Shu Uemura

Suqqu Eyelash Curler Review

August 19, 2011

I have such mixed feelings about the Suqqu Eyelash Curler. I am in denial that this is not the perfect eyelash curler for me – it just falls short of my expectation after I have read so many wonderful reviews about it (mostly from Asian bloggers).

Where do I begin..I was not in desperate need of a new eyelash curler. I have been content with the performance of my Shu, Koji and Shiseido eyelash curlers – they work great for me. I caved in after seeing Suqqu eyelash curler featured in numerous Japanese beauty magazines, as well as praise from everyone. Knowing that the design is tailored for Asian eyes and hooded eyes, I was attracted to it because I am an Asian with slightly hooded eyes!

The special feature of the Suqqu eyelash curler is that the tip is extended out in the center. When you hold the curler against your eyelid, this enables you to push and lift your eyelid up so it gets to the roots of your lashes for a more curled and lifted effect. A great feature for people who have hooded eyelids, short and straight lashes.

This is the instruction that comes with the eyelash curler. As you can see, the first step is to hold it horizontally against the lid and gently push it in to lift the lash line . It took me a while to get use to it.

Compared to the Shu Uemura and Koji eyelash curlers, the curvature of suqqu is in between – it is slighter flatter than Shu Uemura and more curved than Koji. It fits into my eye socket perfectly.

It would have been a perfect curler if it didn’t have a square rubber pad. Why Suqqu…why?! I have to apply more pressure to curl the lashes and they are slightly crimped for my liking. The curvature along the lash line is almost straight, so it doesn’t get to the two ends of the my lashes in one go. I had to curl it in different angles. Having said that, it is subject to the shapes of your eyes. My eyes are almond shaped so Shu fits better.

Bottom Line: Overall it is a good eyelash curler, it doesn’t pinch and it curls the lashes from the roots very well. I would still prefer Shu Uemura as it requires less effort for around the same result. I found that the special feature of the Suqqu eyelash curler didn’t have much benefit for my eyelids. It might work better for you if your eyes are more hooded or monolid.

If you are interested in Shiseido, Shu Uemura or Koji eyelash curlers, you can find my review here.

{ 14 comments }

Labels: Eyelash Curler • KOJI • Shu Uemura • SUQQU

Kanebo Lunasol 04 Smoky Ocean Scene Eyes Swatch and FOTD

July 5, 2011

If you are familiar with Asian cosmetics, you will know Kanebo Lunasol eyeshadow palettes are highly raved in Asia. Some of their signature neutral palettes as well as their seasonal limited edition palettes are always sold out. I too am a big fan of Lunasol in general and I have collected quite a few palettes from them. Today’s review is for the beautiful 04 Smoky Ocean eyeshadow palette from Lunasol’s Ocean Scene Eyes Line which is their newest range.

The Ocean Scene Eyes Line adopts a new Soft Powder Formula Technology which delivers a moist and smooth texture. It carries 5 permanent palettes – I chose 04 Smoky Ocean because it seems to be the most cool toned palette out of them all. All eyeshadows in the palette are shimmery as this line is designed to create a translucent and wet looking finish.

Each eyeshadow is very finely milled with lots of fine silver shimmers. They do stand up to their claims – the shadows are cushiony soft and silky smooth. When I ran my fingers over each shadow I couldn’t feel any trace of graininess from the shimmer.

Shades description from left to right for the below swatch:

white silvery shade with a hint of beige (lower left in the palette)

a light grey with a hint of taupe (upper left in the palette)

a pale blue with silver undertone (upper right in the palette)

this is such a unique color, a bluish charcoal with a hint of moss. (lower right in the palette)

These are swatched heavily using the sponge applicator. When applied on the eyes using a brush, these shades appear more sparkly and translucent for a wet look finish which is the way I prefer.

How I wore them on my eyes for a subtle smokey eye look:

I only used 3 shades – the light grey all over the eyelid with the bluish charcoal applied along my upper lash and the outer v. The pale blue is applied along my lower lash.

