Review: Tom Ford Contouring Cheek Color Duos Softcore and Stroked Fall 2014

As I am typing this line, the two limited edition Contouring Cheek Color Duos Fall 2014 Softcore and Stroked ($77 for 0.7 oz) are on and off available on tomford.com. If you haven't had a chance to try them at the counter or are on the fence of whether to invest, I urge them to grab them both! The reason? For me: it's Tom Ford cheek product, duh! I have come to love (and collected) all Tom Ford powder blushes. The formula, the color, the texture, the wearing, worth every single penny. So these two cheek duos were what I most anticipated from his fall collection, not Nude Dip eyeshadow quad you guys. 

But if you haven't had the same experience as I've had with his blushes, I hope this review will help you to decide whether Softcore and Stroked deserve a place in your makeup collection. 

First, let's take a look at these stunning cheek duos. 

Softcore is a frosty pinkish champaign highlighter (hint of metallic finish) and a matte reddish brown. This palette leans cool on my warm skin although it's not too cool to the point I can't wear it. I need to go extra easy on the highlighter shades or else it can look ashy. 

Stroked has a shimmery golden champaign highlighter and a shimmery warm medium brown that's not as deep as the contouring shade in Softcore. It's no surprise that Stroked looks more natural on my warm skin tone than Softcore but it's neutral enough that I think it will flatter cooler skin tones as well. 

You can tell right away that these aren't typical greyish, taupe or brown that we regular makeup users think of. And I'm so glad they aren't. While the taupe color family might more like "killer cheek bones" in photos, I much prefer these reddish warm brown for everyday contouring. 

Softcore and Stroked deliver a phenomenal quality just as I expected from Tom Ford wonderful powder blushes. The highligher shades add a lovely glow to my cheeks as if my skin is that healthy even under the dreadful car lighting. Both the highlighting and contouring shades are seamlessly blendable. They don't require much blending to look natural. The texture feels so smooth like velvet. Both palettes wear well for 8-10 hours without fading. 

Some other favorites of mine: Bobbi Brown Pink Oyster shimmer brick, Dior Amber Diamond, Tom Ford Ravish blush, the Balm Mary Lou Manizer, Dior Rose Diamond

The highlighter shades compared to some highlighters

The closet to Stroked highlighter shade in my collection is Dior Amber Diamond. The Balm Mary Lou Manizer has more beige than Stroked. Bobbi Brown Pink Oyster is quite similar to Softcore. But all in all, I love the texture and the blendability of Tom Ford's duos the best. I also think they give me a more believable glow than the rest. 

The contouring shades compared to Tom Ford Ravish blush

Contouring cheeks aren't either my type or my strong suit. These duos make contouring very easy.
They help me sculpt my face effortlessly for everyday and natural looks. The key is to use a very light hand because these babies are richly pigmented. For those of you who have deeper skin tones or you prefer strong dramatic sculpted face, you won't be disappointed either. I would recommend you use lighter hand to contour your temples and hair light still.

Nude Dip on the eyes, Softcore on the cheeks, Twist of Fate on the lips

Now let's talk the price. Tom Ford contouring cheek color duos are priced at hefty $77 for 0.7 oz/20 g of product. That's a lot compared to other designer brands, and to Tom Ford itself. Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate (cream formula) offer 0.49 oz/14 g of products at $77 while his blushes are $57 for 0.28 oz/8 g of powder. These duos, I tell you, will last a long long time given how pigmented they are and the amount of product they offer. 

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Bottom line: Pure love! Softcore and Stroked should be a part of permanent range. 

Have you cheek our Softcore and Stroked? How do you like them? What brushes are you using to apply them? 

Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2014 - Addition of Softcore

My apologies for lacking of posts lately, especially reviews on the instantly-sold-old Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2014 collection. My excuse is a cliche yet true - my crazy work schedule. I'm enjoying my job and got sucked up with it. Anyway, I need to update you guys with my latest obsession of Tom Ford Beauty - his contouring cheek color duos. They're my favorite from the line and from any other brands I've tested!! Love. Admired. Obsessed. Use them everyday since August.

Remember I was pondering on the other cheek contouring color Softcore in August? (please check out this preview of the collection here). You guested it. I love Stroked so much that I decided to splurge on Softcore via tomford.com. Below are my final picks from the collection.

