Tom Ford Lip Lacquer Extreme and Lip Lacquer Review

Tom Ford Beauty launched some new lip gloss formulas this year. This first round included Lip Lacquers in three finishes in Mattes, Patents and Metals ($54 each for 0.09 fl oz/2.7 ml). The second round of launches included a very different kind of foiled metallic formula called the Lip Lacquer Extreme ($54 each for 0.09 fl oz/2.7 ml). The formulas are very different in all the finishes but all of the glosses come in a small sleek tube with a sponge tip applicator. First a quick look at all the colors side by side then more details and descriptions below. Left to right: Panty Pink, Cameo, Torch, Slicker, Hot Rod, Pink Sabre, Universal Appeal and Pussycat.

Lip Lacquer Extreme

Up first are the Lip Lacquer Extremes. These are exclusive to Neiman Marcus along with the rest of the Extreme Collection. The products come in silver packaging. They don’t have a strong scent to them but they do smell like makeup.

These lacquers are very trendy and metallic. There are some purple shades that I received as part of a press package but felt they were too trendy for me so I’m reviewing the ones I think are more wearable. The formula is very thin and dries like a liquid lipstick. The trick to applying these is similar to what I think applying nail polish is – you have to do it in layers letting the first layer dry completely before applying the next. It’s also similar to if you’re painting your house – do it in layers. If you apply like a regular lip product, the brush will pull color from the center. I find two layers gets full smooth coverage, otherwise it will be streaky. Out of all the colors I think Hot Rod is the best – it reminds me of MAC “O” lipstick but a little softer and more rose. Once they set they stay put all day long without budging.

• Panty Pink is a bright neon pink
• Cameo is a pale metallic peach
• Torch is a hot orange neon
• Slicker is a bright red
• Hot Rod is a perfect metallic rose

Lip Lacquer

Up next are three of the Lip Lacquers in one Metal Pink Sabre and two Mattes Universal Appeal, Pussycat. So many of you asked me to review these and I wasn’t going to because none of the colors looked neutral enough for everyday. Once I received a dozen DMs and e-mails I decided to investigate picking the ones I felt were most neutral. I did swatch them at the counter as well and love the Patent and Metal finishes. I hope they expand the color range to include lighter shades, if they did a Pink Dusk or Sable Smoke lip stick in gloss form I would be SO happy. The Lip Lacquers smell just like the lipsticks and have a soft vanilla scent.

My picks:

• Pink Sabre is a metallic rose with a thick opaque high shine, this one looks darker on my complexion than it looks in the tube
• Universal Appeal is the perfect nude, it’s sold out almost everywhere I looked so I ordered it online, currently still available at Saks and Bloomingdales, on back order at Neiman Marcus
• Pussycat is a perfect everyday rose but it does darken on the lips since it’s a matte finish, I wish this came in the patent formula as the color is so perfect but I’m not a fan of mattes

Overall pros are lasting power and pigment. The Lip Lacquer Extremes are going to be tricky to apply as they’re very metallic and I don’t think they’re everyday kind of colors. I do think the exception is Hot Rod. For the regular Lip Lacquers I think the mattes are going to be great for those who like liquid lipsticks. I find them to be among the better formulas for mattes as they don’t make my lips shrink or look like raisins. The metallic formula is pretty thick although it’s not too tacky, I think it has great color payoff and wear. It’s going to be nice for going out for me, but it’s too thick for everyday especially in hot South Florida weather. In testing all the colors I found that they did not dry out my lips.

Bottom line is there are good things about the glosses but in general I find that I like Tom Ford’s regular lipsticks a whole lot more. For gloss I prefer other formulas like the Becca Glow Lip Gloss or Pat McGrath LUST Glosses although comparing them isn’t really like comparing apples to apples. The formulas are too different.

Still because certain colors are so perfect, I’m giving Hot Rod and Universal Appeal a huge thumbs up.

You can find the Tom Ford Lip Lacquers at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue and other Tom Ford counters. The Lip Lacquer Extreme is a Neiman Marcus exclusive.

Extremes provided courtesy of Tom Ford for review. Lip Lacquers purchased by me.