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Sabrina

Highlighters

Edward Bess Threads of Silk Powders in Bellisima and Ciao

May 24, 2016

I love all things Edward Bess and his new Threads of Silk Multi-Use Powders ($45 each for 0.42 oz/12g) are beautifully crafted glowy powders with a lovely satin luminous finish. There are two shades Bellisima and Ciao and they have the most amazing woven pattern that has a mix of three shades in each compact. These are made in Italy and are infused with real silk which I think is incredible! I added a few snapshots from my trip to Italy last year. We visited a few cities and it was amazing. I hope to go back someday. They have a very unique texture – they are clearly powder and soft to the touch but the product is dense. It has a slightly hard texture although it’s not stiff and very easy to use and blend. Color is easy to pick up with a brush and apply to anywhere you want color – eyes, cheeks or temples.

I think this year seems to be the year of glowy highlighters. There are many to pick from with a wide variety of textures. This year alone I have reviewed quite a few new formulas including the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powders, Hourglass Ambient Strobe Powders, Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powders, Anastasia Glow Kits, Urban Decay Afterglow 8 Hour Highlighters, Natasha Denona Glow System Highlighters and NARS Hot Sand Duos. Picking the right highlighter for you depends on what kind of texture and degree of shimmer you want. Color is also important. For those who like a natural visible glow but don’t want the high frost or extreme shimmer, the Edward Bess Threads of Silk Powders are probably your best bet because true to Edward’s style they are perfect for the classic beauty lover who wants to look polished and a better version of themselves.
The shimmer on both is visible – on the arm + flash the colors look like they could be frosty but they are not. I usually photograph my swatches with a flash and any light (whether it’s sunlight or flash) captures the complexity of the colors and catches the pearl particles. I did a quick look (scroll down) to show them on the eyes and cheeks and they have a very pretty sheen.

Bellisima is the more neutral nude option. It looks beautiful on the eyes as an all over wash – the bronzy tones makes for a nice lid contour. The pink adds a bit of warmth and depth. The ivory mix to it gives it a lovely sheen. On the cheeks it can pass on my medium skintone as a nude blush although it has a highlighter feel.

Ciao has a mix of warmer tones with a soft coral sheen. On my medium complexion I can wear it as a blush but it could also pass as a highlighter to add on top of bronzer or regular blush. 

Since you may not be able to see these in person (they’re available at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and QVC), I’ve included a lot of photos in different light. They glow depending on how the light hits these powders. I really recommend both of them.

A closer look at each powder with the individual shades swatched and then swirled. I like the effect you get when swirling the colors, plus the way the colors are woven together it’s almost impossible to not mix the shades:

 

Simple beauty look with:
Bellisima Threads of Silk Powder on the eyes as an all over wash

Bottom line both winners. These are some of the prettiest most natural looking highlighter powders I’ve tried. If you want more of a traditional kind of highlighter, my holy grail cream highlighters are his All Over Seduction Highlighter (all three shades reviewed here). Both are multi-purpose wonders that you can use anywhere you want a glow. Lasting power was very good for both on me lasting from early morning until evening without fading or darkening. I love that they come in a large sturdy mirrored compact (same size as the Flawless Illusion Foundation swatched/reviewed here).

You can find both shades online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and QVC. In store at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. If you can get to a counter I recommend it. The reps are very helpful and friendly.
Have you tried these yet? What did you think?
Many thanks to Edward Bess for sending me such beautiful items for review.

15 Comments
GWP

Clinique x Nordstrom Bonus Gift with Purchase – May 2016

May 23, 2016

There’s a Clinique Bonus Gift with Purchase going on right now at Nordstrom through the end of the month which has some really cute items. With any $27 Clinique purchase you can get a 7 piece gift set that includes your pick of one Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer shade in Alabaster, Ivory, Neutral or Nutty (note you have to enter in a code at checkout).

