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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Color Quad | Fall 2014

September 2, 2014

 

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Color Quad ($79 for .21 oz/6 g, made in Italy) is a stunning palette of shimmery pearlized neutrals. The colors are suitable for everyday and also for evening. I find the color combination and texture pure genius. I think The Non-Blonde put it perfectly when she described the finish as “modern semi-metallics.” Café Makeup also has a really lovely review. The shadows are very smooth but they have a unique texture which gives each color dimension. The colors are shimmery but in a super wearable way. This is a quad that is a bit hard to track down. It sold out online within a few days so I ordered mine over the phone.

 

Some have asked me if I think this really is a must-have or if I thought it would just be a must-have for die hard Tom Ford fans. Based on my testing and counter visits, I haven’t loved all of the Tom Ford quads. Many of the palettes have this high shine glitter which I’m not super comfortable pulling off. I purchased a couple when the line initially launched and ended up selling them used because I couldn’t wear the glitter. More recent quad releases with Orchid Haze and Seductive Rose have given us more options with texture and more shimmer that I find easier to wear for the conservative makeup lover. Nude Dip falls into the category of love. It has a similar texture to the limited-edition Enchanted Quad from last fall (now discontinued). So yes, I do think Nude Dip is a must-have for the season.

 

 

The colors in Nude Dip are timeless neutrals. Each color layers beautifully over each other. In many softer light neutral quads, you end up getting at least 2-3 shades that look exactly the same once applied on the skin. With Nude Dip, each color has enough variation to give a good layered look. There is a soft champagne, a medium peach, a soft taupe grey and a satiny brown.

 

 

 

 

 

On my eyes it pulls more neutral and slightly cool. On fairer skins or those with pink undertones this will pull more neutral-warm. You can see it pulls warm on The Non-Blonde and more neutral on Café Makeup. Each color is multi-dimensional with different colored pearl pigments. In some light you will see more cool-tones due to the reflection. In others you’ll see more of the base which is warmer.

 

 

 

 

 

Close ups:

 

 

Some swatched comparisons: Chanel Tisse Mademoiselle is cooler and more subtle, Tom Ford Enchanted (discontinued) is significantly cooler and more pink, Dior Iridescent Leather (discontinued) has been added for another comparison.

 

 

 

Nude Dip is pure love. It’s easy to wear with a nice pearlized texture which adds dimension to the eyes without being too frosty. I purchased mine from a Saks store over the phone. It’s currently sold out online in the US, but keep checking Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Tom Ford – they might restock.  Update – thanks to my readers for letting me know as of 8:00 PM PST it’s up online at Nordstrom! Second update at 9:25 PM, sold out online. As of May 2015, it’s been re-introduced and added to the permanent lineup.

 

Did you pick up Nude Dip? What did you think? You can find it at select Tom Ford counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Sephora.
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Bronzer + Blush Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Contouring Cheek Color Duos in Softcore and Stroked

September 2, 2014

Tom Ford Contouring Cheek Color Duos ($77 for .70 oz/29 g) are new for fall and come in two shades: Softcore is the cool-toned option with a pale white pink highlighter and medium to deep terracotta pink while Stroked is the warm-toned duo with a soft peachy champagne highlighter and a medium bronzed coral. Both duos have blush/contour shades that are on the shimmery side with highlighters that have high shimmer.

Both duos sold out very quickly in stores and also online when they first launched. It seemed to be a blink and you might miss them kind of thing. Keep checking online because many retailers have restocked. I bought mine from Saks a little over a week ago. You can also find them online at Tom Ford, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Selfridges.

After testing these for over a week, I prefer these as a blush and highlighter duo rather than as a contouring set. The shimmer and color make both duos them more blush-like. Color-wise I adore Stroked (the warm one) and have lukewarm feelings about Softcore (the cool one). I wish the names didn’t both start with a letter “s” though because I often get them mixed up.

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Stroked is easy to wear (for me). The shimmer factor is on the medium/high side but it blends easily onto the skin and the color warms up the complexion. I found the blush color to be very unique with a mix of copper and bronze intertwined with the peachy coral base. The blush is very pigmented so I prefer to use a soft skunk brush to apply the color so I can build it up. The highlighter is also intense which I find best applied with a fluffy brush.

