Tom Ford Lip Contour Duos: Swatches, First Impressions and Top 3

Tom Ford's just launched his new Lip Contour Duos globally, and these are priced at $76 in Singapore, the same as the regular lipsticks.

These slim, sleek tubes come in the signature TF brown with gold details, and one end has a cap protecting the twist-up liner, while the other end has a detachable lipstick tube holding a creamy shade of the same color.

In a sense these are more of convenient lip-to-go duos comprising of matching liners and creamy lipsticks, rather than contouring products, which to me refer to products with shade and light, to alter the contour of features. These lipsticks and liners are pretty much the same shade; in fact the liners are a hair lighter than their companion lipsticks, so don't expect to create ombre lips or 3D lips with these.

That's not a problem to me. I personally don't like the look of a dark lip line, and when it comes to ombre lips I usually play with tone (rosier in the center, more neutral around the outsides) rather than dark and light.

The formula of the lipsticks is extremely smooth and creamy; super comfortable to wear, as you would expect from a lipstick that is this price. Coverage is pretty good; these are not sheer lipsticks. As for the liners, they are a creamy-matte texture and can work on their own as matte lipsticks, but be aware that they all contain a subtle sparkle and have flecks of gold in them, which I don't mind but find a bit curious.

They do an adequate job of preventing bleeding and smearing into lip lines.

If I have to pick just three shades, it would be 

• 04 Show It Off - brown rose
• 06 Devil Inside - orange-red
• 07 Secret Escort - Maraschino cherry red

I do also really like 03 and 05, but as far as neutrals go the deeper rosier browns are more my style (and just more flattering in general), especially if you like the brown-rose 90s lip. And for the brights, I think 06 and 07 are really vibrant and especially pretty.

08, the deep plum would be the only shade I find somewhat patchy compared to the rest. It's a deeper color, and the formula is not quite able to build up to opacity without a full layer of lip liner beneath. Which is fine since there is a matching liner. But I would rather a $76 lipstick not require me to apply a full layer of liner as a base if I don't feel like it.

Lust, Not Must: Luxe Beauty Products I Prefer Not To Be Without

You know there are always products that you buy even though you know logically, that there are lot of affordable alternatives? They aren’t a “MUST” and life most definitely can go on without them. However budget allowing, you will keep going for these - over cheaper alternatives - every time. 

Here are some of mine!

Tom Ford Eye Color Quads - so pricey, but so gorgeous. And the color combinations are always so beautifully put together that you don’t need to be great at color coordination to put a great eye look together.

Fresh Sugar Lip Balms - finding perfect lip balm is like finding a perfect mascara; everyone likes something different. And it's like Goldilocks trying different bowls of porridge when you're looking for the perfect one - some are not moisturizing enough, some are too gloopy and sticky, some are too runny, some are too thick... I always sigh despairingly at how expensive a tube of Fresh Sugar balm is compared to something I can pick up at the drugstore - but I always repurchase them. And I sigh and wish I was one of those for whom Maybelline Babylips works just fine.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipsticks - no these are not the most expensive lipsticks I own; but I do use them up pretty darned fast because they are so soft and creamy and need lots of touching up through the day. But we still love them.

La Mer The Intensive Revitalizing Mask - sleeping packs and leave-on masks are a dime a dozen these days. So why do I have to fall in love with one of the most expensive ones around? This is instantly nourishing but still feels fresh on my dry skin. The comfortable feeling and glow lasts for the whole day.

Aurelia Bamboo Muslin Cloths - hot cloth cleansing has made a world of difference for my skin. It polishes and exfoliates without irritating my dry and semi-sensitive skin. And these anti-bacterial, ultra-soft muslins are still my favorite. I remove makeup and use a cream cleanser, then dampen one of these in hot water and finish my face cleansing routine with a few wipes. No foaming wash required.

Serge Lutens fragrances - no these aren’t the priciest as far as niche scents are concerned, but I definitely have more favorites from this line - and use these more - than my Frederic Malles or any of the other niche lines. So naturally I wish they were cheaper or came in larger, more economical sizes than the standard 50ml.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Foundation and Concealer - this costs a veritable bomb. But it makes my skin feel so good and gives such a perfected, luminous, demi-matte finish that I just buy it against my better judgment. Plus, having a matching concealer in the cap is just - handy.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon

A number of Tom Ford's original Eye Color Quads were replaced earlier this year with some newer quads. Sad because two of my faves - Lavender Lust and Cognac Sable - were discontinued. But at the same time happy because they did add a number of gorgeous new palettes.

Of course, since these new palettes just launched a couple of months, you might want to give the counter a call before you go down because the first batch was sold out (enthusiastic fans called up to reserve stock) even before they hit the shelves.

One of those which got the most attention was Honeymoon, a burnished gold and wine palette which has the same gossamer texture as the ever-popular Nude Dip palette. 

The shades are decidedly Autumnal - gold, bronze, wine, and burgundy, like falling leaves and ambery booze. And even though it looks a little dramatic in the pan, the colors are actually pretty wearable and work nicely with the natural tones of skin. 

I would expect this quad works for all skin tones from tan to very pale, although you should take care to even out your skin tone and hide any discolorations, excess redness and dark circles, etc if you are very pale. If you have a very deep skin tone, you might get more of a warm shimmer rather than obvious color, but this palette will not ever look chalky because the pigments are so translucent.

The only criticism of the palettes with this iridescent texture is the complete lack of matte shades, so if you have a lot of fine lines around your eye area, you might want to keep the shadows to the lid area or else choose a different palette, as the pearl pigments will catch and magnify uneven texture and lines.

Below's a tutorial to recreate this simple look!

Tom Ford’s Complexion Enhancing Primer and Skin Illuminating Powder Duo

2 products that I was super excited to see this season were Tom Ford’s new “illuminating” skin products, the Complexion Enhancing Primer, and the gorgeous Skin Illuminating Powder Duo.

They offer different intensities of dewiness on the skin, so it’s really up to you what sort of effect you want. But both products are not very obvious, metallic products that look like noticeable makeup. The pearl pigments are so fine that even quite close-up, it just looks like you have a healthy glow. 

Complexion Enhancing Primer 01 Pink Glow

This is a pearlescent shell-pink beige which is quite subtle and will not go on very metallic on the skin, so I personally prefer to apply it AFTER foundation, even though it’s a “primer”. I never see the point of applying illuminating primers before foundation cos you have to use a lot for it to show up under makeup, and applying it all over just emphasizes pores in areas you don’t want.

What I do is rub half a pump on the back of my hand so I have an even coating on my fingers, and then press it on over my cheekbones, on the cupid’s bow, and in the center of my nose-bridge.

Skin Illuminating Powder Duo

 This baby is a must-try for those of you who are addicted to high-end highlighting or illuminating powders. How it differs from other powders we find from MAC, Lauder, etc is in how fine-grained the powder pigments are and the multi-dimensional tones. Once it’s on the skin, it doesn’t look sparkly, doesn’t catch easily on fine lines, and doesn’t make the skin look leathery.

Most days I'll just tap my brush in both shades for a soft beige highlight that goes with any look, but if you want a little extra something, you can use the chai shade just across the top parts of your blush, and then the ivory a little higher, right above the peaks of your cheekbones so it catches the light more.

It’s actually a fantastic highlighter for mature women, even though it would look beautiful on everyone. On first look you get an ivory and a soft chai latte color. But once swatched you’ll see they are both multi-dimensional. The ivory has subtle gold and opal pink tones, and the creamy chai shade has bronze tones. And they go on translucent so even if you have very dark skin, the pale shade does not go on chalky. You just get a beautifully natural look, like great skin.

And here are both products in side by side comparisons so you can see the difference intensity.

I personally consider the powder duo a must-have in my collection, and the liquid primer good for those who want a softer glow that isn’t detectable even on HD camera.

Makeup notes:

• Eyes: MAC Julia Petit Eyeshadows x 2 in Sagu (Druzy Luster shadow and Black Plum Matte shadow)

• Physicians’ Formula Nudewear Blush in Natural

• MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick

Sunday FOTD: Tom Ford Eye Color Duo in Raw Jade

Sunday makeup! Was on my way to town to check out some things at Sephora (and grab a few more candles from Bath & Body Works while they still have the holiday stock on 50%) so threw on a quick face using a few products I'd neglected for awhile.

If you've not seen the duos, they're supposed to be limited edition, but I've seen them still at the Tom Ford counters locally. I think a lot of people here pass them over but I'm here to tell you - don't. They are gorgeous. If you like the silkier, more diaphanous, less powdery textures of 03 Nude Dip quad, these duos have that same texture.



I have a full review and swatches of all 3 duos at http://blogger.makeup-box.com/2015/02/tom-ford-spring-2015-eye-color-duo-eye.html.

And just to show you green doesn't need to be outlandish, I've applied the dark shade all over the lid and also along the lower lash line, then the pale green duochrome down the center of my lids and in the inner corners. Then I finished with black pencil in the water line and mascara.

I have to say Green shadows are gorgeous on Asian skintones; if you want a subtler, more chic look that suits most occasions, skip the crazy bright emerald greens and matte textures and go for the deep, rich evergreen colors in shimmery textures. It's actually often more flattering and brightening for the skin than typical neutrals. And flush of translucent neon pink stain on cheeks and lips will tie everything together and soften the overall look.

