Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in Paradiso

Hello, Beautiful!

I never thought this would happen, but I think I'm addicted to Tom Ford makeup! That's a very bad addiction to have, considering the average item is around $50 to $80 a piece. I haven't gone off the deep end yet and into complete debt over this line... no, instead I've added piece by piece (and even returned a few, less-than-worthy items).

In today's post, I have the Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in the shade Paradiso. This lipstick was from his Summer 2015 collection, but I've only now (in November) started to use it. I will say, this is a much more summer shade for certain -- especially when you see just how NOT sheer this "sheer" lipstick is.

Check out all the product info below, along with my full review and an array of pics!

Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer Info & Review

Cost: $52.00 (0.1 oz full size)
Availability: Available on the Tom Ford website, at Nordstrom, at Neiman Marcus, and everywhere else Tom Ford beauty is sold.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses for the formula... 4.5 out of 5 Kisses for the shade Paradiso.

PRODUCT DETAILS & CLAIMS...

Tom Ford's Lip Color Sheer delivers a lustrous sheen of color that compliments sun-kissed, summer skin. A decadent mix of Vitamins C and E, plus shea butter, helps lavish the lips with saturated moisture. The distinct, beveled lip color sheer bullet is packaged in a retro-chic, ivory and gold colored Tom Ford case.

This shade is from his Summer 2015 collection, which included four shades. 

Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer
Shade: 07 Paradiso

This is what the box looks like...

   

This lipstick packaging is in white with gold trim instead of his usual deep brown/burgundy and gold. I like this color combo a lot more.... white and gold together is just really pretty to me. 

The top of the lipstick lid has his traditional TF embossed.

And the bottom has a sticker with the shade name. My sticker is put on very crooked... you'd think for such an expensive lipstick a detail like that would be unacceptable. I mean, Maybelline and L'Oreal seem to get it right.

And here she is again... such a pretty pink. It photographs a little differently than it appears in person. And even in person I find that the shade looks different in various lighting.

Sometimes it looks more red, other times more coral, and even sometimes it pulls with a hint of orange. But the main shade is pink, and it's a beauty.

This bullet style isn't my favorite. It has a flat, pointed top. I know some people prefer this style because they say it can line the contours of the lip better, but I just don't have the lip shape for this. Plus, once it wears down you lose that precision anyway. But it's nothing I can't work with.

And of course, the traditional TF is embossed into the lipstick.

Here are two swatches of Paradiso:

And lip swatches of Paradiso:

This isn't the best lighting, but you can see there is NOTHING sheer about this lipstick formula. It's very good pigmentation, especially considering I was expecting a sheer wash of color.

FINAL THOUGHTS...

I purchased this lipstick with the intention of getting a sheer wash of color... imagine my surprise when I applied this to my lips and was given anything but sheer. Sure, it's not totally opaque on first swipe, but you can see from the lip swatch pics above just how opaque it can be.

The shade I decided to try, Paradiso, is a gorgeous coral pink that seems to morph slightly depending on the lighting. Sometimes it looks very pink, other times more coral, and even at times a bit red. It certainly is a beauty though... and a shade I do think is very summer appropriate.

What I love most about this lipstick is how hydrating it is. It feels so incredibly luxurious on my lips.... very silky smooth. If you've followed my blog for awhile then you probably have heard me say that I have the driest lips on planet earth... year round dryness! So when a lipstick feels this good on my lips, it's something to take note of!

I really love Tom Ford lipsticks, from what I've tried so far. I have this one, a sheer, and one of this regular lipsticks in the shade Pink Dusk --- which is probably my holy grail nude shade (blog post of that beauty to come soon).

Also, just for comparison, I do find this lip sheer is a bit more hydrating and conditioning on the lips than his regular line of lipsticks.

If you want a luxurious lipstick that feels like an amazing lip balm but looks like a lipstick, then give this one a go. If you'd rather save the cash, I understand fully. $52 for just ONE lipstick is insane... you gotta REALLY love the shade AND the formula. For me, I love the formula and like the shade. But when it comes to the Pink Dusk lipstick... well, I love the formula AND shade and wouldn't hesitate to repurchase that one. Paradiso, while it's pretty, isn't a lipstick I'm adding to my "must re-purchase" list.... at least not yet. Give me a few months and warmer weather and we'll see how I feel then.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this lipstick? Have you tried this, or would you consider adding this to your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below!

xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Silvered Topaz: swatches, pics, complete review

Hello, Beautiful!