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Softcore is very difficult for me to wear. It is cool-toned and cooler tones tend to clash with my warmer olive skin. The blush is very dark and the rich pigment make it very easy to overdo (even with a light hand) resulting in a sunburned or punched look (yes it makes me look like someone punched me in the cheeks). The highlighter is almost white on my skin and enhances pores if I swipe it one too many times and ends up looking too sharp and frosted. The quality and pigment are still very good, but the colors only work if I use an ultra light hand.

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Swatches and comparisons: left Softcore, right Stroked

Comparisons to:

The blush side of the Stroked Duo is a mix between Love Lust, Ravish and Savage. If you swirled all three colors together, you would get something very similar to Stroked.

Bottom line I love Stroked. It’s really flattering and brightens the face. I was worried it would be entirely orange based on some swatches I had seen online. I prefer applying with a lighter hand but even with a regular one, I don’t find it turns orangey at all on my skin.

Softcore is hit or miss, for me it’s been mostly a miss. I was able to get it to work on me a couple times, but most of the times I tried it, I found it looked too dark/harsh and too cool-toned. I ended up having to redo my makeup entirely, but I’m still determined to try and make it work. It looks better if I use only the blush side on the face and save the highlighter for the eyes. Still for cheeks, I need something that is easy to use, naturally flattering, easy to build – not something I need to be super careful with.

The Contouring Cheek Color Duos retail for $77 each. Both are limited-edition. They are online now at Saks, Tom Ford, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Selfridges.

Did you check out the Cheek Duos or purchase any of them? What did you think? Did they work for your skin tone?
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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Negligee and Twist of Fate Lip Color | Fall 2014

September 1, 2014

Tom Ford has two new lipsticks for fall in the Lip Color formula: Negligee and Twist of Fate ($50 each for 0.1 oz/3g, made in Belgium). I’ve been a fan of all the Tom Ford lipstick formulas, the Lip Color option offers the most pigment with full coverage. They have a thicker texture which makes them last longer and adhere better to the lips (in my experience) but they still glide on easily. The lipsticks have a slight vanilla scent which fades after a few minutes. I like that it’s a softer vanilla and isn’t too sweet. At $50 each, Tom Ford Lipsticks are a luxurious splurge. I can’t say that they are must-haves due to the extremely high price tag, although I do adore Spanish Pink and Pink Dusk and haven’t found anything that is quite like them in terms of color and pigment. They are smooth and non-drying. I can’t say they add any moisture but I like that they don’t dry out my sensitive lips.

Negligee is a medium pink rose nude. It’s on the darker side for my medium skin tone but it’s still a good neutral with enough pink in it so it doesn’t give me that deathly look that MAC Twig or Spirit gives me (they have quite a bit of brown). For those with darker lips or tan complexions looking for a good neutral rose that isn’t pale, this one is perfect. For light to medium complexions, this is a good neutral but deeper color. I didn’t want to love it because I thought it would be too dark but I actually do.

Twist of Fate is a bright coral. It looks more neutral in the tube, but on the lips it transforms to a brighter coral shade that pulls more orange. If you’re a neutral lip lover, this one may be too bright for you. I found it a bit too garish when applied with full coverage due to the orange base, I needed to blot a bit for this one. NARS Juliette is very similar (at a lower price) with slightly more pink and less orange. For me this seems to be more of a summer shade rather than fall. It’s a lovely shade but due to the amount of orange mixed in, some might find it too warm.

Close ups and lip swatches of each color:

Some comparisons swatches:

MAKE Pink Clay Silk Lipstick Cream (review)
Tom Ford Negligee Lip Color
Tom Ford Sweet Spot Lip Color Sheer (review)
NARS Julie – Audacious Lipstick (swatches)
NARS Juliette – Audacious Lipstick (review)

I’m overall really pleased with the color and quality of each shade. They aren’t typically the colors I gravitate towards but I really like Negligee especially for fall. That being said they are a lot darker than I expected them to be. In discussing fall releases with a few other beauty bloggers, I know many have expressed concern that these will probably be too dark for them. I do think Negligee is the more universally flattering color.

