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Fall 2014

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

September 5, 2014

Happy Friday everyone! September is a big month for beauty lovers, there are a number of new product launches and gift with purchase events. Space NK and Barneys New York have phenomenal beauty gift bags coming up next week, I’ll have more details posted shortly, but I recommend you start making your lists. The price points for the minimum buy is on the higher end, but the gifts they have are best I’ve seen in the industry.

Some items on my beauty radar:
Diptyque has a number of beautiful new items for fall. There is a beautiful La Redoute Candle (1) with a marble ceramic jar. Ambre (2) now comes in larger amber tinted hand-blown glass jar. There is also a new Vanille Candle (3). I smelled it at the South Coast Plaza boutique months ago (they had a preview) and it’s a lovely smokey vanilla, perfect for fall.

Dior has released a new lip item called Rouge Dior Baume (4). Saks has an early exclusive this month. These are supposed to be lip balms with rich pigment. There are 15 shades Dior describes as “easy to wear” ranging from soft nudes, feminine pinks, and luminous fuchsias.

Hourglass Cosmetics fans will be thrilled to know they open their first boutique at the end of this month (5). Also on my radar is their newly repackaged Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint (6). I played briefly with the colors at Sephora last week but was in a rush so I didn’t get to look at the colors in detail.

Tom Ford Fall Beauty collections have been incredibly difficult to locate for some. Items have sold out at a record pace online. If you found that you missed out, don’t fret, items keep restocking online so don’t give up. Both of the Contouring Cheek Color Duos in Softcore and Stroked (7) are now online at Nordstrom and have been restocked at Neiman Marcus (see this post for my swatches).

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty has been on everyone’s beauty radar. I have been really impressed with the Lip Lustre Lip Lacquers (8) and K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipsticks (9). She has some outstanding neutrals.

Bobbi Brown has a new Limited-Edition set called the Mixed Metals Collection (10). It’s exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bobbibrowncosmetics.com. I hope to have the swatches completed this weekend to post early next week (keeping fingers crossed I’ll have the time).

The 30 shades of Christian Louboutin Nail Polish have launched in The Pops, The Nudes and The Noirs (11) (featured above). I don’t have a store near me that carries them yet, so I’ll be relying on online reviews and swatches. I did order a few of the colors from Nordstrom sight unseen. My fingers are working as fast as they can to swatch the colors I picked out.
What’s on your beauty radar?
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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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Tom Ford Beauty Black Cherry Nail Lacquer | Fall 2014

August 29, 2014

Tom Ford Beauty has released a new shade of nail lacquer in the fall collection called Black Cherry ($32 for 0.41 fl oz/12 ml, made in France). It’s a lush deep blackened cherry just like the name implies. The undertones are a deep purple with a very slight hint of red. I have mixed feelings about many of the original nail colors released by Tom Ford. Some of them like Viper, Pink Crush and Bordeaux Lust are extremely sheer requiring at least three coats for full even coverage. Others like Bitter B*tch, Ginger Fire, Indian Rose, Toasted Sugar and most of the newer releases have excellent coverage. I didn’t know what to expect with Black Cherry but am so happy it applies flawlessly with two coats. It’s a super dark vamp with a slight jelly finish but goes on the nail evenly without any issues. On me it’s almost a pure black. The plum base prevents it from looking too harsh but it’s still very very deep.

In sunlight at an angle you can see some of the plum undertones:

Swatched with two coats (it’s absolute perfection):

Tom Ford Rose Crush Lip Gloss, Indian Rose Lipstick, Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad (sold out online, but still available in stores for a limited time, check Neiman Marcus Fashion Island or Beverly Hills)

Next to the black leather card case you can see the nail polish has a bit of plum undertone on the nails, but it’s still extremely dark:

Chanel card case, Wallet Clutch by Clare V.

Some nail polish comparisons to:

JINsoon Risque
Chanel Feu de Russie (discontinued)
Chanel Western Light (discontinued)
Chanel Strong (discontinued)

I’m 100% in love with this polish. I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea since it is so dark and you can probably duplicate this easily with other shades. I couldn’t find anything in my collection quite like it, but most of my vamps have more red or plum versus black.

Tom Ford Black Cherry retails for $32. You can find it now at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Tom Ford and Harvey Nichols.
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Close Dupe Alert: Chanel Steel Le Vernis and JINsoon Nocturne Nail Lacquer

August 27, 2014

If you missed out on the stunning Chanel Steel Le Vernis from the 2010 Soho Collection and have been looking for a dupe, the Jin Soon Choi x Tess Giberson collaboration has a pretty close dupe in the Nocturne Nail Lacquer ($18 for 11 ml/0.37 fl oz). I was lucky to get several bottles of Steel when it launched several years ago (I backed up my backup). Those who missed out have e-mailed me for dupe, but nothing I’ve seen comes close to having that perfect mix of midnight blue, grey, black and silver shimmer. Dior’s NY 57th (also discontinued) came pretty close but was quite a bit lighter and more silvery. I ordered JINsoon Nocturne from Nordstrom last week and it just arrived. I put it next to Chanel Steel for comparison and from arm’s length it is pretty darn close. JINsoon Nocturne is slightly deeper with less silver shimmer and a slightly deeper blue base. I love that it’s a dark grey black with navy blue mixed in and it’s fairly streak free for a metallic. The first coat goes on sheer, but the second one levels out the color to full opaque coverage.

More photos and swatches:

Chanel Steel on Ring Finger and Pinky
JINsoon Nocturne on Middle and Index Fingers

JINsoon Nocturne:

Chanel Steel:

One last side by side shot:

Have you ever found a good dupe for Chanel Steel? I’m head over heels in love with JINsoon Nocturne which you can find now at Nordstrom and Space NK. What do you think?

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

August 27, 2014

Happy mid-week lovelies! A few items that popped on my beauty radar this week. Fall collections look incredibly beautiful and there are a number of new foundation formulas on the market that sound promising.

  1. Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt has arrived for fall and it sounds amazing! This will come in a Candle, Body Cream,  are the the 1 oz and 3.5 oz Cologne Spray, I can’t wait to check it out this week
  2. Christian Louboutin will launch 30 new shades of nail polish at the end of the month, I have my eye on The Nudes Nail Colors (available for pre-order at Nordstrom)
  3. Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Fluid Foundation has been on my radar for a while now, I received a sample packet (but in the wrong shade), it felt really nice on the skin, if you’ve tried it please let me know what you thought, I have friends that keep telling me it really is the best, but I can’t bring myself to splurge just quite yet
  4. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation is another new formula on the market, I tested a couple samples I received at the store, it did feel amazingly smooth, evened out the skin and covered imperfections while looking natural, I had a hard time deciding on a shade
  5. YSL Fusion Ink Foundation is yet another new one, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this, it’s on my list to try out
  6. Giorgio Armani Fall has arrived, the Palette Yeux Organica Palette looks absolutely amazing, it’s on hold for me at my local Neiman Marcus counter and I hope to pick it up in the next few days
  7. Jin Soon Choi collaborated with designer Tess Giberson to create five new nail colors, I ordered two and will share them soon, the five shades are Heirloom, Farrago, Mélange, Pistache and Nocturne, available now at Nordstrom and Space NK
  8. Tom Ford Fall has started to trickle in stores and has been selling out at lightening speeds. Today, some items have popped up online at Neiman Marcus including the Contouring Cheek Duos in Stroked and Softcore, Black Cherry Nail Lacquer, and Lip Colors in Negligee and Twist of Fate.
I have the Tom Ford and a couple JINsoon polishes to review soon. I ordered the Tom Ford Fall Collection from Saks NY after calling around several stores to find they had sold out and had wait lists going. Many have been asking me to rush the review and post it stat. I took about 1/2 of the pictures to review and my camera broke (heartbreak!!) before I could do swatches, it will take 3 weeks to get repaired so I purchased another camera which is on its way. I have some other items photographed and ready to publish in the mean time. I appreciate your patience. If you’re thinking about the Tom Ford, I suggest you act fast. I’ve been testing it and the eye quad and cheek duos are a must if you don’t want to wait for online items to show up, call your closest Tom Ford Counter or Boutique to place an order.

What’s on your beauty radar this week?
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