lipsticks

Suqqu Lipsticks Reviews and Swatches – Creamy Glow and Creamy Glow Moist

by Reika on May 1, 2013

Long time readers would know that Suqqu Creamy Glow are my holy grail lipsticks. Knowing that they will be discontinued soon and replaced by a new range, I went into panic mode and ordered some more shades to complete my collection. I currently own shades 01, 10, 18, and my newest additions include 03 TSUYAZAKURA, 05 SUZUMECHA, and 11 SHAREGAKI. Picking a lip color from Suqqu is a no-brainer, as it’s such a classic beauty brand with mainly a neutral color palette designed for everyday wear. In addition to the Creamy Glow, I have also bought a lipstick from the Creamy Glow Moist range which is their newer release. Unfortunately I don’t find the texture and finish as amazing as the original creamy glow, so I am very glad with my purchase of these backups just in case the coming range doesn’t live up to my expectations!

To recap, the Suqqu Creamy Glow lipsticks have the most amazing texture. They are very rich in pigment, yet retain some translucency when applied so it makes your lips appear so moist and youthful. The texture is buttery soft and glides on like weightless silk, and it has enough slip so the product won’t get caught between the dry lines or skin. It also doesn’t bleed with a superb lasting power. There is not a single flaw I can pick! Click here and here for the full reviews and swatches of 01, 10 and 18.

However, the Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist is not as fantastic. The texture is noticeably thicker and more balmy so it feels quite heavy on the lips (like some balmy lip balms). It is slightly more sheer (which doesn’t bother me) but I don’t find the formula is as moisturizing.

Reviews and Swatches of Creamy glow 03 TSUYAZAKURA, 05 SUZUMECHA, 11 SHAREGAKI and Creamy Glow Moist 01 HARUOTO

Suqqu Creamy Glow 03 TSUYAZAKURA – a beautiful neutral pink. Compared to 01 SAEBANA, it is slightly rosier, and has a warmer pink tone so it is more suitable for a wider range of skintone.

Suqqu Creamy Glow 05 SUZUMECHA – a beigey peachy pink which makes a perfect fool-proof “your lips but better” shade.

Suqqu Creamy Glow 11 SHAREGAKI – similar to 05 SUZUMECHA but peachier, and is also similar to 10 URUMISHU but more subtle and less tangerine.

Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist 01 HARUOTO – similar to 05 SUZUMECHA but more nude and beige. As you can see in the swatch, the finish of this has a lesser sheen to it.

Group swatches of all my Suqqu!

I have also compiled all the swatches (except 18 KARAKURENAI) into one picture so it is easier for you to compare the differences in the undertone.

Bottom Line: You gotta get your hands on the Suqqu Creamy Glow lipsticks before they are gone!

Suqqu is available here. International shipping from Selfridges is only available through phone order, but a cheaper option is to use a UK parcel forwarding service such as Skypax which charges lesser shipping fees compared to Selfridges.

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Gradient Lips Tutorial with Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatane Spring 2013

by Reika on March 20, 2013

I’ve been really liking this lip look lately – application is relatively more complex than just smearing a layer of lip color on, but the end result is simply effortless sexy with a touch of innocence. If you think the look of perfectly defined lips is too serious and grown-up, then this tutorial might help you to achieve a baby-like sexy pout which has been dominating in the Japanese and Korean beauty magazines.

The main product featured in this post is the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante from the Spring 2013 Collection. I actually have purchased quite a lot of products from this collection and loving them all! Since there have already been tons of reviews available on the internet, I thought I’ll share my takes on how I wear them in my tutorial/fotd posts. The color of this lipstick is absolutely to-die for – you know you are wearing a beautiful lip color when there are girls on the street stopping you and asking for the shade number! It can look quite bright if applied directly from the tubes, and I normally like to apply it with either my fingers or a lip brush to tone down the color, and finish with some lip balm/gloss otherwise it can make my lips look flakey and dry.

Tutorial with Chanel Allure Velvet L’eclatante

1. Prep the lips with exfoliation first as it helps to remove the dead skin, moisturize, and improve blood circulation to make the lips appear more plumped.

