Shu Uemura Face Architect Sheer Refining Mousse Foundation

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Shu Uemura will launch a new Face Architect Sheer Refining Mousse Foundation (S$78, 65g) in June in Singapore. Released earlier in April in Japan, this innovative foundation has a patent-pending stabilised foam formula that evenly suspends ultra-fine powders which help to minimise pores and prevent shine.

It also contains water lily extract for anti-oxidant protection and hyaluronic acid and Shu Uemura's trademark depsea water to help hydrate the skin. When dispensed from the bottle, the foam stays bubbly for several minutes, allowing one sufficient time to apply and blend it. Half a pump is sufficient for one application.


The foam texture is essentially similar to that of Shu Uemura's famous UV Under Base Mousse but with more coverage. Thanks to the mousse texture, it feels much more lightweight than the usual liquid or cream foundation. It's not full coverage though, and I still need a separate concealer for my spots. As the foundation tends to set quite quickly, it's best to apply it in sections and ensure that it is properly blended in before moving on to the next section.

While it's ok to apply it with one's fingers, Shu Uemura recommends using its pentagon sponge to apply. These cost $13 for a pack of four. The sponges have a nice density and firmness, and are good for helping to apply the mousse foundation evenly. I use my fingers to blend out any remaining streaks after that.

There are a couple of minor flaws. One is the lack of sun protection, so you will need to apply a separate sunblock or moisturiser with sun protection before the foundation. The second minus is the limited range of only five fair to medium shades: the three "5YR" shades are light sand, medium light sand and rich sand while the two "7YR" shades are light beige and medium light beige. Based on the shade numbering for other Shu Uemura foundations on their USA website, it seems like the sand shades (starting with "5") have neutral undertones while the beige shades (starting with "7") have warm undertones.


The shade that I am wearing is 7YR Light Beige. The foundation lasts quite well on me throughout the day without oxidising although I do need to blot every couple of hours. The first couple of times that I tried this foundation, it tended to cake and peel while applying but turned out that this was due to the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel that I applied before it. Subsequently, it applied much more smoothly when I switched to using either Paul & Joe Intensive Whitening Essence or Bliss Triple Oxygen+C Energizing Cream as my moisturiser before applying the foundation.


For this look, I applied the Bliss cream followed by Shu Uemura's UV Under Base Fluid SPF20 PA++ and then the mousse foundation. Shu's Face Powder Sheer (Colorless) gives the perfect finish to the foundation, making it look more polished and flawless. The other products used are: Shu Uemura Fleur de Source palette and Precise Volume Mascara Waterproof, Urban Decay Primer Potion, K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 02, Lancome Natural Light Creator Bare Skin Perfecting Corrector Pen #1 and Jill Stuart Blush Blossom #4 Seductive Rose.

Below is the list of ingredients for the mousse foundation.