SUQQU UK Exclusive Summer ’17 collection – the one that got away

Summer collections – my pet peeve. Right now we are sporting between 45 – 50 degrees Celsius here in Dubai which makes me entitled to say that summer is on. The problem with today’s article is, that I will be showing you the UK Exclusive Summer 2017 collection by SUQQU and as it launched at the end of April, it is kind of sold out. 

So what’s the point of me even writing the article? I’m not doing so in order to please the brand (as the products were sent to me for review consideration) and I’m not showing you the products to make you feel sad about missing out on the collection. The reasons for me to put this article up is that 1. I want TLF to function as a small library for us beauty enthusiasts. Therefore, when you search for a specific brand, I want to be able to present as many articles and extensive information as possible, so that you can get familiar with the brand and make conscious decisions while shopping – no matter if the exact products are still available or not. 2. I also think that certain color combinations and collections are so wonderful, so even if they are limited edition and disappears from the counters before you had the chance to get them, there might still be similar shades availabe in the standard range or you might get some inspiration and find something close to it from another brand. I think this is fair game: if a brand keeps super short collections then the customers will be forced to look for similar alternatives elsewhere…

Therefore, please let me introduce the amazing SUQQU UK Exclusive Summer ’17 collection made by the phenomenal and talented Jorge Balzaretti, Creative Consultant and MUA. I’ve followed Jorge for the past 3 years and seen his career bloom. There are many talented professional makeup artists out there but it is extremely unusual for a creative consultant to be trusted to create multiple collections for one single brand! It deserves nothing but respect. Whenever there is a new “Jorge-collection” launching, we always see social media going nuts; and rightfully so, because what he does is to find those color combinations that pushes the borders of what is “wearable” without being too artistic and bold.

For this summer capsule collection (all limited edition) we got two Design Colour Eye Quads, one Pure Colour Blush and two Extra Glow Lipsticks; all of them in a theme of Japanese island nature with its jungles and beaches as inspiration.

Let’s start with the eyeshadow quads shall we. When I first saw the press pictures of the collection, my eyes immediately wandered to the #103 KISUI shadow. I have a thing for green and it took me quite some time to understand how to work greens so that they would amplify my brown eyes instead of doing the opposite.  Nowadays, I often reach for this groups of shades but to me, I think Jorge made them extra interesting. This is why:

  • The bright, cool toned yellow-green shade is matte which makes it a smooth transition shade that blends easily with the other, darker alternatives. On my caramel toned skin, it doesn’t show up all that much but it spices up the rest of the shades when layered together.
  • The light bronze shade is super shimmery and luxurious in texture. I get a little Tom Ford feeling when I use this shade.
  • The metallic emerald green shade is cool toned and very deep with some fine micro shimmers encapsulated into the powder. This is the shade that I thought would be a challenge for my eyes (make the look go murky) but the light catches those micro shimmers so beautifully and makes the mobile eye lid brighten up the look!
  • The satin black-green shade is my favourite. I could wear it alone just for the amazing pigmentation and the texture.

Yes, the textures. This is the quad where SUQQU has really gone to town and presented us with all the options possible. Four textures in one quad is not something that the brand usually do and I’m very happy that they let us have so much fun. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

The quad is fun and vivid with great pigment (also a bit unusual for SUQQU who tend to make products more in line with the Asian market of sheer and beautiful textures). It feels like they have adapted this collection to be bright and vivid to attract the western clientele. I could’t be more happy about that, since my skin eats pigment and need the extra strength in order for the look to stick.

The second quad, #104 NATSUSANGO didn’t caught my eyes back when it was first presented; but here’s the funny thing: I’ve been constantly reaching for this eyeshadow compact because it just makes my face look so polished and elegant! This is a palette in the more expected Jorge-way, featuring 3 matte shades and one shimmery.

  • The sheer, matte pale peach doesn’t show up at all on me but makes a superb base to the whole lid before going in with the other shades. It is also a little wizard because it supports the blending of the other shades. The perfect non-detectable shade!
  • The beige pink is our glittery hero. It is warm and almost iridescent (it reminds me of some of the BECCA highlighters). This one makes all the difference and I will get back to that in a second.
  • The matte brick/terracotta shade goes in line with last year’s trend but looks more like summer with pinch of yellow in it. I’m in love with this shade as it is interesting and makes the crease look amazing!
  • The matte black is actually warm and intense. I’ve seen someone describe it as black with a hint of plum and it actually make sense. Obviously perfect as an eyeliner but it also works great to do a smokey brick eyelook.

Now. What you see is not all what you get! You see, in the collection there are a total of 8 eyeshadows but SUQQU has generously treated us to some hidden shades.

All of these shades are super easy to blend together but they also work with a cool layering technique to give us additional, surprising shades! Layered two or two, or even three shades at a time, you’ll find some super beautiful and wearable shades with multi-textured finishes. This is also where the glittery beige pink shade in #104 NATSUSANGO comes in. Exactly like with the Tom Ford Eye color Duo, the shiny shade goes on top of the others, pressed down into the darker powdery pigments to create an extra dimension to your look! It is spectacular and looks utterly beautiful. I hope and pray that SUQQU will consider making this quad a part of their permanent collection! (Jorge, do you hear this?! hihi)

Then there are those lipsticks. Two limited edition Extra Glow Lipsticks, not to be confused with the brand’s other lipstick collections Creamy Glow and Creamy Glow Moist.

The #104 TSUYAZAKURO is nothing but a master piece. If you can say that about a lipstick? The neutral berry pink is extremely pigmented for a “glow lipstick” and I only need one layer to cover my lips with the most beautiful shade. It is summer, sexy and feminine with a twist of fun. It makes my teeth look really white and funnily enough it looks really cool (and not too much) together with a full on green/emerald eyelook! I say, run to your preferred makeup counter and find something similar, STAT.

