Tom Ford has some new lip products launching this fall and I picked up a few items as soon as I saw them pop up online. Right now the latest includes 20 shades of Lip Sculptor ($46), a Lip Lock Priming Balm ($46) and a Lip Exfoliator ($46). I bought four of the lip sculptor twist-up pencils and the priming balm to try. I also swatched all the shades of the pencils for reference in case you can’t get to a counter.
The Tom Ford Lip Lock Priming Balm is almost identical to the MAC Prep+Prime Lip. I do feel the Tom Ford has a slightly more emollient feel and it also has the signature vanilla Tom Ford lipstick scent. The MAC has been a long-time staple. Anytime someone asks for a lip primer recommendation for something to help smooth the lip without the slip of a lip balm, I recommend the MAC. The Tom Ford Lip Lock Priming Balm is similar in the sense it’s a creamy lip product you apply to bare lips before lipstick to help prevent feathering. I don’t use a primer all the time, but I find it particularly nice with opaque cream lipsticks or mattes. It helps prevent color from sinking into fine lines and also helps smooth the surface. I find with mattes I need a smooth surface without any dry patches or flakes. This balm helps smooth the surface. According to the description, this is paraben-free; sulfate-free; phthalate-free; silicone-free; glycerin-free; sulfite-free; talc-free; PEG-free; peroxide-free; mineral oil-free; BHA-free; BHT-free; alcohol-free; propylene glycol-free; petrolatum-free; formaldehyde-free; ethanolamine-free.
I think the Tom Ford priming balm is excellent and I’m glad I bought it. I think it was worth the splurge but once I use it up I think I’ll stick with my MAC.
The Tom Ford Lip Sculptors are essentially a fancy lip pencil with a brush on one end and a twist up portion on the other. They are packaged with a beveled tip so you can sculpt the lips. Pigment is medium and texture is creamy, smooth, doesn’t tug and has a velvety soft finish. The colors are so good I really wish they were just lipsticks instead of pencils. There is a new Satin Matte Lip Color Lipstick launching later this fall (available for pre-order) which I’m intrigued about. I’m assuming the Lip Sculptors are designed to be coordinated with the new mattes. For now I can wear the Lip Sculptors alone or like a lip liner. I like that when I apply all over the lip it’s almost like a soft matte lipstick.
I picked four colors and they are pretty similar. I must admit I was overwhelmed at the counter. There are 20 shades! I don’t think there’s a single bad color, every option looked beautiful. The reds to me look nearly identical but most reds with any brand of lipstick, pencil or gloss do. The difference is in the undertone. I would have picked up one of the plums, but the price point is steep and I wanted to wait for later launches. Bottom line these are excellent formula and color-wise. I still think they are really overpriced, but I’m happy with my picks.
Colors I bought:
- 03 Deviate is a perfect nude
- 05 Slash is a pale pink nude
- 06 Bait is a warm pink, can be patchy if you have dry spots
- 14 Crave is a mauve
I like that Slash is pale but not too pale like Spiced Honey Lip Color was on me.
Swatched on bare lips, coverage is buildable to full with layering. Finish has a velvety look, but it’s not dry:
Swatches of all the colors. There is also a clear version which I did not swatch, colors are: 01 Divulge, 02 Invite, 03 Deviate, 04 Extort, 05 Slash, 06 Bait, 07 Conspire, 08 Elicit, 09 Crush, 10 Ensnare, 11 Charge, 12 Exploit, 13 Dominate, 14 Crave, 15 Devour, 16 Succumb, 17 Subvert, 18 Instigate, 19 Manipulate, 20 Electrify
Labeled with names instead of the numbers:
On the nails is Chanel Resplendissant
Swatch comparisons below to a few other neutrals including Laura Mercier Velour Extreme in Vibe, Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip in Bare Rose, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude, Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in Beige, Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil in Buff, Burberry Lip Contour in Medium, MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl and MAC Boldly Bare
At $46 each these are really expensive loves. I’m happy with my picks. I wish the lip pencils were lipsticks and then I could justify buying more of the colors. Color-wise I know red and bold pinks are popular classics but I would have liked to see a few more plum options. Maybe a couple chestnut colors or one peach. Still I think the color lineup is beautiful and I do believe there is something for everyone.
You can find the Tom Ford Lip Sculptor and Lip Lock Priming Balm out now. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Tom Ford Beauty is also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and Beautylish.
I have yet to own a Tom Ford lipstick and that Bait shade looks beautiful! xx
Jae
http://www.allthatjae.com
Oh my, you need to treat yourself!!!
That Crave shade is gorgeous, but my God, that price tag! I’ll have to wait for my birthday to justify this one.
Angela at Blush & Pearls
I know … my heart feels the same about the price tag!!!
That Crave shade is gorgeous, but my God, that price tag! I’ll have to wait for my birthday to justify this one.
Angela at Blush & Pearls
These look amazing! I love all the pink shades 💕
Arianna | Southernbf.blogspot.com
Thanks Arianna!
These are truly lovely, and as always, Sabrina your pictures and reviews are so, so appreciated. Crave and Subvert look so lush, but I just *know* I would snap the actual product stick.
Thank you Alysha xoxo. I thought I’d break them too but I didn’t. They are a lot better than the Lip Contour Duo pencil side (which I broke a few of).
Mmmm, those look yummy!!
They are indeed.
