Once in a while I think we all come across something we simply have to have, and for me it's none other than the mega awesome Face Brush by SUQQU.
Quick background story of how I came across it. I discovered SUQQU on my most recent London trip where I had a makeover by one of the (loveliest) MAs. Various brushes were used on me but the one that particularly stood out was when foundation and powder were applied to my skin. It was honestly the softest brush I'd ever felt on my face that it didn't even feel like a brush. I commented on how nice it was, and noticed how it made application even & utterly flawless. As she proceeded to work the products into my skin, I decided there and then that I would not leave without that brush!
Looking at the entirely shiny black body the Face Brush doesn't look that special, but (this is a huge but) it has the softest, most luxurious and exquisite hairs imaginable. I'm not sure what hairs they are (squirrel maybe?) but they are so damn fine and of such superior quality that I actually look forward to using the brush every single time.
Trying to describe how soft the hairs are will not do this brush any justice; I think being wrapped & caressed in warm fluffy clouds would be the most appropriate. The hairs are so soft and light it literally feels like gentle air on my face. The MA didn't even have to sell it to me; it completely sold itself.
The quality of the whole brush is exceptional with very densely packed hairs which pick up the perfect amount of product. There's been no shedding whatsoever (unlike MAC & other brushes I own), and after each wash the brush retains its shape beautifully, but I always look after my brushes anyway.
At £160 it could be considered bit of a ridiculous purchase, but in my opinion a 100% worthy investment because it's provided me with the most enjoyable foundation & powder applications since. This isn't just any face brush; it is the face brush.
I'll be booking a makeover (maybe go for a gankin massage too hehe) at SUQQU for around end of November, which is conveniently about a week after my birthday so I'll definitely be treating myself to some goodies! And yes, I'll be posting about it!
Generally I'm not a fan of Christmas or any other commercialized holidays, but this year I'm actually getting quite excited but only because of SUQQU's tempting new Yukihana release (does that make me strange?).
Received this in an email Those snowflakes look so pretty - that eyeshadow quad will be mine mwahahaha!
Since I'm rather behind on posts, this will be my second entry for the day
Luckily another one of my Gmarket orders arrived this afternoon so I can post about it. I love how the package took only 4 days to get to me including the weekend too; Gmarket is seriously efficient when it comes to shipping out items, awesome!
This time I purchased a few Etude House items, and banila co's latest eyeshadow palette. Swatches and reviews to follow.
banila co Deep The Night Multi Eye Kit (the packaging is seriously pretty). I will try to post a review of it along with my other banila co palettes this week. It's starting to get dark a lot earlier now so I'll wait to take more pics during the day.
No flash
Taken with flash
Etude House Moistfull Special Set, Peach Skin Pact and Precious Mieral Brightener. I also received some freebie primers, and a toner & emulsion mini pack from EH's new Total Age Repair range - I have no use for this though hehe.
I think I've pretty much run out of things I want to get from EH and banila co (~sigh~), unless they release a bunch of new items of course. In the meantime I'll try to review what I've purchased so far asap - there's a rather large backlog!
Received my handmade EkiLove order this morning and was rather surprised to see that it was wrapped so beautifully like a gift with a sweet handwritten note (Rilakkuma, cute!). Opened it to find the blue pouch I ordered, thought it would make a nice change from all the pink stuff I have and usually buy
It is very well made and I can tell a lot of attention has gone into making it - I especially love the cute white bow. I also purchased the pink bow hair tie but Eki also included the matching hair clip, a Rimmel lipgloss and some yummy sweets (only the wrappers are left now). Really love everything, thanks Eki! Check out Eki's cute blog and store where she sells more adorable handmade items (yes I'll be watching like a hawk).
Most people have probably heard of Josie Maran, or have seen photos of her at some point. She's the girl who used to be a regular feature on adverts for Maybelline (google for her if you don't know who I'm on about) and when she stopped modelling, she created Josie Maran Cosmetics - a range of toxin free, organic and "luxury with a conscience" makeup and skincare. These products are made of the purest earth friendly ingredients and the packagings are recyclable as well.
