We are coming into the home stretch now… and my favourite season of the year as holiday collections start rolling.  The genies must have read my mind, I came home last week to find the new SUQQU Christmas 2017 Collection waiting for me!  This is perhaps the most fun and extensive seasonal collection that I’ve seen from SUQQU yet, and exclusively designed by Jorge Balzaretti for the UK market.  The collection will launch at Selfridges tomorrow (5 October), followed by Harrod’s and Fenwick’s Bond Street on 19 October.  As always, things are bound to sell out before you can say SUQQU, so here are full swatches, a few makeup looks and my thoughts to help you make up your mind!

SUQQU’s Christmas 2017 Collection for UK is goooorgeous!  There are 3 vibrant eyeshadow palettes, 1 ombre blush/highlighter and 3 sexy lipsticks to choose from… and I am so glad I received all of them because I seriously can’t choose.  Everything is limited edition of course, and the eyeshadow palettes come in a stunning pearlescent white cover with rosegold trims… serious eye candies, so let’s start there!

Before I launch into the detailed discussions though, I just want to say that I have only had the opportunity to try each of these products (with the exception of the blush) once as I really would like to get this review out before the 5 October launch date so my thoughts may not be as thorough as I would like.  But my gut reaction is to view this as a refreshing change from the “classical” SUQQU sensibility.  From the colors to the textures, this collection seems to engage a younger, millennial audience.  Those who are more used to the subtle complexities and muted tones that lend themselves well to layering may not take so well to these.  To each his/her own, and as these pieces are extremely limited and hard to get, let’s not split hairs over what SUQQU should or should not be.

SUQQU Designing Color Eyes 109 Iwaiakari is the most eye-catching of the trio with its hot pink shade, and lots of gorgeous multi-dimensional micro-shimmers to boot.  Iwaiakari was inspired by winter wonderlands and Christmas lights, and features pinks and burgundy accented by cool golden shimmers.

From left to right, the swatches are:

• Top left of palette – medium brightened pink with a satin finish, topped with a sparse dusting of lavender micro-shimmers
• Top right of palette – light golden peach filled with pale gold and baby pink micro-shimmers
• Bottom right of palette – dark plummy brown with a satin finish that has a good dose of lilac and champagne micro-shimmers.  On its own it sheers out to a brown base, but when layered over any of the other shades a gorgeous burgundy emerges.
• Bottom left of palette – light pink-beige with a matte finish.  There is some sparse fine pale champagne and lavender micro-shimmers in there as well but they are not noticeable.

Here is a sample eye makeup look for your reference:

For this eye look, I started with the light pink-beige all over my lid as a base to even out the skin tone.  Then I applied the golden peach to the inner half of my lid, followed by the dark plummy brown on the outer third.  Next I patted the brightened pink to the center of my lid, lined the lower lash line with the plummy brown and finished with the golden peach in the inner corner.

SUQQU Designing Color Eyes 110 Kohakuyoi is the kind of palette that everybody likes, easy-to-wear browns but does not hold back in terms of intensity and pow.  It is inspired by the amber urban dusk in the city, and really does feel rather modern-chic to me.  I like that for a brown/golden themed palette, it is not overly warm-toned, and is really quite Asian-friendly.

The swatches, from left to right, are:

• Top left of palette – medium metallic gold
• Top right of palette – light matte nude shade that is so close to my skin tone it does not show up at all, but helps to even out the skin tone
• Bottom right of palette – dark espresso brown with a matte finish softened by a generous dose of pale gold, baby pink and even some blue micro-shimmers
• Bottom left of palette – medium-dark brown with a satin finish, and filled with gold and pink micro-simmers

For this eye look, I first buffed the matte nude shade all over my lid to even out the skin tone.  Thereafter, I applied the medium-dark brown all over my lid, followed by the dark brown on the outer corner.  I also lined my lower lash line with the dark brown for definition.  Lastly, I added the metallic gold to the middle of the lid and inner corner to brighten up the eye look.

SUQQU Designing Color Eyes 113 Hikarisango is perhaps a compromise for those who are cooler-toned and wanting a brightening pop without going full-blown harajuku pink. Hikarisango is inspired by the light and warmth of Christmas, and contrasts shimmery champagne and vivid coral with deep burgundy and chocolate brown.  It reminds me of Hikaritouka from the permanent line [see here], but bolder and slightly warmer (although that can be easily calibrated).

