Shu Uemura

[2][3] A native of Tokyo, Shu Uemura reportedly first became interested in hairstyling and make up as a teenager while recovering from a severe illness which left him bedridden.

He began working with well-known Hollywood personalities, usually as a make-up artist apprentice, including Edward G. Robinson, Frank Sinatra, and Lucille Ball.

[6] He founded a cosmetics company called Japan Makeup in 1967 and opened its first boutique store in Tokyo's trendy Omotesando district.

[6] In the process, Shu Uemura Cosmetics became a major force in the domestic Japanese and international beauty market.

Shu Uemura sold his controlling interest in his company to French cosmetics maker L'Oréal in 2004 for an undisclosed amount of money.

[6] It was estimated that as of early 2008, Shu Uemura Cosmetics made approximately $100 million a year in global sales at its stores worldwide.

[6] At the time of his death, the company had stores in Paris, New York City, London and Hong Kong, as well as outlets throughout Japan.