There are also a few step up gift options – if you spend $55 a full-sized skincare product will be added to your cart online (or in store). When I bought mine in store last week there was the 7-Day Scrub Option available online and in stores. Right now it looks like they have the full size Moisture Surge as the step up online. (Options may also vary in store.)

Here’s what you get in the gift with $27 purchase:

Foaming Face Sonic Soap (1 fl oz/30 ml)
High Impact Mascara in Black (0.14 oz/3.5 ml)
Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief (0.5 oz/15 ml)
Clinique Color Compact with two mini eyeshadows in Sunset Glow
Morning Java + Fig Blush
Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Petal (0.12 oz/3.6 g)
Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer (0.17 fl oz/5 ml) – pick 1 of 4 shades

Swatches of the gift colors I picked out, Ivory is the match for me:

If you order online, be sure to enter one of four codes at checkout for the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer shades, I swatched the four gift options at the counter in case you can’t get to one in person, I hope this helps as an online guide for you:

For Alabaster enter code LIGHT at checkout
For Ivory enter code LTMED at checkout
For Neutral enter code MED at checkout
For Nutty enter code DEEP at checkout

I re-stocked up on a few staples and took advantage of the step up to pick up some items I had been wanting to try for a while. The color pop items have been on my radar for a long time but I always forget to try them in store. I made a list before I went so I would not forget this round. What I ended up picking up:
  • Lid Pop Eyeshadow in Cream Pop is one of the prettiest golden nude shimmers, it has a unique cream to powder kind of finish that adheres well to the lids but doesn’t make them look dry
  • Cheek Pop Blush in Nude Pop has also been on my list for ages, it’s a good neutral warm nude that adds a bit of natural color without looking too dark, it has a very soft sheen
  • Pop Lip Color + Primer in Nude Pop and Beige Pop (yes, more neutrals!) are great wearable neutrals that add a natural hint of color and shine, I like that they didn’t dry out my lips and had no detectable taste or scent, there are a lot of other colors to choose from, I picked to to test out and really like the formula, Clinique also has two other formulas in the Pop Glaze Sheer and Pop Lacquers – I swatched a few briefly at the counter but decided to think about them
  • Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder (Oil Free) in Stay Neutral is something I used a long time ago but never repurchased, it’s a very natural matte powder that doesn’t look cakey and is good for touch ups, I like the price point too which I find reasonable for a good quality powder
  • High Impact Mascara in Black is also one of my oldie but goodie mascaras, there are so many different options from other brands, I often forget about my tried and true (do note if you haven’t tried this there is a mini in the gift with purchase)
  • Take the Day Off Makeup Remover is one of the most gentle makeup removers that will remove eye makeup without stinging my super sensitive eyes (the one I have shown is the 4.2 fl oz size), sometimes I can rub my eyes a bit too hard because waterproof mascara can be hard to remove, this one won’t sting, I just noticed that they now carry a Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm which has really good reviews online, let me know if you’ve tried this and you think it’s worth a go
  • Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlighter in Hefty Highlight has been on my wishlist for forever and I have gone back and forth trying to decide whether or not to buy it. It’s a very pale almost white shimmer straight out of the tube, but it blends out to a very natural glowy dewy sheen. I tested it out over the weekend and it held up very well, didn’t get greasy as the day progressed and did not emphasize pores. I like that it’s a twist up which makes it very easy to use and blend. I hope that Clinique makes more colors in this because I think the formula is great.

Swatches:

Swatches of the two lip items I picked up plus the gift lipstick (I’m wearing the gift with purchase Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in Ivory in the photos below). Bare Pop has some visible shimmer while Nude Pop is more creamy:

If you’re ordering online don’t forget you need to enter the shade code for the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer at checkout for it to be added to your cart, code options shown below. After swatching in store I thought Neutral would be my match but it was visibly darker than my skintone when I dabbed along my jawline. Ivory looks light but on my face it’s almost an exact match. Since it’s full coverage you do need to find the best match possible. I was impressed with the coverage – it covered all my blemish scars, dark spots and under eye circles without looking cakey or flat (just make sure you blend). Ivory is the tiniest bit too pink but I tested it out on several days and as long as I blended it onto the neckline it matched pretty well.

