Shu Uemura Just Gave Your Makeup Bag a Precision Upgrade

There are makeup products you keep around because they work, and then there are the ones that quietly become part of your identity. Shu Uemura’s Hard Formula pencil has long belonged to the latter category, particularly across Asia. Now, the cult-favourite gets an upgrade with the new Hard Formula Hard 10, while the brand’s Unlimited Tsuya range welcomes a new serum-infused setting powder designed to keep your complexion looking fresh, smooth and seriously polished.

One is all about precision. The other is about perfecting that glow without losing the skin-like finish. Together, they make a pretty compelling case for taking your everyday makeup routine a little more seriously.

Meet the New Hard Formula Hard 10

The original Hard Formula pencil has earned its reputation for a reason. With Hard 10, Shu Uemura takes that familiar pencil concept and pushes it further with advanced oil-activation technology.

The result is a formula designed to glide smoothly across the skin while delivering intense colour payoff and up to 36 hours of no-transfer wear. It combines Japanese professional artistry with high-performance innovation, making it particularly suited to anyone who wants their brow or eye definition to stay exactly where they put it.

The formula is built around a 50°C-resistant hard wax complex, alongside a nourishing combination of rice wax and jojoba oil. Skin-affinity coated pigments help the colour adhere to the skin, while sweat and sebum resistance gives the pencil its staying power.

Basically, this is precision makeup that is not particularly interested in giving up halfway through the day.

That Signature 0.1mm Blade

Of course, the formula is only half of the story. Shu Uemura has always been big on artistry, and Hard Formula Hard 10 continues that philosophy through its signature Naginata sharpening method.

The pencil can be sharpened into a razor-thin 0.1mm precision blade, allowing you to create ultra-fine strokes that mimic the appearance of individual hairs. If your ideal brow is the kind that makes people wonder whether you were simply born with exceptionally good brows, this is where the precision comes in.

The Hard 10 is available in 13 Asian skin-complementary shades, with seven natural tones and six vibrant statement tones. So whether you are keeping things subtle or using your brows and eyes as an excuse to experiment, there is room to play.

And for the full Shu Uemura experience, you can bring your Hard 10 pencil to any Shu Uemura boutique, where beauty advisors will sharpen it into the classic Naginata blade.

Then There’s the Glow: Unlimited Tsuya Serum-in-Powder

If Hard 10 is about definition, the new Unlimited Tsuya Serum-in-Powder is about what happens after everything else is in place.

Shu Uemura has expanded its Tsuya range with a 24-hour setting powder powered by blue pigment science and formulated with 0% black pigment. The idea is to set makeup while keeping the complexion looking pure, bright and luminous rather than flat or overly matte.

According to the brand, the formula boosts makeup glow by 35%, while also reducing the appearance of pores by 49% and increasing smoothness by 34%.

What makes this particularly interesting is what sits beneath the powder's finishing abilities. The formula contains a 92% skincare base, featuring niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate and glycerin, alongside phytocerasome mica.

So while it is technically the step that locks your makeup in, it has been designed with skincare-inspired ingredients and a focus on how the complexion looks and feels underneath that final layer.

Four Shades, One Very Specific Glow

The Unlimited Tsuya Serum-in-Powder comes in four shades: Blue, 494, 564 and 594.

At the heart of the formula is gunjo-blue pigment with 0% black pigment, which helps create its pure, bright finish. Phytocerasome mica adds to the soft-focus effect, while the 92% skincare base brings together the formula's complexion-care elements.

The end goal is a 24-hour soft-focus setting effect that boosts radiance by 35%, reduces visible pores by 49% and leaves skin 34% smoother.

In other words, it is less about piling on another layer of makeup and more about refining the layers already there.

The Final Step to the Tsuya Routine

For anyone who likes the idea of making their base work a little harder, Shu Uemura suggests pairing the serum-in-powder with the Unlimited Tsuya Serum Foundation.

The foundation is designed to deliver 24-hour pure glow and an even tone, using micro-size gunjo pigments and a stretchable micro-mesh designed for 24-hour wear. It also contains triple moisture actives that boost hydration by 15%.

Used together, the foundation and serum-in-powder create a complexion routine that puts equal emphasis on finish and longevity. The foundation gives you the glow and even tone, while the powder sets everything into place with its soft-focus effect.

It is very Shu Uemura: precise where it needs to be, considered where it counts, and just experimental enough to keep things interesting.

Where to Get Them

Ready to sharpen your pencil game or give your complexion a little more Tsuya?

Malaysia: Available at all Shu Uemura boutiques, departmental stores, Sephora Malaysia, Lazada Malaysia and Shopee Malaysia.

Singapore: Available at all Shu Uemura boutiques, departmental stores, Sephora Singapore and Lazada Singapore.