Shu Uemura Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation Review

I am quite a Shu fan in terms of their old doe foot concealer that got discontinued and their lovely cleansing oils. This is my first Shu foundation that I got a while back when the collection first launched in Asia. It is definitely a good foundation but I feel it's not exactly suitable for my busy lifestyle. I would definitely recommend this to people with normal to combination skin.

For some weird reason, there is a much smaller color selection in the States. However, despite the fact that the brand has a massive color selection, they are all variations for extremely fair to medium plus skin tones because it is an Asian brand.

Here is a little explanation for Shu's color coding system:

• All foundation shades are 3 digits
• 1st digit indicates level of yellowness:
• ranges from 100 to 900
• 100 being the pinkest
• 500 being more or less neutral
• 900 being the yellowest
• 2nd digit indicates lightness:
• ranges from 00 to 90
• 00 being the darkest
• 90 being the lightest
• 3rd digit doesn't seem to have any particular meaning, usually ends in 4

Top to Bottom: 764 straight from bottle, blended out

This is a water based foundation applies evenly onto the skin and can be built to a heavy medium coverage. The formula is a creamy fluid that's relatively. The application process is silky smooth but I did notice that it emphasizes dry spots so you need to exfoliate properly before use.

I really like the natural finish and how well the shades matches my skin. The pump works wonderfully and you can easily control how much product you want. There is a slight scent to it. Not sure how I would describe it. It's something between a faint floral and cosmetics' scent. I personally do not find it annoying and do not notice it when wearing the foundation throughout the day.

On a typical work day, I will need to touch up during lunch. It has some oil control properties but it's not enough to last for the whole day. In addition, I find this foundation to not last long in general (flawless face for about 4 hours) and I always powder. The way around it is to use a setting spray.

What I like:

• 764 and 964 matches my skin tone perfectly depending on the season
• Glass pump bottle without being too heavy
• Sheer to medium + coverage
• Natural finish

What I don't like:

• Not long lasting enough - t-zone area needs touch ups mid day
• Only some oil control properties
• Doesn't do well on dry patches