Unfortunately living in the UK means I don't have easy access to all these awesome stuff, and even if I did the prices would be quite ridiculous. For example a tinted moisturizer that retails for $42 in the States would sell for £34 in this country - how is that for currency conversion?? So when I do want to purchase from stores like Sephora I always use a parcel forwarding service.
This Earth Day Essentials Kit has a value of $98 if you add up the retail prices of each individual item, but for $48 you get full sizes of:
- Argan Oil (the only mini size item, 100% organic oil)
- Cream Blush in Sunrise
- Eye Liner
- Mascara
- Plumping Lip Gloss in Daring
While not exciting, it is a great way to get started and try some basic products. Besides one can never go wrong with some lipgloss, mascara and a bit of blush.
...Until now.
I will start with the things I didn't like so much/at all.
Plumping Lip Gloss Daring is described as a "sheer shimmery rosy nude" and it is quite accurate (the lighting unfortunately makes it look a bit more orange in the photo) but the problem is the colour just does not suit me at all. Also, the actual brush applicator is so short that the plastic wand scraped against my lips when I applied it, not a nice feeling - I've never had this problem with other brands' lip brushes.
It is not supposed to sting like other lip plumpers, but it burns my lips like mad. At first I thought it was maybe because of what I had eaten or it was reacting with what I had on my lips before or whatever, so tried it again the following day on bare lips. It still stung... not like a minty tingle but more of an allergic reaction of some sort I guess.
It didn't stay on long enough for me to notice any plumping effects while I hunted for a cotton pad to wipe it off asap.
Cream Blush Sephora's site says this is Sunrise, so does the box and the sticker on the back of the mirrored compact but no matter how I look at it, it just does not resemble its "soft pink" description and is more of a coral pink like Sunset.
Maybe I was unfortunate enough to get a bad batch? Either way, as soft and creamy as this blush is, it's way too dark for me so I won't be using it. That's a shame because had I received the actual Sunrise (swatch on official site) I think it would look rather pretty.
Mascara - Black
Average, average, average. I like its sleek packaging, and the fact that it's free of synthetic ingredients, but nothing else really stands out about it unfortunately. Then again compared to my absolute fave mascara Majolica MajorcaLash Glamour Neo, only Le 2 De Guerlain measured very favourably against it so far. This is not as bad as my Illamasqua mascara faux pas - nothing is - but doesn't make me want to repurchase.
Holds a curl ok, lengthens a bit but no thickening effects really. Looks nice in the morning but a mere few hours (around 2-3) later I start seeing signs of racoon eyes when the mascara begins to smudge and smear at the bottom. For a non waterproof mascara it's tricky to remove, because it tends to burrow into the roots of my lashes and just sits there, as well as sticks to my eyelids in the process. Really stupid formula imo....
Eye Liner - Black Hands down the softest pencil liner I've used (doesn't drag the skin around my eyes at all), but also the most useless. The shade of black isn't too harsh which is great, except if I accidentally rub it, it goes everywhere. Would be great for a smokey eye look if its lasting power isn't so non existent.
I also need to go over the same line several times, otherwise the colour is a dark charcoal grey.
It retails for $18 but no way I would pay that for a liner that does so little.
Argan Oil Now for the item that I *do* like (wait 1 product out of 5, that's just dire) - the Argan Oil comes in a tiny sample size bottle which I think is quite cute and portable. I also purchased the full size 1.7oz (48ml) bottle as well.
Don't be put off by the word "oil" as this is lightweight, non greasy and does not clog my pores. I use it on my face before moisturizer if I happen to have a dry cheek day, rub it into my cuticles & nails, and the ends of my hair to give them that extra bit of moisture. I even massage it into my navel scar (unfortunately my piercing became infected on holiday few years ago so I had to take it out) to make it softer so I can have it repierced next year.
