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Tom Ford Eye Color Quads New Shades Review + Swatches

February 18, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty launched seven new Eye Color Quads ($88 each) late last year. I apologize this has taken me so long to post. I felt overwhelmed with all the options but finally have a roundup with thoughts on each one for you today. I’ve been a huge fan of the eyeshadows since they first launched. The new color additions offer some beautiful more trendy options for you to create more unique beauty looks. I’ll say up front that I still think the best ones are previously launched colors including Nude Dip, Honeymoon, Golden Mink and Seductive Rose. The new ones offer a more diverse color range outside of neutral territory. I bought three of them in Supernouveau, Leopard Sun and Virgin Orchid. The Tom Ford Beauty team then sent more as press samples so I have all seven swatched for you today.

For those not familiar with the Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quads I’ll give a little overview. These are among the most expensive that I’ve tried and I think as long as you love the colors in each palette they’re 100% worth the splurge. There are different finishes and textures in their palettes. Quads like Honeymoon and Nude Dip have a pressed metallic finish different from all the other quads. This round Virgin Orchid and Daydream have the same texture. For the other quads there are mattes, glitters, shimmers and satin formulas. In my experience everything has really good pigment, colors are easy to layer, lasting power is very good, glitters apply best when pat on the lid with a finger.

Thoughts on the new shades plus swatches, Top Row: African Violet, Leopard Sun, Supernouveau and Virgin Orchid. Bottom Row: Photosynthesex, Daydream, Pretty Baby.

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Leopard Sun is my favorite out of all the colors. This has a very warm mix of colors so it surprised me that I found this one the most wearable for me. It has a sparkling glitter gold, a yellow warm gold shimmer, a rust shimmer and a medium brown shimmer. When layered together it creates a sunset looking eye.

This is the only one I photographed a makeup look for. I did test each one separately on the face but didn’t take photos since it was over a long period of time. If you want more looks with others let me know. Below wearing:

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Liquid Foundation in Nude + Sand mixed
La Mer Loose Setting Powder
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer in Tantric
Tom Ford Highlighting Duo in Moodlight mixed and blended on cheeks
Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Leopard Sun
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Tom Ford Lip Color in Autoerotique mixed with Lips and Girls in Uma
Tee by Reformation

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African Violet has such an interesting mix of colors. It has a sheer satiny bright violet, copper glitter, warm shimmery bronze and soft orange. The violet and orange are on the sheer side but it works out in my favor as blending and layering them with other shades from other quads helps to add warmth and life. You can definitely layer for more intensity as seen in the swatches below.

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Supernouveau is a neutral cool tone quad with a warm shimmery champagne, steel dove grey blue silver shimmer, mauve satin and washed out black. This one gives a nice alternative to the black/grey/white smokey eye. It’s very cool-toned on me. I need a creamy base to make colors adhere and stand out on my skin.

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Pretty Baby is one I thought I’d love the most but I have a hard time pulling off this much purple in one eye look. For me it requires a bit of mixing with warmer or neutral shades. It has the most beautiful mauve pink shimmer, a lilac satin shimmer, a duo chrome glitter violet-blue-pink and a deep shimmery smokey brown.

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Photosynthesex is another super unique quad I thought would be hard to wear but when the colors are layered together it makes for a really pretty night out kind of look. I like finishing this one with the green glitter on top and the dark matte green can be deepened in color with a damp brush. This has a yellow shimmer, a glittering duo chrome green brown, a deep warm brown shimmer and bold emerald matte.

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Virgin Orchid is a cool-toned quad of metallic white, shimmering golden pink, mauve satin and deep plum shimmer. I love the formula of this quad but found it too cool-toned and too pale for my skin tone for a single eye look. Quality is excellent, I do think it needs more colors added for me to make it work on my complexion. The mauve shade is what makes it too cool, but I simply take the color from another quad like Nude Dip or Honeymoon and it warms it up for me. Alternatively I can use the mauve in this one to neutral out palettes that are a little too warm for my liking.

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Daydream is the only one I had performance issues with. It has the most beautiful shimmer finish but if you blend at all, color disappears as it sheers out so much it almost looks like it’s being pulled off. If you layer color on top of color it’s best to apply in more of a patting motion and softly blend. I also don’t wear blues or violets like this so color scheme isn’t really my thing for this one.

