC. Shu Uemura at South Coast. Sometimes it amazes me how South Coast has special stores not found in LA but are internationally known.
Never tried their cleansing oil? It's freakishly awesome. No need to lather your face with water before use. The oil does it all. Your makeup disappears instantly with contact with the oil and you just wash it off with water. No need to use a makeup cleanser and then wash your face with another cleanser. It's an all in one product and leaves your skin smooth, soft, and moisturized and never tight.
Shu Uemura lives and dies by their cleansing oil because it's all about having your skin clean before and after makeup. Which leads me to their makeup line which has everything and in every color. They are known for their mascara with their patent lash brush. Their fake eyelashes are freakish and beautiful. Ask the makeup artists for help to try on everything at the store. They are really helpful.
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I have never been so enthralled with a cosmetics counter in the States as with the Shu Uemura store in South Coast Plaza. MAC shops are always packed with people, Sephora salespeople will always try to push their brand on you, and you'll wait forever to get a spot at any Bloomie's makeup counter.
Then came Shu Uemura. After revolutionizing theatre cosmetology by transforming Shirley MacLaine into a geisha, Shu Uemura brought over his revolutionary eyelash curler and a whole horde of products to complement it. Eyeshadows are just the right consistency, silky, creamy, not sticky or rough. Powders come in multiple shades (from 1-7, light to dark), in tubs with cute powder puff.
Best of all? The TOKYO LASH BAR, where you can try any (or all!) of the eyelashes for free - peacock blue, black and white, diamond-tipped, glittering gold... the list goes on. Staff will help you put them on, just ask!
The List o' Recommendations:
Deep Sea Replenishing Essence
Face Powder Sheer in 5YR (medium light)
Shu Project Cleansing Oils (pricey, but worth it. comes in a variety of colors and scents - supposedly Madonna has been using the stuff, and look at her skin!)
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Loves it!
I walk in and Madonna's bumpin' on the speakers.
The store is bright (think Biotherm counter at Macy's) and almost blinding. There's wall-to-wall make up with a lot of items displayed repeatedly.
The staff is unbelievably nice and one of the employees dedicated so much time to helping me find the right shade of lipstick.
By the end of our hunt, our hands were decorated in pink, peach, coral, brown and nude streaks.
Another guy walks out and they make conversation.
Guy1: (in reference to the music) This is Jojo!
Guy2: UGH!
Guy1: I like her!
Guy2: EWW!! Ooooo, you're in Jojo's fan club!
Guy1: Oh yeahhhhhh, I'm the president!!!
Forget Sephora; this is my new makeup supplier.
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Shu Uemura is my new found love.
I have always known abou this brand but never tried it out for the lack of stores in the area but now that scp has one, i'm hooked!
The store wasn't busy so i got much help and attention from the makeup artist, Jared. He told me to wash my face with their products and did a whole new face makeover for me. My makeup came out very well, although i kinda looked like a japanese girl, it's okay.. i loved it. Their stuff is pricey but the quality is GREAT. Their eyeshadows actually hold up very well. the color/pigment and the texture is perfect! defintely give it a try.
i can't wait to try out the lashes next time.
Love their products, especially their eyeliner and mascara.
Hated the service, possibly because we didn't get any.
So anyway, my aunt and I went there on a Sunday afternoon and we needed some help with products, not actually trying it on, but general info.
I guess people who are going to buy a lot should probably wear a sign, because then my aunt would've gotten service. Oh well. This has happened before.
The person who kind of helped us was also trying to match foundation with another client, who didn't know what she wanted, so she didn't devote her time to us. She also didn't get someone else to help us either. We left with stuff I already knew I wanted, which was just lipstick, eyeliner and mascara. We had already been standing around for a good 20 minutes or more.
My aunt was looking to get the whole skin care line again, and probably some quick makeup too. I could've stocked up on more makeup. Together, we probably would've spent several hundred dollars.
Oh well.
What can I say except, it's about bloody time!!! They've had one of these in San Francisco for a while now, but how come the OC is just getting one?
This is makeup at its BEST especially for Asian skin tones because I guess regular cosmetics companies just can't get the yellow tones correctly. LOL.
Shu Uemura, who started off as one of Japan's foremost make up artists has had his own line of cosmetics for decades now. I used to use it while in high school, but it was so hard to get here.
'Nuff said.
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This is some high quality make up we're talking about!
They are best known for their oil cleansers, which are pricey but last pretty long and leave your skin smooth and moisturized.
Expensive: an eyeliner cost me $18 bucks (compared to those 99cent wet n' wild pencils, you know what I'm talking about!) but it did a pretty amazing job. Pretty pink eyeshadow cost me $19, so if you're willing to pay the price I would say you get what you pay for.