(Click to enlarge)

And here is a close-up of Softcore and Stroked (under direct sunlight).

Both Softcore and Stroked are extremely pigmented so I would recommend a not so dense brush and a light hand. You can certainly build up for more dramatic contouring/highlighting effect. I've been sporting them non-stop for day looks and beyond happy with both. Reviews are coming I promised!

Which do you prefer Softcore or Stroked?

Swatch and Review: Tom Ford Blushes Love Lust, Frantic Pink, Flush, Savage, Ravish, Wicked, Narcissist

(Click to enlarge) Tom Ford blushes side by side 

I fell in love with Tom Ford Beauty so quickly staring with his Cognac Sable eyeshadow quad and Shade and Illuminate duo Intensity 2. But not until I dusted Narcissist on my cheeks has my love for the brand completely established. Permanently. Then I of course went back to the counter for more blushes, more eyeshadows, lipsticks, primer, foundation stick, brow pencil and most recently his insanely good brushes.

If you want to just own a single Tom Ford item, grab a blush. I finally managed to get all of Tom Ford current blushes and swatched them here for you. How beautiful, edgy, sensual, opulent, extravagant, impeccable they are! They deliver phenomenal quality and are surprisingly wearable! If you want to read my detailed review of each shade, please choose below 

Love Lust, Frantic Pink, Flush, Savage, Ravish, Wicked, Narcissist 

Close-up under direct sunlight

Swatches

Neutral Lighting

Direct sunlight

Cool lighting

• 01 Love Lust -  a golden brown peach and cool pink shimmer that has high shine on the skin. It can be used as a highlighter. 
• 02 Frantic Pink - a soft peachy pink with golden shimmer. It's gorgeous layering over Edward Bess Compact Rouge Love Affair or Chanel Cream Blush Affinite. 
• 03 Flush - a vibrant peachy coral and coral shimmer. It's my favorite pick-me-up blush after a long night or the sun doesn't shine as brightly. 
• 04 Savage - an opulent red brown and cool pink shimmer. It's stunning for contouring or as a bronzer, but remember to use a light hand. 
• 05 Ravish - a pinky brown and cool pink shimmer, and probably the most versatile shade of the bunch. If I had to pick one blush to travel with, it'd be Ravish. 
• 06 Wicked - a cool medium pink with pink shimmer and a toned down version of Narcissist and less red. 
• 07 Narcissist - a vibrant red pink with blue undertone and tiny pink shimmer and the least shimmery shade of the bunch. This is where my love for Tom Ford blushes begin. Use a very light hand and what you'll get is a healthy blushing glow as if you just came back from a walk. 

Summary

Tom Ford blushes have a velvety smooth. They melt seamlessly into the skin like the second skin. They never cake up nor look powdery. They all have ultra fine shimmer, although at different levels. You will have a sheen on your cheeks without visible sparkles. Your skin will have a ridiculously beautiful healthy glow. And hold on, it's not all. Tom Ford blushes stay put all day, even under a humid weather like Houston summer. Highly pigmented except for Frantic Pink.

Application

I would recommend several brushes for Tom Ford blushes

• For Narcissist, I've found a not so dense brush like MAC 168 pick up just enough color and great for blending. 
• For Frantic Pink, Tom Ford blush brush seems to work best to pick up color if you want to use it alone. In case of layering, Studio Gear blush brush #13 or rouge brush #14 are both good options. 
• For the rest, use a dense brush to pick up the color then dab lightly to build up the colors. Any blush brush would work for those shades really. However, I've found natural-haired brushes pick up and blends the colors better since they're highly pigmented. 

There you have it. My makeup collection heavily gear toward eyeshadows, yet I dare to own all shades of Tom Ford cheek colors. THAT's how much I love them. Do you have any favorite among those blushes? Or you swear by a different brand? Share away guys... 

Review: Chanel Cream Blush 65 Affinite

Chanel Le Blush Creme de Chanel 65 Affinite ($38 for 0.09 oz) is one of the new six cream blushes from the brand, and was probably the most sought after. It was unavailable for a while after the launch of the other fives. I scooped mine up on Chanel.com but now you can order it at Chanel counters of major department stores and online.

