Review: Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quads - Silvered Topaz

Oh, did I forget to mention this earlier in the week?  Oopsie ... yes, I bought an eyeshadow quad too.  It's very lovely.  Here, take a look:

A suedette pouch?  Embossed with the name Tom Ford?  Oh yes.

The same rich brown enamelled finish as the lipstick cases? Check.  For some reason, this palette kind of reminds me of a cigarette case.  I have no idea why.  It gets better when you open it though:

Palette full of taupes? Check.  What I like about this range of shadows is that there isn't really a theme amongst the palettes, some of them are all matte, some of them are all shimmer, some of the shadows are glittery, it's not strictly a one glitter, two shimmers and a matte kind of thing. This palette, however, is a one glitter, two shimmers and a matte, see below:

Clockwise from top left, there is a chunky gold glitter, a murky shimmering silvered green, a rather flat (but versatile) matte brown, and a shimmering brown-taupe.  Oh, and two sponge applicators:

Slightly less useless than usual owing to the inclusion of a brush, but still far too small to be practical.  Would you like to see swatches?  Okay, here are some swatches:

These are multiple passes on bare skin, pressed on with a finger - using the sponges was as futile an experience as I suspected it would be. The sponges you get with palettes are always rubbish, I don’t know why many top-end ranges bother.  Personally, I’d prefer more shadow and get rid of the disposable applicators altogether.  But maybe that’s just me.

Overall, I have to say that I'm not entirely blown away by the quality of these shadows for the price. Oh, they’re pretty.  They’re so very pretty!  But, for £62 (or £15.50 apiece) I'd have expected the finest eyeshadow quality I've ever seen. Or, failing that, I'd expect comparable quality with other shadows in the same price bracket, say, Le Metier de Beaute, or Rouge Bunny Rouge, or even Edward Bess/Chantecaille.   I expected buttery softness, deep pigmentation, beautiful colours and exceptional wear-time.

I find that the Tom Ford shadows aren't as finely milled as either of the aforementioned Le Metier and Rouge Bunny Rouge, (with the exception of the matte brown, which is of a very nice quality indeed), and they're not nearly as pigmented as either. I had a very hard time getting the shimmery green or taupe to show up in the swatch shots at all, which makes me suspect that these shadows will need a base to get them to show up on the eyes properly. This isn't the case with LMdB shadows, or RBR, or even the case with the most recent palette from Chanel - who have always been notorious for having poor colour payoff, when it comes to the baked European formulation we're stuck with in the UK - but even the limited edition Topkapi palette is almost £30 cheaper than these palettes from Tom Ford. Smaller shadows, thoughbut.

Anyway.

To be clear, this is a good palette, and there are an excellent range of shades to choose from. I'd even like a closer look at two or three others, actually. But, if you ask me, they're simply not £62 worth of good.  If this palette had been £20 cheaper, I'd have been delighted with it, I think. But, for apparently averagely performing shadows, coupled with a lack of heft in the packaging (it's feather light) it just makes the eyeshadow quads appear deeply overpriced, for me. At £62 a pop, I don't see anything wrong with demanding an ultra-luxe product to go with the ultra-luxe price, and Tom Ford hasn't (in my opinion) delivered on this occasion.  It's a deep shame, as I believe the company does deliver when it comes to lipsticks. Believe me, I’ve tried a couple of lipsticks in my time, and Tom Ford’s are good ones.

However, I believe that the eyeshadow quads are somewhat overpriced for what you get. Wonderful to get as a gift, but they’re not actually “game-changing” products.  Are they bad shadows?  No, no, very much no.  Would I be happy to own more?  Yes, indeedy – they’re gorgeous shades, and I have no doubt that a lot of thought has gone into putting those shades together, in the different finishes.

Would I buy more of them?  I’d need to think about it.  Think quite hard about it, actually.  The US price for these palettes will be $80, at today’s exchange rate, that’s around £50, and (somewhat ironically, admittedly), if I had paid around £50 for this palette, this review might have read very differently.  I don’t mind spendy products – the frequent complaints I get for “never” featuring cheap products on Get Lippie kind of bears this out, even though they’re incorrect – but I do want my spendy stuff to deliver.  In spades, and by the bucketload.