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Overall my favorites are Leopard Sun and African Violet – surprising to me as I’m a neutral eyeshadow lover but find myself gravitating towards warmer shades these days. Each palette as with all Tom Ford Beauty products are very expensive and quite the splurge. If these are within your budget I’d recommend buying if you think you’ll use or love the colors. I think these are on the more edgy and bold side, but the color scheme is unique and very different from everything else you see on the market today. This is what I feel makes his quads special. In the case with most of his quads I mix and match a lot of them together. If you’re new to his line and want to know which one to try first, I still think the ones I listed above at the beginning of this post are his best ones. I cannot pick just one, but my most-used two are Nude Dip and Honeymoon.

You can find the new Tom Ford Eye Color Quads out now. I bought mine from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s and all other Tom Ford Beauty counters. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Supernouveau, Leopard Sun and Virgin Orchid purchased by me. Others are press samples.

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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Boys + Girls Lip Color – 2018 Picks

October 17, 2018

I look forward to the Tom Ford Beauty Boys + Girls Lipsticks every year! Today I have review and swatches of my 2018 picks for the Tom Ford Boys and Tom Ford Girls and the formula is true to Tom Ford style with well made pigment, texture and finishes. They have that subtle vanilla scent to them and lasting power is similar to those of previously launched clutch-sized lipsticks. The sheers are sheer and glossy with medium lasting power while the creams stay put longer. There were a handful I ordered online sight unseen and I received some press sample colors. By the time I stopped by my local counter to see all the shades I noticed they didn’t receive all the testers and I didn’t have a chance to go back and investigate. Based on my online guesses I’ll say up front that I ended up with a lot of similar shades. As a neutral lip lover I’m thrilled, but even on my lips I could have skipped a few and opted for some of the more edgy colors.

Tom Ford Boys and Girls 2018 Picks

The formula for all the colors I tried is excellent. Smooth application, no streaky finish or patchy look. Even with the pale colors I found the finish to be really good. In addition this year the Tom Ford Girls Lipsticks have a stronger base than last year’s versions (at least the ones I have do). I experienced some breakage at the bases with the 2017 version. Some of you had the same issue. With all the 2018 shades I found them all to be 100% ok.

Colors I have reviewed have a mix of the Boys and Girls formulas. In general the Girls are sheerer with a glossy finish. These come in Ultra Rich (creamier but still glossy) and Lip Color Sheer (sheer and glossy). The Boys are more opaque and creamy with either a Matte or Cream finish. I prefer the Boys because they have better color payoff but really all the formulas are nice.

Uma (Girls, Ultra Rich) is a pale flesh nude cream, it’s a lot more wearable on me than Blushed Nude or Spiced Honey, but still very pale on my lips
Ava (Girls, Lip Color Sheer) is a semi sheer glossy shimmery champagne
Monica (Girls, Ultra Rich) is a sheer light brown cream, pulls a little warm on my lips, but in the tube is more neutral
Camilla (Girls, Lip Color Sheer) is a sheer shimmery peachy pink (please excuse the typo on the photos, I forgot to add an extra “L”)
Alistair (Boys, Lip Color) is a neutral cool-toned nude, on my olive skin it pulls slightly mauve
Gal (Girls, Ultra Rich) is a medium neutral pink cream
Tomoko (Girls, Lip Color Sheer) is a shimmery pink cream, has tiny flecks of gold, pulls a little deeper/brighter than Gal
River (Boys, Lip Color) is a medium peachy pink, pulls more peach cream
Bryan (Boys, Lip Color) is a pretty cool pink neutral, pulls the tiniest bit cooler
Ori (Boys, Lip Color) is a medium pink cream
Helena (Girls, Lip Color Sheer) is a sheer cool plum pink
Hudson (Boys, Lip Color) is a cream nude cool-toned pink
Chadwick (Boys, Lip Color) is the perfect brick brown red
Scott (Boys, Lip Color) is a sheer plum with subtle shimmer

A closer look row by row with lip swatches on bare lips. Set 1 has Uma, Ava, Monica, Camilla and Alistair:

Set 2 has Gal, Tomoko, River, Bryan and Ori:

I triple checked my swatches as they all look nearly identical. I do suspect if you have lighter lips or lighter skin tone you’ll see the difference between shades more on your complexion. I’m right at the medium olive point where these tones look the same. The color difference can be seen better from the product shot of colors in the tubes.