Before testing Chanel cream blushes at the counter, I was leaning toward Dior cream blushes for their lovely colors and creamy texture. Yet Chanel's really swept me off my feet. They melt into the skin seamlessly in the matte finish that mimics your skin texture. But no worries, you still have time to blend the blushes out afterward. The texture is very different from traditional cream blushes. They're not sticky. It crosses between cream and powder. I love applying Affinite with clean fingers. It's just easy and really quick. Chanel cream blushes are simply lovely and beautiful! 

Affinite is a bright watermelon pink that resembles healthy blushing cheeks after good work-out. Although it's bright pink, I find it different from all the pink blushes I have (here and here). It leans more watermelon and warmer. That's why I picked it up :D.

Stronger direct sunlight

 

Blent out - this is how I love to wear Affinite. 

Chanel Affinite wears well for a full working day under the ridiculously humid weather we had here in Houston. If you're looking for a long-wearing, natural, easy-to-use and low maintenance kind of blush, the new generation of Chanel cream blushes got you cover. 

Now, I think the price point is actually reasonable, especially for a bright shade like Affinite. A little goes a long way. It vaporizes almost instantly on the cheeks that you don't waste much product. 

Finally, the ingredients

Bottom line. Phenomenal quality! Affinite is a must-have for those who want an instant pick-me-up complexion. I highly recommend for all skin tones and types.

Have you tried the new Chanel cream blushes? What's your favorite?

Review: Tom Ford Blush 05 Wicked

Another brilliant design by Tom Ford is his cheek color in Wicked ($56 for 0.28 oz, a slightly raised price recently).  I hate to sound like a broken record when it comes to raving Tom Ford blushes. I think his blushes are the very best on the market and the one product you must own from the brand or any brand. They're different. They have phenomenal quality. The price is putting off for the first splurge but the amount of product he offers is nowhere near skimpy. For more reviews of my Tom Ford blush collection, please click here. I've shared my thoughts on all but Frantic Pink.

Wicked is a beautiful cool medium pink with ultra fine pink shimmer. And again, Tom Ford shimmer gives you a sheen rather than the visible sparkle. So please don't be concerned by pink shimmer. It has higher shine finish yet less red and blue undertone than the 2012 limited edition Narcissist. Despite the shimmer, Wicked still looks very natural. Narcissist is my true blushing color after a good exercise hour and Wicked mimics my cheeks when the weather is warming up. 

Tom Ford Wiched against Chanel Rose Initiale, Splendid Frost Tier 3, Nars Orgasm and Benefit Coralista

Like his other powder product, Wicked is velvety smooth and melts into the skin seamlessly. Tom Ford blushes require hardly any blending at all with a dense blush brush. I only dab the brush on the pan to pick up the color then gently dab it on my cheeks. I simply repeat the process for more pigmented result. 

Wicked, as I expected, wears well for good 10 hours in humid weather. I've been attempting to take a facial shot of Wicked but none turned out true color. So I'll post a look with wicked as soon as the camera cooperates (I gotta blame something, you know:D). 

Bottom line. Exceptional all around as expected! A true must-have. I highly recommend it for all skin tones and types.

Review: Tom Ford Blush 05 Ravish

Long time no see guys!!! From time to time, The Convenient Beauty experiences quiet moments, which is weird given how much I love talking! I wasn't feeling well and had to restrain myself from sitting long at the computer. Now that I get better, I hope to go back to my usual posting schedule. Today's focus is my beloved Tom Ford Ravish, a sophisticated blush color that's surprisingly edgy and wearable. 

Tom Ford Cheek Color 05 Ravish ($55 for 0.28 oz) is a luxurious pinky brown with cool pink undertone that looks similar to that of Narcissist. When applied sheerly on my cheeks, it resembles Savage only pinker. In the pan, Ravish seems to wander far from my comfort zone. It's too red to be a contouring powder or bronzer for my skin tone. It turns out to be such a wearable rosy tan when applied lightly. I LOVE paring it with Edward Bess lipstick in Tender Love. Incredibly flattering for work days. Although Ravish has cool pink shimmer, it produces a natural sheen on my skin. My cheeks look glowy and healthy. 

