Chicca [pronounced 'kicka'] is a Kanebo-owned Japanese high end brand founded by makeup artist Yasuo Yoshikawa [latest work]. I have come to think of it as RMK's big sis, aimed at slightly older, richer folk, but sharing the minimalist cream/white/clear/silver packaging.
It's a brand I found very easy to skip over, owing to its understated aesthetic (even within the context of the understated-posh market), luxury price points and limited distribution, with only five counters across Japan.
...Until I realised that they offered shimmer-free cream blushes and lipstains! It's difficult enough to find either shimmer-free blushes or cream blushes from Japanese brands, nigh-impossible to find both in combination; lip stains are also rare thanks to decade-long trends favouring glossy nude lips or my-lips-but-better sheers.
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Enticing Lip Stains are packaged in a sleek, reasonably solid (but not annoyingly heavy) rectangular frosted chrome compact. Flush Blushes are available as refills with square chrome compacts sold separately -- I of course opted for the pan only, which is made of sturdy metal with a dot of the soft glue typical of Japanese brands on its base.
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...not that I have a problem with that colour or anything.
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Revlon Strawberry Suede comes closest to Amaryllis, but it has a softer pink-coral tinge; Addiction Le Mépris is also similar, but without Amaryllis' clearer red note. The main point of difference is in texture and finish: both the Revlon and Addiction shades are matte, full-coverage lipsticks, but the Chicca lip stain is a solid balm formula which retains a jellied translucency once on the lips, even when built up to full opacity with a brush. Sheered out, the Chicca is an almost-textureless tint which hugs the lips so closely it does justify (or explain) the name 'lip stain', even though it does not, in fact, stain, completely vanishing after a meal*. Neither highly moisturising or drying on me, its lightweight balm feel enables me to skip a separate lipbalm underneath, to take full advantage of its textural invisibility, especially pressed on with a finger tip -- the solidity of the formula makes it so neat (no high-slip risk of bleeding or smearing here) that even I can be persuaded to skip the lip brush.
*much like Laura Mercier's potted 'lip stains', which are really demi-matte lipsticks that sit exceptionally close to the lips, but which also don't function as stains proper.
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Even without centring it deliberately, Chicca Girly Flush would probably end up in the middle if I'd swatched by red-to-pink or by cool-to-warm -- it's the most balanced of these shades. That said, once blended out, it is nearly indistiguishable from Besame Crimson Cream Rouge, which will therefore be heading out -- I prefer the (famed, Japanese!) translucency of Chicca's finish and the fact that it's totally scent-free (as opposed to Besame's unscented and therefore faintly waxy-ingrendientsy smell); both blushes are quite solid and low-slip for creams -- Besame is more of a cream/wax, while Chicca has an unusualbalm-stain feel with a unique clear gel finish on the skin, like no other blush formula I've ever tried before. The closest comparison would be the Kjaer Weis cream blush formula (I own Lovely), but while similarly unsticky and balm-like in feel, in finish Kjaer Weis is more of a conventional sheer cream versus Chicca's clear jelly.
Just as the unusual lip stain texture got me to ditch my lip brush, I experienced a bit of a learning curve with this balmy flush blush, finally achieving the best results by using pressing/patting motion to 'stamp' the blush onto the skin, using a synthetic brush for stronger pigment, or beauty blender sponge for a lighter look.
Hopefully they won't detract/distract too much from the translucent lit-from-within glow of these Chicca products.
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Eyes are a wash of Lunasol Sheer Glossy Eyes EX-01 Nuance Grey, GOSH white kohl and a slick of Maybelline Rocket WP mascara.
The lip and cheek pairing may be clashy to many, but I've decided I really like it and will be reaching for it again. As for the temptation to reverse the two, I find the flush blush too sheer to work well on lips and lip tint too 'clingy' to sit well on my dry cheeks -- unlike the Addiction cheeksticks, these are not multipurpose products for me.
It's a brand I found very easy to skip over, owing to its understated aesthetic (even within the context of the understated-posh market), luxury price points and limited distribution, with only five counters across Japan.