2. Conceal the lip lines using a concealer – the key is to completely blur out the lip lines.

3. Use a very pale pink lip pencil (or a lipstick), go over the lip lines that was concealed in the previous step, all the way towards the middle of the lips.

4. Use a bright pink lipstick (about 3-4 shades brighter than the lip pencil), apply the color from the centre of lips outward but do not go over the lip lines. The key is to use your finger or a lip brush to blend out the harsh edge for a gradient effect.

5. Apply a sheer pink lip gloss over the lips with more at the center.

Finished look with the beautiful Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante

Before and After

Products Used:

1. Sarah Happ Lip Scrub in Blood Orange Flavour - my HG lip exfoliator

2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage with Becca Concealer Brush

3. Sportsgirl Lip Pencil

4. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante (LE) from the 2013 Spring Collection

5. Lancome Juicy Tubes in Marshmallow with Becca Lip Brush

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Tom Ford Private Blend Lipstick Black Orchid Review and FOTD

by Reika on November 27, 2012

Tom Ford’s Private Blend Lipstick Black Orchid is the one and only vampy lipstick that I have bought this season. It is a very bold and daring deep wine color with the most intense pigmentation – it’s one of those dramatic shades that gives you an attitude and a ‘bad-girl’ look, and makes you feel powerful!

I have expressed how I feel about Tom Ford’s lipsticks in my previous post, so I won’t repeat that again here. In short every inch of Tom Ford lipstick is totally luxurious and I just absolutely love them. From packaging to the most fashion-forward color selection, I cannot pick a single fault. I love the texture with most of the shades that I have tried, but I have some issues with this particular shade.

Black Orchid gives a satiny finish. The texture feels the same as the others and it still glides on ultra smooth. Unfortunately it enhances every single dry patch/skin on my lips which I was not even aware of, so the finish looked very uneven on my lips. You may not be able to see this in my FOTD, but that’s because I had spent a great deal of time to make it work with a lip brush by applying a thin layer over and over until it looked reasonably even. This lipstick will not work for me if it is directly applied from the tube. However, to be fair, I have experienced the same issue with vampy lipsticks of other high-end brands as well. The highly raved Chanel and YSL also added more dry lines to my lips than I thought.

In this FOTD, I am wearing the Tom Ford Black Orchid in full opaque layer. I probably applied 5 thins layers of it and I blotted my lips between each application. I am also wearing it as a blush (as suggested by Claire – check out her awesome blog here!) I applied the color on the back of my hand and mixed it with Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè so it turned into a cream blush. It goes on pink with a plummy undertone, and the Embryolisse Cream gives a lovely dewy finish.

If you don’t feel comfortable wearing such a bold shade out (including me…), you can wear it as a lip stain. I have a FOTD showing this, and I paired it with a clear lip gloss to take away the dryness.

I bought mine at David Jones for a record high of AUD$65. It is available in the US here and here. Good news to the fellow Aussies – international delivery of Tom Ford makeup is now available at Harrods with 10% VAT deduction off the retail price.

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Jill Stuart 2012 Patisserie Collection – 01 Cherry Custard and 02 Apple Custard Lip Pots Review and Swatches

by Reika on September 8, 2012

I posted my beauty wishlist a while ago and I am slowly working my way through (along with some other impulse buys!) Today I am reviewing the cutest lip products ever – the Custard Lip Pots in 01 Cherry Custard and 02 Apple Custard by Jill Stuart’s Patisserie Collection 2012. Different to the collections from the western brands where they always focus on creating sexy and sultry makeup looks, I thought the Jill Stuart’s “themed” collection around french patisserie was very sweet and brought back many fond thoughts of lunching at Ladurée.

The texture of these lip pots feels like lip balm which is creamy and smooth. It has a semi-matte finish with a hint of moist glow that almost mimics the natural texture of the lips. The pigmentation is also semi-opaque. I have tried to apply it with a lip brush and it goes on sheer so it takes some effort to achieve the desired intensity . My preference is to directly apply them with a finger, as a few dabs-and-swipes is enough for the color to show and completely cover the natural color of my lips. Since both shades are lighter than my own lips, I have to apply some concealer to cover the lip lines. The only downside is that they are a little “high-maintenance” – I have to make sure my lips are well exfoliated and moisturized before the application, otherwise they can enhance the flakes on the lips.

