Tom Ford She Wolf Ombré Eye Color Trio is a palette with a matte brown-gray, soft shimmery taupe and a sheer silver sparkle ($60 for .16 oz/4.5g, limited-edition). The trio is quite stunning and creates a beautiful smokey eye. The pigment is rich and texture is smooth for the matte and shimmer. The sparkle is on the sheer side with a silvery sheen. Like In the Pink, the sparkle in She Wolf has excellent staying power. She Wolf’s sparkle is a bit more glitzy on my skin as it seems cooler-toned and stands out more against my olive skin. It also stands out brightly against the other two shades which are darker colors. The sparkle isn’t too over the top, but it’s still too much sparkle for me to feel comfortable wearing everyday to a conservative corporate office.
Swatched on my arm below, it pulls cooler on my olive skin, but then many taupes and silvers tend to pull more mauve/blue on me than most other people. I applied from darkest to lightest on the eyes blending the first two shades together and then pressed the sparkle lightly on top.
Without flash (the sparkle is a lot more glittery than the photo shows):
With flash (this shows the sparkle better, but it’s still more glittery than my photos):
Tom Ford She Wolf is a beautiful palette. It’s stunning in the compact and when swatched on the skin. I can wear two of the shades easily, the last sparkle shade is so pretty, but just too much sparkle for me. I was going to ask my husband for his opinion but before I could say anything, as soon as he saw me, he said, “Wow, you’re really rockin’ out with the glitter.” Me: “Too much?” Him: “Yes.” LOL. Your mileage may vary depending on how much sparkle you feel comfortable pulling off. I can wear some of Bobbi Brown’s Sparkle Eye Shadows and a few MAC Pressed Pigments (those are super sparkly for me). The sparkle in Tom Ford She Wolf is a bit too much for me, but still something I can easily wear for night.
I found mine at Bergdorf Goodman. The fall collection should be arriving in stores at Tom Ford Beauty counters very soon. Online now at Neiman Marcus.
Tom Ford In the Pink Ombré Eye Color Trio is a beautiful palette of warm neutral pinks ($60 for .16 oz/4.5g, limited-edition). The packaging comes in a medium-sized mirror compact with an applicator that has a sponge on one end and a small brush on the other. These trios are the same size compact as their blushes. In the Pink has three neutral colors, each with a different finish. There is a soft satiny-matte light pink (this blends in with my skintone leaving a soft sheen). The middle shade is a frosted warm pink. The last is a sheer but buildable high-sparkle glitter. Each shade is velvety soft with good pigment and coverage. I applied the shades from left to right, layering each additional shade on top of each other. I was really surprised to find the glittery color wearable and that it adhered very well to the lids (even on top of other powder shadows). Application for the last glittery shade was a pat then blend – but blending was very soft and minimal. I had no fall out issues. The trio goes well with a black liquid liner and rich black mascara for a subtle but glowing eye. I’m normally not a fan of glitzy eyeshadows but In the Pink can be worn for everyday and at the office if you make sure to apply the glitter with a light hand.
The colors can look neutral to warm in the pan depending on how the light catches the shimmer. On my skin it applies warmer, but still pink. Your mileage will vary depending on your undertones.
Swatches, two ways:
Swatched heavy over a base darkens the colors:
Although In the Pink is a neutral with similarities to many other pink shimmers, the combination of pinks in this palette are just gorgeous. There’s enough pigment in each shade and enough warmth/color so they do look different on the skin. Some mono-chromatic palettes tend to have colors that look different in the pan but all the same on the skin. In the Pink has enough variance with each color to stand out (at least on my skin). You can get a similar effect with other colors. I pulled a few to compare, below you can see Chanel Sillage, NARS Silk Road, Nars All About Eve, and Chanel Complice (all still available).
Update: Per request, here’s a quick comparison of the MAC Pressed Pigments in Spot Lit and Warming Trend (both discontinued, but other Pressed Pigment shades here) compared to the glittery shade in Tom Ford In the Pink. While the shadows are similar in concept, the Tom Ford is a bit more wearable because it has a sheerer base. The MAC Pressed Pigments have more frost and pigment in the base which gives a more glitzy eye look. There can be some fall out with the MAC pressed pigments while I personally experienced no fall out with the Tom Ford trio.