**********

On Edit – The above review was written after swatching only. Since then, I’ve been using the shadows every day, and they appear to have softened up somewhat, making the pigment appear deeper. This is a very good thing – and something for you to bear in mind when/if you pick one of the quads up. You will still need a base/primer though, to lengthen the wear, as wear time is about average (4-6 hours) without a primer. 

However, whilst all the shades are now offering deeper pigmentation after a few days use, I have noticed signs of “glazing” (hardening) on one of the shadows, and this worries me a bit. Normally when a shadow glazes it means it is on its way to becoming unusable without scraping first, and I don’t think I could bear that kind of wastage at this price!

So, essentially, I find myself on the fence about the Tom Ford shadows, as some of you who have read this far might have noticed.  I already know some of you think I’m “mental” for having bought anything from the range in the first place (thanks, mum!).   I like them, but I wanted to love them, and I find I don’t. This saddens me.  Other people, however, will love them. They’ll like the name, the status, the pure luxe factor of how they look, even.  They will even like the things I don’t, and I shall love them for disagreeing with me. I may even change my mind in time - unless that glazing gets worse, that is.  Then, oh yes, there may be trouble.

But I’m just flinging this review out there regardless, and letting the chips fall where they may. I suspect Mr Ford won’t be sending me a Christmas card this year, let’s put it that way.  However,  I’m looking forward, very much, to hearing what other purchasers think… even if you think I’m mental.

The Fine Print: Purchase.  I apologise - deeply and sincerely - for the use of the phrase "gamechanging" in this review.  In my defence, I am spending this week mainly auditioning auditors and I suspect that this has frazzled my synapses.  Or something.  I've just realised I have no idea what a synapse is**. 

** Okay, THIS is how frazzled my "branes" are, I've just spent the last ten minutes figuring out how I can work in a joke about "synapse, crackle, pop" into this footnote.  This was the best I could do. I've gone all meta - it's time to log off.  I'm very, very sorry.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Tom Ford Scarlet Rouge Lipstick - Swatches & Comparisons

On Monday I showed you pristine bullets of Scarlet Rouge and Indian Rose, and yesterday I showed you Indian Rose in more depth.  Today it's Scarlet Rouge's turn.  I own quite a few of the original Private Collection reds (Cherry Lush and Smoke Red are particular faves), but Scarlet Rouge still called out to me when I saw it.

It's a classic red creme finish with none of the micro-shimmer of Indian Rose or Smoke Red, and it leans a little warm, as it has orange undertones.  In the bullet, Scarlet Rouge and Smoke Red are fairly indistinguishable:

Flash

No Flash

You can see the difference in the finish here - those "dimples" in the Smoke Red are the microshimmer hitting the light)  however, on swatching, the difference is immediately apparent:

Scarlet Rouge is brighter, and very definitely warmer.  Smoke Red has a very blue base in comparison.  Something of the brightness of Scarlet Rouge here reminded me of Cherry Lush, so I thought I'd compare those too:

Very different in the bullet, aside from sharing the same non-shimmer creme finish.  Here's how they swatch:

Very similar in brightness, but the Cherry Lush is definitely pinker.  So no dupe here! They're both great colours though.


Scarlet Rouge is a bright, with a soft satin finish.  Perfect for scaring people in board meetings:

The Fine Print: Purchase

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Tom Ford Indian Rose Lipstick - Swatches & Comparisons

So, yesterday, I said I bought Scarlet Rouge and Indian Rose.  Today I'll show you Indian Rose in depth.  A rosy nude shade, with almost invisible (on the lips) micro shimmer,  Indian Rose is a little easier for me to wear than the old nude shades in the private collection range of lipsticks, a lot of which leaned a little too beige for them to be easily wearable for a lot of people, if you ask me.


Indian Rose is very similar in appearance to Pink Dusk (which is still available in the new line-up), but it's a little darker, and a little less beige when swatched:

With Flash

No Flash

As you can see, in the bullet, Indian Rose appears just a tad darker, and has a hint of shimmer that Pink Dusk lacks.  In the swatches, however, the difference is a little more pronounced:

It is definitely pinker, and darker, and the shimmer adds a bit more depth to the shade, but it's not really a "shimmer" shade, as such.   Also, it's definitely still a nude, even though it appears very dark on my skin here.  The lip swatches show this better:

I admit that I do, at times, find Pink Dusk difficult to wear, if my makeup isn't exactly right, the slightly yellow base to the shade can make me look a bit "corpse-y", so Indian Rose is a good addition to my collection, as it'll be a little more neutral, and thus a little more versatile.