Tom Ford Negligee and Twist of Fate are both part of the fall collection. They are available at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Tom Ford. According to Nordstrom Live Chat the fall collection will be available online at Nordstrom within the next day or so.
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Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation Bisque 4 Review

August 6, 2014

I’ve been playing with Tom Ford’s new Traceless Perfecting Foundation ($80 for 1 fl oz/30 ml) in Bisque 4. I’ve been testing about a week now and I’m in love. I shared my initial thoughts (and swatches of all 15 shades) last Friday. I’m happy with my selection of Bisque 4 as it matches my skin perfectly right now. After playing with it some more, here are my thoughts:

Color Choice: I was torn between Bisque 4 and Natural 5. Based on the counter recommendation after applying them both (one on each side of the face), I bought Bisque 4 and took home a small sample of Natural 5. I’ve been testing them both and really could get away with using either shade. Natural 5 is a bit darker and a tad more olive while Bisque is more neutral.

Formula, Coverage, Texture: The new Traceless Perfecting Foundation is a bit thicker in texture than most foundations I use and it gives perfect medium to full coverage. It blends very easily and covers well. Even though it’s thick, it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin and the finish and feel is very natural. I’ve tried all of Tom Ford’s foundations but have only purchased the Traceless Sticks. My thoughts comparing the three:
  • The regular Traceless Foundation (liquid in a square bottle with pump) is absolutely gorgeous on the skin but always looked a bit too dewy and glowy on my skin. It’s sheerer in coverage and has a sheen finish while the Traceless Perfecting Foundation is more velvety (but not matte).
  • The Traceless Stick Foundation is best used layered over other foundations for more coverage. It’s the perfect alternative to concealer for larger areas of the face that need more but isn’t quite as dry or pigmented as concealer so it blends easier on the skin.
  • The newest Traceless Perfecting Foundation is something I find really does have that perfecting effect. It doesn’t give me 100% perfect skin but it evens out skin tone and texture really nicely. It gives medium to full coverage without caking. It stays put and doesn’t sliding off. It also looks completely natural.
Application: The first few days I tested this we had a bit of a heat wave in Southern California. It was humid and we also had some rain. Those first few days I found the foundation felt a bit heavy although it stayed put the entire day from morning to evening. It didn’t slide off, get greasy or oily as the day wore on but it felt heavy. After playing with this a bit more I’ve found my perfect combination of product. You do need to use a lightweight moisturizer and good primer to prep the skin (it makes a world of difference). My go-to is to use:

Who can wear it? This is a thicker foundation compared to the thin fluid texture of Armani Maestro or even Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. I would say it’s comparable in texture to Chanel Perfection Lumiere but a tad more airy and thicker in texture. I think it could suit a wide range of skin types but if you’re on the oily side it may not be the best option for you. For normal combination or dry skins I think this will be perfect.

Packaging: The foundation comes with an interesting twist up pump similar to the packaging of the Illuminating Primer. It dispenses product easily without any issues. I use 2 to 3 pumps to cover the entire face.

Packaging comparisons (review on primer here):

Here it is swatched on my arm:

Many of you have asked for comparisons to other foundations. I pulled out ones I use and a few lighter options I have leftovers of from winter/spring and I also had some samples in my drawers that I pulled out. I tan easily and my skin has gotten darker since spring. I’ll put a * next to the shades I currently use:

Set 1 includes:

Set 2 includes:

Overall thumbs up. It’s something I keep reaching for these days since I purchased it. For reference you can see all 15 shades swatched here. I hope this helps as a guide to help you select a color. If you need a shade match or recommendation, I highly recommend you call a Tom Ford counter. I’ve found the reps at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island, Beverly Hills and San Francisco to be extremely helpful.

