For a review of the Creamy Glow formula itself, I want to direct you to two reviews: Jess’ (Ohh…Pretty!) and Kate’s (Drivel about Frivol). They sum up the lipsticks perfectly, and I’d just end up repeating them if I wrote a full review.

Now for my personal impressions…

Things I like

• Pigment: I have never known a lipstick to be so pigmented, the swatch below is just one, soft swipe from the bullet – it is insane.
• Lasting Power: You guys know how I like my lip stains, and the lasting power of the Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick rivals that of a stain. As you’ll see, this colour is pretty full on, but often I’ll just dab it on my lips to give them some colour that lasts all day.
• Formula: It’s just so…smooth! I love it, it glides onto lips and although it’s very opaque it’s still forgiving.

Things I don’t like so much

• If you want the full colour of Ichijiku (ie. you’re not just dabbing it on as a stain), you have to use a lip brush. This isn’t a big deal for most people, in fact I think it’s more of a personal issue: first: my precision is terrible, so so terrible – I CANNOT COLOUR WITHIN THE LINES! Second: my lips are so unpigmented that I can’t actually tell where my lip line ends and skin begins. Seriously.

The shade

Ichijiku – 無花果 – Fig

Ichijiku is a warm, brick red.

Here it is applied for full effect with a lip brush.

My lips tend to pull things blue, so when I usually apply Ichijiku it’s more of a true red. Here I’ve tried to apply more so it’s truer to its bullet colour.

Here it is applied as a stain (I dab the bullet once in the centre of my lips, then pat it out with my finger.)

As you can see, not much brick-tone here because I’ve sheered it out so much.

Swatches

L-R: Sheered out Suqqu Ichijiku (achieved by swiping the remainders from the lip-brush), one swipe (!) of Suqqu Ichijiku, MAC Viva Glam I

L-R: Suqqu Ichijiku, MAC Viva Glam I

Things to note:

• Can you see opaque just one swipe of Suqqu Ichijiku is?!
• By chance, I found out that Ichijiku is very similar to MAC Viva Glam I (in terms of  colour, in terms of formula they are night and day – the MAC is like a crayon in comparison!). Ichijiku is a tad warmer, and also, somehow, more vibrant? It seems redder than the MAC VG.

For swatches of all the Creamy Glow Lipsticks, check out Cinnamongal’s post.

The Bottom Line

The Suqqu Creamy Glow formula is amazing; I have yet to read a bad review about it, and the consensus of most reviews is that it is the best lipstick formula ever. As for the shade, Ichijiku is lovely; I wear it a lot because it’s so versatile: a light stain one morning, a more definite the red the next, and full-on glamour the next. Yes, MAC Viva Glam I is very similar, but the formulas are so so different that it could never be considered a dupe…ever. However, if you are ordering online it might be helpful to take a look at the MAC as a colour guide…

Related Links

• Beaute Liqui-Gel Stain in Fever
• Suqqu Blend Colour Eyeshadow in 04 Keshizumi
• Suqqu Blend Colour Eyeshadow in 06 Ginbudou
• Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick #12 Hiwada (external: Messy Wands)
• Suqqu Creamy Glow Paper Swatches (external: Drivel about Frivol)