01 Cherry Custard: Surprise surprise…it’s a cool-toned nude pale pink. Long time readers will know my obsession for this color!

02 Apple Custard: is a nude peachy beige with a hint of pink. It is similar to the Cherry Custard but with a warmer undertone.

Swatches of both:

Overall I like both of them. I wouldn’t say that they are must-haves as the textures don’t knock my socks off (having said that my standard is based on my HG Suqqu lipsticks), but the dreamy packaging and the cute colors make them worthwhile to collect. And a big thanks to the lovely Jen from Lifeandlensofbeauty who purchased these for me from Hong Kong!!

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Giorgio Armani Skin Lacquers Collection – Rouge d’Armani Sheer Lipstick 505 Review and FOTD

by Reika on July 24, 2012

I don’t get more excited than finding the perfect soft milky pink lipstick – meet my lipstick of the moment which is the Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheers 505 from the skin lacquers collection. Finding a light pink shade that works for me is not an easy mission. Most milky pink can be a little tricky to pull off for Asians with a yellow skin tone. I have made a lot of mistakes in the past (used to wear the most unflattering pink on myself), so I am glad I am a little more “tasteful” now and I know how to work out the right pink for me.

The Rouge D’armani Sheers, skin lacquers collection just landed in Australia , and 505 was the only shade that caught my eye instantly, as it reminded me of my all time favorite light pink lipstick The Shiseido Doll Pink (which is shown in the comparison picture below) . As the name suggests, the formulation is sheer (but not as sheer as Chanel Rouge Coco Shine) with a glossy finish. Two or three swipes are enough for the color to show. The texture is light and has a good slip, and feels quite hydrating on my dry lips with a longer than average lasting power (about 3-4 hrs) than most sheer lipsticks.

Compared to the other light pink (slightly blue based) lipsticks:

From left to right: Rouge d’Armani 505; Shiseido Sheer Gloss Lipstick Doll Pink; MAC Victorian, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Chance

Overall Look:

Foundation: Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation

Eyes: Giorgio Armani ETK 29 Rose Titanium as a wash, and ETK 27 Oxidised Silver over the lid. (both shades are reviewed in this post)

Cheeks: Jill Stuart mix blush 105 sweet lock

I purchased mine at DJ for AUD$52. The collection is also available here online.

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Lancome Rouge in Love Lipsticks Reviews and Swatches – 322M Corail in Love and 340B Rose Boudoir

by Reika on May 23, 2012

Lancome has released a new range of long-wear lipsticks Rouge in Love (you can get them here in the US). Each lipstick retails for $45 in Australia. The entire range is divided into 3 variations of pigmentation, referred to as a “mood” by Lancome. I bought:

- the lipstick in 322M Corail in Love , and it falls into the mood of Jolis Matins: “Pretty morning” ready-to-wear, and luminous fresh day shades that recreate daylight on the lips, for subtle and soft brilliance, due to the precious mother-of-pearl.

- the lipstick in 340B Rose Boudoir, and it falls into the mood of Boudoir Time: Trendy, punchy “it” shades that give color to the lips thanks to the intense contrasted mother-of-pearl. These shades offer an intense bright color reflection. Perfect to start the evening right.

I have skipped the most intense range as I thought the pigmentation was just way too rich for my liking – Tonight is My Night: Sophisticated, pure intense shades to give depth to lips and brighten a night out, for a deep lacquered effect and luminous color, thanks to gold mother-of-pearl.

I like to judge the makeup by its packaging, and unfortunately I do not like the packaging of Rouge in Love. I cannot really pinpoint the reason (maybe it resembles an aluminum tube..) but they just look cheap next to my arrays of other high end lipsticks.

Please note that the two lipsticks I bought look strikingly similar when they are side by side, but they show up completely different on my lips due to the difference in pigmentation.

322M Corail in Love is a foolproof peachy pink shade for everyday use without any shimmer. The formula is good but I won’t say it is blowing me away. It applies nicely, feels lightweight and non-drying and leaves a semi-satiny sheen to the lips. The lasting power does live up to my expectation, as I get to have 4-5 hours wear even while drinking in between. My only pet peeve is that I consider it as a full coverage lipstick (completely covers the natural colors of your lips), as opposed to what I expected which was a luminous finish. If I apply only a sheer wash of the color, it looks almost matte on my lips. In the swatch below I had to swipe it over my lips a few times to get a sheen.

