Shu Uemura

In a move designed to appeal to lipstick-loving cinephiles everywhere, Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai has teamed up with Shu Uemura to create a beauty collection for the holidays. Prepare for glitter overload: highlights include luxurious glitter and feather eyelashes, specially packaged lipsticks, glittery mascara, and sparkling nail polish. Naturally, the director has created a short film, Mask, to showcase the gorgeous goods, and it's signature Wong Kar-wai: colorful, dreamlike, and utterly beautiful.

Whether you have a Black Swan-inspired Halloween costume on deck or you just want to add a little extra sparkle to your Saturday night, you might want to put Shu Uemura Tutu Laceflare False Eyelashes ($28) on your beauty shopping list.

Made with black lace and subtle hints of gold glitter, these seemingly high-fashion lashes are actually pretty wearable, adding a theatrical vibe to any ensemble. They look especially pretty when paired with smoky gray or black eye shadow and otherwise minimal makeup. They can also easily be reused; just apply your mascara before putting them on, and remove any excess adhesive from the strip after you take them off. It's instant ballerina status, without any broken toes.

The bad news? This year we had two reasons to put on a frown, as two favorite beauty brands, Max Factor and Shu Uemura, exited US stores. The good news? The companies — and their products — are not extinct.

• Earlier this year, Max Factor items were pulled off drugstore shelves due to small market share in the States. Die-hard fans, take note: you can you can still load up on your Pan-Cake Water-Activated Foundation and 2000 Calorie Foundation on Drugstore.com.
• L'Oréal, owner of Shu Uemura, announced in March that it would be pulling the brand from US department stores and closing its boutiques. It seems L'Oréal wanted to put more focus on its luxury brands with bigger market shares, and that focus did not include the United States. While you can still get your Shu fix in person in Asian and European markets (and Canada, eh?), Shu's comprehensive American website is almost as good as visiting the Tokyo Lash Bar yourself.

Shu Uemura always has the coolest artist collaborations, and this year's Abracadabra Fantasy holiday collection is a stunner. Artist Aya Takano has created some incredibly vibrant packaging complete with hot pink reindeer, starry-eyed sylphs, and false lashes covered in stars and hearts. It's a different take on the season than we're accustomed to seeing here in the US, and an excellent antidote to the surfeit of red, green, and dark brown we're sure to see emerge this season. To check out more of the collection, just click through the gallery below: