Suqqu 2013 Christmas Makeup Kit A Swatches

The Suqqu holiday kits appeared on Selfridges.com a few days ahead of the official 1 November launch date in the UK. Knowing how quickly Suqqu's limited edition palettes usually sell out, I snapped up Kit A and within two days, the order arrived by DHL. Due to a technical error, Kit B was not available for international delivery at the time that I placed my order, otherwise I would have been tempted to get it as well. Both kits have since sold out on the website.

The case design of the Blend Color Eyeshadow is a stunning shimmery galactic midnight blue that continues on the back and inside of the case. The understated elegance and complex depth is simply what Suqqu excels at. In contrast, the black polyester and lace pouch with the gold metal snap looks and feels so cheap that one wonders why Suqqu even bothered to include it. It's the only item in the set that feels like a needless after-thought or filler material.



Quite unusually, Suqqu included a mirror in the set. It looks tiny but as it is a magnifying mirror, it actually comes in rather handy for close inspection of one's makeup. The back is a smooth matte finish.

The Blend Color Eyeshadow EX18 Aoboshi features two pink shades, a midnight blue and matte pinkish white. The midnight blue shade is the most sparkly with blue and gold micro-shimmer while the two pink shades have more of a gentle glimmer.






When swatched on bare skin without primer (pic below), the midnight blue shade had a bit of powdery kick-up whereas the two pink shades applied much more smoothly.

The shades looked more vibrant when swatched over NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. The lighter pink shade has a lovely pearlish opalescence. The dreamy pinkish white shade is nothing extraordinary. If you own several Suqqu palettes, you probably already have a close dupe for it.


Comparing Aoboshi with my other Suqqu palettes, I didn't find any exact dupes for the shades in Aoboshi although there certainly are similar shades. The three palettes from the Fall 2013 collection are still in pristine condition as I haven't been wearing makeup since going on maternity leave. They look so pretty in their brand new condition that I would hate to mess them up.

Overall, the set is a pretty good deal at £58, even disregarding the awful pouch, given that Suqqu's eyeshadow palettes usually retail for £45 each. If you live in a non-EU country, Selfridges deducts the VAT on your order. The mascara is excellent (although I have not tried the new EX03 Black Navy shade in this set). The two cleansers are compatible with my skintype albeit repetitive as they were also included in last year's Christmas sets. I have been using the Refining Foam daily in the morning. It cleanses thoroughly without drying out my skin. The ingredients lists are below.