Suqqu Spring 2013: EX-13 Ginusudama

Several pieces of the Suqqu spring collection landed on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of a (well placed) loved one in London. I didn't find many of the US releases this season exciting and haven't been making new purchases, so the package was a welcome dose of beauty. I've mentioned on Twitter some time ago that I've largely weaned myself off the need to buy and own lots of things, but it's always nice getting something pretty in the mail.

A review of the spring palettes would not be complete without mention of this different, duochrome-ish white-silver packaging (as opposed to the usual black). I assume it is an allusion to the color of pearls, as the products from the entire spring collection ends with the word pearl (genius, I am).

Swatched clockwise from the top left, Ginusudama contains a pearlescent pink, a bronze-copper, an ivory, and a decidedly duochrome purple-gray. Though really, those are crude words to describe the colors above. Each shade flickers and changes slightly in the light. The formula, if you can believe, is even more buttery smooth compared to the regular quads. It's pigmented but light – you can't overwhelm the eyes with this palette, no matter how much you pile on.

The Look

For the look above, I used the palette in the most generic way possible. White as under brow and inner corner highlight, pink all over then layered with the copper, and purple-gray shade as liner. Because the color palette was so light, I knew I couldn't rely on my go-to nude. I reached for a shade I've never tested before, NARS Velvet Gloss in New Lover, and was surprised that it complemented the look very nicely indeed. Perhaps it's in the coolness of the shades? Nevertheless, that's a friendly pink added to the trusted stash, and we all know doesn't happen very often.

Suqqu EX-13 Ginusudama is available at ichibankao.com in the US, albeit with a high markup.

Products Used:
Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream in Light Medium
RMS "Un" Cover-Up in #22
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in Moss Green
Suqqu EX-13 Ginusudama Blend Color Eyeshadow
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner in 08 Eye On
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Guerlain Blush G Sakura (Asia Exclusive)
NARS Velvet Gloss in New Lover

A Holiday Eye Tutorial: Silver Eyes And Red Lips

I unearthed my Guerlain Les Gris Eyeshadow Quad from a recent rummage through forgotten drawers and decided to put it to good use. I reimagined one of my all-time favorite pictures on Messy Wands, resulting in the makeup from the recent Dolce & Gabbana lipstick post. Below is the low-down on how to achieve the look.

I primed my eyelids using Le Métier de Beauté x Marchesa Sheer Illumination Brightener (at time of writing, still available at John Barrett Salon!), also applying some to the tops of my cheekbones. I applied the lightest shade from Guerlain Les Gris all over the lid, then patted on the shimmery light gray over three-fourths of the lid. I smoked out the corners with the dark blue-gray shade and added slight definition to the outer-v with the matte gray. I lined my eyes as close as possible to the upper lash line with a black liner and applied a smidgen of the shimmery gray on the lower lash line. Some mascara, and voila.

For cheeks, I contoured under the cheekbones with Chanel Notorious and lightly applied blush to the apples with Benefit Dandelion.

The lips, as mentioned, is Dolce & Gabbana Ultra, lined with Le Métier de Beauté Rose Dualistic Lip Pencil.

I do not actually think Chanel Dragon Vernis is the best polish to go with this lip color, but I just wanted to illustrate how blue D&G Ultra is as a red lipstick that it makes the very blue Dragon look warm.

It's funny how the shorter my hair is, the more makeup I can wear without looking like a total clown. In case the amount of color on your face bothers you though, you could always throw on a pair of glasses. (Feeble hurrah) as this is the only time we of the bespectacled bunch has the upper hand.

Products Used:
Face -
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Camomile
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks
Benefit Dandelion

Eyes -
Le Métier de Beauté x Marchesa Sheer Illumination Brightener ($48, contact Dustin at 212.872.2714)
Guerlain 'Ecrin 4 Couleurs' Les Gris Eyeshadow Palette
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil in Eye on 08
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown

Lips -
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Lip Pencil in Rose
Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Ultra #190

MAC Grey Friday Lipstick And Nail Lacquer Duo

If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I am currently an intern at Lifestyle Mirror. I produce beauty content for them (such as this Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals post!), so one of the perks of my job is getting to play with new stuff companies send over to the beauty editor. As soon as I walked in yesterday he brandished MAC's Black Friday exclusive Grey Friday Lipstick and Nail Lacquer Duo at me. As one would expect, I tried it on then and there.

MAC Grey Friday Lipstick is a black-silver, almost metallic color. It can be applied sheer or layered to an intense sooty shade. I was wondering why MAC chose to release this as their sole online Black Friday exclusive. I can't imagine too many people wanting to buy a grey lipstick. But I suppose we could say the same about Chanel Notorious and look how that turned out.

