SUQQU has been winning over fans for years with their timeless and elegant products, and it is so easy for any company to play it safe and continue on its current trajectory. But in order to break new markets, and inject a fresh attitude, change is sometimes necessary. And after teasing us for months, SUQQU has finally released its Spring 2017 Colour Collection, featuring 5 completely brand new Designing Colour Eyes along with lots of other pretties. I have some pieces from the collection to show you today, so enjoy!
SUQQU Designing Colour Eyes are a new line of eyeshadow quads that replaces the previous Blend Colour Eyeshadow range. The packaging uses the new black top / gold bottom design that was first introduced last fall with the Pure Color Blushes [see here]. It is slimmer and feels better in the hands than the former design. I was relieved to see SUQQU had retained the mini dual-ended squirrel brushes in the new palettes because those are really high quality and actually work great. They have unfortunately removed the velvet sleeve which I personally don’t miss but if you travel with your palettes often, I can see how that can be a bit inconvenient. I’m also glad they got rid of those plastic tray covers that don’t sit properly and always get in the way when closing the palettes. The important thing to note is that the new Designing Colour Eyes now come with 5.6gm of product, which means a third more product for the same price as before!
But fans didn’t flock to SUQQU for their packaging, it was ultimately all about the complex elegant shimmers, and the ability to layer on shades breezily. The new formula feels as soft and smooth as before, but the biggest difference was the increased colour intensity and opacity. Whereas in the past, SUQQU could be considered as one of the more pigmented of Japanese makeup, it was still classically Japanese with subtle washes of color. The new Designing Colour Eyes takes on a more Western approach towards eye makeup, and are much more pigmented than before. On the other hand, the older palettes carried more variety in opacity and finishes which allowed for more interesting play. In contrast, the 2 palettes I tried offered the same level of pigmentation and texture across all 4 shades, with little variations in finishes.
This is perhaps best demonstrated by taking a closer look at the new SUQQU Designing Colour Eyes 03 Benimiyabi:
Benimiyabi was the first to catch my eye out of the 5 new Designing Colour Eyes released this season with the stunning cool-toned red. The name of the palette, loosely translated means “elegant red”, which is really apt for this colour story.
I swatched these on a slightly damp arm (damp from a makeup remover wipe, nothing more), and check out how pigmented they turned out! The swatches from left to right are:
Benimiyabi’s red/brown colour story reminded me of EX-32 Rengazome from last fall [reviewed here], so I decided to swatch them side-by-side for your reference:
Both sets of swatches were done on the same slightly dampened skin from a makeup remover wipe, but while I only used 1 swipe for the Benimiyabi palette, I needed about 3 swipes per shade for Rengazome. Notice also Rengazome’s older formula contained a variety of finishes – matte, satin, shimmer; and the lightest shade was markedly sheerer than the rests.
For those who were intrigued by all the gorgeous red hues last fall but were unable to make that leap with the warm tones, Benimiyabi is a good one to catch now because it is by far the coolest-toned of them all, and of course the khaki bronze-taupe combination is killer.
I recreated the same eye look using Benimiyaki as I first did with Rengazome, and the effect is definitely much flashier with the strong metallic sheen.
I was very touched when I saw Jorge had also picked out Designing Colour Eye 05 Aoshizuku for me, because it was clear that he had taken time to look at my pictures and perhaps browsed through some of my blog to see my personal preferences. Aoshizuku is definitely another palette that I had my eye on from the earliest sneak pictures!
Aoshizuku surprised me with its intensity, while I had expected it to be steely cool, it actually swatched out warmer!
From left to right, the shades are:
I was most intrigued by the chameleon-like nature of Aoshizuku, and had to play with it several times to get to an eye look that I was satisfied with. This is much more dramatic than any other SUQQU eye palette I’ve tried, and I personally find it exciting. On the other hand, the shades are incredibly soft and tend to overblend into each other, which detracts from the vibrancy of the shades, turning them into murk. At the same time, there are some really cool hidden shimmers in here, and the icy silver is truly transformative, bringing out some turquoise micro-shimmers that I didn’t see before.
Before I show you the full look in context, I’d like to also show you 2 other pieces from the Spring 2017 collection.
SUQQU Pure Color Blush 101 Kasaneyamabuki is a new limited edition shade for this season, and it is a stunning ombre featuring a warm salmon pink on the left, and a golden orange on the right. The previous Pure Color Blushes that I had featured more of a sheer highlighter on the right [see here], so I was urprised by how pigmented the orange is in Kasaneyamabuki. The pan is large enough that you can concentrate your brush on either side to pick the colour of your choice, or swirl across both shades for a blended tangerine hue.
The finish of the blush is a flattering satin with just a hint of shimmers for that lit up cheeks effect. This Kasaneyamabuki blush is perfect for those looking for something new to add to their existing blush wardrobe of pinks and corals, and so bold for SUQQU!
You cant get past spring without some balmy lipsticks. SUQQU first introduced these Extra Glow Lipsticks in Fall 2016 along with the Pure Color Blushes, and these are some of my favourite juicy lip formula today. Featuring a blend of 7 oils, SUQQU’s Extra Glow Lipsticks incredibly comfortable on the lips and also pack a good dose of colour. The one I have here is SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick 13 Saeazami, and as you can see from the swatch above, it is a cool-toned creamy pink with a slightly sheerness.