If you already own any of the shades above you can probably get a similar effect. I do think Tom Ford In the Pink is a must have though. It’s versatile enough to take from day to night. The sparkle is pretty on my skin and not too over-the-top. The Tom Ford fall collection should be arriving at counters now. I found the collection at Bergdorfs.
Tom Ford Beauty has a beautiful understated collection this fall. Items are expected to arrive at Tom Ford counters and online early September, but Bergdorf Goodman has the items right now. Here’s a quick preview of the star products the new Ombré Eye Color Trios in She Wolf and In the Pink ($60 each for .16 oz/4.5g, made in Italy). Detailed reviews to follow for each. For now check out these other features:
Temptalia has In the Pink and She Wolf swatched along with gorgeous eye looks
In general the Les Beiges powders are among the sheerest of the sheer when it comes to pressed powders. They aren’t quite as sheer as MAC Blot Powders though (which I always found chalky-looking). You can definitely layer the Les Beiges over tinted moisturizers or foundations. Buffing in a circular motion with a denser brush helps build color.
I would say the Les Beiges are most similar in concept to the discontinued Poudre Douce Soft Pressed Powders even though these only came in lighter shades. Pêche Tendre 20 (no longer available in the US) has a more glowy finish with visible shimmer. Les Beiges No. 20 has no visible shimmer and goes on the skin more pinkish.
Below you can see that the Double Perfection Lumiere in 20 Beige has significantly more coverage than the Les Beiges powders and that in general the darker Les Beiges powders are quite a bit warmer in undertone. They aren’t quite as brown as MAC Golden Bronzer (which also has more of a glow at a cheaper price) but Les Beiges have a similar natural finish.
The more I use the Les Beiges the more I like them. My initial thoughts were slightly less than impressed due to the sheerness. I’ve found that buffing in a circular motion creates a nice glow – something definitely more natural and suited to my preference than mineral powder foundations (pressed or loose), but similar in result by blending out imperfections (only when layered over liquid foundations though for me).
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour powders have finally arrived in the US ($57.50 for 12 g/0.42 oz). There are seven shades available in the powder. Each come encased in a black pouch and a beige colored square compact. The Les Beiges Powders come with a half-moon domed-shaped brush, but there is also a separate Les Beiges Retractable Kabuki Brush ($70) that has been released as well specifically for use with the Les Beiges powders. The compacts for Les Beiges are the same size as the now discontinued Poudre Douce, but with slightly less product. I was able to preview and test Les Beiges last month at a Chanel event. The artist used the shade in N° 20 all over as a soft finishing powder over the Vitalumière Aqua Compact Foundation in B30 (a full coverage foundation), then used N° 40 as a face contouring powder to add definition. The result was a flawless glow.
The Les Beiges powders are very finely milled powders with a sheer
translucent finish. The colors I picked out have a subtle glow in the
compact but the shimmer is not really visible on the skin except for N° 30 which has visible glow particles (at least on me). There are a number of ways to use these powders. My local Chanel
counter had some useful sheets to explain how the powders are meant to
be used. You can enhance the skin by using as a setting powder. Add a glow with a color that is one shade darker. Or use as a bronzer with an even darker shade by layering.
More ideas on how to use the powders:
The colors I picked: N° 20, 30 and 40
Each color side by side:
Since each color is very sheer, I tried to do a heavy swipe to show the color.
Swatched with a brush with a heavy hand:
Comparisons to come in the next post, but for now I’ll share my thoughts on how these powders performed. I’ve tested these several ways over the past few days. Overall these are very sheer even when buffed heavily into the skin. I’ve tested with several different brushes that Chanel recommended. Each brush will give a slightly different effect although no matter how you use these shades, the result is a similar soft glow. The Les Beiges create the same soft sheer effect as a loose setting powder but in pressed form.
1) Dusted over a full coverage foundation with the Retractable Kabuki or Touch Up Brush creates the best effect for me. There is a big gap between N° 20 and 30 and unfortunately I fall in that range. If I could only pick one, right now the N° 20 works best for me when dusted lightly over foundation. I’ve found mixing both N° 20 + 30 gives the best color finish even though the powders are sheer.
2) Buffed over a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer needs a denser brush like the Retractable Kabuki. My skin is not good enough to just wear a sheer tinted moisturizer and sheer powder. I need something with more coverage. Dipping the brush into the powder and buffing the color into the skin helps create a heavier coverage but it’s still a bit too sheer for my taste.
3) Buffed over bare but moisturized skin (like in Lisa Eldridge’s video). I tried this over Chanel Le Jour de Chanel mixed with a bit of Chanel Sublimage Le Fluide (small sample). I used the same buffing method that Lisa demonstrated. This would work best with those who have near flawless skin. This method did give a lovely sheer glow with soft coverage however my skin isn’t in the best condition right now and in need of something with more pigment. If you have any imperfections you need to hide this method won’t cover them.
4) Used as a dark contour with the darker shades. N° 30 isn’t dark enough for me to use as a contour, but anything darker like N° 40 work perfectly. There’s enough warmth in these to look natural on the skin but not too much brown so that these look like a bronzer (at least on me). N° 30 does work to add warmth by dusting it over the cheeks and temples but in a very subtle way.
5) Used as a touch-up powder with the half moon brush. I will probably need to test this more, but I found that the half moon brush did not pick up enough color to do much of anything. It’s made well with high quality bristles and cut for a compact, but the bristles are not dense enough for me to pick up much color to deposit on the face. If you’ve had luck trying it I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Overall the Les Beiges act as a good setting powder if you want a sheer soft finish (emphasis on the sheer). It has less coverage but a more matte finish compared to the Poudre Douce (discontinued). I’ll have a separate post with more details on how it compares to other powders from Chanel. In general with the Les Beiges I found the biggest downside to be the color selection. There are gaps in the middle shade range where I think many women fall (like myself). I tried N° 20 in the evening and photographed with a flash and it did leave a white cast. I haven’t photographed N°20+30 or N°30 alone with a flash so it could just be that N° 20 is a tad too pale for me as it is. I do think these are good high quality powders with a decent price of $57.50. If you are one who prefers heavier coverage then using this as a setting powder might not be the best option for you. You can still get a good finish when buffed over a fuller-coverage foundation but again, these powders are very sheer.
Les Beiges powders should be at all Chanel counters now. I found mine in store at Nordstrom. You can also find these online at Nordstrom, Chanel.com, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer: Le Charm #112 ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz, Sephora) is a glitzy warm coppery pink. Le Charm is loaded with tons of sparkle in gold, pink, silver, copper – it has a similar complex finish to Petra (reviewed here). The formula for this one seemed to be slightly thinner than the other two I purchased, but still thicker than most polishes I own. Out of the three shades I bought from Sephora, Le Charm had the best application. It goes on smoothly and covers the nail entirely with just one coat. Dry time seemed to be very quick. I’ve worn this color for a few days now – you definitely need a good top coat to extend the wear. I’ve tested it with Chanel’s Top Coat on one hand and no top coat on the other. Without a good layer on top, tip wear and chipping happens within one day. The complexity of the color makes it look pinkish at some angles. In different lighting it flashes more copper. This one is my favorite out of the three I purchased.
Here are swatches with two coats, no top coat. You can see how it looks slightly pink in some photos while in others it’s more coppery/peach:
I found it unique compared to other shades. I don’t have anything that comes close in undertone or complexity. For a glitzy pink, I love that it has just enough coppery/peach that it doesn’t look too metallic with the silvery glitters. The balance of color is perfect. Compared below to Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle, Shu Uemura P996 (old discontinued shade) and MAC Soiree.
Bottom line: love. Marc Jacobs Beauty is available at Sephora as an exclusive. Have you checked out the Marc Jacobs line?