OMG Deviate is GORGEOUS! As an all over lip color, how do you feel it wears in terms of longevity?
It’s like a lip pencil – stays put really well.
They look beautiful on you! You’ve got the best lips! I’m extremely happy Tom Ford has eliminated certain ingredients. It’s time to be aware of what’s in beauty products, especially at this price range. You’re paying more so make it better.
Thank you Lea Ann – so sweet of you to say!
OMG that shade range is just beeeaut!!
http://www.petiteelliee.com
Ellie x
I didn’t have time to get to a counter and so I ordered Slash blind. It arrived last week and I have been using it ever since as a softened liner with warm toned lipsticks like Dior’s Tribale or all on its own. Slash on me is peachy pink and, in truth, I was taken by surprise when I saw Sabrina’s lip swatch which is decidedly pale pink. Perhaps that is because of the difference in our skin tone and natural lip color. Anyway, with one pass, I find Slash to be a soft and slightly transparent peachy pink that combines beautifully with my natural rosey lips. With a second pass, Slash becomes more opaque (peach in my case–lol) and true to its applicator color. Worn either way, it is a lovely summer enhancement. When the pencil was brand new, the edges seemed hard and sharp, but after using it twice, it softened up considerably and now it glide on effortlessly. Although a lot of pencils come with a brush, the one on this pencil is much better and actually does an excellent job of blending out the edges of the liner or spreading the color all over the lips. Needless to say, I’ll be making a trip to the counter as I’d like one of these to go with my cooler pinks.
I was just wondering if that brush really served any purpose here, since so many (at all price points, too) don’t. Very glad TF took notice of that detail!
I forgot to talk about the brush! It’s a decent lip brush. I think it’s well made and designed. I rarely use lip brushes though because they’re just too small for my lips which are really full / big naturally. I feel like with brushes it takes a million strokes to fill them, so I’d rather just apply straight from the tube.
I’m not really a lip brush person either and I don’t typically find them useful. Most are either too floppy or too stiff. I hadn’t really thought about tiny being an objection of mine, but that being said, I do have a flat synthetic shadow brush that I absolutely hate for eyeshadow yet occasionally DO use for lipstick. So maybe that’s it- it’s the same shape profile as most lip brushes, but it’s larger. I wouldn’t say my lips are particularly full (I wish they were!!!) but I like to cover what I do have quickly and decisively. The more I try to be tiny and precise, the more of a mess I make!
Lucky you! Because I’m an “old geezer” with lip wrinkles, a brush gives me a a smoother and more even application that makes my lips look fuller and more defined. Unfortunately, as we age, our lips lose volume, color, and shape. A good lipliner and brush can make all the difference. The liner can subtly (emphasis on the word subtly) correct shape and prevent lipstick from migrating. A good brush can blend out the liner so that as the lipstick wears off, we’re not left with ring around the lips. And, of course, the brush can also be used to apply or smooth out the lipstick itself. Most days I just swipe on a tinted balm (love YSL and Sisley for that) but when I want to look more polished, my tools of choice are a good lipliner, a brush, and a luscious lipstick 😃
You make a very good point about blending. I usually use my fingers to diffuse the edges but I can see where a decent brush would do a much nicer job and keep my hands clean at the same time. Not such a big deal when I’m working with my usual clear liner, but a definite improvement on days when I’m wearing red.
Eileen
I agree 100%. Tom Ford makes a beautiful lip brush, squared off for a good precision application. My only complaint is that it has no cap, so not great for travel but otherwise my holy grail lip brush.
Oh wow! Slash must look amazing on you with peachy tones! I feel with my olive skin and tan everything looks different on me.
I agree with you on the color range! Plum is my go-to in the fall so I would love to see more of those! I do think the reds would wear well at least so I may try one of them out, and I quite like Crave as an everyday shade.
Thank you for another wonderful post. I decided to go for Deviate and Crave. Like you, I wish he had done matching lipsticks. His new soft matte lipsticks are on the Tom Ford website in all of their glory. The only other thing I would like to add is to agree with Lea Ann Pringle. You have beautiful lips.
Crave looks amazing on you.
Crave is definitely my favorite on you. The price point is very steep, especially for a lip liner; but they look like a quality lipliner. Wish they came at a more decent price point. Between $25-$30 would be more understandable.
I am the queen of justification and I still can’t justify that price. But that’s okay. Tom Ford is luxury and I’m not their target audience. I love Crave on you. So I know I’d love that one as well as Instigate because I want all the berries!
Thanks for posting swatches of all the colors. I saw these last weekend and asked the sales associate if there was a mauve toned color and he said no. I didn’t have time to go through all the colors they had (half of them were already sold out), so I bought Deviate. Now I see I need to go to my local Neiman’s to try Crave and Devour, which look right about what I was looking for.
This cracks me up. Estee Lauder had a lip liner in my middle school and early high school days(35 on September 10) that was a contour liner. Pretty much the same. I loved that stupid liner. I will NOT fall for this! Also, try the Oribe balm that comes with the travel size stuff on Beautylish. Sounds so much like the balm. Thanks for the heads up on the MAC when the Oribe runs out.
I can’t wait for you to review the new Satin Matte Lip Color Lipsticks! I picked up Pussy Power this weekend, but also love Le Nudite, which I would have purchased if I hadn’t also purchased two of Tom Ford’s cream eye shadows that I’ve had my eye on for a while. Look forward to the post!