My post on Armani's Sienna Minerals palette reminded me of Shu's spring Mirage collection - lots of desert-themed makeup lately!  All we need is a collection called Oasis.  Anyway, the idea behind these was  to "create an illusion-like, unforgettable makeup image that gently and gradually arises like a mirage."  I understand the concept behind the makeup shades, but I'm not really sure how the abstract designs on the compacts are supposed to represent a mirage. 

(photos from nordstrom.com)

To me they look more like billowing smoke.  I think it would have been more interesting to have a mirror image of the design on each side.   While this collection was a bit of a miss for me, Shu definitely redeemed itself with the lovely Tokyo Kamon Girls collection, which I am still adoring.  (Availability udpate:  I spotted some of the oils in Allure magazine's July issue, which means they will definitely be available in the U.S.!)