For spring Tom Ford has released a new Cream Color for Eyes called Spring 2015 ($42 for .21 oz/6 g, limited-edition). This is a smokey grey color with a hint of gold shimmer in it that gives it a bit of warmth and makes it look like it has some khaki tones. It’s a very creamy shadow that is emollient when you first apply it. The color is shimmery with a luminous quality, not frosted. For me this one proved to be a high-maintenance kind of color to create a smokey eye. It takes patience and layering to get this one right but the color is quite amazing.
The pigment is quite intense with this color so a little bit goes a long way. The emollient texture makes it very easy to blend and sheer out, but if you let it set without touching for a minute or two it will set and not budge (unless you rub your eyes). I played with this a couple different ways.
1) As a traditional cream shadow I found it worked best when layered. It doesn’t need a base but to create a natural gradient for a smokey eye I found this worked when I applied a neutral nude shimmer first like NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia all over the lids. A neutral shimmer creates a base that gives the darker cream something to blend into to remove any signs of harsh lines. As a shadow, I needed two to three layers of this along with the nude shimmer. The good thing is the color is blendable and quite intense so this is a shadow you can use alone without any liner needed. Just let the color sit for 1 minute in between layers, apply the first layer as a sheer wash, then progressively intensify the pigment by applying more and blending upwards. You can use fingers or a brush like MAC 239 or I also like Chanel Brush #10 (it’s a concealer brush, but I prefer it for cream shadows).
2) This is also good if used as a smokey liner along the upper or lower lash line. The trick to keeping the pigment rich is to apply with a small smokey eye brush (I like MAC 219) along the upper lash line in a slightly messy smudged line. Let it sit for 30 seconds before you blend. Then repeat until you get the desired intensity.
On the nails, Burberry Bright Coral Red No. 414
Swatches heavy and blended:
The Spring 2015 Cream shadow alone on eyes layered over NARS Himalia:
Another swatch shot with different lighting shows how it looks khaki/brownish:
A few swatch comparisons below:
Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Platinum (discontinued)
Armani Eyes to Kill #25 (discontinued)
The Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Spring 2015 is a stunning unique smokey cream shadow. The complex mix of gold, brown, bronze, khaki and black make this a warmer smokey shadow which is easier to wear compared to the traditional black or grey toned shadows on the market. There is a beautiful luminous quality to the colors that gives this dimension and depth making this a color you can use alone without any other colors needed. I found this to be well worth the splurge although it did take patience and a bit of extra work for me to apply just right. That being said, any smokey eye does tend to take extra work for me to get the blending down. The formula is super creamy and emollient making it blend nicely but those with oily lids need not worry. Once you let it sit it sets and I found it didn’t budge or fade. It lasted on me all day from morning to night.
Bottom line, definitely worth looking into. I bought my cream shadow from Neiman Marcus. So far I haven’t spotted it anywhere else. But if you’ve seen it please share in the comments. Note it’s limited-edition so if you’re interested in the color I suggest checking it out sooner than later.