Here is the full look, featuring Designing Colour Eye 05 Aoshizuku on the eyes, Pure Color Blush 101 Kasaneyamabuki on the cheeks, and SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick 13 Saeazami on the lips.
Generally speaking, there will invariably be a slight learning curve whenever companies reformulate their products. I tend to go heavier on my eye makeup, and so I am fully embracing the increased levels of pigmentation and bolder colour stories. On the other hand, I do miss the more complex shimmers of the older range, and I am not so fond of the strong sheen in some of the shades. Regardless, it is still top notch quality that I find impossible to fault, and eagerly await future releases!
Everything discussed here is permanent, with the exception of Kasaneyamabuki. Unfortunately, they seem to be all soldout at the moment on Selfridges’ website, but you could probably get hold of the pieces by calling the counters directly – see here for the full list of contacts. Good luck and have fun!
This post featured products that were generously provided for my consideration. Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.
Suqqu is on my radar since a while but not easy to find 🙂 Def my next makeup splurge ! Thanks for the swatches and tips on your makeup look ! XOXO
Kédidja ~ beautymoodboard.com
Oh it is definitely a splurge! But a lovely treat when you need it! 😉 Thank you for stopping by, Kedidja!
How did I miss this review, linking from my post asap.
That blush is so unique, I am kicking myself not to add that to my order earlier this week.
Thanks for your link love, Sara! I enjoyed your post tremendously too, such an in-depth analysis of the formula change. This blush is certainly very unique, but it may be a bit warm for you.
I think all of these palettes look so pretty, I love how they look on you specifically! I wish we had Suqqu here (I guess I say this every time someone reviews their products hah). Thanks for such a nice review!
Naya // http://www.partyparrotblog.com
Hi Naya, thanks for stopping by! I’d love to be able to swatch everything in person at a SUQQU counter myself! But i sometimes get overwhelmed and paralyzed by too many options before me…. heheh.
SO tempting… sigh! They all look and swatch so good. Beautiful eyeshadows and top quality; I think that’s the only brand that does eyeshadows which last and don’t crease on my oily lids after a whole working day. But right now, I’m glad i’m nowhere near Selfridges as there’s too many of these palettes that I want!! 😉
http://www.rougenapples.com
Hahaha…. I completely know what you mean! The quality is as good as Tom Ford, as you said, they don’t crease or muddle up on my lids as the day progresses. I say, sit on it a little, and eventually… the heart wants what it wants! 😉
That’s good advice! Sit on it and then go for it haha! At least no guilt that I didn’t try ;)!!
Sometimes I get distracted by other new pretties… but if I’m still obsessing over something after awhile, I know I need it in my life. 😉
I think Aoshizuki might be the one I look at next. I love how deep and rich that looks on your eyes, Linda. I agree that the quality on these are very high, and I wouldn’t expect less from the brand. I do wish they would incorporate some mattes in the future palettes though!
I’m not a big fan of mattes… but i do miss the shimmers….. lots of time to go, let’s see what they pull out of their magic hats next season!
Can you believe I have never tried this brand! I know of it of course and have seen in London but we don’t have it in Monaco and I like to have a play! It does all look beautiful and these palettes looks amazing. You are making me want it all.
Kelly xx
http://www.KELLiLASH.com
All the more reason to visit London again! ;P Let me know when you do get a chance to play…. i’d love to hear your first impressions on the brand!
That 05 eye palette! LOVE! I was kinda disappointed with the Fall eye palette which was actually my first ever Suqqu eyeshadows, but after seeing your review I’m hopefull for these new ones! xx
Hi Lisa, oh why didn’t you enjoy Rengazome? Tbh I wasn’t too crazy of my very first SUQQU palette either, but that was a gift from a friend, who obviously had different tastes from me. It also took me a while to get used to the softer Japanese aesthetics… but these are so much closer to the Western brands in terms of pigmentation!
I guess my expectations were too high cuz the Rengazome was my first ever Suqqu eyeshadows! Also, I have to keep in mind that Japanese eyeshadow quality and standards are different from western ones! I can’t wait to try more soon!
Gosh, these are all so pretty. I’ve never seen this brand here before but I sure would love to try it. Everything is just beautiful and love the looks you created. xo
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
Thank you, Ann-Marie! SUQQU used to be extremely elusive…. but now it’s much more accessible via selfridges & harrods. They still sell out in a blink on the website, though if you can bear to place a call to their counter, they’re usually quite good about getting an order to wherever you are!
Thank you for this review. 03 is so similar to Rengazome– amazing. I was initially tempted by it, in the hopes that the beiges were more khaki. But I am waiting for the green oriented offerings now that we have the delicious purple palette from earlier this fall. I love Jorge. He is the best. And also he has a more cool toned population there in the UK so he knows how to help us cool toned girls out. The blush is stunning. I love that the blushes are getting more pigmented. Maybe we will get a lavender-mauve blush one day. (hint-hint, Jorge.)
Hehehe… guess what? The other day I just pulled out EX-19 Touryokuzora which is really one of the pretties green palettes I’ve ever owned. I don’t remember seeing many green palettes from SUQQU ever…. will be interesting indeed!!