I did pull a few other Lip Color classics such as Sable Smoke, Pink Dusk, Spanish Pink to compare on my own. I think that it was a really tough call to detect the differences between Pink Dusk, Spanish Pink and the entire middle row of colors I swatched. If you had your eye on any of the full size neutrals but didn’t want to splurge, the clutch-sized Boys and Girls are a nice way to splurge at a lower price point with similar colors. Comparisons that look nearly identical to me:

Set 3 has Helena, Hudson, Chadwick and Scott (I also added Daniel for comparison):

For the Boys and Girls 2018 launches I tried, my favorites are Camilla, River, Bryan, Ava and Scott. I really feel like I should have ventured to try more of the plums or reds. I received a couple very bold colors (a bright purple and electric red) but since they weren’t colors I felt I’d ever wear so I gifted those away. I do think based on online swatches that Jordan, Ingrid and Nico look particularly stunning. I might take another look if I’m at the counter soon to see if they have testers, but there is so much coming out for holiday I’m thinking about waiting for other things.

You can see swatches of the 2017 Tom Ford Beauty Girls picks from last year. I found myself reaching for Katherine and Lara the most, although to this day Bradley is still my go-to nude.

You can find the Tom Ford Beauty Boys and Girls Lipsticks at all counters now. I bought half of the featured shades from Nordstrom and the other half were sent as press samples. Also available at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Beautylish, Net-A-Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried the new Boys and Girls yet? What colors did you pick up?

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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lip Sculptor and Lip Lock Priming Balm Review

August 15, 2018

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.

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Nordstrom Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Iris Bronze Eye and Lip Set Review + Swatches

July 24, 2018

Tom Ford launched a new eyeshadow quad with two mini lipsticks in the Iris Bronze Eye and Lip Set ($87) for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It sold out the very first day of early access and I have been checking the site daily to see if it has been restocked. No luck yet but I am hopeful it will be. The set features Iris Bronze Eyeshadow Quad which is new and two miniature lipsticks in Casablanca and Spiced Honey. Since it has sold out I’ve tried to dupe both the eye and lip colors and have found some!

Iris Bronze has the same smooth and creamy texture that all of the regular Eyeshadow Quads do. The colors are velvety, blend nicely and layer perfectly on the lids. This quad has a pale cream shimmer, a shimmering light tan champagne, soft warm bronze satin and a deep wine with a tiny hint of sparkle.

In search for dupes:

The colors are practically identical to his Private Shadow Singles in Hush, Body Double, Iris Bronze and Videotape. I own all of these except for Iris Bronze (but I have seen it in person). There are very slight differences that I can see when I look super close but on screen and from a distance the colors look like dupes. I’ve added Fire Sign and Warm Leatherette as I have those colors. In case you missed it you can see my Tom Ford Private Shadow swatches here. I also felt Iris Bronze had a similar vibe to the MAC x Patrick Starrr Glam AF Eyeshadow Quad from holiday, swatching side by side proves it’s kinda similar but still distinctly different.

In addition I’ve added Eyeshadow Quads in Cocoa Mirage and Honeymoon swatched for comparison. Similar undertone but colors and finishes are different.

The Lip Colors in Spiced Honey and Casablanca in this set are available in full-size individual form. The minis in the set are sample size so they’re a lot smaller than even the Lips and Boys. You will most likely get more than a few uses but they will be used up fairly fast. They’re a nice way to try the formula in case you’ve been holding out on splurging as the individuals are very pricey. Spiced Honey is a pale nude pink but on my lips it washes out my face and clashes with my olive skintone. It’s workable if I add a deeper liner like Edward Bess Natural or MAC Boldly Bare. For a nude I really prefer colors like Bad Lieutenant or Autoerotique (both swatched + reviewed here) or the Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley (review here). Casablanca is a classic medium-deep rose that darkens on my lips. I prefer Indian Rose as it’s a tad bit softer and for me easier to wear for everyday (reviewed in last year’s set here).

The Tom Ford Lip Colors are full coverage creamy lipsticks. They have a semi-thick finish but aren’t heavy feeling. There is a slight soft vanilla scent but it’s subtle and fades after a few minutes. Lasting power of the lip color itself is very good.

