Suqqu Blend Eyeshadow Quad 03 Matsukasa

According to the lovely ladies at the Suqqu counter, 03 Matsukasa (松球, pine cone) is by far their best-selling quad. It makes me a little sad that people choose this tonal brown palette over the more unconventional colour combinations, but hey, can't really argue with workhorse neutrals in Suqqu's unmatched formula. Or the Lisa Eldridge effect.

The shades in this quad are obviously no-brainer stand-bys for many, but it took the brilliance of the Suqqu International Makeup Artist Kazumi Obayashi to sell such warm browns to me. Even now, I wear it rarely, and mostly on cool and overcast days, when its muted elegance seems right.

Swatches in natural light (sunny), one swipe each

From dark to light: 
rich matte chocolate (slightly more yellow- than red-based), pigmented
warm coppery bronze satin, v. pigmented
neutral sandy-silvery taupe satin (only marginally more shimmery than the bronze on the skin), pigmented
neutral matte ivory base/primer, pigmented

Layered swatches, natural light (sunny)

Left to right:

1. all shades
2. dark brown + bronze
3. dark brown + taupe
4. bronze + taupe

This is the least shimmery of all the permanent Suqqu quads in my collection, by design -- it looks and wears like the plushest velvet and reflects the light (because all Suqqu eyeshadows work this flattering magic on skin texture) in a soft, rich glow, rather than the sparkling iridescence of Mizuaoi, or the airy smoke of Keshizumi. 

I usually wear Matsukasa in a smokey vertical gradation, with the darkest shade at the lashline, blending up and out to the lightest.

closeup with flash

I usually need to offset such uncompromising warmth on the eyes with cooler cheeks and lips -- for which my new toy Nars Gaiety and slightly older toy Guerlain Rouge G Girly come in handy.

Other products: KATE gel eyeliner BK-1, Shu H9 brow pencil Seal Brown, Helena Rubinstein Feline Blacks wp mascara, RBR Sea of Clouds, usual base (Shu SP/KA SSE/EF).


And an experimental, soft tonal look, with the ivory packed over the lid, taupe mixed with a little of the bronze in the socket, and the matte chocolate to line. To create a more rounded eyeshape (I usually prefer to elongate), I for once didn't join the upper and lower lash liner at the outer corner, but separated them with a sharp white (Shu Uemura gel eyeliner M White).

Other products: Shu H9 Seal Brown, Helena Rubinstein Feline Blacks wp mascara, RBR blush Delicata, Addiction lipstick Last Scene, Ellis Faas concealer under eyes. Otherwise bare face (too cold and eczema-y for foundation).