The new formula appears to be just as creamy as the old, and is just as pigmented.  This makes me happy.

The Fine Print: Purchase.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Tom Ford Lipstick - Scarlet Rouge and Indian Rose

I was accidentally at the brand new Tom Ford counter in Harrods on Saturday, and, after fighting my way through the hordes (seriously, it was three or four people deep there, if I hadn't already known what I wanted when I got there, I'd have just given up), I picked up a couple of the new lipsticks.   The new lipsticks are in brown packaging topped with a "TF", as opposed to the original white and gold topped with "Tom Ford":

Yours will come *without* the optional thumbprint. D'oh!

I've seen it look rather flat in a lot of photos, but there is actually a lovely hint of chatoyancy about the packaging, it rather looks like enamelling, also nice and expensive.  Size-wise and weight-wise, they're identical to the original Private Collection packaging. 

So, onto the shades I chose: Scarlet Rouge, which is, in case the name didn't give it away, a red.  Slightly orange in tone, it's on the warmer side for a Tom Ford red, and I also picked up Indian Pink, a rosy nude shade.  Somewhat similar to Pink Dusk, but it's very lovely.

Here's a selection of shots under various lighting conditions:

 
Scarlet Rouge is an opaque creme finish, and Indian Rose has a slight - very slight - microshimmer.

Tune in tomorrow for some swatches and comparisons with other shades in the range.  Oh, and I'll show you what else I bought from the range too ... 

Tom Ford Full Colour is currently available at Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, the lipsticks cost £36. 

The Fine Print: Purchases.  Hard fought for, and won.  Dear Tom Ford, my bank manager hates you.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

A Week in Lipstick - 04 September 2011

It's been a pale pink week this week for some reason (well, the reason being that I've been wearing very dark eyeshadow, I suppose).  This week's entrants to the hall of fame are:

Chantecaille Lip Chic - China Rose
Chantecaille Lip Chic - Tea Rose
Avon - Baby Lips
No7 Poppy King Lipstick - Glamour
Clarins Joli Rouge - Pink Blossom
Vapour Organics Elixir Plumping Gloss - Bitten
Tarina Tarantino - Cameo

Remarkably similar this bunch, if you take the Chantecaille Tea Rose and Vapour gloss out of the equation.  Very different textures, all of them, though.  I think the Chantecaille Lip Chics might currently be my favourite lipstick texture of all, soft and moisturising, and, whilst sheer, they're pigmented enough for a really polished look.  There will be a full review of both of these and the Vapour gloss soon though.


Here are the swatches:

Yup.  Very similar.  What can I say?  I get into a groove with shades sometimes ...


Oh, and a little sneaky preview for you of what I have coming up this week:

Why yes, that IS a wall of Tom Ford.  How did you guess?  It's incomplete though, I have discovered that True Coral is so disgusted with my total inability to wear it that it's gone walkabout.  Pfeh.

The Fine Print - This week a selection of purchases, PR samples and gifts.  Fear my overdraft fees this month!  Fear them! But then, who needs food anyway?

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Kenzo Homme Woody EDT

So, I let MrLippie off the leash with a new aftershave the other week, and this is what he came up with:

 

 

 

MrLippie says: I'm back! And I have yet another fragrance to rave about! Kenzo Homme came in the post the other week (as an afterthought/bonus to something Get Lippie herself was expecting),and it immediately grabbed my attention.

The packaging is understated, with the box being white with a soft focus photo of a bamboo section. Intriguing...no uber-manly connections so far, nor the complete minimalism of brands like Armani Code.

 

So, what's in the box?

 

The bottle is trying to continue the suggestion of bamboo, being at a slight angle, with the leaf inscribed upon it, and the lid at a an angle which continues the Far Eastern association. For me, this is quite effective, as the imagery manages to evoke Feudal Japan - with the whole package of Samurai, Ninjas, etc - thankfully I never got trapped into Manga - otherwise there'd be all sorts of other weird images in here too!

Right, onto the scent itself. The initial notes are citrussy - but it's subtle, rather than overpowering. There's an intriguing fresh scent at the back - a study of the ingredients list suggests that it's either one of cinammon or coumarin.