I used Stila's Convertible Color in Fuchsia from my Field of Flowers palette on cheeks, and then dabbed it over a layer of nude liner on the lips, concentrating the color in the center for a slightly stained effect.

Satiny-Neutral Daily Look Tutorial: Tom Ford Nude Dip

I was requested to do a tutorial using the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in 03 Nude Dip. 

This palette is different from all the other regular ones in terms of formula. The textures of the 4 shades are a lot more silky and pearlescent, whereas the original palettes were composed of more powdery satin and sparkle shades.

These 4 shades are highly metallic and at first look - similar to Japanese eyeshadow formulas. However, those are very sheer. The Nude Dip formula is translucent but also much more pigmented and buildable. 

You get a golden-ivory, a tawny shell-pink, a taupe, and a chocolate brown shade.

Below is a simple tutorial using all 4 shades, although I do often use just 2-3 shades for daily looks.

This is a very subtle palette and the colors all blend seamlessly together. But I would say you shouldn't expect dramatic variations in looks because the shades are all pretty soft and neutral. You will get lovely dimension and a beautiful gleam to the lids though.

If you're a fan of shimmery shades, this is a PERFECT wedding palette.

As with most of Tom Ford's formulas there is minimal fallout (there will almost always be some with most shadows but his has some of the least), and the colors and textures are flattering even for mature lids. This palette is more pearlescent though, so if you have a lot of lines on your lids, it might not be the most flattering palette for you to pick out of his range.

I still highly recommend it though. I have a few other faves in the Eye Color Quad range, but this is definitely up there with Cognac Sable and Lavender Lust among my absolutely must-haves.

This used to be a limited edition palette but good thing they've decided to make it permanent.

Red Hots: Some Favorite Products This Summer

There are a few things that are relatively new to me, but that I've been completely obsessed with lately.

The first are 2 lip colors. Kevyn Aucoin's Matte Lip Color in Eternal, a beautiful rich red with a pink undertone, and Tom Ford's Lip Lacquer in Lost Cherry, an opaque bright red creme with both warm and pink undertones. I don't usually wear these together (though you can; they go beautifully together). I just don't usually buy matte lipsticks to put gloss over them. The point is enjoy that gorgeous velvet texture.

Another thing I've been loving is SK II's Stempower Cream.

I have to start off by saying that I am not the biggest fan of SK II's Facial Treatment Essence. I've used 2 full bottles before and it's a good anti-oxidant but there is almost no reason for it to cost the amount it does for yeast ferment extract when there are tons of other antioxidant lotions - and indeed, other yeast ferments - that do pretty much the same thing and not cost nearly as much.

But I felt it was time to revisit the brand and bought a jar of the Stempower Cream when I saw some on sale at Sasa last month. The jar sat in its box for awhile until last week. I had used Glamglow's new Mud to Foam cleansers and come out in red, raw rashes all over my face. There were so many tiny blisters my skin felt like sandpaper. It was sore, it was itching, and after a whole week of applying Medik8 serum to try and calm it down, it was not as raw, but still tight and bumpy and starting to peel.

I slapped on Stempower Cream for 2 nights not because I was expecting it to soothe my skin but just because I suddenly remembered I'd yet to try it, and it calmed my skin down. Pronto.

I was shocked because I hadn't even read any product copy or gone online to look at what the product claims are. I expected it to have hydrating and antioxidant properties like every other SK II cream, but I was not expecting it to soothe and calm my reactive skin so rapidly.

Another skincare line that has impressed me within a few days (albeit without the dramatic results) is Astalift's cult favorite Jelly Aquarysta and Cream.

I've loved the Light Analyzing Foundation for some time, and decided to try the skincare as well. The must-try is Jelly Aquarysta, an Astaxanthin- and ceramide-laden pre-serum skin treatment that goes on over clean skin before any toner or serum.

The product comes in a light jelly form with an accompanying spatula that you scoop out to use. It's quite an interesting jelly-to-liquid texture. And the product is actually quite fluid because in about a minute the surface of the jelly flattens and smooth back out.

If you didn't know, Astaxanthin has about 6000 times the potency of Vitamin C, 800 times that of CoQ10, and 550 times stronger than Vitamin E. That's why I always pay attention to Astaxanthin formulas in skincare.

Aside from that, the Light Analyzing Foundation has been updated and renamed to Astalift Lighting Perfection Moist Pure Liquid. It's got the same sun protection and skin protecting ingredients as the skincare, but the formula is a little smoother and easier to blend out. The original formula had great coverage, and does look great in different lights, but it can sometimes look a little too thick and be quite visible on top of the skin if it's not blended out extremely well.

But the texture of the new formula is much more to my liking. It's lighter and blends easier, but none of the coverage is sacrificed. I actually tried a sachet of foundation and liked it so much that I went right back the next day to buy a bottle.

