Suqqu Eyelash Curler

Considering the price range for Suqqu's products, their eyelash curler - which comes packaged in a sleek black box that includes two refill pads - is something of a bargain at £12. I like them a lot, and, supposedly, from what I have read anyways, a lot of make-up artists & 'celebrities' swear by them. The single most important thing to remember when choosing the best eyelash curler is to find one that, regardless of brand, comfortably fits the shape of ones eyes. Every brand seems to make a pair that has a slightly different shape and/or size to one another so shopping around for the perfect fit is important. Some brands have extremely shallow curves for flatter shaped eyes whilst others have much deeper curves for more rounded eyes. The correct fitting shaped curler shouldn't pinch the skin around the eyes, and, if they are, it usually means they have too deep a curve.

The shape of Suqqu's curler is quite wide and shallow with a firm rubber pad. A lot of people prefer a rounded "mushroom" shaped pad as it apparently allows for a softer curl, and I often hear complaints of curlers that have a flat pad like Suqqu's to crimp eyelashes into 90 degree angles - or worse yet to chop eyelashes in half. Personally I have never had any of these problems, but I consider maintenance to be of the highest importance when it comes to preventing any eyelash curler related beauty calamities. My only criticism of the pads is that they are quite stiff and therefore the curlers don't have much spring/bounce to them when one is squeezing the handles. If you like the shape of Suqqu's eyelash curlers but have problems with their rubber pads, I am sure it wont be a huge inconvenience to replace them with more cushioned alternatives.



(I apologies for the spidery lashes, my mascara is drying up.) If you compare these pictures to any of the uncurled eyelash pictures from my previous mascara reviews, I hope it will show the enormous amount of difference an eyelash curler makes.

Suqqu Eyeliner Creamy in Black (02)

Suqqu's eyeliner creamy, or rather creamy eyeliner, has one of the nicest eyeliner-in-a-pot consistency I have ever come across so far. It is not too hard and not too soft - just creamy effortless eyeliner perfection. I also like that these type of eyeliners give the option of creating a much softer line than their liquid counterparts. One can gently glide the eyeliner across the eyelid without any tugging or dragging. Suqqu's eyeliner is also waterproof and lasts well with literally no fading or smudging of the corners which, in my experience, typically wear away first. However those with extremely oily eyelids like mine may find some feathering of a crisp line after a long day.

The overall packaging is, as Suqqu always is, absolutely fantastic. The whole thing is presented in a deceptively large black box with a black plastic mold that snugly holds the frosted glass screw top jar and accompanying retractable brush. The brush is phenomenal, and, in my opinion, justifies the otherwise high retail price of the whole ensemble.

Price: £22/3.3g

Ingredients: Isododecane, Trifluoropropyldimethyl/Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cyclomethicone, Polyethene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Barium Sulfate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica, Phenoxyethanol [+/- May Contain: CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499]

Bi-monthly Favourites : September/October

The rapidity in which this year is going by is downright frightening. Not exactly the most original of observations perhaps but I still cannot believe it is a only few days away from November. I was planning to focus this particular edition of bi-monthly favourites on my recently adjusted skincare routine now that it is winter weather here in the UK, but I realised the majority of the products have been covered in previous posts, and it seemed a little redundant to repeat it all again. Instead here are some new and old stuff I have been using (and liking) recently but haven't got round to reviewing more thoroughly.

» Naked Volume Body Building Shampoo £3.99/250ml
I have been using Naked hair products for a couple of months now and so far so good; my hair feels clean, the smell is pleasant, and I do get a little bit of extra volume when using this particular one. Like most SLS free shampoos, it doesn't foam particularly well so I shampoo twice as the lather is so much better the second time.

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» Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores £18/100ml
Mud masks are a must have in my skincare routine but I'm not too picky about which ones I use. I picked up this one by Origins when they had a promotion a while ago, and it is nice, but not necessarily superior than the cheaper ones I have used in the past.

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» Care+ Witch Hazel £1.10/200ml
I picked a bottle up after hearing lots of encouraging things about using witch hazel as a toner. It does contain alcohol, but doesn't make my skin feel dry or uncomfortable The smell leaves much to be desired, but the product itself is good.

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» Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum £44/30ml
My skin has been looking much more even lately and I don't know if it is entirely down to this serum, or a combination of all the products in my current routine. None the less I like this serum a lot, and I use it on my face, neck, chest and the backs of my hands - basically all the places that are most vulnerable to sun damage.

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» Une Skin-Matt Foundation £12.99/30ml
This is my first time using Une products. The shade is a smidge too pink for me so I will have to buy a deeper colour at some point, but the foundation is really excellent with medium coverage, a natural finish, and good durability.