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Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Traceless Perfecting Foundation SPF15 Swatches

August 1, 2014

Tom Ford Beauty has released some exciting releases this fall. The first installment includes a new foundation called Traceless Perfecting Foundation ($80 for 1 fl oz, 15 shades) and a cover up Concealing Pen ($52 each, 6 shades). I met up earlier this week with the lovely Beauty Professor for lunch and some beauty shopping. We were thrilled to find both the Perfecting Foundation and Concealer Pens had arrived at the counters and immediately started playing with the new product (be sure to check her comprehensive swatches and descriptions here.)

Having both fallen in love with many things Tom Ford, our first question was, “are the shades of the new Traceless Perfecting the same as the Traceless and Traceless Stick?” I’ve been matched to both Bisque 4 and Natural 5 for the Traceless Stick and currently match Bisque 4 best. I’ve tried the original Traceless Foundation and while it gives a beautiful flawless coverage (especially with the Cream Foundation Brush which is amazing), and while it’s a lovely lightweight smooth finish foundation with beautiful coverage, I always found it slightly too dewy for my taste.

With the new Traceless Perfecting Foundation, I found myself torn between Bisque 4 and Natural 5. I tested both colors, one on each side of my face along the jawline. The artist and I felt I could go either way. I purchased Bisque 4 since Natural 5 pulled a bit more yellow and olive on my skin (but I got a sample of it just to test at home).

I’ve been testing both shades for a couple days. I’ll have a more detailed review with comparison swatches to other foundations I own but I have swatches of all the shades to share. These were taken with my iPhone and it was very bright yet a bit cloudy outside giving a slighty yellow/warm cast to the swatches. The best shot were the ones in the shade.

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Set One includes Cream 1, Ivory 2, Fawn 3, Bisque 4, Natural 5, Sable 6, Rosewood 6.5 and Tawny 7. All of these are yellow/olive with the exception of Rosewood 6.5 which is pink.

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Set Two includes Caramel 8, Sienna 9, Warm Almond 11, Chestnut 12, Buff 13, Linen 14 and Bare Beige 15. I added Bisque 4 as well since some of the higher numbers don’t correspond with darker shades like you might expect. Buff/Linen and Bare Beige have more pinkish tones compared to Ivory/Fawn and Bisque.

I’m overall really pleased with this new foundation. I had been contemplating the Traceless for quite some time due to the perfect coverage it gives but I’m glad I waited. The new Traceless Perfecting Foundation has a bit more coverage but still looks very natural. It has smooth coverage and evens out the skin tone and lasts quite well through warm humid weather, although Southern California is probably considered very mild compared to other areas.

More thoughts to come soon with a full detailed review, but after testing both Bisque and Natural, I’m happy I went with the Bisque (for Chanel I usually use the 30 foundations). Natural also is good match but leans just slightly olive and is a hair darker. Based on my sample that I’ve been testing I can say I really could have gone with either shade. The $80 price tag is very steep and I am relieved to report that I do love this foundation enough to justify the price.

For a quick comparison on textures of the different Tom Ford Foundations and the two shades I tested, here are the Bisque 4 and Natural 5 lined up with the Traceless Perfecting (new one), Traceless, and Traceless Stick. I think this shows the slightly dewy texture of the Traceless.

Note the liquids in Bisque 4 are lighter than the liquids in Natural 5. However, the stick in Bisque 4 is darker than the stick in Natural 5 (more swatches/review here).

The Traceless Perfecting Foundation comes with SPF15 and retails at $80 (this is the most I’ve ever spent on foundation, when I purchased the sticks they were priced at $78 and I think the prices just went up). The Traceless Perfecting Foundation comes in 15 shades, I’m glad to see a diverse range of colors and those with pink undertones will be happy to see some options that aren’t yellow-based.
You can find the Tom Ford Perfecting Foundation now at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman.
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Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick | Bisque 04 and Natural 05

March 6, 2014

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks ($78 each for .5 oz/15g) are a twist up cream foundation that comes in twelve different shades. I’ve been using this for over a year in Natural 05 and more recently Bisque 04. For me, this is an exceptional product. I tested this on three different occasions at the Tom Ford counters before deciding to purchase. Each time I had the Traceless Foundation Stick on one half of my face with the Traceless Foundation (liquid) on the other. I worked with a few different artists. I asked if they could pick only one which one would they recommend and all of them recommended the stick.

