Shu Uemura La Maison Du Chocolat Holiday Collection | Review and Swatches

Over the years I’ve reviewed many Shu Uemura Holiday Collections which usually contain bright orange, shimmery purple and pale pinks – colors you’d expect to see at the beginning of spring. This year the brand has teamed up with La Maison Du Chocolat to create an irresistible range of decadent shadows, rich lip colors and multi-use shimmers that sparkle like gold.

The makeup is designed to delight your senses with beautiful packaging, a variety of luscious textures and the delicious scent of cocoa – perfect for treating yourself or pampering the makeup lovers on your holiday list.

The Rouge Unlimited and Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipsticks ($36.00 each) smell like scrumptious hot chocolate with a buttery formula that glides on smooth and vivid. Ripe Cherry and Deep Cranberry have a rich matte finish that feels soft, hydrating and supple. The versatile color is buildable and dramatic for full-coverage saturation and you only need to re-apply after meals. Hazelnut Ganache is a deep wine with subtle sheen and nourishing jojoba oil. It makes lips appear luscious and plump.

The Ganache and Praline Eye Shadow Palettes ($115.00 each) are beautiful! The casing is designed to look like boxes of assorted chocolate and although they don’t smell like cocoa the scent is enticing. I was most excited to try Framboise Berry because of the elegant gold, brown-cherry and shimmery garnet. These velvety hues are expertly matched to create effortless looks for every occasion and the color scheme reminds me of Urban Decay's Naked Cherry Palette. The pigmentation throughout is medium coverage but you can boost the intensity by using primer and layering. The glittery gold applies as a sheer flaky overlay (a bit disappointing) but I use it to enhance the other shadows. More saturation would be nice but these hues look stunning in any combination.

Dark Cacao satiates your sweet tooth with warm chocolatey browns and sugary shimmer. The palette is neutral but still creates lovely definition and contrast. The yellow gold is more consistent than the patchy glitter in Framboise Berry and the pigments are buildable with even application and a smooth silky texture.

The Shimmery Powder ($40.00) is available in Luster Gold Dust and Luster Rosé Dust. Use them on your décolletage, eyes, cheeks, body and lips to glow from head-to-toe. The glitter is beautiful but it does tend to scatter so resist the urge to over-blend. It is difficult to keep the particles neat on the eyelids but it makes a brilliant highlighter.

The Collection also includes a limited-edition version of Shu Uemura’s bestselling premium eyelash curler with a cute chocolate charm ($25.00).

La Maison Du Chocolat is available at The Bay, Sephora, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew and online at shuuemura.ca.