Shu Uemura passed away

Shu Uemura passed away on December 29th from pneumonia at the age of 79. The Japanese makeup artist and founder of Shu Uemura Cosmetics was laid to rest in Tokyo.

Madonna met Shu Uemura when she visited Japan in December 2005. The renowned make-up artist and cosmetic company president created a very special pair of mink & diamond fake eyelashes especially for her. Uemura also gave Madonna as a gift a real Japanese sword (pictured below).

Uemura, gained acclaim working with Shirley MacLaine on the 1962 Hollywood film “My Geisha“. He
was working as a beautician in Hollywood when he was called to work on MacLaine’s makeup after the staff makeup artist fell ill.

His transformation of MacLaine into a Japanese beauty catapulted the young Uemura to renown within the U.S. show business community. He soon became a favorite among top actresses.
In 1960, Uemura developed his first cosmetics product, a cleansing oil that remains popular today. In 1983, just as Tokyo was establishing itself as a fashion trendsetter, Uemura launched a cosmetics boutique there. It drew crowds for its gallery-like interior.

The company, which has stores in New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong, was acquired by French cosmetics maker L’Oreal SA in 2004.

Thanks to Eng Tat Cheong and Associated Press