The Traceless Foundation Sticks are a medium to full coverage foundation. It is a creamy kind of stick but blends out to a flawless streakless coverage. The Tom Ford Cream Foundation Blush is amazing with this in that it buffs out the foundation to a perfect finish without any visible streaks. For me anytime I use a foundation brush I end up having to blend a little with a sponge to erase any streaks or lines. The brush + foundation is really phenomenal and worth every penny. It’s on the more emollient side but a little goes a long way and it blends out to a perfect finish for my normal/combination skin. I even like to use it under the eyes as an alternate to concealer. It is a bit too emollient to use as a regular concealer but the coverage can be layered to have a similar effect.

Natural 05 is a lighter color than Bisque 04. Both are neutrals with Natural being a bit more olive/yellow. Natural used to be a perfect match but I got a bit of a tan so the artists matched me to the next darkest shade which is Bisque 04. I’m usually the 3rd or 4th color in foundation lines: Chanel B30/NARS Groenland. It’s been over a decade since I’ve used a MAC foundation (they don’t work well with my skin), but I’ve typically been in between NC30 and NC35. (See all shades swatched at The Beauty Professor.)

 

I use the foundation stick two ways. One is all over the face mixing both Natural 05 and Bisque 04 together. Sometimes I use the darker color Bisque in the center of my face and blend outwards and use Natural around the edges and blend inwards. Other times I just mix the two and blend. On good skin days I use a tinted moisturizer and then the foundation stick for extra coverage in certain spots.

Here are swatch comparisons to other foundations I have in rotation. Note that a couple of the shades are too light for me now but I still had some left over since I went to the next shade up.

Left to right: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B20 and B30, Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick in Bisque and Natural, Chanel Perfection Lumiere 30 Beige, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact 30 Beige, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland.

Indoor lighting without flash:

Outdoors at dusk, with flash:

Overall I find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks to be a workhorse staple in my weekly beauty routine. If I were to compare this to other foundations I’ve tried, most foundation sticks I’ve tested during makeovers and at the counter left me feeling extremely greasy and oily after a few hours. The Tom Ford lasts longer without getting greasy. I would say it’s similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact but works better for my skin with a flawless finish, more controllable coverage. For me I cannot wear the Chanel compact foundation for more than two days in a row because it breaks out my skin.

This is extremely pricey but a little bit goes a very long way. I’ve been using the Natural 05 for over a year and have not used it up with regular use. Comparing the two Tom Ford foundations, I found the stick to have more coverage and be less dewy once blended. I still really liked the liquid and may eventually purchase once I’ve used up my other liquid foundations (probably not for a while).

If you’ve tried Tom Ford foundations – what did you think? If you can share what shades you use to help other readers who can’t get to a counter pick out their match I’m sure everyone would be incredibly grateful for your input and advice.

You can find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick for $78 each at Tom Ford Beauty counters. Online at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Orchid Haze Eye Color Quad

September 16, 2013

Tom Ford Orchid Haze Eye Color Quad ($78 for .35 oz/10g, made in Italy) is my favorite new release for eyes from Tom Ford. It’s a beautiful palette neutrals with rich smooth pigment. There are three shimmery shades in a frosted ivory, shimmery tan, and shimmery mauve pink. The fourth shade is a matte in a deep plum brown. Orchid Haze is a must-have for any neutral lover. The shimmers are very shimmery in the frosted finish. It’s not over the top though and the colors are naturally flattering.

After the preview I posted on Instagram, many requested it be compared to Chanel Raffinement (reviewed here). I didn’t think it would be similar but pulled it by request anyways. Below I’ve compared it to NARS Kalahari, Guerlain Les Fumes (reviewed here) and Giorgio Armani Quad #2 (swatched here).

Compared to most other neutral palettes Tom Ford Orchid Haze is the winner in my book. The pigment is incredibly smooth and rich with excellent lasting power. Definitely worth the splurge and a good excuse for you to visit your nearest Tom Ford Beauty counter to try in person. Tom Ford Orchid Haze is available now in stores at Tom Ford counters. Also online at Neiman Marcus.

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