Bottom Line: The texture and the translucent finish of these eyeshadow are to die for. I am most impressed with its long wearability as they stay put for 8 hours. As for the palette, I won’t say it is a must have as it is more for summer only and is limited to smokey eye use.

Other products used:

Cheeks: Nars Multiple Tint in Turks and Caicos

Lips: Shu Uemura Lip duo tint and gloss in Love Apricot from the Takano Collection

Falsies by Kiss Me in style 02: I have to give special credit to these lashes. They are incredibly beautiful and they make such a huge difference to the eyes.

Overall Look:

Lunasol is not sold in Australia. They cost around $60 AUD if they are purchased over the Kanebo counters in Asia. Price varies online.

The Ocean Scene Eyes Range has recently released two LE palettes for their summer 2011 collection. Check out the gorgeous Elaine and PrettySeaEagle for their beautiful swatches!

{ 19 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FALSE LASHES • FOTD • KANEBO • KissMe • LUNASOL • NARS • Shu Uemura

Shu Uemura BB Beige UV Under Base Mousse

June 22, 2011

This week I am reporting back my thoughts on the latest Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse in BB Beige from its Sakura Collection. The UV Under Base has always been the best seller for Shu Uemura. To celebrate its success, Shu has launched a BB cream version of it in the form of a mousse and it comes in 3 shades – the one I bought is the BB Beige. This mousse contains all the benefits of the original version – has a spf of 30 and PA+++, and has a moussey texture that feels extremely lightweight on the skin. In addition, it also has the same coverage as a BB cream in a natural and luminous finish.

I love the airy and moussey texture, a marshmallow size is enough to do the whole face. Once it is blended out the foam turns into liquid and instantly aborbs into your skin, leaving your skin feeling hydrated.

Pros:

– An excellent multi-tasking product. It has a sun protection factor of 30 without the greasiness and heaviness. It can also be used as makeup base to brighten up or even out your skintone. I personally prefer to use it as a BB cream or foundation.

– The coverage is just as good as a foundation. You can see from the swatch below it totally covers up most of my skin imperfections without looking cakey.

– It makes my skin look poreless! It works better than any of the silicone based products I have tried so far.

– It gives a nice luminous glow and controls the oil for the whole day.

Cons:

– The shade in BB Beige is too light for my skin! Just when I thought I could not be any more paler…

– Just like some other BB creams, it leaves a hint of greyish cast on my skin but it disappears over time.

This picture shows the natural luminous effect.

Will I rebuy it?

Probably not simply because the shade doesn’t match up with my skintone.

{ 9 comments }

Labels: BB Cream • FOUNDATION • Shu Uemura

Puppy Eyes Makeup Look FOTD

June 13, 2011

Puppy Eyes Makeup look is the opposite of cat eyes look. It has been the most popular eye makeup in Japan since it was featured in some of the top beauty magazines. A lot of girls are ditching the cat eyes for the puppy eyes look to have a more innocent and cuter appearance. With this kind of makeup, no one will have the heart to say ‘NO’ to you haha

Basically rather than flicking the eyeliner up, I draw the eyeliner following the natural curve of my eyes till the outer corner of the lower lash line, to create a droopy eye look. Then I used a pair of corner lashes to complete the look. The rest of my makeup is kept at minimum – just a sheer wash of color on the cheeks and lips.

Final Look:

The star product of this makeup is the Dolly Wink Corner/ Partial False Eyelash in No 4 – Feminine style. Quite expensive for false eyelashes imo but worth every penny. So easy to wear and both the hair and band are super soft.

Other than the false lashes, everything else used was really simple:

Nars All About Eve Eyeshadow Duo: perfect shades just to add a touch of sheen to the eyelids.

Shu Uemura Partial Eyelash Curler: to curl the middle part of the lashes only. It is important to keep the outer part of the lashes down.

Fairy Drop Volumising Mascara on the lower lashes. The beautiful Jade from Jade Musing did a fantastic review of it, so check it out!

Mac Creme Sheen in Partial Pink on the lips.

