This is my first Suqqu makeup, ever. I don't know why it took so long for me because all my favorite beauty bloggers have been raving about this refined Japanese brand for years. I order many things sight unseen so the fact I have to rely on online swatches doesn't bother me at all, but maybe I didn't want to be bothered with that elusiveness which the brand seems to project almost intentionally. 

Maybe it is a bit too soon for another Essie Gel Couture polish post, but here we go. V.I.Please is a deep berry shade with a hint of red. It has Essie's signature gel-creme finish which I always appreciate.

I got excited when I heard about L'Oreal Colour Riche Shine Lipsticks although I haven't bought many drugstore lippies lately. Believe it or not, Colour Riche Balm is one of the very few lip stuff that I actually used up and repurchased. This is a nice dupe of Yves Saint Laurent Candy Volupté but unlike the YSL it comes in a very flimsy case that cracks over time. The new Shine Lipstick range seemed like an amplified version of the Balm range and the lipstick case looked sturdy and even pretty. I had to try a few for myself.

I am still searching for that "perfect summer white" polish but if I don't, I should be just fine with Essie Gel Couture Wearing Hue?. It looks decidedly pink from the picture, but in real life, it is an opaque white color blushed with champagne shimmer.

Until recently, I had stayed away from this popular makeup trend, contouring. If the broad concept of contouring includes both highlighting and shading, then yes, I've been contouring. But, my idea of adding dimensions to the face is more about luminosity and for that, I have almost entirely relied on highlighters. I paid very little attention to shading products or bronzers. I did not own a real concealer nor did I know that many people use concealers to contour, not necessarily to cover up blemishes.