Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick #12 Hiwada

Finally. Fi-nal-ly. While I won't deny that there are perks to not having a functional computer, after four days my fingers were starting to get withdrawal symptoms. These digits need to run across a keyboard on a regular basis! Anyway, here we are again, and it is my pleasure to introduce on Messy Wands the highly sought after Japanese brand: Suqqu. 

I've read about this brand time and time again, from bloggers such as Jamilla Camel, Joey Chong, and The Black Panties, and with each post comes a new agonizing longing. Near the end of my winter break, I had the opportunity to transit in London for a few days before I headed back to the States, and you should see how I jumped at the chance. I didn't even make a list of things I had to do/see/eat when I was in London. All I had was "go play with Suqqu."

The result was hauling in epic proportions, and what emerged (among many things) was a lipstick formula I am pretty sure will be the standard from which I measure all my lipsticks. The verdict so far: nothing beats it.

The formula in question is the Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick, pictured above in #12 Hiwada. You know that frustrating yet delectable feeling of stumbling upon something you've been searching for the longest time? I've been looking for a pale nude lipstick that didn't wash me out to no avail, and this just falls into my lap.

The lipstick is extremely emollient, but not in the way that threatens clown lips if you aren't careful. One swipe is really all you should do, because any more than that might get a little heavy (and at those prices, you should save every bit of lipstick you can). After it settles, the lipstick feels so weightless that I often forget I have it on till I glimpse a lip mark on a discarded napkin. I wanted so desperately to get one of every shade after using this for the first time, but since one hue to another from the brand's permanent line is so similar, I couldn't justify having more than what I currently own.

Ingredient list for those who might need it:

A little Googling led me to this site, which contains swatches of all eighteen of Suqqu's permanent Creamy Glow Lipsticks. I don't know if it's entirely color accurate (in my opinion, the colors are too light in those pictures), but I figured it's at least some kind of resource. Consult at your own risk!

The Suqqu brand is very limited in availability. Other than Japan, the only other two places with counters are London and Bangkok. Thankfully, we poor souls are still able to get our hands on select pieces from websites like ichibankao.com and dollyleo.com. The latter features better pricing, and 10 percent off your first purchase if you subscribe to their newsletter, but the former stocks a larger array of products. 

As fair warning (before you use that precious 10 percent coupon), I should let you know I will be featuring more Suqqu items throughout the month. Do stay tuned!