Tom Ford Lavender Lust Eye Color Quad

Occasionally, I make a departure from the usual neutral/nude eyeshadow territory, so here we have my acquisition of Lavender Lust (£63).
Lavender Lust is a very cool toned dusty purple/lavender palette, the colours do not scream pastel which is often my worry with these types of shades.


The top left is a sheer light pink with glitter, the colour pay off is good for a glitter shade though I do get quite a lot of fall out. The top right is a satin finish medium smoky violet/purple with a slight grey hue, it has very good pigment and is the most creamy/smooth of all four shades. Lower left is a lavender/white with a pink iridescent sheen. Lastly on the lower right a noticeable dryer in feel (though does not look patchy once applied) dark plum with satin finish. Its not quite pigmented enough for me to use as a liner unless I use it wet.

Overall the palette has good pigment, with a mostly smooth texture and the shades do not fade/crease when used over a primer. As a result of the colours being different depths but within the same colour family I find it limited in the looks it can create.

I've had this palette for quite a while now and though I've seen it create very pretty soft to intense purple smokey looks on other blogs, I have to concede that for me this does not work. All I can create is grey/purple murkiness as shown below (notice the glitter fall out).

So its not a love for me and I have to say that I have been going off my Tom Ford eyeshadows quite a bit recently, there is something in the finish of the overall look that it just not sitting well on me.

I bought this from http://www.harveynichols.com

Tom Ford Lips & Boys Collection: Julian, Olivier, James and Flynn

I missed out on the initial launch of the Lips & Boys Collection so made sure to quickly place an order when the collection was relaunched recently (in the UK its exclusive to Selfridges).

Though I'd read and seen pictures on the difference in size, it was still a surprise to see in the flesh just how mini these are (shown below with the regular size).
What is good though is that the quality of the packaging is still the same as the full size, just smaller, and the lipstick itself is a good size rather than being really thin and fiddly to apply.

Money wise they only work out slighter cheaper compared to the full size, these are 2 grams at £26 each whereas the standard lipsticks is 3 grams for £37 each. I'd rather have a cheaper price and smaller amount of product personally (good to have hope of using up a product....).

I bought the following shades:
Julian: cool toned, medium mauve pink with satin finish.

Olivier: cool toned, very pale lavender pink with shimmer finish. I bought this to use as a topper for other lipsticks to give a bit of interest as these types of shades are too pale to use on their own with my complexion.

James: warm toned, medium coral with satin finish (this is meant to be the same shade as Twist of Fate, which was a limited edition shade for the 2014 Fall collection).

Flynn: neutral nude pink with satin finish.

Both Julian and James have the same texture/application of the full size, they are creamy, with very good pigment and a long wear time. Oliver and Flynn are of a slightly thinner consistency and are not as pigmented.
I'm really not getting on with Flynn, no matter how well I prep my lips it shows up lines and dryness like a beast, it also applies a lot lighter that it looks in the tube and swatch so washes me out.

Swatched L-R:Flynn, Olivier, James and Julian.

Its good that on the whole the quality remains the same compared to the full size, I just wish I'd skipped Flynn and opted for a more colour intense shade.
There are still quite a few shades left on the Selfridges site, though I presume that once they are gone they are gone so bear in mind if you are eyeing the collection up.

I bought these from http://www.selfridges.com/

Tom Ford Lip Colour Negligee, Ultra Shine Lip Gloss Pink Guilt & Bronzing Powder Terra

On hearing that my brother was going on a business trip, I of course presented him with a hopeful list of makeup to pick up from the airport.

Lets start with the limited edition for Fall, lip colour in Negligee. It really is the perfect rose for the autumnal season. It has a very slight sheen to it so it doesn't look flat. I tend to prefer the TF lip shines to this formula, but I find Negligee not drying like I have other colours in the past and the creamy feel, opaque coverage and very long lasting wear are all great attributes.



Ultra shine lip gloss in Pink Guilt is a warm golden copper with some pink. It has a high-shine finish, with high pigment that provides opaque coverage. It has a smooth, albeit quite thick, tacky texture that does not feel drying. Its one of the longest lasting glosses I've tried. Though I am not a fan of the stickiness, the colour payoff and wear time is so good that I would get another one.
Swatched below Negligee, Pink Guilt



Lastly we have the Bronzing Powder is Terra, which has a matte finish.

The compact is humongous and quite heavy, though you are getting a good amount of product (21 grams). It has a very useful large mirror, which I find myself using for applying a lot of my makeup.

Being pale and cool toned, bronzers tend to either look orange or like dirt, but Terra is perfect,with just the right balance of warmth that never turns orange or muddy looking. I'd say pigment is on the lighter side but I find this ideal as it allows for foolproof application and its easily built up should you desire.

It has a smooth texture that is not powdery/dry and lasts a good 9 hours before I notice any fading.

This is the best bronzer I've tried, application is a breeze, as unlike a lot of bronzers, I don't have to really blend/buff this in, it just seems to apply seamlessly with no hard edges, never looking patchy.

Furthermore the colour is perfect for adding a natural looking healthy warmth to my complexion.

Ingredients:


Well what a success as I love all the products, many thanks to my brother.

My brother bought me these from Heathrow terminal 3

Tom Ford Fall 2014: Stroked Contouring Cheek Colour Duo

Stroked (£56) is the lighter option of the two limited edition duos released for the Tom Ford Fall collection. It was always going to be a risk for me ordering such a warm looking duo, but I was intrigued by the rusty autumnal tone of the blush and was interested to see how a Tom Ford highlighter would perform.

The duo is meant to create sculptured cheekbones, with the deeper shade adding definition and the lighter shade to highlight.

It contains a rusty orange and a yellow champagne highlighter. The blush has a shimmery/glow finish and the highlighter has a frosted, high shine finish (though it does not emphasize pores).
The texture is really good, as soft and smooth as you would like. The product glides onto the skin but due to the extremely high pigment, if you have pale skin like me, you really only need the faintest of touches.
Swatched below on the left and blended out on the right,


I wanted to love this as I think the texture/application is top notch but as much as I try to get these colours to work for me they are just too warm and the finish makes me feel a bit overdone.

Ingredients:


For those looking for a more dramatic finish with intense pigment then Stroked is definitely a good option if you suit warm tones.

I bought this from http://www.harveynichols.com/

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Colour Quad Fall 2014

There has been so much hoopla over the Tom Ford Fall release, it was easy to get caught up with the "must have Fall collection" combined with a need for a rush purchase for fear of it being sold out everywhere.
When the collection was released early on Harvey Nichols I did what any good lemming would and quickly placed my order (I also bought one of the cheek duos).


Nude Dip (£63) contains a golden champagne, rose copper/gold, medium taupe and a dark brown.




The shades are soft, extremely smooth and apply seamlessly. All shades have high pigment and a good wear time.

There is no doubt that these are pretty colours with a very high quality texture and ease of application, however I'm not entirely happy with this. The sticking point for me is the actual finish of the two lighter shades. Whilst the darker shade is a satin and the taupe is shimmery (though quite shiny), the two lighter shades are very high shine, almost metallic. I personally find frosty shades difficult to carry off and there is too much of this going on with Nude Dip. I feel the palette would have been better grounded with the inclusion of just one high shine shade.

Don't get me wrong as there is a lot to like about this palette but I have to apply the lighter shades with an extremely light touch.
I don't regret this purchase as I know how I need to apply/wear it to make it work for me, but I think if you share my aversion to high shine/frosty shades this might not be the must have its been cited as.

I bought this from http://www.harveynichols.co.uk

Tom Ford Lip Colour Sheer Pink Dune

Whilst I love the Tom Ford shine formula I'm not a fan of the regular version, so whilst I was very interested in news of a third limited edition formula in the form of the lip colour sheer range, at £36 a pop I played save and just ordered the one shade, Pink Dune.

The lipstick packaging is the same as the original line up, a crisp white with gold edging.

Straight away I am loving the feel and application, it feels lightweight with just the right amount of slip, it applies smoothly and feels hydrating so I don't have to worry about the area looking patchy, dry or with visible lip lines. The wear time is average at best but then for a sheer range I wouldn't expect it to have a longer than average wear.

Now onto the colour which is a very sheer peach nude with the barest hint of pink and heavy golden shimmer. Whilst its nice, its not quite as amazing as I had hoped. I do really like the actual base colour but just find the finish a tad too frosty.

Swatched below (this is with four swipes).

Even though TF are the highest priced lipsticks in my collection, I'm impressed enough with the performance that I definitely want to try another shade from the sheer range, I just think in hindsight I'd had been best to go for one of the other shades.

I bought this from http://www.selfridges.com

Tom Ford Orchid Haze Eye Colour Quad

I was slightly apprehensive if this would be worth the splurge as I have had varied results with the Tom Ford line, fortunately this is most certainty a must-have for me.


The Orchid Haze palette (£62) contains a shimmery/frosted peachy/pink champagne, shimmery warm taupe, satin dusty mauve rose and a matte deep aubergine (it looks like it contains a slight sparkle but I don't notice it when applied)

The colours are just meant for each other and the results is a refined natural look with a dusty warmth.

The shadows are beautiful smooth and apply like a dream. I think even if you had poor quality brushes, these shadows would still apply well, as they really do just glide on and blend effortlessness.

The pigment level is very good and they apply true to the pan with no fall out. There is no room for improvement in the quality of these shadows, they really are just that good.


I bought this from harrods.com

Tom Ford Illuminating Highlight Pen

The Illuminating Highlight Pen is meant to "allow you to enhance, contour or diminish your features to create the appearance of symmetry". There are eight shades, 4 shimmery and 4 matte, the shimmery ones are meant to "catch the light and bring focus to the cheekbones and eyes to create balance and symmetry"  and the mattes are to "act as skin–priming concealers to diminish flaws and shadows". All eight tones are meant to "soften and diffuse light for a smooth and undetectable finish".

The concealer comes in a mahogany tube and has a white synthetic brush head. The product dispenses via twist-up packaging. I bought 05 Naked Bisque (£40) which is a ivory/nude shade with pink undertones.
Shown below on the left with the Burberry Sheer Luminous Concealer in Light Beige on the right to show the pink tones of the Tom Ford.

It has a creamy texture and more pigment that say YSL Touche Eclat. It gives light coverage and a slight illumination, though matte in finish rather than shimmery. It does make the skin texture look smoother and flaws softened and looks very natural on.
Texture/performance wise it goes on easily and doesn't migrate into lines, to get a full days wear I do have to set with powder though.
Shown below before and after,

I am tempted to pick up 07 Amber Eclat to use as a colour corrector under concealer as I have read many positive reviews about that particular shade for offsetting dark circles.

Ingredients:

In terms of finish and texture this is one of the best types of this product I have tried so far, though as I have dark circles I would always need to use this in conjunction with a heavier coverage product.

I bought this from harrods.com

Tom Ford She Wolf Ombre Eye Color Trio Palette

A strange feeling of being left out, it seems all and everyone has blogged about the She Wolf trio (£50) from this years Tom Ford Fall collection, the verdict seems unanimous in that its a universally flattering, high quality, essential for your makeup collection. So I HAD to buy it.

The trio contains a matte cool toned dark brown, medium grey/taupe with a satin finish and then a silver/taupe glitter shade.

The non glitter shades feel smooth and have very good payoff and blend quite nicely (though not the best). The glitter shade feels smoother than a lot of these types of finishes and has a good abundance of glitter particles and noticeable colour with almost a wet look.

Swatched below are Rouge Bunny Rouge Black Pepper Jay and then the darkest shade from the trio as I think these are very similar,
 
Unfortunately I am not enjoying this as much as I had expected, primarily due to the glitter shade. Compared to the glitter shade in my Charlotte Tilbury palette, the Tom Ford one is not as well behaved, there is fall out which is physically irritating and it transfers very easily, making it look messy, further to this I also find it creases (even with a primer). 

In terms of the other shades, the middle shade applies darker than it looks in the pan, not necessarily a bad thing but together with the deepest shade I find that once applied there is not enough contrast.
Though I normally love taupes the middle shade looks very dull on me, so my options are a rather blah smoky look or a equally blah smoky look with glitter.

For me, makeup needs to create a better "you" and unfortunately this is not flattering on me. I do think the quality is good overall and I will pick up the Orchid Haze quad that features non glitter shades, but for me this particular palette just doesn't quite work on its own so I'll be pairing the shades with different colours (whilst ignoring the glitter shade).

I bought this from Harrod.com