http://rstyle.me/n/bqsf5vubf6


For Alabaster enter code LIGHT at checkout
For Ivory enter code LTMED at checkout
For Neutral enter code MED at checkout
For Nutty enter code DEEP at checkout

Do you have any Clinique favorites? I find the line has a lot of great staples! The Bonus Gift with Purchase is good with any Clinique purchase of $27+, online and in stores at Nordstrom while supplies last.

Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions my own, for more information you can refer to my Disclosures.

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Uncategorized

Play! by Sephora – May 2016 Box

May 22, 2016

I signed up for the Play! by Sephora wait list several months ago and just received my first box for May 2016. For those not familiar with these boxes, Sephora launched a monthly subscription service and for $10 per month you will receive a box that has:
  • 5 deluxe samples plus a fragrance bonus
  • a pamphlet they call Play! Book which has information on the box contents + tips and tricks 
  • a card called Play! Pass which allows you to redeem a free one-on-one tutorial + bonus points with any product purchase during the same store visit
  • collectible makeup bag
Right now you can only subscribe online at Sephora.com/play – they have you sign up for a waitlist and once a spot opens they will send you an e-mail to claim a spot and join.
 
I have a first impressions look at the May 2016 Box contents as it just arrived in the mail a few days ago – eight sample-sized products come wrapped in a super cute drawstring pouch. It’s photographed above on my desktop to show the scale and size relative to other items.

A look at the contents below, as of right now I haven’t had a chance to try the items with the exception of the colors and perfume. I’m in the process of testing some other skincare items but once that is finished I’ll be diving into the samples from this box. Inside the May 2016 Box:
  • Korres Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial (0.34 fl oz/10 ml)
  • Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Kimchi (0.05 oz/1.55 g, swatched on lips here)
  • Origins Maskimizer Skin-Optimizing Mask Primer (0.05 fl oz/1.5 ml)
  • Origins Clear Improvement Mask Packet (0.1 fl oz/3 ml)
  • Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (0.1 fl oz/3 ml)
  • Briogio Don’t Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask (1 oz/29 ml)
  • Tarteist Lip Crayon in Latergram (0.04 g)
  • Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine (no size listed, but it’s a tiny vial)

My beauty friend Café Makeup has a post on the same box and many of my thoughts are similar to hers. I think it’s a fun low-investment kind of beauty buy and at $10 per month I think the cost is relatively low and considering the cost of shipping (which they do not charge you extra for). Based on the May Box I think Sephora sent out a good selection of decent sized samples for that price. Even though the sizes of the samples are small enough that you should be able to get for free at the counter I have found samples to be scarce when shopping in store at larger retailers. Of course there are exceptions and building a good relationship with a sales associate does help. However as Amy mentioned in her post I agree it seems like a few years ago you could shop at a store and counters were much more generous with samples. These days they seem to be scarce.

I’m happy with my first Play! by Sephora Box. I think it’s fun to get a surprise box of samples and it offers some things I would have never thought to try so the exploration part is fun. At this time I plan on keeping my subscription to see how it goes.

If you haven’t subscribed for these you can add your name to the wait list online at sephora.com/play – right now the only way to purchase a subscription is online. I’m not sure how long the wait is. I think I entered in my e-mail early in the year and received an e-mail that I was off the wait list in April. There’s a full page of FAQs here in case you have more questions.