If you read my review on the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Nude Dip, then you know how head-over-heels in love I am with that quad. Seeing as how much I loved that one, I wanted to try more. Nude Dip is a limited edition quad, so it's not part of his regular quad collection - and I think there may be a formula variation between the Nude Dip quad and his regular quads. The formula on the quad I'm going to talk about in this post is no where near the superior quality that Nude Dip is made of.

So let's talk about the Silvered Topaz quad from Tom Ford....

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Info & Review

Cost: $80.00 (0.35 oz/10 g full size)
Availability: Available on the Tom Ford website, at Nordstrom, and everywhere else Tom Ford beauty is sold.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Kisses

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad
Shade: 05 Silvered Topaz

Here is what the box looks like. Click on them to view larger.

And of course, it comes in this fancy little suede pouch.

The palette is traditional Tom Ford packaging. Very sleek and pretty.

And here is what Silvered Topaz looks like on the inside.

You receive two duo-side applicators. 

As you can see, these shades are very wearable and ones I would reach for often, but they also feel easily dupeable, and I'm sure I have others in my collection that are identical.

Here are a bunch of swatch photos....... The first few pics are taken indoors with my studio lights.

And the next set of swatch photos were taken outdoors in sunlight.

Of course I need the intentional blurry pic to show the shimmer/sparkle that some of these shades have.

THE FINAL VERDICT...

I really, really, really wanted to love this palette. I spent days looking at reviews, both in blog posts and in YouTube videos, trying to decide which of the 10 palettes I should purchase. Without question, the quad Silvered Topaz kept being the one I oooh'd and ahhhh'd at each time I saw it swatched.

Seeing as how much in love I was with the Nude Dip quad, I was sure I'd also equally love the Silvered Topaz quad. Boy was I wrong.

The formulation of Silvered Topaz feels much lower quality than Nude Dip. The pigmentation isn't as great, the shadows - while yes, they feel nice, don't feel like the Nude Dip quad does. After swatching it I was so deflated. I even sat and stared at the swatched for a good 5 minutes before I could even process how let down I was.

Don't get me wrong, the shades in Silvered Topaz are pretty but not $80 pretty. Not $80 quality. And certainly not even on the same level as the Nude Dip quad. Just as I did with the Nude Dip quad, I had to justify it by seeing if I would spend $20 per shadow and with Silvered Topaz that answer was no.

In the end I sent this back to Nordstrom. That's $80 I don't need to waste on a palette that doesn't excite me. I have read one or two reviews since then where someone had mentioned that the "good" formula was back with the Nude Dip quad. I'm new to Tom Ford makeup, so can someone who maybe has used this makeup for awhile please tell me if there was an original formula that is similar to Nude Dip and if it was changed to whatever is in my Silvered Topaz quad.

All I have to say is if you have $80 and you only buy one, don't buy Silvered Topaz. Buy Nude Dip! But if you have the money to burn, then these quads aren't bad at all - just to me, I don't see the value of $80... at least not in this quad.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this quad? Have you tried this, or would you consider adding this to your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below!

xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation - shade 4.0 Fawn: before & after, swatches, complete review

Hello, Beautiful!

I don't know who I think I am lately, but I've been splurging on luxury makeup. But after my recent makeup purge -- which was my biggest purge yet (I purged over 1,200 items... over 700 went into my recent blog sale, the rest was given away) -- I decided to treat myself to some select luxury items. I have plenty of high-end makeup, but a handful of luxury makeup products in my collection.

Tom Ford definitely falls into the luxury makeup category with the average price of one item being in the $60 to $80 range; that's expensive! And that's also why up until very recently I had never purchased any of his makeup.

If there is one makeup category I am all for splurging on, it's a foundation (liquid or powder formula). So when I decided to try a Tom Ford item, I knew I wanted to try a foundation product. I'm currently still in love with my Marc Jacobs Remarcable Full Cover Foundation, so I didn't want to try another liquid foundation, but I did want to try a powder foundation. That's when I purchased the Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation. Did it live up to my expectations? Am I just paying for a name? Continue reading to find out all my thoughts...

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation Info & Review

Cost: $80.00 (0.24 oz full size)
Availability: Available on the Tom Ford website, at Nordstrom, and everywhere else Tom Ford makeup is sold. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Kisses


PRODUCT DETAILS AND CLAIMS...