Swatch comparisons: Nude Vanille, Spiced Honey, Sable Smoke, Pink Dusk, Bad Lieutenant, First Time, Autoerotique, Pussycat, Casablanca and Indian Rose

Overall I give the set a thumbs up even if the lip colors need a tiny bit of adjustment for me. Sometimes it’s nice to have minis and I don’t always mind mixing or layering lip colors. The eyeshadow quad is really beautiful – I prefer it to the singles for convenience, I would have preferred that Tom Ford launched new eyeshadow quads or at least a system similar to the MAC Pro Palettes where you can create your own palette with singles. I am hoping that Nordstrom will restock the Tom Ford set, my mind is still blown that it sold out the first day! Or at the very least I hope new quads will be launched in the fall. If you own the singles, I don’t think you need the quad but I am really happy to own it.

The Tom Ford Iris Bronze Eye and Lip set is exclusive to Nordstrom. You can still find the individual Private Shadows and Lip Colors at all Tom Ford counters. Available online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Were you able to purchase the set for early access? If so what did you think?

P.S. There are a few new lip products out including a Lip Lock Priming Balm and 20 shades of Lip Sculptors. I will be reviewing the balm and a few of the lip pencils soon! Also the Glamglow x Becca We Know Glow Duo finally launched online!!

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lip Lacquer Extreme and Lip Lacquer Review

May 23, 2018

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.

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 Picks

March 13, 2018

Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 has launched with some beautiful fresh colors for eyes, lips and cheeks. I did a mega-haul and purchased all the items I’m reviewing today. I have been thrilled with everything! I’ve received a lot of questions about the cheek products in this season’s launch and how they compare to previous launches. There are some similarities between pans and I’ve swatched them below and will add some thoughts below. What I picked out:

Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow ($110)
Sheer Cheek Duo in Exotica Flora ($80)
Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick in Sunstruck ($55)
Lumiere Lip Baume in Lumiere ($54)
Ultra Shine Lip Color in Delectable, Nubile, Luscious, Lavish and Decadent ($54)
Lip Color Sheer in Nudiste ($54)

Cheek products: Sunstruck, Nude Glow and Exotica Flora

There is a new double-ended product called Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick called Sunstruck with a shimmering gold and bold apricot cream. The colors are creamy and quite pigmented but blend beautifully on the skin. You can swipe them on the face and blend on top of foundation without it disrupting your base. Swatches on the arm and hand will show that it’s dewy just like the pan compact Shade and Illuminate, but once you blend it it’s not too dewy and actually has decent lasting power for a cream product.

There is a new shade of the Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow. The shades in this palette are a soft powdery gold champagne, soft peach and pale pink glow. If you remember The Afternooner from a few years ago I’d say the top shade of Nude Glow is almost identical to the Afternooner, and the middle shade of Nude Glow is darker and deeper and the bottom shade is completely different as the Afternooner had a bronzer and Nude Glow has a pale pink shimmer. In the pans Nude Glow has an almost faded look because of the pale shades. I thought these might not show up on my skin but they do! When layered together they all have a very soft glow. Texture is smooth and powdery but they blend seamlessly on the skin. If you need a lot of pigment and color I’d recommend you opt for the NARS Easy Glowing Palette in Reve Sale instead. The Tom Ford Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow will give a significantly softer look.

Then there is a new Sheer Cheek Duo in Exotica Flora. This has the same formula as the other sheer cheek duos which is a unique powder that almost has a creamy feeling. It’s like a hybrid cheek product that doesn’t get powdery or creamy and lasts a long time on the face. If you swatch this at the counter on your hand or arm be prepared to see sheer color. They don’t swatch well on the arms with a brush, so I swatched with fingers. Once applied on the face color does show up in a natural buildable way. This has a medium pink and orange. The colors are very similar to ones from Bicoastal and Paradise Lust. The differences are slight though. The orange in Exotica Flora has more yellow and orange while Paradise Lust is more coral. The pink shade in Exotica Flora is warmer than either Bicoastal or Lavender Lure. On the skin the effect is similar though.

Swatched with a heavy hand to show color. Once blended on the face the colors are a lot softer, but I wanted to show how much you could build. I love that the colors don’t disappear once you blend.