 

Over time, the citrus fades - and it's the freshness that remains. I have to say, Kenzo Homme has rapidly forced itself into my conciousness - when I first smelt this, it completely grabbed me by the throat, took me outside, beat me with a crowbar, and attached electrodes to various sensitive parts of my body and injected me with hallucinogenic drugs until I begrudgingly agreed to wear it for the next couple of weeks. Or maybe that didn't happen at all....

 

Get Lippie says: I am assured by various agencies that no hallucinogenics were harmed in either the writing of this review, or the manufacture of this fragrance. 

 

That out of the way, this is an extremely nice, woody, surprisingly non-sporty and un-stereotypical male fragrance.  I like it a great deal, it suits MrL very well, it's warm, and quite sexy, and doesn't smell typically "male high street fragrance".  I guess there will be a back up purchase of this in the near future, as I suspect someone has been drinking it...

 

The Fine Print: Unexpected - and rather nice - PR sample.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Aftelier Perfumes - Haute Claire

Source

 A couple of weeks ago, my good friend (and evil perfume enabler) Nathan Branch decided to do a little perfume matchmaking because he'd decided it was time Mandy Aftel and I got acquainted.  I was delighted, as I've been following the reviews of Mandy's perfumes for months, and had spent many happy hours filling imaginary shopping baskets on her website.  Then not ordering any of the samples I had because I simply couldn't choose between them.

For those who don't know, Mandy is a self-taught perfumer, specialising in all-natural perfumes.  She has an uncompromising approach to ingredients, demanding the best, and using only those things she feels are right in every one of her fragrances.  And what fragrances they are ... Mandy sent me a box of tiny sample bottles of her fragrances a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say that I love them all, very much.

But, for me, so far, there has been one fragrance out of all that I selected (including Fig, Tango, Lumiere and Cepes & Tuberose) that stands head and shoulders above the rest and that is Haute Claire.  Put simply, I sprayed one spray and my heart was gone, there was nothing else I wanted to wear.  Which is a difficult position to be in when one is eight months into a year-long perfume project!

Conceived during Nathan's Letters to a Fellow Perfumer series whereby both Liz Zorn and Mandy Aftel came up with a fragrance using a similar theme, Haute Claire is a marriage of resinous galbanum and tropical ylang ylang, or, if you want to be reductive, a smoky-floral-green-banana (my description, not Mandy's!).  It is exceedingly difficult to describe the scent - Mr Lippie describes it as "sharp", and as the meaning of "Haute Claire" is "High and Clear", I think he's onto something there.

However, Haute Claire is also soft and rounded under the sharpness, and it is this constant interplay between a sharply resinous scent, and a rounded banana-vanilla -which doesn't actually exist, Haute Claire doesn't smell of banana at all, but there is a definite creamy note to this fragrance, chocolate-y even, but it doesn't smell of chocolate either. Not exactly. - that makes this interesting. It doesn't smell like anything else, it smells precisely of itself.  That makes no sense written down, but it makes sense from over here.  Well, in my head it does.  So there.

I've found that Aftelier Perfumes tend to whisper rather than shout, staying close to the body, but they're very longlasting overall, and Haute Claire has been no exception to this, it's office safe, but very distinctive. 

Haute Claire is a playful fragrance, it likes to play hide and seek on my skin.  When I go hunting for it, sniffing at the spots I've sprayed, I can never find it, and yet, a few seconds or minutes or even hours later, I'll get a little hint of it, seemingly out of nowhere, and it makes me smile.  Every. Single. Time.

In a nutshell, if perfume were available on prescription, Haute Claire would be Prozac.  Haute Claire costs $150 for a 30ml bottle from Aftelier Perfumes. But you can also buy a 0.25 ml sample for $6, which would be good for at least a week's worth of daily wear.

Now, if you've made it this far in the review you probably think I've gone mental - and you'd be right, but it's not because of this, I assure you - but if you're intrigued, even a little, then Mandy and I would like to offer you the opportunity to try the fragrance for yourself. If you leave a comment on this post, alongside your email address, telling me what your favourite "unusual" smell is, then you're in with a chance of winning the 5ml spray sample vial you can see pictured.  Mandy will ship the fragrance worldwide, so this giveaway is open to everyone.  Good luck!  I'll draw the winner at random, on Wednesday of next week.

The Fine Print: Samples provided by Mandy Aftel for review.  Links, as always are for informational purpose only, and are not affiliate links.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.