This versatile foundation glides onto skin with a silky, light as air formula to create a flawless and natural-looking canvas for color. Designed to be worn as a buildable foundation offering light to medium coverage or as a luxurious finishing powder, it features micro-fine, light-reflecting powders for a luminous finish. Includes a special sponge applicator to build coverage or set the look. Use flocked white side for a sheer, natural finish. Use flat-sponge beige side for a full-coverage effect.

Currently available in 8 shades.

Tom Ford Flawless Powder Foundation
Shade: 4.0 Fawn

Here is what the front and back of the box looks like. Click on them to view larger.

 

The compact comes in a little suede pouch, which is a nice touch, but I will likely never use that pouch again. I've had products come with them before, even lipsticks, and they always end up tossed in the trash. I do plan to keep it though to use it for maybe travel to if I take this palette with me it would be a nice way to help protect it, and I guess an $80 powder is worth the extra level of protection. 

The compact is your typical Tom Ford compact size and look (same size/look as his shadow quads).

It comes with a duo-sided sponge applicator....

The flocked side is for a more sheer application of powder - great for touch-ups too.

While the sponge side will give a fuller coverage....

I chose the shade 4.0 Fawn. I had a really hard time narrowing down to one shade because I know the pics online don't really add up to what it looks like in person, and I don't have a Tom Ford counter near me to go swatch these in person. After some research, I decided that the shade Fawn would work best for me. It actually is a really perfect shade match for me! For reference, in MAC I'm NC25/NC30.

Below are several Before & After pics. Click on the pic below to view them larger. 

I applied it with the sponge side to get the coverage, and it's just one layer. You could build it up. For me, I was really impressed with the coverage on its own. It certainly can give you a good medium coverage. It's not a full/complete coverage. I have read that you can wet the sponge and apply it that way to get fuller coverage, but this foundation does not list its use as wet/dry, so I certainly won't risk ruining an $80 powder when I am happy with the coverage and how I'm using it.

I actually purchased this to use as a finishing powder to give my face a flawless, airbrushed look. But I ended up also being happy wearing it on its own. If I need to just run a quick errand I don't feel like I have to do my normal foundation routine and can instead just apply this powder foundation in about 30 seconds and be out the door.

When worn on its own you won't even feel it on your skin. It's incredibly light weight, silky smooth and looks really nice. Gives your skin a healthy look; not a flat matte that a lot of powders can give you. As the day goes on it looks more and more luminous. Doesn't look heavy or cakey at all. On me, it lasts (without a primer) for about 4 hours before I notice I need to touch-up - but even at that point you don't really need to touch it up. If anything, you may want to blot and you're good for another 1 to 3 hours. But I don't find it's very long wearing (and has no claims to be). It certainly can wear a decent length of time before you need a touch-up, especially if you use a primer and a setting spray, but just on its own you shouldn't expect it to look perfect for more than 4 to 5 hours.

This powder doesn't control oil, but it also doesn't have any claims to help with oil control - so I wasn't expecting it to control oil, but I also don't have really oil skin. My skin is combo, and more dry than anything, and I still see shine as the day goes on. If you have oily skin I don't think this is the best powder for you, unless you want to top it with an additional powder (a translucent setting powder, to help control oil). This would be best for those with normal, combo or dry skin. So pretty much anyone except those with oily skin. Slightly oily skin (meaning you fall into the combo skin category) may still love this powder. 

THE FINAL VERDICT...

I think this powder formula is beautiful - both in the texture and how it looks on your skin. It can look great on its own or as a finishing powder to give your skin that final/extra layer of flawlessness. The shade selection isn't the best; only 8 shades (currently) but I was lucky enough to fall perfectly in the 4.0 Fawn shade. If you can find your shade this powder is a nice luxury.

However, for $80 I do wish it was longer lasting and did a bit more of oil control. Those are my only two cons to this powder, and it's why I only gave this a 4 out 5 Kisses rating. If it just lasted longer I would have given this a 5 out 5 Kisses easily.

This powder is one that I really have been enjoying but I'm not sure if it's one I will re-purchase just because $80 is a lot of money and I feel like I can get longer wear from cheaper powders. Still, this is one luxury powder I'm going to enjoy having in my collection and it certainly is nice enough that I don't want to return it.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this powder? Have you tried this, or would you consider adding this to your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below!

xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine