Monday, June 25, 2012

SUQQU Blend Color Eyeshadow 11 Himesango



Along with my haul for SUQQU Blend Color Eyeshadow #11 Himesango, which is part of SUQQU 2012 Spring collection. Himesango in Japanese Kanji is 姬珊瑚 [=princess, 珊瑚=coral], roughly translate "Coral Princess", which is quite a novel idea. 



I particularly love the taupe shade on the upper right and the peachy shade (though I am pretty sure it will not show up on my NC-25 skin) and this color combination is similar to #05 Sakurakaba, a palette that I regret not picking up. I think both Himesango and Sakurakaba are sisters, they belong to the same pretty pink and warm neutral group!

Reika of Front Row Beauty has her full in depth review and beautiful EOTD look of this awesome palette here. Iris of Rouge Deluxe has her share of this wonderful palette here.

The older Blend eyeshadow palettes has a total of 6.7g of products while the newer Blend Color eyeshadow palettes has a total of 6.5g. While the newer ones from this Spring 2012, numbers 09, 10, and 11 have only 5.5g of total product! We are getting less and and less product while the price kept going up!

Instead of the usual 4 colors in a pan that SUQQU offers, the spring collection comes with 5 colors with an additional strip of deep liner color at the lower left pan . Other than being attracted to such a novel name "Himesango," as a taupe and neutral palette junkie, I went for this palette. SUQQU always deliver the highest quality-densely pressed and smoothly milled eyeshadows, and the pigmentation of this range in particular is richer and more vibrant than its previous quad collection. 

When comparing the texture, Himesango is super buttery and velvety... what a luxurious sensation!! As usual, SUQQU offers a matte highlighter shade which is the ivory white in the lower right, but this has a slight sheen to it. A picture from Rouge Deluxe's post best capture this sheen:



This ivory white shade is non-chalky at all and provides a very good base/canvas for the following color application. The other 3 colors (top row and bottom left) are shimmery shades that glides on to my eyelids silky smooth and contain the finest micro-shimmer.

Moving on to a closer look of this awesome eyeshadow quad #11 Himesango:



The colors offered in this palette are foolproof and they layer together beautifully is actually a cool taupe with a slight hint of shimmer on the top two shades in the quad. But compare to the newer SUQQU eyeshadows, this palette is is not as shimmery and the colors are more subtle, hence more work appropriate.

A closer look at #11 Himesango:

sunlight from the right
sunlight from the left
under shade


















A quick description of the 4 colors in the pan:



A: Shimmery peachy pink with very noticeable refined silver shimmers and very fine pink shimmers. It is the most shimmery shade out of the quad,  This shade is a warm pink peach shade in the pan but unfornately the true pink colors does not show up on my NC-25 skin, but I think it will work for fairer ladies. When applied to my lids, it appears to be more of a silvery finish. Texture of this is extremely smooth, and no fall-outs during application.

B: The loveliest warm taupe color of my entire eyeshadow stash, which is packed with fine micro gold and silver shimmer(barely noticeable), with a nice sheen, in various iridescent hues of taupe, grey, with the occasional hint of cool brown

C: A pigmented dark chocolate matte shade on the left strip to be used for lining, ultra smooth with no fall out when applying. The larger right strip is a lovely warm brown satin, which is also very smooth on application with extremely fine gold and bronze micro-shimmer occasionally scattered throughout, which is very flattering for my NC-25 skin tone. 

D: Ivory white with the slighest pearly sheen to it when looking at an angle, but when it goes on to the eyes it is not chalky at all, perfectly smooth, silky, and provides an excellent canvas base before applying any of the above A, B, or C colors.

Texture of this palette overall is extremely smooth and velvety, and no fall-outs during application, which fulfill my expectations for SUQQU eyeshadows. I think pigmentation and silkiness of the new 2011/2012 Blend Color Eyeshadow range in general is much than the earlier Blend Eyeshadow range from 2010 or prior. Applying these colors is like applying silky on to my eyes, and I did not experience any fading or fall outs for a good 10 hour day of wear.

With one swipe with my finger tips:



Swatches at the back of my hand:

under sun

normal indoor lighting
under shade


slightly blurred to show the shimmers in A, B and C

I truely think this palette is very appropriate for work with a subtle balance of pigmentation and shimmer. This is one of my favorite SUQQU palettes in my collection.

EOTD with #11 Himesango:





Finally, ending with a FOTD:


Eyes: SUQQU Blend Color Shadow #11 Himesango
Brows: B&C Labo Browlash EX Eyebrow pencil and liquid (grayish brown)
Cheeks: SUQQU Nuancing Cheeks Ex-02 Akanemizu reviewed here
Face: base-Sonia Rykiel Smoothing Gel Base, foundation-SUQQU Frame Fix Foundation
Lips: Sofina AUBE couture lipstick in RD 504 and Sofina AUBE Couture Designing Premium Rouge in  RD 595 in the center of the lips for highlight.

A very soft warm taupe hues that is non powdery or chalky, and is very wearable and subtle. As always, I love how smooth and silky SUQQU eyeshadow can offer... and no issues with glitter or liner color fall out... which is very work appropriate! I can see why SUQQU is targeting professional woman as their main audience.