Anyway, I tried it on and understood that this lipstick can be less scary than it looks. It barely shows up on the first layer as it only tints the lips to a grayish plum, which I suppose is a perfectly "societally acceptable" shade and thus commercially viable.

But knowing me, if a lipstick bullet is gray, it better look the same on my lips. I was pleased to find that Grey Friday could be layered on till it resembled what I saw in the tube. It took three or more swipes, but it didn't feel heavy on the lips, and would last till speech, food, or water wore it off. This lipstick had a lot of slip (or maybe it was my lip balm base) but didn't bleed throughout the day.

The Grey Friday Nail Lacquer is also a black-silver. I think this color is nice, but nothing special. Plenty of other brands have certainly offered similar, if not exact hues. That said, it is a nice complement to the lipstick.

MAC Grey Friday Lipstick and Nail Lacquer Duo will be available exclusively on maccosmetics.com on Black Friday, November 23 only.

Products Used:
Face -
Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Liquid Foundation in Bisque #75
Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating & Mattifying Pressed Powder in Teint Beige 02
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Benefit Dandelion Blush

Eyes -
Suqqu Kakitsubata 01 Eyeshadow Quad
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Shu Uemura Retractable Eye Brow Pencil in Seal Brown
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil in Eye On 08

Lips -
MAC Grey Friday Lipstick

Nails -
MAC Grey Friday Nail Lacquer

An Evening Face Tutorial

I recently received an invitation to an evening event and was pondering the makeup I would do for it. Warning: I might be abusing my recent fondness for brown neutrals with a second brown-based eye tutorial this week. Granted, it's not the most flattering shade on me, but irrational fancy needs no excuse, I suppose (for those who live through life wondering why some girls look absolutely amazing in "universal" shades of brown and wheat golds when they make our eyes look like muddy swamps, this fantastic post from Ars Aromatica is worth a read).

Eyes

I started with Le Métier de Beauté Tamarack as my eyeshadow base, then placed Burberry Midnight Brown all over the eyelid, blending toward the brow bone. I used Taupe Brown to deepen the outer corner and Porcelain to highlight below the brow and around the inner corner. 

I applied NARS Rue Bonaparte on my waterline to minimize redness and used Burberry Pale Barley to smoke out the bottom lash line. I lined my eyes with Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil 1, and as usual, a couple coats of Guerlain Noir G Mascara to finish.

Cheeks

Speaking of abuse, are you sick of hearing about Chanel Notorious yet? Because I'm totally still using it everyday. Pictured above is Notorious under the cheekbone, Benefit Dandelion on the apples, and RMS Living Luminizer to highlight.

Lips

Ellis Faas L207 on the lips for a rich, creamy peach.

Nails

On my fingertips, a deep navy creme a la JINsoon Rhapsody. Texturally, Rhapsody was slightly thicker than Auspicious (which was thinner than the standard, which means Rhapsody resembles "regular" polish). I only needed two coats to reach full opacity.

The Complete Look

Products Used:
Face -
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion Blush
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

Eyes -
Shu Uemura Seal Brown Retractable Eye Brow Pencil (not available in US)
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack
Burberry Eyeshadows in Porcelain, Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, and Taupe Brown
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1
Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Lips -
Ellis Faas L207

Nails -
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody


And because friends tell friends when there are savings to be had:
Giorgio Armani Cosmetics – 15 percent off with code EXCLUSIVE at checkout.

JINsoon Auspicious Nail Lacquer

After painting on the third coat of JINsoon Auspicious, I felt the kind of excitement – the kind that makes you want to jump out of your bed and whoop for joy like Charlie Bucket's grandfather – that's become increasingly rare with every new beauty product I acquire. At first glance, Auspicious is but a light milky gray, but stare at it a little longer and you start to see the lavender peek through, then you realize it's the perfect in-betweener. It's Addiction Concrete Jungle (one of my absolute favorite eye shadows) in polish form. 

The formula for this particular color is thinner compared to the other JINsoon creations I've tried (Rhapsody and Risque, which will appear on the blog in due time), but based on how the color looks by layer, I think that was intended. I applied the polish in thin strokes, thus required three coats to reach complete opacity. It was fast drying, and hasn't chipped after a rigorous round of dishwashing and dinner making. In my book, it's a complete win.

JINsoon Auspicious Nail Lacquer retails for $18 and is available at Sephora and Space NK, as well as JINsoon nail salons. If you're interested in purchasing, I consider it my duty to inform you that the Sephora Friends & Family Sale will commence in two days, so hold on to those pursestrings just a little longer!