Comparison swatches to previously launched Tom Ford colors including the Sheer Cheek Duos in Paradise Lust, Bicoastal and Lavender Lure

Two Beauty Looks

Two looks below with the Soleil Contouring Compact on the left and Exotica Flora on the right:

Foundation is Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque with Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter #4
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder #2
Eyeshadows are Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Bette + Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duo in Paradiso
Brow color worn is Sisley Phyto-Sourcils Fiber Brow Gel in #2
Left lip + cheek is Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow and Ultra Shine Lip Color in Delectable
Right lip + cheek is Sheer Cheek Duo Exotica Flora and Ultra Shine Lip Color in Lavish
Top by Flynn Skye

Soleil Summer Lips

Next are the lips. There are three formulas in this season’s collection. Lumiere Lip Baume, Ultra Shine Lip Color and Lip Color Sheers.

There’s a new product called the Lumiere Lip Baume which is a lip color transformer with hyaluronic acid to plum the lips and change to your pH levels. They launched on color in Lumiere which looks orange in the tube but applies clear much like Dior’s Addict Lip Glow in Coral. On me it transforms lips into a very natural peachy glow.

There are also new Ultra Shine Lip Colors. Tom Ford had a number of colors in this same product name but it does appear the new ones have a new formula along with the new packaging. I don’t have any of the older ones anymore except Quiver, but from what I remember, the older formula had a lot of shimmer shades, had more gloss/shine and was sheerer. The new ones this season are all creams (no shimmer) and have more pigment. Two shade names were familiar in Bare and Nubile, both look different from what I remember the originals to be. Bare looked paler without shimmer, I didn’t buy it. Nubile appears to be a lot warmer and peachier. These new Ultra Shine Lip Colors feel hydrating and smooth on the lips with coverage that is quite impressive for a glossy formula.

Colors I picked:

Delectable is a pale creamy pink
Nubile is a warm nude
Luscious is a perfect mauve
Lavish is a light but bright peach
Decadent is a deep wine plum

I swatched all but one of the Ulta Shine Lip Colors shades at the counter, swatch missing is Ravenous which is a bright pink (wasn’t on the display at counter):

Last there is are two new shades of Lip Color Sheer, I opted for Nudiste a shimmering warm seashell nude. It reminded me of Pink Dune from years ago but this one Nudiste is warmer and more shimmery. I am hoping one day they will re-launch the exact same Pink Dune again. There’s also a stunning plum shade called Bambou. After swatching it at the counter I thought looked very cool-toned borderline brownish so I passed as those tend to make me look corpse-like. I may give it another go later.

My picks:

Swatches on the lips:

I’m 100% in love with everything. Even the cheek shades that have similar colors to previous launches. I always look forward to the soleil collection launches from Tom Ford and this year’s options are gorgeous. If you are looking for something unique and different though I’d say you can probably pass on the cheek products if you already own and still have previous launches from Tom Ford. The cheek compacts are on the extra spendy side so if you are one who takes forever to use up your blush and already have a lot of Paradise Lust or Bicoastal left, you can probably skip Exotica Flora. Same goes for the Nude Glow if you still own The Afternooner, although Nude Glow does have that pretty pale pink glow color.

For the lip colors, I’m really happy with all my picks. The one color I might have skipped if I could do over is Nubile because it pulls warm on me and it’s not the most unique shade. I should have skipped that one and opted for a red or brighter pink instead, but it’s a great everyday neutral. (I don’t test lip products at the counter on my lips unless it’s a brand new tester.)

I did pass on the eye products. There are two new shades of Cream and Powder Duo in Azure Sun (champagne silver glitter + teal cream) and Emerald Isles (gold glitter + emerald cream). I was really tempted by Azure Sun as both shades are really quite stunning, but I rarely wear teal shades on the eyes so decided to pass. There are also two Shade and Illuminate Kohls in Lavventura and Soleil Blanc, also both have shades I don’t see myself wearing very often. There is also the new Eau de Soleil Blanc perfume which is on my wishlist. I got a mini sample to test out and after wearing it a few days have decided I need it. It has more citrus and less powder than the original Soleil Blanc.

You can find the Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 collection out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Did you pick up anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty SS18 Runway Color Collection

February 23, 2018

Tom Ford launched three minimalist beauty pieces for their SS18 runway collection. All three are limited-edition that come in special edition silver packaging, two repromoted products and one new:

Shade and Illuminate Intensity One SS18 is the classic shade and illuminate in a limited-edition silver packaging. Colors are a sheer glossy white pearl and cream tan.
Eye Gloss was launched last season with eyeshadow singles but has been repromoted with silver packaging.
Shadow Extreme SS18 is a new product of intense shimmer shadow in a silver case. Color is a metallic gunmetal silver loaded with tons of sparkle.