I hope you enjoyed this first look at the Play! by Sephora Box 🙂 Have you signed up for it? If you were able to join earlier and have already received a few months of boxes what do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts!
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Chanel

Chanel Espadrilles 534 Le Vernis for Summer 2016

May 20, 2016

The Chanel Collection Dans La Lumière de L’Été for summer has launched online and I spotted it in stores a few days ago. I only picked up a few items as I was in a rush, my favorite sales associate was not there and decided to pick up a couple things for now and think about the rest. The first item I have to review is one of the new Le Vernis Nail Colours called Espadrilles 534 ($28 each). It’s a vibrant orange red cream that has perfectly smooth application. It is very similar to a lot of other orangey summer shades but it’s too pretty to pass. Compared to other shades, Espadrilles is clearly orange but it has some red to it. The two closest ones I have are Tom Ford Ginger Fire (the Tom Ford is a bit deeper) and Chanel Holiday (now discontinued and Holiday is a bit lighter and has more orange).

Shown with two coats swatched:

Comparisons:
It was hard to get swatches in sunlight because the orange and brightness flashed back making them all look the same. Note most of the Chanel shades have been discontinued (the ones with the names printed on the front are no longer made). All the shades below indeed look very similar, my thoughts on the difference between others to Espadrilles (previous reviews linked where applicable):

One last look:

I think it’s perfect for summer. It’s perfect for right now even though it’s still not yet summer. That being said you may want to shop your stash if you already own a lot of similar colors. It didn’t stop me from picking it up. That being said I don’t carry nail wheels or nail polishes with me to compare so I really didn’t know even though at a quick glance I knew there would be a decent chance I had something similar. The formula has improved over the older now-discontinued polishes. You can read two reviews on the new launches:
  • Camélia, Gitane and Roubachka here 
  • Ballerina, Monochrome, Gargonne, Organdi, Vamp and Rouge Noir here

Bottom line I love it, but if you want to avoid dupes, I recommend you shop your stash.

You can find the Chanel Summer Collection at counters now. Online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus along with all other Chanel retailers.

10 Comments
Fragrance

Bright + Fresh Fragrance Favorites for the Spring to Summer Transition

May 19, 2016

I have another fragrance roundup of a few new perfumes I’ve been trying out combined with a repeat of a few favorites I’ve been loving right now. I have summer on my mind but it’s still spring so I don’t feel quite ready to wear full-on summer scents yet. I did my first round up earlier this year here (for him and her). Here are a few more to check out if you’re in the market for something new as we transition from the spring to summer season.

Up first are two from Diptyque. The Eau de Sens is the latest fragrance release from Diptyque (my favorites from the brand rounded up here). It’s one of the few orange blossom scents I feel I can wear. The combination of orange and floral is usually too powdery for me to wear although I do love orange-based fragrances. Many are great as a home fragrance whether it’s a spray or candle but I simply cannot wear a lot of them. Eau de Sens is the first one I’ve fallen in love with – it’s bright and lifts the mood.

Florabellio isn’t a new fragrance, but it was recently launched in a Travel Size 30 ml size as part of the Voyage Collection and is cute beyond words. There are select items available in the collection, a few perfumes include Philosykos, Do Son, L’Ombre Dans L’Eau and Tam Dao. There are a few small size candles available in the special print boxes (jars are still clear glass) and a few minis of the body products. As of right now the entire collection is limited-edition and at most Diptyque retailers if you purchase any 3 items from the travel line you can get a complimentary travel zip pouch. More on the travel collection in a separate post but Florabellio is the most unique sweet floral with apple that I’ve ever tried. I would have never thought to wear something with apple blossoms, apricot, fennel, sea salt, coffee and toasted sesame – but it’s really quite nice, especially for spring.

In general Diptyque fragrances have a medium lasting power. I have a very sensitive nose and can usually detect remnants of the scent many hours later even though often times others around me cannot. The scents do start to fade by hour 4-5 of wear.

 

Lumira Paradisium is also another one I adore. This is the perfect spring to summer kind of scent that makes me feel very much put together. It has bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, fig nectar, guava, vetiver, sea moss and cedarwood. It’s a fig scent I can actually wear. I love fig scents for the home but whenever I try it in perfume form I feel like I’m wearing a sweet dessert. The bergamot, vetiver and cedarwood give this a slightly raw feel that balances out the sweetness. I’ve been wearing this one for a couples years now and I hope it’s here to stay forever. In terms of lasting power this is one of the best and longest lasting. It’s up there with Tom Ford and Frederic Malle.