Ravish is buidable and would compliment loads of skin tones thanks to it exquisite blend of warm brown and cool pink. However, I think Ravish shows off the edgy and unique side when applied more intensely. I personally like Ravish on deeper skin tones. 

Like the rest of Tom Ford powder products, particularly his blushes, it has velvety texture that feels so silky smooth. But it's not over powdery. The blush blends seamlessly and effortlessly into my skin, producing a second-skin layer. Some bloggers have reported not-so-smooth texture of Tom Ford blushes on the skin. I, however, have been beyond happy with all the blushes. I checked them in magnified mirror and didn't see them emphasize pores, lines or my skin texture. I'm not sure it's because my skin has improved dramatically or my magnifying mirror doesn't zoom in enough. May be my standard for smoothness is simply not as high :D

Heavy swatches against Savage and Flush

Some rosy tan blushes I own

Swatched under direct sunlight. 

Tom Ford Ravish is the reddest. Burberry Tangerine has more orange. Tarte Exposed is the pinkest. 

Tom Ford blushes come with a velvet pouch and large mirror. I love the case design but will prefer a more sturdy/luxe material. And usually with a price like this, I expect a nice quality brush like Burberry's. It doesn't mean that I'll use it. It's more for the convenience on the go. 

Finally, I want to discuss the price point. You pay $55 for 0.28 oz of product or about $196/oz. This is double the amount of a standard blush. How does it compare to other high-end blushes?

In terms of price per quantity:

Burrberry: $42 for 0.24 oz ($175/oz).

Chanel: $43 for 0.21 oz ($205/oz).

Guerlain Duo: $50 for 0.21 oz ($238/oz).

Dior: $42 for 0.26 oz ($161/oz).

Le Mertier de Beaute: $30 for 0.13 oz ($230/oz).

Tom Ford blushes are priced in the higher range among the designer brands yet not the most expensive. Some may argue that Tom Ford Beauty enters the market recently while the others have been there for decades. It might not be reasonable to price the products at that range. I've tried all of the above except for Le Mertier de Beaute and the quality of Tom Ford blushes, Ravish included, is extremely competitive to the other brands.

Bottom line. What can I say? Get it ASAP. 

Review: Chanel Sculpting Veil Notorious

You well remember this notorious sucker, don't you? It was flying off the shelf everywhere last year. One search on Google, you'll see millions of photos on millions of beauty blogs. I feel like everybody owns it. And I bought into the hype. I rushed to Neiman Marcus to get it without even trying it on. Why? Because I thought I'd look seductive like this. Because Neiman ran out of tester. Because EVERYONE was talking about it. Because I began to succeed in a decent contouring, which I battled for years. I regret. 

Now this post won't be a complete rant on Chanel Sculpting Veil Notorious ($43 for 0.14 oz). Instead I'll tell you why I'm not impressed with everything about it.

Notorious is a sheer shimmery grey with a tiny hint of mauve. It's smaller than a regular Chanel round blush (0.21 oz) and was priced the same. Not a good sign! On my cheeks, it's more wearable than in the pan. I found it look more flattering in the photos as the camera generally takes away 20% color intensity. So it's kind of believable that I have defined cheeks. It does give me that runway high-fashion fierce cheeks. If I just stopped here then I like it. However, this grey color however doesn't complement my skin tone in real life. It's just off and unnatural looking. My hubby was asking me why my cheeks looked grey. Oops!!!! I did blend it out and used a very light hand.

Then I tried Notorious as an eyeshadow. Grey is one of my favorite eyeshadow colors so I expected to love it. Nah. Not at all. Notorious is so sheer and doesn't hold off until I finish applying my makeup. The texture is dry and a little hard that requires 3-4 layers for the color to show up on my primed lids. I can deal with the low pigmentation but I dislike the texture. *Sign*

If you have cooler and lighter skin tone than mine, Notorious will probably flatter you better. It doesn't have enough depth to show up without looking hollow on me. Until today I haven't figured out how to coordinate it with the rest of my makeup. I think it suits editorial makeups better than everyday.

Swatched under direct sunlight

From all the reviews I've read so far, people either love Notorious or hate it. This shade is definitely more tricky to pull off than friendly bronzer or brown-based contour powder. I agree with Lily of ChloeAsh that Chanel Notorious isn't easy for someone how's new to contouring. 