From left to right, the swatches are:

• Bottom left of palette – medium warm-toned brown with a satin finish at the base, but filled with light gold and pink shimmers that give this shade a brightening sheen
• Bottom right of palette – dark eggplant with a soft matte base, filled with lilac, pink and champagne micro-shimmers
• Top right of palette – medium bright salmon pink with a satin finish, and very fine soft champagne micro-shimmers
• Top left of palette – pale shimmery champagne

Here is my take on this palette:

I used the salmon shade in a tulip placement in the middle of the lid, flanked by the brown on the inner third and dark eggplant on the outer corner.  Lower lash lined with the eggplant and a pop of the champagne on the inner corner to brighten.  I’m not usually drawn to coral palettes, and was somewhat underwhelmed by the pale-ness of Hikaritouka earlier this year, but this Hikarisango is right up my alley and I love it!  By layering the salmon shade over the shimmery brown, it changes the undertone to suit my cooler-toned complexion better, and salmon shade draws out the purple in the dark eggplant as well.

Now take a breather while we switch gears and discuss the blush and some lip options…

SUQQU Pure Color Blush 105 Tankouka is a chameleon!  I had tried my best not to mess with the original color of the pan, but I was chasing the sunlight and had to brighten and up the saturation of this picture… the actual pan looks a little more muted irl, but don’t be fooled because it is more intense than any other Japanese blushes (including SUQQU’s) I’ve ever seen.

I swatched these the way they are placed in the pan – left being the blush shade, right the highlighter, and the middle is the blended outcome of the two.  As you can see, Tankouka is a lovely rose pink with a neutral-toned golden shimmer.  I was surprised by how intense highlighter side of the pan is, because all the other SUQQU Pure Color Blush that I’ve tried so far are much more muted and sheerer.  No complains at all though, because now it truly functions as a highlighter for me and I can definitely see myself traveling with this gorgeous sleek and ultra slim palette very soon!  The rose shade is one of those shades that will work well with any eyeshadows / lipsticks, and I’ve actually used it in all 3 looks below!

To complete the collection, Jorge has also conceived of 3 creamy lipsticks in varying rich red hues.  SUQQU has released several Extra Glow Lipsticks in the past year or so, and there is a good range of variety from completely translucent balms to semi-sheer.  This season, all 3 are intensely pigmented, fully opaque yet still retaining that wondrously luxurious creamy texture.

Though they look quite similar in the tube, all 3 shades are really quite different once applied:

• SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick 106 Benisuguri is a deep cherry red with a fine pink pearl
• SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick 107 Yoibudou is a deep burgundy with a fine lilac shimmer
• SUQQU Extra Glow Lipstick 108 Amasoubi is a warm-toned rosewood with just a hint of lavender micro-shimmer

I don’t usually enjoy shimmers on my lips, but these SUQQU ones are so ultra fine, they don’t feel gritty in the least and do not irritate my lips at all.  As my lips are rather pigmented, I also included full makeup looks featuring the Designing Color Eye Palettes discussed above as well as the Tankouka Pure Color Blush.

On hindsight, Benisuguri would have complemented Hikarisango better, but I picked based on how they appeared in the tube, and I could only afford 1 look a day in order to get this post out in time.  If I find time after this to rework the looks and spend a bit more time with this collection, I will come back and update this post accordingly.  For now, contend your self with Suqqu Designing Color Eye Palette in 110 Kohakuyoi on the eyes, Pure Color Blush in 105 Tankouka on the cheeks, and Extra Glow Lipstick 106 Benisuguri on the lips.

For this second look, I wore SUQQU Designing Color Eye Palette in 113 Hikarisango on the eyes, Pure Color Blush in 105 Tankouka on the cheeks, and Extra Glow Lipstick 107 Yoibudou on the lips.

And lastly, I am wearing SUQQU Designing Color Eye Palette in 109 Iwaiakari on the eyes, Pure Color Blush in 105 Tankouka on the cheeks, and Extra Glow Lipstick 108 Amasoubi on the lips.

And there you have it, the entire collection done and dusted!  I hope you find this post useful in making your selections.  As always, I expect everything to sell out very quickly, so do not wait for the online-lottery to happen.  If you are dead-set on something, consider calling the Selfridges London store at +44 (0)20 7318 3956 or email [email protected] to place your order!  Feel free to ask any questions below, I’ll try to be much more responsive for this special occasion!

_{This post featured products that were generously provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions are entirely my own and not biased in any way.}

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