340B Rose Boudoir is unique and beautiful. I can’t find any dupe of this from my stash of lipsticks. It shows up as a true warm neon pink on my lips. The pigmentation is rich and intense, but in the meantime it stills feel feathery light on the lips. I have not tried other shades in the Boudoir Time range, but I thought Lancome has given the perfect description for Rose Boudoir – it is young, trendy and punchy. One of those “IT” shades that will just make you the center of attention from the crowd. It will be my default “party shade” from now on! The phenomenal lasting power is truly cocktail proof.

Group Swatches:

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Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink and Devon Sunset Review and Swatches

by Reika on March 26, 2012

My lipstick collection is growing a little out of control lately, and my wallet is severely damaged after a little stroll around the department stores as I have noticed all the major brands have released either a new range of lipsticks or new shades. Meet my Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink and Devon Sunset from the Burberry Spring 2012 Collection. These are my first taste into the Burberry lippies and I am completely head over heels.

I wasn’t that into Burberry until Christopher Bailey became the creative director, as I love his modern and grunge take on the classic Burberry design. He once again did an excellent job for their makeup line, as the packaging of Burberry Lipsticks are the most luxurious and classic you could ever get. I instantly added one to my makeup purse just for “a touch of Burberry”

The texture of Burberry Lip Cover is on the semi opaque side – it has enough pigment to completely cover the natural color of your lips, and it’s non-drying and neither does it look or feel too heavy on the lips. It applies silky smooth with a satiny sheen.

Tulip Pink is a nudish pink color on me. To me it’s a fuss free all year round shade that would look lovely with any makeup.

Devon Sunset is a beautiful salmon coral pink on my lips. Compared to Tulip Pink, this is more of a spring summer color that instantly makes your complexion look more fresh and youthful.

As a beauty blogger, I always feel compelled to show you the makeup swatch on my arms. But I have to say in this case, the swatch of them on my skin is completely different to the color showing on my lips.

Overall look wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink

Overall look wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Devon Sunset

Bottom Line: Have absolutely no regret for my poor wallet! Love love these shades. If you are still hesitant about making a foray into the Burberry makeup line, I urge you not to wait!

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Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Flirt and Royallieu Review and Swatch

by Reika on February 18, 2012

Chanel is a brand that makes consistently great lip products, and out of all their lipsticks the Rouge Coco Shine wins my heart the most. So naturally I had to get my hands on their latest from the Spring 2012 Collection. I only bought the shade in Flirt 69, and passed on Candeur as I thought it looked very similiar to Royallieu 58 (limited edition) that I acquired a while ago but never had the opportunity to show you.

I had expressed my thoughts on Rouge Coco Shine Lipsticks in several of my previous posts, so I won’t repeat them here.

Flirt appears as a bright coral orange from the tube, but the sheer texture translated to a fresh pink coral color on my lips. I have been neglecting Rouge Coco Shine for a while, and wearing Flirt now just reminded me of how much I used to adore the finish. The wet glossy and moist semi-transparent texture gives an innocent and youthful finish to the lips, and the color just instantly brightens up my face.

Flirt Lip Swatch:

Full Face:

Royalleiu has never made it to the Australian shore. I bought it sight-unseen which I don’t normally do…and Royallieu proves that I have no luck with buying lipsticks this way. Had I tested this shade in real life, I would not have bought it. It is a very sheer pale nude pink shade when it is swatched on the skin. Unfortunately on my naturally pigmented lips, the pink color barely shows up! It works more like a glossy lip balm for me but with a a hint of mauve undertone. I personally do not like to wear lip shade that has a mauve or voilet hue to it as it just doesn’t look flattering against my skintone.

Here is a group swatch – noted that both Flirt and Royallieu shows up completely different on my lips than on my skin.

Left: Royallieu Right: Flirt

Bottom Line: Thumbs up for Flirt - a universally flattering Spring shade for everyone. As for Royallieu, though it is a beautiful color on its own, it takes the right complexion to pull it off and that is why I did not pick up Candeur.

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