Close-up of my eyes:

From the side:

FACE PRODUCTS:

Dior Radiant Base as a highlighting primer on the top of my cheek bones; temples and nose bridge.

Dior Nude Skin Natural Glow Foundation

Canmake Cream Blush in 03 on the cheeks, reviewed here.

More pictures of completed look:

{ 14 comments }

Labels: CANMAKE • DIOR • DOLLYWINK • Eyelash Curler • FALSE LASHES • FOTD • MAC • NARS • Shu Uemura

Foundations Reviews Part 1 – Coming Soon

May 25, 2011

Being a self proclaimed foundation addict, I am quite ashamed I have yet done any foundation reviews. So I have set myself a ‘tough’ challenge. I am going to get through the reveiws for all the foundations shown in the picture by the end of June! I am hoping I can do at least 1 foundation review a week.

These are a subset of my foundations collection, they are mainly relatively new or my recent favorites.

Becca Luminous Skin color

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua – ultra light skin perfecting makeup

Dior Extreme Fit – extreme wear flawless makeup

Cle de Peau teint naturel fluide cream foundation

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Shu Uemura UV Under base Mouse BB Cream

The rest of my foundations (not in the pic) will be covered in part 2 and 3.

{ 11 comments }

Labels: BECCA • CHANEL • CLE DE PEAU • DIOR • FOUNDATION • Giorgio Armani • Shu Uemura

Chantecaille Sea Turtle Palette Review and FOTD

April 30, 2011

I have a lot of unopened make-ups, the Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette is one of them. I bought this one from Mecca a while ago but never had the heart to spoil the embossing because it is just too beautiful to look at. It is time for me to use it as I have way too many makeups to be reviewed in the near future.

From a makeup collector point of view, Chantecaille limited edition palettes are pieces of art. Their palettes look and feel like true luxury. Unlike other brands, Chantecaille only release a few palettes a year, the quality has always been consistently superior. What I love the most is the color coordination of their palettes. I rarely come across a face or eye shadow palette where I like every single shade. Chantecaille is an exception – it only comes with the most refined and elegant neutral shades that are designed to enhance your natural beauty.

This palette contains 3 eye shades and 1 cheek shade, all inspired by the beauty of the sea turtles and their nesting grounds.

These shadows are buttery soft and easy to blend. Pigmentation wise they are on the moderately sheer side as they are designed to leave a sheer veil of color on the skin with a subtle glowing effect.

I created a smokey look using this palette – using the champagne color all over my lid, the brown shade over the crease and the dark teal color along my lash line and on the outer v.

Blush swatched on my cheeks, it is a beautiful peachy pink with really fine shimmers and lasted all day on me.

Overall look:

Other products I used:

Primer: Nars

Foundation: Dior Natural Glowing Hydrating

Highlighter: Giorgio Armani Sheer Shimmer in no. 1

Eye Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Falsies

Brow: Shu Uemura

Lips: YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 30

Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette retails for $120 in Australia, 5% of proceeds will be donated to help WIDECAST ensure the survival of sea turtles.

{ 4 comments }

Labels: CHANTECAILLE • DIOR • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • NARS • Shu Uemura • YSL

Foundation Primer Reviews

March 30, 2011

Rather than talking about new makeups all the time, I would like to show you some of my old favorites – starting from Face products. Foundation primer aka Makeup base is not considered as an essential makeup item for some girls. As for me – I can’t live without foundation primer. I have one for every skin condition I can possibly have. Using a primer together with a foundation perfects my skin for a flawless and radiant complexion. On a good skin day, I would only use a primer and skip the foundation.

So here is a group picture of all the primers I am currently using..actually I have to admit I had no idea I own that many primers!

I don’t regret buying them all, each of them serves a different purpose. My foundation primers can be broken down into 4 categories:

1. Oil Controlling

Mac Prep and Prime Skin Base Visage: amazing product, hides my pores without feeling cakey and silicony – keeps the oil at bay for 8 hours! I only use it on my t-zone.

Shiseido (bought it in japan, no English name) : No swatches because this one is only exclusive to Asia, it used to be my HG until I found Mac Prep and Prime.