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» MeMeMe Beautifully You Eyeshadow in Cafe £4.99
A surprisingly nice quality eye shadow by MeMeMe. The taupe shade is your bog standard purple with silver shimmer offering, and not quite as complex as taupes from higher end brands perhaps, but still a good one to have if you don't own a lot of taupes.

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» H&M Eye shadow in Give Me That Special Glow £2.99/6g
The darkest shade on the far right is the only shadow I ever use from this palette. I love that colour but I wish the quality of these eye shadows were better.

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» Collection 2000 Big Fake Lash £4.99/8ml
The mascara is decent, and certainly one of Collection 2000's better mascaras, but not quite adept at volume building as others I have tried. The wand reminds me of a toilet brush too - it is absolutely enormous - and I do have to be careful when I use it otherwise I end up smudging it everywhere.

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» Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen in 01 Green £18/0.7ml
I couldn't think of another product to include so I added this in. Strictly speaking though, this and the Shu Uemura Hard Formula pencil are my favourites every month.

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» Suqqu Powdery Cheeks in 11 Ashibi £22/4.5g
I love the powdery cheeks formula by Suqqu, and Ashibi is such a pretty wearable dusty pink. Absolutely lovely.

Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen in 01 Green

My biggest beauty dilemma has always been figuring out what to use on my eyebrows, but there are so many brow products available nowadays that it is not too difficult to find one or two that would be suitable. I have black hair and so colour wise I find Asian brands make brow products that suit me best. My all time favourite is the Eyebrow Liquid Pen by Suqqu, and my love for this product stems from the fact that it doesn't easily rub off like most pencils and powders. My mother who - thanks to an eye lift - is missing the tail of her brows is also an avid user of this pen. There are only two colours available: 01 Green which is ideal for those with cool toned hair (ie black), and 02 Brown which will be perfect for pretty much everyone else. Initially the colour payoff is super sheer, almost worryingly so, but with enough patience the intensity can be built, and most importantly it always looks natural. My only complaint, which my mother also shares, is that it can take a little too long to build up the opacity to suit our tastes. Most pencils requires a few strokes to get the job done, but this needs a lot more to give a similar effect. Not exactly the sort of thing one has patience for at six in the morning, but short of tattooing them on, this is the next best thing in terms of durability.

Price: £18/0.7ml

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Soluble Collagen, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Proplyparaben [May Contain +/-: CI 42090, CI 17200, CI 19140]


My eyebrows in their virgin state... after a pair of tweezers of course. They are not as neat as they could be perhaps, but sculpted eyebrows require way too much maintenance for me.


My eyeglasses partially obstruct my eyebrows anyway so I can get away with a lot but this is how dark I typically go


... and just to show it can be built up more heavily for Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth-esque eyebrows.

Suqqu Liquid Foundation Aqua

Asian brands make the best bases for my colouring (olive-yellow) and skin type (oily t-zone, normal elsewhere) but they can be difficult to test in person - or even to get hold of - for those not living in Asia. One of my favourite foundations is the Liquid Foundation Aqua made by Suqqu (pronounced soo-koo), a Japanese brand which is only available in a handful of countries across the world. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to blog about Suqqu, but they make some amazing products. For those in the UK, Suqqu has counters in London and Birmingham Selfridges, and the Edinburgh based store DollyLeo Apothecary also stock a small range from the line. Suqqu products can also be purchased worldwide from Mihoko, Ichibankao and DollyLeo online stores. They have recently revamped their entire line but I don't know whether this particular foundation has been/is going to be discontinued in the process. Aqua has been discontinued, and will be replaced by the new Frame Fix foundation.

Price: £38/24ml

Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethlhexyl Methioxycinnamate, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Maltitol, Mineral Oil, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone Copolyol, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tribehenin, BHT, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Silk Powder, Tocopherol, Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, [+/- May Contain: CI 77491, CI 77482, CI 77499, Talc]




The packaging is okay; simple, sleek, but nothing revolutionary. The foundation comes in a frosted glass base with a plastic lid. I am disappointed by the lack of a pump, but thankfully the opening is fairly small and thus easier to control. Also included with the foundation is a dense diamond shaped sponge and a pouch to store it in.


I used two layers of foundation in the pictures above (left), and it still looks like my skin - only much more even. The foundation has a wonderfully light and natural looking finish which I adore, and reminds me a little of Giorgio Armani's Lasting Silk Foundation - but more suited for oily skin, and without the high alcohol content. I do still get oily on my t-zone, and I need to blot one or twice throughout the day, but the foundation itself stays intact on my face all day without needing to be touched up. It is a somewhat drying foundation (due to the water content) and may not suit those with dry, or noticeably flaky, skin. There are only six shades in this range, and I use 15, the second lightest shade, which is best suited for a yellow NC20 complexion. I imagine those lighter than NC/NW15 or darker than NC/NW35 will struggle to find a suitable match.