Maison Margiela Replica scents are simply incredible. I first tried Beach Walk in a rollerball and it’s definitely one of those perfect summertime scents. Lipstick On is a classic feminine blush kind of scent that smells like vintage makeup. If you don’t really care for the makeup-like vibe Lipstick On has but do like the level of intensity/feminine quality it has, you might want to check out Flower Market or Promenade in the Garden. Both florals that are very wearable.

Flower Market smells just like a flower market. It’s a soft bright floral that has freesia, sambac jasmine, Egyptian jasmine, tuberose, rose, peach, cedarwood and oak moss. To me it smells primarily of jasmine and with a hint of tuberose and moss.

Promenade in the Gardens is more green and less floral. It has a mix of green accord, freesia accord, coriander oil, turkish rose oil, peony accord, sambac jasmine, patchouli, vetiver and Australian sandalwood. It’s clearly feminine to me, but it’s not girly like Flower Market or Lipstick On if that makes sense.

The Replica scents are medium to long lasting on my skin. They’re strong enough to notice hours after but aren’t overpowering when you first spray them which is nice.

 Beautiful floral arrangement created by Hessney & Co @chrishessney

If you like to layer bright spring florals with shower gels and body lotions, Molton Brown is always a good idea 🙂 The Dewy Lily of the Valley Star Anise Collection has everything covered including Hand Creams. If you’re one is really particular about florals and wants something that isn’t too strong, too powdery or too mature, this one is a good one. Notes are as follows:

Top notes: star anise, magnolia, green mandarin
Heart notes: lily of the valley, peony, white tea
Base notes: ylang-ylang, sandalwood and white musk

To me it resembles a more green + lily version of Diptyque Florabellio so it’s no surprise this is one I like as well. I can smell the white tea and green mandarin and lily of the valley. It has a refreshing bright feel like jasmine even though there aren’t any jasmine notes. If I had to describe this one in one word it would be fresh. You can buy items individually but they have a few sets that are beautifully packaged. The Fragrance Gift Set has the shower gel, body lotion and perfume at a value price. Lasting power of the Eau de Toilette is medium to long.
Last but not least is the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc which I know many would designate as a summer fragrance. It’s a white floral that has beachy summer vibes but it’s not so summery that I can’t wear it right now (I’ve actually bought this months ago and have been loving it). In my experience Tom Ford fragrances are among the ones that last the longest on me from morning until late evening – but it does vary a little bit per scent. Some are stronger than others, but even the lighter ones still last a long time.

If you’re looking for a new fragrance I hope you found this roundup helpful! I don’t know if many of you are like me – but I feel the need to rotate scents frequently. I have some close friends who stick to 2-3 signature scents each season. I like to play around with different ones each season.

Do you have any favorites in rotation right now? If yes please let me know! I always love to read about your loves – especially when it comes to fragrance, layering etc.

Press samples featured include the Lumira Pardisium, Diptyque Eau de Sens, Replica and Molton Brown. Other items purchased by me.

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Glossier

Glossier Balm Dotcom Universal Skin Salves in Rose, Cherry, Mint and Coconut Flavors

May 17, 2016

 

