"Bright Up"is Suqqu's new pigmented lipstick line, launched for Summer 2013 to replace my beloved "Creamy Glow" formula (previous drivel here and here). The sheer line is still called "Creamy Glow Moist", though I expect the words 'bright' and 'up' will feature in the moniker of a future reformulation of those. All Suqqu lipsticks retail at £27 in the UK.
There were several reasons for my slowness in testing this new formula (when as you all know "new Suqqu formula" usually elicits embarrassingly pavlovian counter-ward slavering and bounding and tail-wagging activities...):
- I was out of the country at the time
- ....thus could only helplessly watch my beloved Creamy Glows in 01 Saebana and 18 Karakurenai wink out of stock on Selfridge's website just as I was working on the final scrapings from my tubes :( Which did not exactly leave me feeling happy and hauly about these interlopers
- ....which didn't even have a red! Check out the seriously unpromising listing from the Suqqu site:
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| I know it says '7 shades' here but there are only six core colours -- I cropped out the limited edition one :P |
...but as the blurb contains several other pavlovian-slavery keywords of mine: 'creamy', 'smoothly', 'brilliant', 'vivid', 'combats....fine lines,' I couldn't in all fairness and justice and for the love of kittens resist beyond a season. And to be fair, they do swatch more prettily than the squares would suggest:
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| natural light, overcast |
02 Hanabeni -- ditto, with additional deeper rosy-red tones
03 Barairo -- mauve-pink, the coolest of the six though still not too far off neutral
04 Outouiro -- pale pinky-peach nude, the lightest of the six
05 Hanaazu -- a coral pink with slight brown tones [like 01 Momoiro for darker skintones]
06 Yuubae -- warm, toasted rose
None of these shades contain shimmer, but nor are they remotely matte as advertised -- while less, er, creamily glowing than the Creamy Glows, the Bright Up lipsticks still have a visibly creamy finish with more shine than formulas which aren't marketed as matte (Chanel Rouge Allure, By Terry Rouge Terrybly) and are about on par with Shiseido's relaunched Perfect Rouge line. Despite adulteration with various beige and brown tones, making these all variations on 'nudes' or at least my-lips-but-better neutrals, all six shades show a certain brightness -- a glow that's an aspect of the colour rather than the finish or texture.
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| natural light, overcast |
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| natural light, weak sun |
However, I hope those lip swatches show that despite softness of shade, heaviness of texture, dryness of finish and dimness of my lighting, Hanabeni (and the other shades I've tried at the counter) is, true to its name, still bright. With a good balm underneath to mitigate my texture/moisturisation gripes, it really shines as a face-brightening neutral, even in the context of a very simple neutral look on a dull, wintry day:
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Having pondered and swatched and peered muchly, I think there's a unique base common to the Bright Ups responsible for this glowy neutrality -- not the more common white pastel base, which might produce a more solid/opaque kind of brightness, nor a clear base, but a very pale lemon yellow base. Illustrative* comparison with two similar warm pinky MLBB shades I own: Givenchy Le Rouge Rose Taffetas (slightly white-based modern matte) and Maquillage True Rouge RD382 (glowy crelly, warmer tone on a clear base):
*said optimistically and in the spirit of realisation that all this time staring at makeup has made me certifiable...
Ingredients
