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.

RMK Christmas Brush Set 2010

This is my first venture into brush sets, and supposedly RMK's first limited edition make-up brush set made in collaboration with artist Keith Haring. I have always been tempted by brush sets because of their cute miniature size - they also allow me to stand much closer to a mirror when applying make-up as I am very short sighted - but I have never taken the plunge prior to this purchase. Nearly all of them have always included at least two brushes I have no use for (lip and foundation brushes are the most common culprits) and the quality usually weren't very good.

At £39, the brush set is much cheaper here in the UK compared to the Japanese retail price of 7140 yen. I emailed RMK specifically to ask, and they confirmed that all the brushes except for the eyeshadow tip is made from natural bristles. Though I don't own any full sized RMK brushes, my overall impression of the quality of these travel sized brushes have been positive: there has no major shedding of hairs, nor bleeding of dye (so far). They all feel very soft, not decadently so perhaps, but certainly on par with some of my full sized brushes. The 15cmx11cm accompanying case doesn't appeal to me aesthetically (which is why I haven't bothered to photograph it in detail) but it is well made, and fulfills its purpose housing the travel sized brushes.



The bigger eyeshadow brush is roughly 10.5cm long made from horse hair. It has a similar shape to the infamous MAC 217 brush (on the right with the silver ferrule) but not quite as rounded. Excellent for applying an all over wash of shadow to the lid, but perhaps not quite so adept at blending as the 217.


The smaller eyeshadow brush measures a little over 10cm long and is also made from horse hair. It is great as a blending brush for those with smaller eyelid area and/or applying colour into the socket.


The eyeshadow tip a sponge applicator which, like the full sized version, is detachable from the handle. The handle itself is 8.5cm, and the replaceable tip is 3.7cm long. The overall length of the brush can be adjusted from 11.5cm to 10.5cm long. I know a lot of people loathe sponge tips, but I personally find them quite useful - especially for packing on colour with sheerer eye shadows.



The eyebrow brush is roughly 10cm long, with a shallow slant, and made from water badger hair. I compared it with the MAC 266 (on the right with the silver ferrule) to show the chunkiness. I don't use brow brushes personally, but I tried it and it is extremely efficient. I wouldn't recommend using this as an eyeliner brush as it feels a little too stiff and coarse for the eye area.


The cheek brush is roughly 12cm long supposedly made from a blend of goat and horse hair. The brush head is reasonably dense, but incredibly small. It allows for a much more precise application of colour which I personally like, but those who are used to large brushes for blush application may feel like this is an insubstantial size.

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase and I have been incorporating these brushes into my daily routine. I don't have much experience with brush sets, and so I can't say whether this set is superior to the offerings by other brands, but I think it would make a good Christmas present.