Beauty picks for Holiday 2012 By Cheche V. Moral Philippine Daily Inquirer

KARL Lagerfeld with Mon Shu Girl, the manga character he created for Shu Uemura

The big beauty launches happen in the run-up to the holidays. And fans of makeup, fragrance and skincare have a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks.

Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura

Shu Uemura unveiled recently its long-awaited makeup collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. Umu, Dusit Thanis Japanese restaurant, was awash in red Tuesday to usher in Mon Shu (My Darling) Girl, a Japanese manga-inspired character created by the fashion legend to represent his image for the collection.

Mon Shu sports a distinctly Asian blunt bob and has tiny red lips and big, red eyesmysterious rather than sinister, according to her creatorand is dressed in Lagerfelds likeness: white shirt and a black tie.

Nars x Andy Warhol Edie Set in 16-mm film canister

Lagerfeld has had a longtime affinity with the Japanese makeup brand. He said in promotional interviews that he began buying Shu Uemura eye shadows some 20 years ago. He uses the palette like he would use pastel crayons to color his sketches and designs.

I have never found this quality of pigment anywhere else, Lagerfeld said. I have used many other big brands, but Shu Uemuras are very refined and so fresh. I love this black that gives depth to my designs, and the red is very passionate. I use this red to make up the models in my designs and create the silhouette. In Japan the reds are always really vivid.

Lagerfeld met Shu Uemura in 2006, a year before the brands founder died. I really liked his pioneer spirit and the sparkling energy in his eyes, Lagerfeld said. I do feel that everyone has to invent his/her own thing, and I think Mr. Uemura created something that no one else could.

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Makeup from Karl Lagerfeld and Nars, ‘powerful anti-aging,’ and exotic scents