Bottom line. Not for me. The quality isn't as good as regular Chanel blushes. And it's more expensive.

Did you get Chanel Notorious? If you passed it or missed it, what did you think? I know some of you really love it. I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Review: Tom Ford Blush 04 Savage

A warm brown with red and pink undertone is the usual "safe" color of choice for my blushes. Not that I'm scared of brown (it can always work as contour powder or bronzer in certain ways), but I didn't find it particularly flattering on me. After several years trying on more dramatic blushes, I thought I settled for the ordinary peach/pink/rosy/neutral blush. Tom Ford blush in Savage, together with Ravish, has revolutionized the way I wear blushes and enjoy them. It ain't just another brown. 

Tom Ford Cheek Color Savage ($55 for 0.28 oz) is a rich warm brown with hint of cool pink that is opulent and sensual. Very sensual. Everything about this blush goddess is done right. The sophisticated brown, the ultra fine shimmer, the velvety texture and the pigmentation dance accordantly to create a blush of superb quality and versatility. You sure can use it as a bronzer, especially if you're medium to deep skin. On top of that, it stays in place until being removed 8 hours later.

Savage is highly pigmented yet the sheerest of the bunch I own. It has the same shimmer level as Narcissist, very subtle and well blent with the pigment. The shimmer is fused exquisitely with the pigment and seems inseparable when applied on my cheeks. In the pan, Savage looks rather deep and intense but it's lovely and very natural on the skin. It produces a stunning sheen (like all other Tom Ford blushes). So anti-shimmer wearers, don't worry about overly sparkly cheeks or cheesy shiny cheekbones! Savage warms up my skin and gives it kick of healthy glow. I love wearing it higher on my cheekbones. When I turn my heads under different lighting, my cheeks look lively and sun-kissed *self-promotion*.

Isn't Savage gorgeous?

Like the rest of Tom Ford powder products, particularly his blushes, Savage has velvety texture that feels so silky smooth without being powdery. The blush blends seamlessly and effortlessly into my skin, producing a second-skin layer. Some bloggers have reported not-so-smooth texture of Tom Ford blushes on the skin. I, however, have been beyond happy with all the blushes. I checked them in magnified mirror and didn't see them emphasize pores, lines or my skin texture. I'm not sure it's because my skin has improved dramatically or my magnifying mirror doesn't zoom in enough. May be my standard for smoothness is simply not as high :D 

Tom Ford Savage against Flush and Love Lust. You think it's like a bronzer? 

At first, I was certain of a dupe of my collection. Naive belief! It turns out all of my bronzers are either lighter, peachier or yellower than Tom Ford Savage. 

Here are comparison with some of bronzers in my stash

Tom Ford Savage has more red than the rest of my bronzers. It's also the deepest shade. 

Tom Ford Savage in action (makeup worn)

Tom Ford blushes come with a velvet pouch and large mirror. I love the case design but will prefer a more sturdy/luxe material. And usually with a price like this, I expect a nice quality brush like Burberry's. It doesn't mean that I'll use it. It's more for the convenience on the go.

Finally, I want to discuss the price point. You pay $55 for 0.28 oz of product or about $196/oz. This is double the amount of a standard blush. How does it compare to other high-end blushes?

In terms of price per quantity:

Burrberry: $42 for 0.24 oz ($175/oz).

Chanel: $43 for 0.21 oz ($205/oz).

Guerlain Duo: $50 for 0.21 oz ($238/oz).

Dior: $42 for 0.26 oz ($161/oz).

Le Mertier de Beaute: $30 for 0.13 oz ($230/oz).

Tom Ford blushes are priced in the higher range among the designer brands yet not the most expensive. Some may argue that Tom Ford Beauty enters the market recently while the others have been there for decades. It might not be reasonable to price the products at that range. I've tried all of the above except for Le Mertier de Beaute and the quality of Tom Ford blushes, Savage included, is extremely competitive to the other brands.

Bottom line. Another must-have blush for me.

Do you double your brown blushes as bronzers and use your bronzer as blushes? Have you tried Tom Ford Savage? Thoughts?