3 Looks, 1 Palette: Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome

Beautiful design, but minus points for smudgy fingerprints

One of the most beautiful (non-limited edition) palette I own has to be the Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome. I purchased this when it first came out two years ago, but relegated it to the back drawer because I could never make it work. The looks came out too muddy, too messy, too much, but I realized it's because I kept trying to use all six colors at once. 

I know. 'twas a silly compulsion. But I picked it up again and now it's magic! To illustrate, I created three simple looks from just this one palette, but no doubt I've only scratched the surface of possible combinations. 

Be warned: this post is picture-heavy, even for Messy Wands standards.

First, I love the softly shimmering textures in this palette. The liner shade on the most left can be more intense if used wet, but I don't like doing it because I don't like the leftover stain you get on the shadow. The taupe shade is beautiful on the lower lash line, which you can see in action in the last look below.

(Also, for concision's sake I will not explain the base makeup/repeat steps like apply concealer/mascara etc. For list of products used, scroll to the bottom.)

Light Smokey Eye

Apply ivory shade as highlight under brows and around inner corners of the eyes. Light gray shade all over the lid, lightly blending out toward the brow bone, and on bottom lash line. Taupe shade in the outer v. Lightly apply liner shade to upper lash line.

Deep Gray Gradient Smokey Eye

Pat the darkest gray shade on to the eyelid and use the taupe shade to blend it out toward the brow bone. Use the ivory shade to highlight under the brows and blend into the taupe. Press liner shade into upper lash line. The bottom lash line is a combination of the dark gray and taupe shades.

On a side note, methinks it's time to invest in a better brush for the lower lash line.

Violet Smokey Eye

 

Pat the blue shade on to the eyelid, blend light gray in the inner 1/3, then press taupe shade to the center of the eyelid, being careful not to blend it out too much (but enough so it's not just a patch). Line upper lash line with liner shade and lower lash line with taupe shade.

And finally, to dispel the "rule" (myth, I say!) that you can't pair a heavy eye with a drastic lip:

Using my new favorite red: Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

Endless fun! Can you believe I used only one brush (my precious Shu Uemura 11 Pure Kolinsky) to apply all that eyeshadow too? The palette, mercifully, is in Guerlain's permanent color collection for $85.

Shop the products:

· I used the same base makeup for each look -

Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2

Dior Skinflash Primer #001

Le Métier de Beauté Foundation Brush

RMS Beauty Uncover-Up #22

Guerlain Ecrin 6-Couleurs Eyeshadow in 2, Place Vendome

Shu Uemura 11 Pure Kolinsky Eyeshadow Brush

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in 01 Moss Green

Shu Uemura Retractable Mechanical Brow Pencil in Seal Brown

Shu Uemura 6OB Brush

· Look 1 -

Suqqu Balancing Cheeks in 02 Mukuge

John Masters Organics Lip Calm

Shu Uemura 20H Blush Brush

· Look 2 -

(same as Look 1, with the addition of)

Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick #12

· Look 3 -

(same as Look 2)

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks (now available on Chanel.com!)

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Le Métier de Beauté Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Bondi Beach

· Bonus -

Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Pencil in Rose

Mohair sweater is from Club Monaco, purchased last year.

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks, Worn

I repeat: it's a gray-taupe contour shade. Chanel didn't even give me a chance to hate it (swatches here).

As much as possible, I mirrored the makeup look in Chanel's Fall 2012 show. I pondered for a quick second how I was going to bling my brows, then gave up.

Products:
· Face: Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2 mixed with Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base, RMS Beauty Concealer #22
· Cheeks: Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks applied to hollows of the cheeks and jawline with Hakuhodo 210 (a firm contour brush), blended furiously. RMS Beauty Luminizer to highlight
· Brows: Shu Uemura Mechanical Eyebrow Pencil
· Eyes: Using Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush L (basically a big fluffy eyeshadow brush), I lightly dusted Notorious on the lid and winged it out. Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Mascara in Jade for natural-looking lashes
· Lips: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

As you can imagine, the key to using Notorious as a blush is a light hand and a lot of blending (seriously, don't scrimp on the blending). So far, it seems many think using it will lead to zombie face, but I examined the hollows of my cheeks pre-contouring and it looks like a grayed version of my skin tone, which is why I thought it would be perfect. You can also pair it with a light blush to blend in with the gray so that it looks more "natural," but for this photo shoot I used only Notorious. 

To be honest, the blush is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stale beauty market of late. I feel like a lot of brands have just been producing different versions of the same thing (e.g. liquid lipsticks, matte/velvet formulas), and while that has always been the norm, this year's slew of releases feels particularly uninspired. 

That said, I wouldn't recommend Notorious to beginners, just because it is really easy to overdo it. 

For purchase information, visit yesterday's post.