A makeup artist named Levi helped me put the look together, showed me what colors he used, and logged all the info and how to apply the makeup onto those little worksheet type papers.
If you feel like splurging or looking at some pretty pigmented eyeshadows and lipsticks, then this is the place.
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Not cheap, but my favorite overall m/u brand, and this comes from a picky, commitment phobic product junkie who can find something to love and loathe from a lot of brands.
Awesome colour selection with various finishes (matte, pearly, iridescent, sheer, etc.) and great texture. The eyeshadow and the blushes are so finely milled and silky, and the intensity range from sheer to opaque. The sheer ones can be built up, it shows as a colour, but it's still sheer and nymph-like - i.e., you look like you have very little makeup, just a veil of gossamer colour, while you actually have quite a bit on and look marvelous. The opaque ones are intense without being tacky, and they have that rich "magazine-shot" quality.
Their eyeliners are great too - the drawing pencil is soft & kohl-like so it's easy to apply and the colour is intense but it sets after 30 seconds, so no smudging! The liquid liner is easy to apply (great brush - you can do very thin lines to Brigitte Bardot-esque cat eyes), inky black shade and the same 30-second set-in feature. Not cheap, but they are definitely worth the money.
Japanese women are known for their exquisite skin, and Shu certainly has good products to help them. The skincare line is great, very gentle. I LOVE the oil cleanser - I have oily/combo skin, and this has made my skin flawless for the past 3 years. Their moisturizers are nice too (day and night), so is the eye cream.
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First timer in using their products & first time in their store. I heard so much good things about their eye lash curler, blushes, eye shadows, foundation powder through makeupalley.com that I had to check it out. I was there on a Sunday AM, so it was quiet there & one of the artists helped me out quite a bit in showing me products that I was interested in & techniques as well. She wasn't pushy at all in trying to sell products which is greatly appreciated. I will definitely return to this place for checking out make up products. Unfortunately they sold out on the peach blush that worked out for me, but at least I know I can purchase it online, since I know there isn't a Shu Umera store in SD.
I love Levi! What a great makeup artist! My friend Jen told me he will make you see a side of yourself you've never seen before. And he did it! He did a fantastic job of my makeup. I ended up getting the mosturizer and peach lip gloss. I got the gloss because not only was it the perfect shade of peach, it smelled and tasted like it! Heh, grown-up lip smackers!
The make-up artists here are friendly, love the music and love makeup! What more could a girl ask for?
my favorite store in the world.
great eyeshadows & face products.
love the free samples they give you too!
Hot diggity damn. I have found a cosmetic line that I LUV. I bought a crapton of stuff from them off of their website but just recently visited their retail location. Seriously. You just have to try their DepSea Water line. Made my skin feel super soft and hydrated. My favourite right now is their UV Under Base Mousse. It feels amazing. Another thing is...... they give you samples with every purchase and they're not dinky samples, they're full sized!! I heart Uemura.
I wish I could give this place 4 stars, but their service just was not as great as I'd hoped it'd be. After so much hype about their eyelash curler, I decided to go and check it out. I was greeted and proceeded to ask the employee about their eyelash curler. I asked if they had some type of wipes where I could remove my mascara so I could try the curler. He said no there wasn't anything and that I probably won't know how well it works unless I'm not wearing any mascara. Then he proceeds to talk about how I have clumpy mascara and that I'm probably wearing lancome. So then I ask him which mascara he would suggest. He tells me their Basic Mascara is one of the best mascaras out there for a simple clean look. I asked him what if I wanted a more dramatic look? He then points to their fiber extension mascara (or something along those lines) but then says that it sucks. He walks away afterwards and doesn't come back. I was just really frustrated with the way I was treated. Everytime I go makeup shopping, I spend $200-$300 when I get good service. I ended up only buying the mascara and the curler not even knowing if it was going to work well. I am happy with both, just not the service I received.
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Must look for Jared...He is as friendly and professional as makeup artists come! Though I wasn't buying a lot, Jared made me feel like I was a VIP customer. Definitely coming back and bringing friends with me. The products are AMAZING! Especially the eyelash curler, eyebrow pencil(twist-open), UV make-up base, Deepsea Cake Foundation(love love love this), blush, and eyeshadows! Definitely more personalized attention and superior products to any MAC store!
best cosmetic line ever!!!! the very hospitable and creative make up artists who work there really know their sh#$t. the nobara foundation is the best...and you thought it was all about the eyelash curler!
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Shu himself came to the opening. My good childhood friend Jared is a manager there. He has extensive experience at MAC. He will help you out!
get the cleansing oil.
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