Suqqu Moisture Rich Lipstick

Last fall, Suqqu released a brand new line of lippies, the Moisture Rich Lipsticks (they did away with the Creamy Glow Lipstick Moists a few months earlier I think). I was going to skip these new lippies for reasons I'll elaborate below, though I'm sure you've already guessed why. And yet every review I'd read raved and raved about the formula. I'll admit too the color range was attractive, so I ended up picking four colors from the permanent lineup, 07 琵琶艶 (Biwatsuya) Sunset Orange, 08 紅金魚 (Benikingyo) Aquatic Red, 09 輝赤 (Kiaka) Cardinal Red, and 10 焦赤 (Kogareaka) Brown Red, as well as the LE 101 無花果 (Ichijiku) Fig Red.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

So, the glaring reason I was going to skip these, drum rolls please--tahdah--the packaging! Of course it was the packaging! I thought packaging for the Extra Glows was already a step down for Suqqu's usual sleek sophistication. Packaging for these Moisture Riches was even worse, a complete nose dive from grace. I mean, what is that thing?! It's square and plastic like the Extra Glows, only much bigger, and by bigger I mean enormous. Goddammit, why?!? Possibly the only thing that keeps me from plunging these to Addiction Lipstick Sheers' level of f*gliness is the weight: these feel pretty substantial and weighty the same way Chicca Mesmeric Lipsticks do.

Here you have it, the after and before makeover (makeunder?) for Suqqu lipstick packaging. These Moisture Rich Lipsticks are in a case that's twice as big as the Creamy Glows/Moists/Bright Ups and a thousand times uglier. You know what pisses me off the most about this packaging though? They're charging the same price for these Moisture Riches as they did for the Cream Glows/Moists/Bright Ups: 5,400yen a piece. Urgh.

Here are some more comparisons to rub it in all of our faces. These Moisture Rich Lipsticks are larger than Chicca, Lunasol, and RMK Irresistible Brights, and is only slightly slimmer than Addiction though it is taller.

But other than the packaging, the reviews were absolutely correct that the formula is amazing. It's buttery smooth but is thick, doesn't have that popular balmy feel but is very moisturizing all the same. It feels similar to the Creamy Glows only glossier and more pigmented, all the while maintaining its translucency. Two layers of the Moisture Rich will get me as much color as several layers of Creamy Glows.

The color range is nice too, all are translucent with several apricot-orange-red-corals as well as a couple of the darker red-browns that I reach for all the time now. There are a few with large and obvious gold shimmers, a total turn-off, especially with the gorgeous 09 輝赤 (Kiaka) Cardinal Red, but I don't feel them at all on my lips. Why did they bother? I have no idea, but the formula is so good I'll overlook the unsightly glitters. Thankfully, most of the others are shimmer free. Goddammit, now I want the other colors too! Suqqu sure knows how to get to my pockets. Argh!

- 07 琵琶艶 (Biwatsuya) Sunset Orange: shimmer-free apricot orange.

- 08 紅金魚 (Benikingyo) Aquatic Red: shimmer free orange-red.

- 09 輝赤 (Kiaka) Cardinal Red: red with just a tough of brown and large gold shimmers. The brown is very obvious in the tube but swatched mostly red on the back of my hand and also applies mostly red on my lips.


- 10 焦赤 (Kogareaka) Brown Red: shimmer-free brown-tinted red.

- 101 無花果 (Ichijiku) Fig Red: shimmer-free wine.

From left to right: 07 琵琶艶 (Biwatsuya) Sunset Orange, 08 紅金魚 (Benikingyo) Aquatic Red, 09 輝赤 (Kiaka) Cardinal Red, 10 焦赤 (Kogareaka) Brown Red, and 101 無花果 (Ichijiku) Fig Red.

Hate to say it but there will be more to come.