Suqqu EX-14 Ruridama palette (summer 2013 collection)

I know, I know.... summer is almost over for most of you but I had to share some of the stuff that was released with some summer collections.

Although Suqqu hasn't been on my radar lately when it comes to eyeshadow palette, they have released another limited edition quad called EX-14 Ruridama.



The first thing that crossed my mind was that it looked simular to the Mizuaoi palette from their permanent range.

Unfortunately I don't own Mizuaoi (yet) so I can't compare them side by side for now.

The colours do indeed look very summery and as you can see Suqqu has put some pretty pastel shades in this palette, esp. the lilac colour drew my attention.

Normally I don't tend to gravitate towards pastel colours because personally I don't feel they suit my skin tone very well most of the time.

But of course curiosity got the better of me so I did order the palette anyway to see if this quad will be a winner or not (and to make up for the fact that I don't own Mizuaoi but let's keep that between us shall we?).

For those who are not familiar with Suqqu eyeshadow palettes, each quad consist of 2 matte shades (in this case the navy and the pink colours) and 2 shimmery shades (here the yellow/gold and the lilac shades).

The right bottem shade is usually the 'base' shade or a primer and in most of their quads that would be a matte white shade. In limited editions palettes Suqqu usually chooses other colours than white.

Texture is like most Suqqu quads excellent, buttery smooth and the shimmery shades are quite unique and nothing quite like anything I have seen before. Like most Asian eyeshadows, they may not be the most pigmented eyeshadows out there but the complexity and texture definitely make up for that.

At first glance the difference with Mizuaoi would be the following: 

- there are no dark purple & baby blue shades in this quad

- the pink shade in Ruridama is more cool

- the yellowish gold colour is very sheer, barely noticable on the skin (unless you're very pale)

To be quite honest I had high expectations of this quad and maybe that's the reason why I was a little disappointed.

The main raison for this are not the 2 darker shades in this palette (which are very pigmented and easy to work with) but the problem lays with the 2 lighter shades.

Although they are buildable the yellow gold and the pink shades are very sheer and hardly show up on my NC25/30 skin. Applying them in layers to build up the intensity of the colour did work to a certain point but after that it can look very uneven (even a bit chalky as I noticed with the pink shade) on the skin.

I don't know if my skin tone is to blame here but personally I don't think it's worth getting this quad just for the 2 darker shades, the navy and the lilac colours.

I highly suggest to check out this palette in person if you happen to be near a Suqqu counter to see if this quad will work for you.

As usual I will also leave you these swatches of Ruridama. 

Suqqu EX-14 Ruridama swatches- indoor

Same swatches- outdoor lighting

Surprisingly all the colours in the quad do work well together and I manage to use all these colours in 1 eye look.

Suqqu EX-14 Ruridama is a limited edition palette and retails for £45 GBP in the UK and can be purchased at any Suqqu counter (in Japan, Thailand or the UK) or Selfridges (in store and online).

Suqqu spring/summer 2013

The spring collections so far haven't really impressed me untill I saw the promo pictures of the Suqqu spring 2013! 

As a major Suqqu fan, I was immediately interested but since Suqqu isn't readily availble where I live, I wanted to see and know more about this collection because we all know how deceiving pictures can be.

After seeing some swatches I knew that I had to get the eyeshadow quads and the face palette that has been released for Suqqu's 10th anniversary.

So need to tell that I was squealing like a little girl beyond excited when I got this in my mailbox.

So the first thing that I'll be reviewing are the eyeshadow quads. I got all 3 of them and the most interesting about them is that some of them are duochrome shades! *gasp*

For those who are more familiar with Suqqu eyeshadows, this is quite unique for Suqqu and nothing simular has been ever released before by Suqqu.

From L to R: EX-11 Sumiredama, EX-12 Hisuidama, EX-13 Ginusudama

The first quad is EX-11 Sumiredama and probably the most popular one of the 3 spring palettes.

Suqqu EX-11 Sumiredama

A mix of a duochrome purple and bown shade, paired with a pretty fresh (and spring like) yellow and pink shades makes this palette a stunner.

Close up of Sumiredama

These kind of colours are right up my alley and I was pleasantly surprised how vibrant the duochrome shades are.
The only thing is that the yellow shade is very sheer and light so it looks almost white on me which is a shame really. I would like to have a more bolder and pigmented yellow which is something Suqqu hasn't made yet and would make the palette much more interesting to use.

All by all I'm not disappointed in this quad and will be using the crap out of this palette.
Here are some swatches to show what I was talking about concerning the yellow colour. I did my best to capture the complexity of the duochrome shades which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

Sumiredama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Sumiredama swatches- outdoor lighting

Next quad is EX-12 which goes by the name 'Hisuidama' and caught my eye immediately because of bright green and pink shades which makes this palette perfect for spring.

Suqqu EX-12 Hisuidama

And the hard core Suqqu fans out there probably already saw that this quad looks very familiar to another one that has been released before.... yes I'm talking about EX-08 'Hanamari' which was originally Japan exclusive but has been released in the UK after all.

Close up of EX-12 Hisuidama

The main difference between Hisuidama and Hanamari is the duochrome brown shade that really makes this palette in my humble opinion. Also the pink shade in Hisuidama is lighter and more wearable compared to the one in Hanamari.

As usual the lighter shades are a bit more sheer compared to the the darker ones which will make a beautiful contrast when you want to apply them on your eyelid.

Hisuidama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Hisuidama swatches - outdoor lighting

And finally last but not least the last quad is EX-13 and is called 'Ginusudama'. The most neutral one of the 3 I guess but nonetheless still absolutely gorgeous!

Suqqu EX- 13 Ginusudama

The dark duochrome metalic greyish taupe colour is to die for and probably the most unique shade of all the 3 Suqqu palettes!

When I first saw the pictures of Ginusudama, I was hesitant to get it but now I'm glad I did. I don't have anything simular in my stash and this would be make a great everyday neutral palette.

Close up of EX- 13 Ginusudama

Some swatches to show off the complexity of the shades.

Ginusudama swatches- indoor lighting

Same Ginusudama swatches- outdoor lighting

Now the cherry on the cake may I present to you the Suqqu EX-02 face palette that has been released to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary.

Suqqu EX-02 Face palette

This palette consist of a highlighting powder and a stunning coral peach blush.

The left side of the palette is inspired by a vintage pearl necklace and the embossed pearl pattern and is meant to create a pearly glow to the skin. It illuminates well and adds a subtle brightening sheen to the skin.
Because it doesn't contain any shimmer you can use it all over your face as well but be sure to use a light hand to create a natural effect.

Close up of the Suqqu EX-02 face palette

The right side of the palette is meant to be used as a blusher. The coral peach shade will bring a natural flush to your cheeks while adding a glow. The blush last for a good 4-5 hours and is incredibly pigmented. It does contain very tiny subtle shimmer but doesn't translate on the skin and the colour will suite almost any skintone.

EX-02 Face palette swatches- indoor lighting

Same EX-02 Face palette swatches- outdoor lighting

They also released 3 new Creamy Glow Moist lipsticks which I skipped due to the sheerness of the texture.
Suqqu will also be releasing a new foundation soon (somewhere in March) and it's the nex Frame Fix N liquid foundation which is suppose to be more dewey than the regular Frame Fix foundation range.

All of these products are limited edition so I suggest not to wait too long if you still want to get your hands on it.

The quads retail for £45 GBP each and the Face palette for £50 GBP and can be purchased at any Suqqu counter in Thailand, Japan and the UK (Selfridges).
Some online webshops like Ichibankao sell it too but beware of the marked up prices.

Suqqu EX-07 Tsukiakari palette and EX-02 Mizumomo duo blush from the fall 2012 collection (part II)

So this post is long overdue but due to my hectic life at the moment I only had the time to do this now.

Not long before I get the Suqqu #14 Kosemusuiro palette, these pretties arrived in my mailbox.

They are the Suqqu EX-07 Tsukiakari palette and the EX-02 Mizumomo duo blusher from the fall 2012 collection.

Looks familiar doesn't it? It's reminds me a lot of the Suqqu Konruri and the Kakitsubata palettes.

Tsukiakari is more simular to the Konruri because of the following: they have both a taupe and a peachy shade in it while Kakitsubata has a bronzy shade in it and no peachy color.

                          

Simular to the #14 Kosumosuiro palette, there is also one cream e/s in this palette that can be used as a base all over the eyelid or as a liner to give a little 'oompf' to your eyelook.

The textures of the powder eyeshadows in this palette have the same texture as the other Suqqu eyeshadows.
Even if you don't find the colors that unique, the texture and finish of Suqqu eyeshadows are unlike all other eyeshadows I have tried so far and worth every penny.

Here are some swatches that I did, one in natural lighting and one indoors to give you an idea of the colors.



Tsukiakari in natural lighting




Indoor lighting

 Since I only have the Kakitsubata palette, I will compare each shade of Tsukiakari and Kakitsubata together side by side.

Do I think Tsukiakari is worth it? If you don't have Konruri this quad is definitely worth it. Although it looks simular to Kakitsubata, the shades are different enough to justify getting both.

Next one is the Suqqu EX-02 Mizumomo duo blush.

This duo blush has a cool bright pink shade and very pale milky pink shade.

As you can see the pale pink color is almost white on me so it works better as a highlighter on me or you could also mix it with the brighter pink shade to get a more diffused color on your cheeks.





EX-02 Mizumomo in natural lighting 

 


Indoor lighting

 To wrap this up, I created a simple eyelook with all these colors in Tsukiakari.

I used the navy blue cream eyeshadow as a base all over the eyelid, the taupe color in the crease, the peachy shade in the inner 1/3 of the eyelid and the matte white color as a highlighter under the brows.

The eyeshadow palette cost £45 and the duo blush cost £38. Both Tsukiakari and Mizumomo are limited edition .

Suqqu is only available at Selfridges in the UK or at the counters in Japan and Thailand.

 

Suqqu #14 Kosumosuiro quad (from the fall 2012 collection).

Today I have a little surprise to show you: the Suqqu #14 Kosumosuiro!

Suqqu has recently launched 3 new quads (of which 1 will be limited edition) for fall 2012, together with 5 new l/s, 2 new limited edition duo blushes, a pink loose powder and a new eye balm.

You're probably wondering what's so special about these quads. Unlike the other permanent palettes, these 3 new quads have a cream eyeshadow in them which can double up as a liner too.

The texture of the green cream eyeshadow is very creamy and not difficult to  blend with. It doesn't apply patchy but an eye primer is needed to make it last longer.

As mentioned before, the other shades are regular powder eyeshadow and have the same quality as the other Suqqu eyeshadows.

Texture is very refined and the shimmers (usually 2 of the 4 eyeshadows are shimmery while the other 2 are matte colors) in it are very subtle but gives a gorgeous finish nonetheless.

                                      In natural lighting



                                         Indoor lighting

I did 2 look with this quad and I really find this to be a great everyday neutral quad with the dark forest green shade that will give a 'pop' to make the whole look less boring.

The first looks is a simple wash of the neutral taupe shade on the eyelid with the dark green cream eyeshadow as a liner.

For the second look I use the dark green cream eyeshadow as a base all over the eyelid. The pink color on the inner 1/3 of the eyelid and the taupe color in the outer 1/3 of the eyelid and in the crease as well.

The matte white shade I used as a highlighter under the eyebrows.

The Suqqu fall collection already came out in Japan on the 10th of August and will also be available in the UK at Selfridges on the 30th of August.