I only need to use 1 drop of oil per cheek and its restorative properties make my face seriously soft, especially if I use it at night before bed. It is a 100% natural fabulous multi-purpose product and can literally be used anywhere.
Here's a pic of the back of the box with a list of possible uses
I'm glad I at least found one thing I really like, but as a whole I think Earth Day Essentials is a waste of money. The fact all products are made from organic & natural ingredients with fully recyclable packaging is a welcome change, but most products I tried in the kit simply didn't deliver.
The Argan Oil is now also available in Stick (want!) and Bronzing versions.
I also purchased Josie Maran Finger Paints in Sweet because it looked so pretty; I will be using and reviewing it at a later date.
My long awaited cute brush rolls & scrunchies from Yumeko arrived today!! I'd been stalking her sales blog for days and finally managed to snap up 2 brush rolls and 2 scrunchies (for my sisters)!
Was not impressed with the mail company (Royal Fail) however, as they somehow managed to tear the packaging so the package arrived inside a "we're sorry" blahblah plastic bag. At least nothing was missing but still ¬_¬
These look even better in person!
My Melody brush roll My fave colour pink & that bunny is so adorable!
Rilakkuma Cafe brush roll Too cute! I love Rilakkuma and especially ♥ the fruity strap.
Both brush rolls have 6 compartments for brushes; I can fit 1 big brush in them or 2-3 smaller ones. They're much more portable not to mention way cuter than my cumbersome monotone MAC brush roll (which will now be replaced by these)! Love!! ^^
Cinnamoroll scrunchies Purchased 2 for my little sisters (twins) whose birthday is soon. Matching hair scrunchies will be cuteness overload hehe.
Hopefully Yumeko will have another scrunchie sale soon so I can snap up more cuteness ^^
I only planned on getting 3 things from EH's new Moistfull Collagen range (cream, eye cream and that SPF36 balm), but in my Gmarket order I received a freebie Moistfull Collagen Special Kit which contains a full set travel sizes of Facial Freshener, Emulsion, Essence and Cream - I'm going to review the lot ^^
I did consider trying the original Moistfull range but 1) I get slightly excited at the sight of new releases and 2) collagen is one of the most powerful proteins in the human body, gives tissues firmness and strength, and is basically what makes skin plump. Who doesn't want soft skin like a baby's behind? Exactly.
Moistfull Collagen Facial Freshener (toner) Most of the time I don't bother with toners because I'm not convinced that they're necessary; I have used them in the past but haven't really found them to be particularly beneficial. This Facial Freshener feels refreshing, but it does contain alcohol, which is okay on my t-zone but if I don't follow up with a moisturizer it makes my skin feel tight after a while. I don't approve of skincare products that contain alcohol anyway, so won't be using this again.
Moistfull Collagen Essence (serum) When I first used this I thought it was an exfoliator, as it contains tiny beads amongst the somewhat watery fluid. However the beads disappeared after a few rubs but I still found them a bit odd since all the essences/serums I've used so far have had smooth consistencies.
This essence feels a tiny bit sticky after it's rubbed in, but leave it a while and the stickiness disappears. I don't always use a serum type product before moisturizer, and when I do it's usually at night before I go to bed. This does add a bit of extra moisture though and makes my skin extra plump the next day.
Moistfull Collagen Emulsion A lightweight, milky moisturizing lotion. Provides a little moisture but depending on your skin type this may or may not be enough on its own. I used the emulsion on my t-zone and the cream on my cheeks. You can also use this under the cream and I find that I need less cream if I use the emulsion first.
A nice thing to have but not essential in my opinion.
Moistfull Collagen Cream I bought this cream on its own as well, and it came in a set of 50ml cream in a heavy jar plus 5ml sizes of the essence and another cream; there should have been a spatula too but for some reason I didn't get one. It has a light, fresh pleasant smell like the emulsion and the consistency is inbetween a gel and cream moisturizer. Non sticky, feels lightweight and very moisturizing, I like to use it before I go to bed and on my cheeks, which makes them feel plump and very strokable in the morning.