Everything has pretty mirrored-like packaging that looks modern and sleek. The only downside is fingerprints show up like crazy.

The Shade and Illuminate has been a longtime classic and I can’t believe that I have never tried it. Cream products for cheeks can be hit or miss and contour colors need to have some warmth for my complexion so I never looked into this. I’m glad I did because it lives up to the hype for a natural dewy contour and glow. I would pretty much die of happiness if Tom Ford launched this in a powder form, but for now these two give a very natural contoured effect. Cream finish does have a natural dewy glow but it’s not overly shiny and stays put pretty well throughout the day. I applied on top of my powdered/foundation face and had no issue with it disturbing the base.

A closer look:

The Eye Gloss has been relaunched in the special packaging. I reviewed it back in December when I reviewed the Tom Ford Private Shadow singles. I wasn’t a huge fan of it then and I’m still not. Eye gloss just isn’t my thing. I do like the packaging design though and think if this were to be used for regular cream shadows with a sponge tip applicator it would be perfect.

Last but not least is the Shadow Extreme SS18. This is a new eyeshadow formula Tom Ford describes as, “light-reflective, long-wearing shadow that mimics the look of melted metal in two distinct finishes—micronized glitter, which gives a lustrous, opulent finish, while a bolder, shinier look is achieved with a foil finish. Longwearing polymers ensure each shadow glides an ultra-thin, water-resistant gloss of color effortlessly onto lids.”

SS18 is a gunmetal silver with lots of sparkle. One swipe gives a medium wash but you can layer it for more intensity. This color is quite trendy for me. It’s hard to tell in the eye look I’ll show below, but I hope the arm swatch will show just how sparkly it is. I think it would be fun for a date night out if you did a smokey eye. I wore it alone to show the color, but normally I would layer and blend with a black liner. This is the first color in the Shadow Extreme formula, based on the snippets on social – more to come in March.

Swatches of everything in the collection:

Wearing the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate, Shadow Extreme SS18 and Bad Lieutenant Lipstick (reviewed here). Foundation shade worn is Estee Lauder Doublewear in Tawny 3W1.

Overall thoughts: I’ve been a long-time die hard Tom Ford fan ever since he launched the lipsticks. The quality is usually on point and texture, pigment, lasting power etc. is phenomenal. These three items were no exception and performed very well. That being said I can’t call any of the items in this collection must-haves.

The Shade and Illuminate is indeed a classic, but the color already exists and I suspect many of you already own it. As happy as I am to now own it, I would have been more excited about something new or different. If you haven’t tried this yet though, I highly recommend you check it out because it’s a product that I think will become a regular beauty staple in my routine.

The Shadow Extreme is very sparkly and I did experience fallout with the glitter falling off the brush, even a densely packed one. It’s best applied in a patting motion. Once on the eyes it stayed on all day. I did apply over a cream shadow base to help the glitter adhere. I’m lukewarm about this one because the particular color just isn’t for me. I do love a glitter shadow, I adore his Powder Cream Duos and the Natasha Denona Crystal Top Coats are amazing. SS18 is too trendy for me for everyday wear with the sparkle and glitter color-wise. I’m looking forward to the other shades because if this comes in a lighter champagne or bronze or nude than I will be all over it.

I am however super excited about the Spring-Summer launches which have already popped up online at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. I ordered the Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow and one of the new Ultra-Shine Lip Colors. I plan on seeing if anything else is in stores this weekend.

Several of you have asked about the Eau de Soleil Blanc and Soleil D’Ambre Eye and Cheek Palette. I did check out both last week. The new fragrance smelled almost identical to the original Soleil Blanc but when I was in store I had smelled several other items so my nose may have been confused. I’ll have to smell it again. At this time I decided to pass on the Soleil D’Ambre Palette. It is really beautiful but I really preferred the previous launches from other seasons. I decided to see what summer would bring instead.

That wraps up my Tom Ford SS18 Colour Collection review. All three pieces are limited-edition. You can find the items now online and in stores at Neiman Marcus and Tom Ford. Did you check out anything from this launch? What did you think? Is Shade and Illuminate on your favorites list or is there another contour product you love?

Tom Ford SS18 item provided courtesy of Tom Ford Beauty for review.

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