The Light Analyzing Concealer is an interesting product I'm trying out for the first time too.

The brand only has ONE shade. And it's made with the same light reflecting technology in the foundation. What I can tell you is this works more like a solid version of light-reflecting pens a la YSL Touche Eclat. It's not a concealer that will cover hardcore blemishes unless your skin tone is an exact match. This is better as a highlighter pen, and I would stroke it on the bridge of the nose, on top of cheekbones, and to brighten hollows around the eyes after a proper concealer, just the way I would use a more liquid highlighter pen after concealer.

It's definitely an option if you're not a fan of liquid highlighting pens that melt off concealer and foundation underneath, although I would wonder if those with darker skin tones would be able to use it at all. Astalift is a Japanese brand, and at NC25, I'm using the 2nd darkest shade in the range. So it's most definitely designed for paler skin tones.

Lastly on my instant-rave list is Living Proof's Prime Style Extender Spray.
The original Prime style extender came in a squeeze tube and what it is is a styling cream that you massage into your damp hair all the way from roots to tips after washing. Then after that you apply other leave-in products and style as you normally would.

The brand's proprietary ingredient, and the second-most concentrated ingredient in this formula after water, is a molecule called OFPMA (octafluoropentyl methacrylate, if you're curious), which repels oil and dirt, but is very lightweight and does not weight hair down. Essentially it helps your style to last much longer through the day. I like to use it around my roots, especially around the fringe area, because that's the section that gets touched the most through the day when you tuck it behind your ear or move it away from your face, and then becomes limp, stringy and greasy quicker than anything else.

When I tried Prime for the first time, I was amazed that my fringe didn't get greasy for hours and hours and hours. And then when I saw they'd come out with a spray version which is even lighter for fine hair, that was a god-send for me. I have very fine hair and it has a tendency to be very limp and to feel greasy quite quickly, so I never let ANY conditioning product near my scalp. Ever. Except if I'm using a specific scalp treatment to stimulate hair growth or to prevent or treat the occasional bout of dandruff.

This though, I spritz it around the top of my head and massage in around my roots and scalp once I come out of the shower. There is zero residue, no stiffness, nothing. It dries and feels like clean, soft hair for the whole day, and oddly enough it feels like my scalp is less oily throughout the day as well. I love the mattifying and volumizing effect of hair powders, but I don't love the tacky, sticky, stiff feel. This has pretty much eliminated my need for hair powders because most of the time I just want my hair to look and feel clean.

If you live in a hot climate and you hate it when your hair gets greasy and stringy after a few hours, this is definitely one to check out.

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Demo in 02 Black Oyster

Tom Ford's Cream and Powder Eye Color duos (SGD$85) are an interesting product that I've not tried before this year, with the Summer 2015 Soleil makeup collection. They've been released previously, and I have swatches of 3 of the 4 duos swatched here for you, as well as a demo using 02 Black Oyster.

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos in Midnight Sea (black-bronze and marine blue metallic), Peach Gold (peach and champagne sparkle), and Black Oyster (blackened taupe with silver sparkle).

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos layered

A 4th duo, Nude Bronze, is a re-promote apparently, and the press sample was not available when I was swatching these, so here are the remaining 3.

They're all gorgeous, but I would say if you are going to be spending on a Tom Ford, go with one of the dark shades. Peach Gold is pretty enough, but really nothing spectacular or that different once layered. And it's pretty on the hand, but I always find peach metallics too orange and brassy on the eyelid. It's up to you of course! If it looks good on your skin, go ahead. My 2 picks out of these 3 are Black Oyster for that gleaming smoky "wet" look, and Midnight Sea because the unlikely pairing of the marine blue over the dark bronze is just absolutely amazing.

The texture of the duos are pretty interesting because the cream is not a solid shadow. In fact, they're quite like squeeze-tube cream shadows, and have the texture of creamy bread spreads. They DO set, but not very quickly, so you have quite a bit of time to sheer them out and blend them around. The thing to remember is that even after they set, they don't lock down like solid cream shadows do, so you should probably always pair them with a powder overcoat for best results.

The powders that come with the duos come in 2 textures. Some are metallic (like Midnight Sea), and some are sparkly (like Black Oyster). Both are gorgeous. The sparkle shades are the exact same texture as the sparkle shades you find in some of the Tom Ford quads.

Technically, you CAN recreate the effect using any cream shadow and a sparkly or metallic eyeshadow, and I've been doing it for years, so I would say the main reason to get any of these are the color combinations available.

Here's my preferred way of using it.

I also used other products from the range in the look. Namely, the sheer Rose Soleil lipstick, the Cream Cheek Color in Rose Sand, and bronzer in Terra to sculpt the face.

I'll do a separate post showcasing the cheek and lip products!