review: suqqu extra rich cream foundation + suqqu foundation brush

It seems like so many of favourite brands are releasing new foundations for fall, and SUQQU is no exception. Meet their very luxuriously-packaged Extra Rich Cream Foundation and their new brand new Foundation Brush.

I have to admit I was all UH OH when I read up on the foundation, because it was developed to have an “evolving dewy finish” whereas I need matte or natural-finish foundations to keep my combo-oily skin from looking greasy after an hour. Tropical heat and humidity are not terribly kind to my complexion!

About that evolving finish. It’s all very science-y, but basically what you need to know SUQQU’s Extra Rich Cream Foundation is that it includes a couple of proprietary technologies and ingredients that, over the course of the day, continuously activate/release radiance particles as they break down/react with your skin. The press literature sums this up neatly by comparing it to a fragrance with top, mid and base notes that release over time with skin contact. In this case, they are:

Top Radiance: healthy, youthful radiance after initial application
Mid Radiance: once the foundation has blended with the skin, pearl pigments in the foundation begin to disperse to create a warm radiant finish
Base Radiance: the pigments in the foundation work to control skin’s natural sebum to create a subtle radiance

That last bit gave me hope that I wouldn’t end up a total grease ball, so I took the plunge and dug right in. First I swatched it against some other liquid foundations in my current rotation that I consider a good match to my pale olive, NC15-ish skin. Even in a swatch, you can see that the SUQQU foundation is reflecting more light than the other two.

Texture wise, this stuff is pretty thick, very pigmented and while you can definitely sheer it out somewhat with a damp Beauty Blender, it’s definitely a full coverage foundation when applied with the brush. Here’s a before and after series of my face with no base makeup/base makeup on/full face done so you can see how good the coverage is.

By the way, I’m not wearing any concealer in the second photo (click to enlarge) – it’s all just foundation. Pay attention to the redness around my nose, the spot on my chin, the lovely zit on my left temple, and ALL MY MISSING FRECKLES.

For the crazy amount of coverage this delivered it looked really good on my skin. No cakiness anywhere, it didn’t settle into pores, and it didn’t feel heavy in any way whatsoever. This might actually be the most natural-looking full coverage foundation I’ve tried.

To apply, I used SUQQU’s Foundation Brush which features a very soft synthetic hair wedge on one side and a sponge ball tip on the other. It’s an interesting combination for a foundation brush – I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it before.

The brush surface is just broad enough to dab/buff with (as you would use a kabuki), but the hairs are long enough to allow you to use this like a typical flat foundation brush as well if you want to use a sweeping motion to sheer out the product more. I found the tapered wedge shape to be much more versatile than a round/flat paddle shape would have been – I felt it hugged the contours of my face more and helped me avoid streaks.

As you can see, the shape of this brush head is really unique to my stash of base brushes. The closest thing I have currently is my much used IT Cosmetics Airbrush Foundation Brush, which came as a part of this set.

The sponge ball tip is meant to be used to buff foundation into the smaller nooks of one’s face but I used it as a concealer stamp instead, dabbing foundation right onto problem spots. It worked AMAZINGLY. My only concern is that it’ll disintegrate long before the brush does, as sponges are wont to do. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Compared to the rest of SUQQU’s famed brush line, the Foundation Brush is downright reasonably priced, owing to the fact that the brush hairs are synthetic. This is perfect for me because I have sensitive, breakout-prone skin and like to wash my face brushes very often (not advised for delicate natural hair brushes, but totally fine for hardier synthetics).

I’ll be posting a full FOTD with the foundation and more personal thoughts and observations on the formula and wear-time next, so check back for that soon!

Pricing & Availability: SUQQU Extra Rich Cream Foundation (£65) and Foundation Brush (£25) launch on September 22nd and will be available in-store at Fenwick of Bond Street, and both online and in-store at Harrods and Selfridges.

 

 

This post features a product/products that were provided as press samples, however all opinions and observations are my own and not influenced by the brand or its PR team. This post contains affiliate links.