Glossier just launched three new flavors of their Balm Dotcom Universal Skin Salve ($12 each for .5 fl oz/15 ml) in Rose, Mint and Cherry and they are super cute. Everything from the pink plastic pouch, design on the boxes and color block design of the tubes screams fun. I’ve been a fan of the Coconut one and liked it enough to repurchased it (and ordered multiples as gifts for friends) so when I heard there were more launching I knew I had to try them. (Use this referral link to save 10% off your first order.)
  • Mint is a clear shade that has a very nice mint flavor and scent. I find mint hit or miss – yes it can be refreshing and cooling, but some scents or flavors are ones I don’t want to wear. Mint is one that can have a toothpaste vibe which I like for toothpaste, but not to wear. Luckily the Glossier Mint is one of the good variations.
  • Rose has a soft rose scent that isn’t overpowering and isn’t overly sweet. This one has a soft pink tint but after a few minutes it basically looks clear. It feels smooth and lush on the lips.
  • Cherry smells exactly like a candied cherry and has a cool-red-pink tint that shows up on the lips like a soft stain. I personally do not like cherry at all (I won’t eat anything with cherries or cherry-flavored) so this one is a no-go for me. I’m not sure if it’s my aversion to cherries that affected my opinion on this one but I felt this one to be on the thick side – and not in a good way.
  • Coconut is one I reviewed when it launched last year. It sold out quickly and was out of stock on their website for months. I thought it was a limited offer and would never come back but I’m glad that it did. If you compare the old post to this one and look closely you may notice they changed the packaging slightly. Now there is a longer tube with more product but the overall design is pretty much the same.
Formula-wise these are described as universal skin salves that you can use on lips, face, cuticles – basically anywhere you have dryness. These have a medium to thick texture that I prefer to use on the lips or cuticles only (I haven’t been brave enough to test on the face). They add moisture to my lips and because the flavors are fun (cherry excluded) I don’t mind reapplying.

 

A quick look at the packaging and swatches:

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

If you’re one who doesn’t like reapplying product or if you want something more intense, I do think the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Masks are better – but the ingredients, concept, packaging and purpose is completely different. The Bite Beauty Agave Lip Masks are designed to be a leave-on lip mask and they don’t have any petroleum (while the Glossier products do). They are also more than two times the price (but I don’t mind). Below a look at Champagne and Smashed reswatched on the lips.
After I reviewed Coconut last year, a few of my friends asked me, “it looks cute but do you think it’s worth the price?” These are friends who are ok with a higher price tag for foundation, concealer, powder and some skincare, but for lip balms they are type who won’t spend more than $5 and will always go for what they can find at the drugstore because according to their assessment of the ingredients, they say “they’re exactly the same.”
I do think these are worth it. I love the packaging, the marketing and the cute zipped pink pouch they come inside. When you order these from Glossier the box it’s shipped in is also very cute, but I have a lot of appreciation for little fun touches. Things like a simple printed interior of the box with fun branding and cute sayings, adorable stickers (even though I won’t ever use them, I gift them away) and extra touches on the actual product boxes all get me excited. Even though the boxes are a throw away kind of thing, I still like them. If you’re budget conscious and also ingredient conscious (or perhaps as some may say more practical and less frivolous) then stick with your staples and what you love.

 

 

 

 

 

I really like the new launches, but my heart still belongs to Coconut because it’s like summer fun in a tube. Out of the new ones, I was surprised to find I really liked Mint because I’m really not a fan of mint-flavored beauty products. Rose is also really lovely. Cherry is a no-go for me but that’s primarily because I don’t like cherry anything (lemon or blueberry would also have been a no-go for me).

 

You can find the Glossier Balm Dotcoms in four flavors, Coconut, Rose, Mint and Cherry for $12 each. Right now they have a Trio Set for $30 (with Rose Coconut + Mint) which I believe is a limited-edition offer. If you click this referral link here you can save 10% off your first order. At this time I believe the only place you can buy these is directly on the Glossier website.