Final Thoughts...

SUQQU palette, as usual, are of exceptionally high quality.... and I was very grateful for my friend who has helped me CP this well sought-after palette from Selfridges. Though SUQQU's price point is high, the warm neutral colors offered in this palette is really well composed and suitable for any day or night occasion. In the end, I would still save up and add it to my stash of prized collection. And not to mention, I love the novelty of the naming of this palette, Himesango!

Monday, June 18, 2012

SUQQU spring 2012 collection





SUQQU released their spring collection sometime earlier in February and I was lucky enough to ask a dear friend in UK to order them from Selfridge. It was a much delayed post but I would still like to post my loots here to share with everyone!


SUQQU Spring 2012 consists of: Please refer to Rouge Deluxe's post for her full description here. She has really good pictures of the exact same eyeshadow in #11 Himesango and cheeks in EX-03 Akanemizu, which is coincidentally, the same ones I picked up from this collection.


In around April I have asked my friend to purchase Blend Color Eyeshadow #11 Himesango and Nuancing Cheeks EX-03 Akanemizu (limited edition blusher) from Spring 2012 collection, as well as Blend Color Eyeshadow #04 Keshizumi from an older collection from Selfridges in UK and mail them over to the US.








The reason for hauling #04 Keshizumi is because of knowing SUQQU has already pulled out a few colors from their permanent line, I decided to get the colors I like while they are still available, before I regret.... (#5 Sakurakaba is one that I cannot get, big time regretting!!)


Picture galore:










As expected, SUQQU is the highest quality makeup that I have ever encountered, with its finely milled pressed powders and subtle color that can be layered on nicely without creating a dramatic statement.


To do them justice, I will be dedicating a seperate post for each eyeshadow and blush palette. Please stay tuned to follow these amazing little gems!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Skincare routine (late spring-early summer)



In responding a request by a fellow follower, this blog post is about my current skincare routine.


We have been having a mild winter so far but it wasn't until recently that temperature is rising up to the 80's, so my skincare focus on lighter creams and gels for easier absorption but at the same time provide enough hydration.


First step of my skincare routine, I use Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid with Salicylic Acid with the help of the cleansing mode in my Hitachi Hada CRiE CM-N1000 machine:






For those interested in a full length review of the beauty gadget Hitachi Hada CRiE, please check out my earlier post here.


After my face is properly cleansed, I move on with [1]Phyto-C Phyto Plus-Gel and [2]B-5 Gel:






I will first use the Phyto Plus Gel which provides treatment for hyperpigmentation, then I will layer it up with B5 Gel for hydration (and also suggested by the Phyto-C to use B5 gel after Phyto Plus Gel). So far it is quite effective with my stubborn acne marks that was caused by a sudden out break from a few months ago. Also, the texture is watery and very easily absorbed, which is perfect for warmer weather. However, the only downside is the price of these 15ml bottles. But since it's something that works, I will repurchase again!


Then I will use Laneige pore tightening essence on my nose and check areas:






It's a huge bottle of 35ml and everytime I use I just need a small pump, and this bottle has lasted me for over 1 year already.... and I heard Laneige has already this amazing pore essence, so I will need to look for a replacement after I am done with this!


After I have completed the above steps, I will move on to blow dry my hair while waiting for the skincare items to absorb into my skin. Typically, I will be waiting for about 5-10 minutes...


Then I move on to SK-II Facial Treatment Essence with the moisturizing mode of the Hitachi HADA CRiE CM-N1000:






After patting down the SK-II essence, I move on to applying HABA White Lady whitening essence:






On days that I have more free time, I will pair this essence up with the Haba G-lotion and Haba Ion Machine along with My Beauty Diary sheet masks for a nice treatment. The main function of this Haba Ion Machine is the "refresh" mode, which is the same as the 4th mode "refresh" in the Hitachi Hada CRie CM-N810 model. I tend to do it 2-3 times a week:






Then my skincare is followed by my Caudalie Premier Cru eye cream:






Interestingly I used to think this eye cream is a tad too oily for me. But since I have started using the Hitachi Hada CRiE machine, heavier creams tends to absorb better, and by that I mean this once too heavy eye cream does not feel greasy after I massage my way in.


Final step in my skincare routine is the Creme de la Mer moisturizing cream:






Yea, I know this cream is super duper expensive, but a little goes a long way. I just need to use a tiny bit every time and it used to be too moisturizing for me. But since the use of Hitachi Hada CRiE, this cream is perfect for me, even in this warmer weather! 


Since Hitachi Hada CRiE has become so important in my skincare routine, and it has helped tremendously with the absorption of all the above skincare goodies. My break out conditions has greatly lessen, but I still need to wait till the peak of the summer to see whether this Hitachi Hada CRiE machine will help me with preventing acne!