I have been using this pretty much daily ever since I received it (about two weeks ago) and I'm getting through it quite fast since I'm using it day and night, but at 15,000KRW (around $13) for a full size, it's not expensive at all.
Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream Added review for the Eye Cream thanks to a reminder from the lovely raspy When it comes to eye creams my requirements are pretty simple - moisturizing, lightweight, not too sticky, preferably with a cooling effect so it soothes my eyes when they feel tired. This doesn't give a cooling sensation but is very nourishing without being heavy so I can use it both morning and evening. Its semi gel like texture spreads easily which is important for me as I don't want to drag the skin around my eyes too much.
What's also nice is that it comes in a 25ml squeezy tube as opposed to most 15ml eye creams; I use it rather generously around my eyes, especially at night, to keep the skin soft and moist. I don't have super dry skin around my eyes, but surely using more product can't hurt.
It doesn't claim to reduce wrinkles or dark circles (I don't have either), just improves the elasticity and look around the eye area - I think it does the job well and is a great basic eye care product.
Eye Cream ingredients
Overall this is a pretty nice skincare range and I'm glad I tried it, but I'm not sure if I'll repurchase - I already have enough products lined up waiting for me to try!
I had an awesome beauty experience at the SUQQU counter at Selfridges, where I was fortunate enough to be greeted by the loveliest sales assistant I have ever spoken to. She was very thorough in the consultation (I didn't even make an appointment!) and gave such knowledgeable application & product advice that I left super happy and impressed with the result.
I was recommended the Powder Foundation Glow in shade 15, which is one of SUQQU's lightest foundation shades. Shade 10 also looked like a good match on me but it's slightly pink toned so I decided to go for 15 after my previous disaster with pink shades.
This is probably the most expensive foundation I've purchased to date, but I think it's a genuinely a superior product and therefore totally worth it; when I've had foundation matches/makeovers I was happy with in store in the past, once I'd taken the product(s) home I couldn't recreate the same finish or the colour match was totally off. With SUQQU Powder Foundation, it looks exactly the same on me now as it did in store, making my skin look fresh, radiant and effortlessly flawless. I don't normally use a primer and don't need a concealer afterwards either as the coverage is so perfect.
Packaging is very sleek, but annoyingly the case picks up every single little fingerprint. It comes with a protective velvet sleeve to store the case in. I wish the foundation had a higher SPF though - at only SPF16 PA++ it's not enough so I wear at least SPF35 underneath.
The foundation compact is sold separately
Even after 10+ hours the foundation still looks as freshly applied as when I first put it on, which is miles better than any foundation or BB cream I have ever used as I don't need to touch up at all. The sponge is velvety soft and I love the finish provided by its comforting soft strokes. Powder Foundation Glow comes in a smooth powder form, but feels lightweight and almost moist at the same time. The finish is very natural - not flakey/cakey/powdery and I don't notice any dry patches whatsoever. It evens out my skintone, makes me look poreless and my skin super smooth to touch.
As far as colour match goes, 15 is actually a bit too dark & yellow for me under natural light, whereas under shop light it looked like a perfect match (yes I should have walked out to double check first). However if I blend furiously and apply my favourite powder (Majolica MajorcaPressed Fantasia 24h) on top, it brightens the foundation so it looks like a perfect match unless I inspect really closely with a mirror.
Is it worth £40? Absolutely. Will I purchase again? I'm certain I will, though possibly a different type of powder/liquid foundation if they better suit my skin type, or even a different shade (10 maybe?), but either way unless I find something better SUQQU Powder Foundation Glow is officially my favourite.
Next time I revist SUQQU I will definitely go back to the same SA - I honestly cannot rave about her enough and I'll actually phone in advance to make sure she's there
