Notes on the Beautiful Shu Uemura Under Base Mousse

There has been a formula change in my favourite skin primer and I am quite happy about it. Shu Uemura Under Base is a mousse formula skin primer that is the sheerest beige ever- almost invisible on skin but it does give enough of a glow to make it better than bare skin. It also works as a primer which means it makes a nice surface for other make up like powder, blush and bronzer.  I imagine you could layer foundation over it if you were so inclined but I find adding powder adds all the coverage I need. Under Base has witch hazel for minimizing pores and some kind of magic potion that makes skin glow without shining. Sort of what I wanted MAC Strobe cream to be without making me look like I was going to a rave or had at least been sweating at one all night. Yikes.

The original Under Base formula offered an SPF 10 (on the left in pic) which was always a nice thing. Not too much but perhaps an issue for me as I like to keep as few layers of stuff on my face as possible. My skin is oily and sensitive and prone to breakouts, and sunscreen can be problematic. So when I noticed that Under Base had been reformulated (on right in pic above) and now had an SPF 30 I was of two minds. It could have gone either way. Well I busted out the new one today and am happy to report I LOVE IT. At first there is a bit of a white look to it which initially terrified me- but, of course that is the sunscreen. Not to worry, it blends and dissipates leaving only a dewy yet matte surface. If anything I like it more than the SPF 10 version. This one has slightly more of a “presence” on the skin and stays matte longer. It has a neat “sticky” consistency when first applied which I swear just grabs the make up you apply and holds onto it for dear life, making it last even longer. Love it.

Shu Uemura has gone into very limited distribution in North America but we are lucky that Holt Renfrew in Canada carries the line and indeed this product. It sells out quickly and I usually buy 2 cans at a time. But they do last me 4-6 months, keeping in mind I am an “under applier” and go easy on my make up application. There is a reason this stuff is a cult fave. Have you tried it? Thoughts?

UPDATE: Well I must share the ingredient update re Michelle's comment below. A valid concern for sure. Shu Uemura Under Base contains propane as a propellant. You can read about it on BeautyGeeks and a little more about cosmetic use of propane here. All of that said, I have never had any negative skin reactions to this product and am not really concerned- if its a mousse, it has propellant. I adore Under Base and have yet to find anything that rivals its oil controlling ability.