So occasionally I still have small acne, so to treat these occasional break outs, I will use Naruko T-Zone Blackhead Remover (as a leave on mask for spot treatment) and Naruko Tea Tree Acne and Oil Out Targeted Treatment (for immediately relief):






And as part of my beauty regime, I have been enjoying the Fekkai Glossing shampoo, conditioner and cream series, they make my hair so soft and shiny! I know they are not the cheapest shampoo out there, but since I love Japanese shampoo and they cost a bomb to be shipped to the US, these are better and easier alternatives I can get in the US:






I hope you have enjoy my skincare routine. I will constantly update my skincare routine as I go, let it be discovery in new products or a change in the weather. So, stay tuned for more!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Sneak Peek of SUQQU Fall 2012 collection「大人専用ピンク」


As I was browsing online last night, I came across some interesting sneak peak photos of SUQQU Fall 2012 makeup collection!!!

Images courtesy of tweets from Frau editor @sekitatsu79:



SUQQU。可愛すぎず落ち着きすぎずの「大人専用ピンク」でまとめられた秋冬コレクション

SUQQU. A not too cute and yet not too calm "Adult-only Pinks" for the Fall Winter collection.

It looks like there will be a new eyeshadow quad, a cheek blusher, and a new lipstick color? Stay tuned for more info!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Love Package from Momo-chan^^ (pics heavy!)

Momo-chan has been my very resourceful buddy from Japan and have been helping me to source different Japan exclusive items and ship them to me. We have been exchanging swaps for quite sometime now. However, since she has been volunteering in her kid's kindergarten, she has been extremely busy and had pushed off sending things to me for quite sometime.

Then out of the blue I received her package!!!



As usual, Momo-chan's package has been full of surprises. A quick peek as I open up the box:



Inside the box there lay a pretty shopping bag with some lovely hand-written notes. She mentioned earlier that she got me some yummy chocolate lucky bags (福袋) and here it is... so cute!

Full line up of the items in the parcel:



From the cosmetic department, these are the long awaited CP loot!

From SUQQU, the fall 2011 face powder and a discontinued palette from Japan Yahoo Auctions, along with generous foundation samples from the counter:



ADDICTION blush in Gorgeous and cream cheek stick (can be double up as a lipstick as well) in African Sunset, heard a lot of great things about this line that is so similar to NARS.   ADDICTION (a JP department store brand, not a drugstore brand) was started by Miss Ayako who used to work for NARS as their international makeup director. This is probably one of the main reasons there are a lot of NARS similarities amongst the offerings from this brand. Though NARS has decent color payoff in their lineup, I don't really like their rubbery finishes to all of their packaging. I like ADDICTION because it has a sleeker design, well, all things Japanese to me always sound better!) Can't wait to try them:




Albion makeup pouch packed full of samples:



From the drugstore makeup loot:



Various mascaras and eyeliners from Kiss Me Heroine Make, Dejavu Fiberwig, and K-palette:



Mascara, eyeshadow and eyeliner from Kanebo Kate, and a couple of eyeshadows from Visee. I have been loving the packaging and the color pay off from Visee and in particular I am very fond of their limited edition range, for this round I am getting the limted edition range from Visee X Allia Alla, Visee X Smacky Glam, and Visee meets blondy:



And a lipstick from Lavchusa (BE-6, a beige tone, my favorite lip color!), L'oreal eye contour Revitalift (I think we have a similar range in the US, but interesting to see the JP version and see if the JP version is better...) and the SANA Hadanomy facial mist in a limited heart shape bottle edition (I have been loving this mist and woot for the limited edition!) and a Country Stream Eau de Toilette in Muscat note, a very refreshing scent for summer months:



Now moving to the sweets section, Mary Chocolate lucky bag, it was highly recommended to me, as Momo-chan said it's absolutely delicious:




Then there is a bag of lovely Valentine's day chocolate presents, too cute to be unpacked:



Momo-chan's mama was also very nice to send me a very pretty chirimen coin purse with my favorite Sakura print:



It's a very lovely cherry pink color with pretty sakura patterns all over:



I totally adore the level of details with Japanese products. Even the inside is lined with Sakura print cotton fabric:



And take a look at the charm piece! A mini purse charm with a Sakura logo:



"Made in Japan," always ensure quality!



Then there is this orange bag from Kiddy Land. I have been to Kiddy Land when I visited Tokyo and I absolutely love this store as they have plenty of cute toys and stationery and even I am a grown up I still love these things!



Much of the items in this bag was from Momo-chan's previous stationary haul for me in one of her recent trips at Uemeda, as I have blogged about it here. She added the neko (kitty) calender in, as I had a 2011 baby kitty calender before and I absolutely enjoy watching cute kitties on my desk everyday!



How can you pass this cute nutrition facts label? Only I wish kitty items are much cuter in this country and less retarded...



Hello Kitty collagen wash! Cuteness+skin care in one, awesome!



Finally, a pressed powder by Love Clover. I can't wait to try this as well as I have heard great things from my beauty pals. (At the same time, I wish I am not hooked with it, because it will be a hassle to ask for a CP from Japan again!)



I hope all of you have enjoyed my sharing for a recent love package from Momo-chan! If any of you have used any of the products mentioned above, please let me know how you think about those products! Thank you for reading!