...Until I realised that they offered shimmer-free cream blushes and lipstains! It's difficult enough to find either shimmer-free blushes or cream blushes from Japanese brands, nigh-impossible to find both in combination; lip stains are also rare thanks to decade-long trends favouring glossy nude lips or my-lips-but-better sheers.
Nice embossed textured cardboard packaging, bit reminiscent of THREE's.
Enticing Lip Stains are packaged in a sleek, reasonably solid (but not annoyingly heavy) rectangular frosted chrome compact. Flush Blushes are available as refills with square chrome compacts sold separately -- I of course opted for the pan only, which is made of sturdy metal with a dot of the soft glue typical of Japanese brands on its base.
Enticing Lip Stain 02 Amaryllis and Flush Blush 10 Girly Flush, orange- and pink-toned reds
...not that I have a problem with that colour or anything.
Comparisons!
I included a mix of lip and cheek products, mostly creams. Products swatched heavily with weasel brush onto bare arm, pictures taken in natural light.
Lip Stain
Illamasqua Lover cream blush
Canmake cream cheek CL03 Clear Sunset (LE)
RMS lip2cheek Modest
Chicca Enticing Lip Stain 02 Amaryllis
Revlon Strawberry Suede matte lipstick (DC)
Addiction Lip Crayon Le Mépris
YSL Glossy Stain 10 Rouge Laque
ArtDeco Dita Von Teese Art Couture Velvet 615 Muse Red
Ellis Faas Glazed Lips L307
*much like Laura Mercier's potted 'lip stains', which are really demi-matte lipsticks that sit exceptionally close to the lips, but which also don't function as stains proper.
Flush Blush
Sleek Pink Sprint Trio Pink Parfait
Canmake Cheek Cream CL04 Clear Pink Joy
Vapour Aura Stain Impulse
Besame Crimson Cream Rouge
Chicca Flush Blush 10 Girly Flush
By Terry Rouge Terrybly Hot Cranberry
Guerlain Rouge Automatique Champs Élysées
Revlon Super Lustrous Cherries in the Snow
Even without centring it deliberately, Chicca Girly Flush would probably end up in the middle if I'd swatched by red-to-pink or by cool-to-warm -- it's the most balanced of these shades. That said, once blended out, it is nearly indistiguishable from Besame Crimson Cream Rouge, which will therefore be heading out -- I prefer the (famed, Japanese!) translucency of Chicca's finish and the fact that it's totally scent-free (as opposed to Besame's unscented and therefore faintly waxy-ingrendientsy smell); both blushes are quite solid and low-slip for creams -- Besame is more of a cream/wax, while Chicca has an unusualbalm-stain feel with a unique clear gel finish on the skin, like no other blush formula I've ever tried before. The closest comparison would be the Kjaer Weis cream blush formula (I own Lovely), but while similarly unsticky and balm-like in feel, in finish Kjaer Weis is more of a conventional sheer cream versus Chicca's clear jelly.
Just as the unusual lip stain texture got me to ditch my lip brush, I experienced a bit of a learning curve with this balmy flush blush, finally achieving the best results by using pressing/patting motion to 'stamp' the blush onto the skin, using a synthetic brush for stronger pigment, or beauty blender sponge for a lighter look.
Look
I shot into try/review ALL THE THINGS mode during a brief moment of sunshine, and apologise in advance for the:- dry, flaky, mismatched base (Graftobian HD Glamour Cream Porcelain)
- mismatched concealer colour under and around my eyes (Nars Radiant Creamy Vanilla)
- box-fresh new frames with "hand made acetate" on the lenses XD
Hopefully they won't detract/distract too much from the translucent lit-from-within glow of these Chicca products.
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| lemon face. WHY. |
The lip and cheek pairing may be clashy to many, but I've decided I really like it and will be reaching for it again. As for the temptation to reverse the two, I find the flush blush too sheer to work well on lips and lip tint too 'clingy' to sit well on my dry cheeks -- unlike the Addiction cheeksticks, these are not multipurpose products for me.