2. Radiance and Natural Glow

Chanel Base Lumiere – my absolute favorite! It contains no shimmers, but it imparts a really beautiful glow to your skin, gives a “your own radiant skin but better” effect.

Dior Radiant Base – a light pink fluid with tiny shimmers. My second favorite as the shimmers are not noticeable once it is sheered out – gives a beautiful pinkish glow.

Lancome Fluid Illuminator (LE) – a beige fluid with fine shimmers, can be used alone or mixed in with foundation. It is too shimmery for my liking – I only apply it along my cheekbones in summer time when my face is tanned for a bronzey look.

3. Color Correction

– Shiseido Control Base: a light green fluid designed to correct the redness in your skin. This one is amazing..I only use it when my skin looks dull. A tiny amount would turn your complexion into “you have just slept 10 hours”!

– Giorgio Armani fluid sheer no 5 – recommended by GA’s makeup artist at a makeover event. It is a peachy fluid, very pigmented so I can’t imagining applying it all over the face. I like to use it on my cheeks to create a natural flush.

– Etude Pore Smoothing Peach Base (korean brand) – a purple fluid that brightens up your complexion by a few shades. I won’t recommend using it all over the face unless you want a geisha look. Again it’s a good product for a dull skin day.

These products were heavily swatched in the picture. The effect on your face would be a lot more subtle than shown in the picture. Even for my whole face I would use less than what I used for swatching.

4. Primers with sunscreen

Shu Uemura UV Under Base: it’s been a cult favorite in Asia for ages – can be used as sunscreen, makeup base or tinted moisturizer. On a good skin day, I would only use this product on my face – very sheer but evens out skin tone.

Kanebo Lunasol UV Essence: A makeup base with spf of 25 , has the same texture as a serum. It absorbs into your skin like a serum, makes your skin look hydrated and glowing, leaves no white cast on your skin like other suncreens do. The best sunscreen I have ever come across!

LASTLY, my Nars is one of the best all purpose makeup bases.

It hydrates your skin, creates a perfect canvas for foundation and makes the foundation look better and lasts all day long.

OMG..what a super long post!! Now I need some TV therapy..

{ 5 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • DIOR • Etude House • Giorgio Armani • KANEBO • LANCOME • MAC • Makeup Base • NARS • SHISEIDO • Shu Uemura

Best Eyelash Curlers

March 9, 2011

When it comes to eyelash curlers, I tend to gravitate towards Asian brands as they are designed for asian eyes. The most well known is the legendary Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler , which I absolutely adore. I have had this one for 10 years and it still works as good as it was brand new.

My other favorite includes the Shiseido Eyelash Curler. Both Shu and Shiseido’s eyelash curlers are very identical – I can’t tell the differences in my lashes between the two of them. They have very identical curvature – I can get them really close to the roots of my lashes and they never pinch my eyelids. They also apply the perfect amount of pressure by gently pressing them, giving a nice smooth curled look without crimping your lashes.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler vs Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Shu on left r vs Shiseido on the right

Recently I have discovered an amazing eyelash curler, which I hate to admit but it truly blows my other favorites out of the water.

It is the Koji Curving Eyelash Curler. According to Koji, they have tested this on thousands of Japanese women and came up with a unique curvature that is suitable for every shape of eyes.

The width of Koji eyelash curler is 38mm, so comparing Koji with Shu, the Koji eyelash curler is much wider and more curved. It gets all my lashes without pinching my eyelid.

koji-eyelash-curler-vs-shu-uemura-eyelash-curler-1

Left: Koji Eyelash Curler Right: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

koji-eyelash-curler-vs-shu-uemura-eyelash-curler-2

Left: Koji Right: Shu

If you compare the curvature from this angle, the Koji one is flatter than Shu’s.

koji-eyelash-curler-vs-shu-uemura-eyelash-curler-3

Left: Koji Right: Shu

So what makes Koji more superior than the rest? The picture below is the best illustration, with its unique shape, it spreads your lashes out to 120 degrees which gives it a more fanned look.