The #105 HAMADAIDAI is said to be a coral shade but I disagree. It is orange. Full on bright orange. As it so happens, I like to wear orange lipsticks and have a number of them, all in different textures, but this one is my first with a glowing touch. It is creamy and highly pigmented and in need of a lip pencil to stay in place. I like the shade a lot but it is a challenge for me to wear it as I really need to pay attention to what base makeup I’m using in order to not look slightly ill, with an unpleasant yellow undertone to my skin. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this with any kinds of bronzing products, at least not if you’ve got my skin tone!

I know that these two beauties works great together to create an ombre lip, but I’ve instead blended them on a palette and created yet another “unintentional hidden shade” which is so much fun and sexy for the summer. A little tips. Always dare to play with your lipsticks!

Finally, the collection also consisted of a limited edition Pure Colour Blush in #102 TSUYAKAGEROU. It has certainly provided me with a challenge. With its ombre design it could be a blusher, a bronzer or even a highlighter if you’ve got toned skin. For me, it sadly didn’t work as neither of it. The texture is amazing, silky and smooth with beautiful soft pigments but the shade(s) were just too orange for me to work with. I’ve said it many times: I’m very peculiar when it comes to anything in the bronze and “sun kissed” area because there is a fine line for me looking either like an Oompa Loompa or like my skin is almost dull and dirty. None of them flattering, I can assure you! i usually love these luxurious ombre blushers that SUQQU creates; this time, the shade wasn’t working with my skin but I have seen others on Instagram rocking this blush to perfection. I guess this is what we all come across with makeup: it is personal and not everything works well on everyone. No harm in that!

To finish this review I still wish for the same things as always when it comes to SUQQU: please make the limited collections available for a longer period of time (if it is a summer collection I want to be able to buy it and recommend it all summer long) and please make your amazing brand easier to access on a global market. Yes, it is always something extra special with products that are super exclusive and produced in small batches, I totally get that – but the brand, the quality and the love is too good to be kept an official secret for all beauty junkies out there who are dying to try high quality and MUA-approved makeup. I will forever love the products and the SUQQU brand and I hope that more people will get the chance to do so in the future. ♥

 

Products provided for review consideration. 
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10 Comments
    1. hahahahahaha, you’re making me laugh so hard! I’m not sure at all that I take good pictures, but I try. I think that the colour scheme for SS17 is very “pastry” and Laduree inspired. Might be why the pictures end up looking this way. Come think of it, it goes for the fragrances as well – we can see several sweet creations smelling like ice cream! xoxox, M

  1. I couldn’t agree with you more on this post.. I think it’s wonderful to have sort of a “SUQQU library” online, to be able to read ppl’s thoughts and check colors from past collections for potential dupes. That’s what I did before there was a better access to SUQQU – except the international access still has room for improvement. I’m also a huge fan of Jorge and his talent: both looks created with the makeup as well as the products. He also seems such a nice person.

    I gotta say Tsuyakagerou was my favorite from this collection. Sure, I love the lipsticks and eyeshadows, but this blush is a beautiful sun-kissed peachy orange bronze on my cheeks.. I can’t get enough of it!

    40-50 celcius?!?!! It’s about +22-25°C in here and I’m already boiling….. Take care dear!

    xx Laura / Laurantaina Beauty Blog

    1. Fabulous Laura!! I love reading your comment as I know how close you are with the brand and Jorge! Its amazing that the different products really suit different complexions so there’s always something for everyone. I have worn this collection a lot it is fun and fresh and totally match the Dubai SUNSHINE (read: freaking hot) and I can’t wait for the next Jorge-collection to arrive for Xmas. Thank you so much darling for taking the time to read and comment. Kisses, M

  2. I like that you decided to post these even if they are no longer available. The brand is fairly new to me but I don’t have any stores in my area who carry the line so I can try out the products first. You make a good point that brands should make these limited editions available for a longer period of time. Although I suppose that would defeat the purpose of feeling rushed to get it before it’s gone.

    1. Lovely Traci, I think limited editions is fun and we should have them, but sadly with SUQQU they’ve become limited-limited. No one seem to get hold of the products in time and it’s so unfortunate as they are AMAZING. I hope, by raising my voice and highlighting the issue, that the brand will take notice and see how many customers they are loosing worldwide. More SUQQU to the people! xoxo M

  3. Good morning and thank you for this review. It is funny how brands make us crave collections that are sold out. I agree with you: the warm colors palette is something I would reach for as well. The blush-bronzer-highlighter looks beautiful in the pan. The lip colors are spectacular. Have a lovely day! We don’t have 50 degrees Celsius in Romania – just 38-40, which makes me avoid wearing makeup, yet it will never stop me from checking out your amazing instagram posts. Hugs

    1. Hello my wonderful Daphne! Yes, I don’t want to be too critical against a brand that I love…but it is really sad that they make the limited edition collections almost impossible to reach. It should be for everyone! The quality is superb but I totally see what you mean: wearing makeup in this heath is a nightmare!!! Kisses sweetie, M

  4. I have tried to buy SUQUU and I can’t figure out where to get it! Their website doesn’t translate. The products I have are amazing. A big fluffy brush and blush but they were bought in Japan. Now… where can I find more? HELP!

    1. Oh beautiful Janine I remember when your amazing dad got those for you! This is something that truly bothers me about the brand; they are amazing and so hard to get!! As for now, I only think that Selfridges.com or Harrord.com ship to the US. Have a look and see if that might work for you. Kisses and you know that I love you and your fun way of shopping :)) xoxo, M

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