 

When I ordered these, there was a website glitch for the trio sets and they sent more than I ordered. Apparently it happened to more than one person and the Glossier team sent out a nice note saying we could keep our extras for ourselves or for friends. I’m giving away three sets + the coconut flavor and you can enter in the widget below. Details are as follows:
  • 3 distinct winners will be selected at random to win 1 pack of flavored balm dotcoms (coconut, rose, mint and cherry and pink pouch will be included!)
  • open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter
  • enter through widget below (comments to the blog post are welcome but will not be considered valid entries)
  • entries will be collected through May 21st, 11:45 PM PST
  • winners will be selected via widget the following week after giveaway ends and contacted by me directly, names will be announced on widget in this post
  • prizes will be mailed out by May 28th to the 3 selected winners
  • please refer to all terms and conditions in the widget for more details

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

 

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Uncategorized

Suqqu Summer 2016 – Creamy Glow Lipstick EX-20 and EX-21 and Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-31

May 16, 2016

I was thrilled to be able to finally try a few items from the Japanese beauty line called Suqqu. It’s a brand that’s been on my radar for years but it’s not easily accessible to those in the US. I was sent a few pieces from the Summer 2016 Collection to try and literally could not contain my excitement while swatching these items. The collection is a UK exclusive that you can find online and in stores at Selfridges. I have 3 items to feature here, but for reference Sweet Makeup Temptations has the entire collection reviewed and swatched on her blog in case you are curious about the other items.

I was able to test out the following:

Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-31 Gyoukou £45 for 0.16 oz/4.6 g – this is an eyeshadow quad with some of the softest silkiest eyeshadows I’ve ever tried. The palette has a mix of different textures including a shimmering yellow, sheer matte white, matte burnt orange and satiny cool brown shade. All the colors are extremely easy to blend and layer together – the white is very soft and while I swatched it with a heavy hand on the arm to show the color, on the lids it’s almost translucent when you blend it out. The shades come in a mirrored compact with some of the best compact brushes I’ve ever tried and are made with excellent craftsmanship (most compacts come with applicators that are completely worthless). I have mixed feelings about this quad due to the colors. Quality, pigment, application and lasting power are all top of the line, but the colors are very warm and quite outside my comfort zone. I know they are designed for a more colorful summer look, but I tried these several different ways and yellow/orange really aren’t my colors. Based on my testing I do think the quality, design and pigment are excellent. Now that I’ve been able to see for myself how good these are I am going to do some investigating on other colors and try to order a few (if you have any recs please let me know!).

Creamy Moist Lipstick in EX-20 Hyaku Daidai £27 for 0.13 oz/3.8 g – this is a richly pigmented creamy lipstick and just as the name implies, very moist. Both of the shades I tried are full-coverage colors with an insanely luxuriously creamy texture. I love coral-like shades and usually wear softer peaches but EX-20 is really quite striking even though it’s orange. It has a fun summery vibe. There is a tiny bit of shimmer in this one – it’s visible in the tube and on the lips but not in an overly frosted way. Lasting power is very good and the color stays put as long as you don’t touch your lips.

Creamy Moist Lipstick in EX-21 Senka £27 for 0.13 oz/3.8 g – this is a bright raspberry pink. It’s medium-deep and bright all at the same time. On me it pulls neutral-cool but still has enough warmth in the base that it doesn’t look blueish. If you like lots of bold color this is really quite pretty.

Swatches of all three, first with flash:

Without flash:

A closer look at each item:

Eye look of all four shades layered and blended, you may not be able to detect any of the white, but it was used as the last step to blend out any harsh edges:

After years of reading so many wonderful reviews on the brand I’m thrilled to finally have been able to try a few items. The quality is top notch – I’m so impressed with the texture of everything. The eyeshadows are unbelievably soft – almost pillow soft to the touch. They blend beautifully but the colors in EX-31 just really aren’t my kind of colors. The Creamy Glow Lipsticks are everything everyone has raved about – creamy, glowy, moist with full and flawless coverage. The neutral lip lover in me is dying to try some of the more neutral shades – if you have any recommendations on where to start please let me know in the comments.

I do believe the items in the summer collection are limited-edition (I’ll update once I confirm), currently available at Selfridges. I’m still in the spring mindset for colors (although I do love a good bronzer year round) but the lip items will be perfect for warmer months when brighter colors feel more in season (at least for me).

Have you tried anything from Suqqu before?

Many thanks to Suqqu for sending a few items for me to play with.
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