Review: Dior 5-color Eyeshadow Palette in 734 Grege

After all those years delving into the world of beautiful makeup, Dior still holds a special place in my heart. My favorite eyeshadows of all time are still their 5-color quints. I'm late in the game for Dior 5-color eyeshadow in 734 Grege ($60 for 0.21 oz). It was released a couple of years back and creating quite a buzz among the neutral eyeshadow wearers. I had my eyeshadow-addict radar on alert but the color theme wasn't appealing to me. Until this video by TiffanyD. As it always happens, you watch/read a beauty video/blog post, then you have to have something. hehehe

From left to right clock-wise, you'll have a satin light tan, a shimmery frosty white, a satin medium grey, a almost matte deep plumy brown and a satin silvery mauve in the center. These shades blend so easily together and complement each other really well. That's a big thumb-up for Dior 5-color palettes in general. You can use 3 shades in diagonal line or 3 shades along the side of the square, or 4 or all colors at once. It will cover a day time look to a smoldering smokey look.

A closer look

Dior 5-color palette Grege has the finish that leans more toward traditional Dior like Beige Massai, Stylish Move, i.e. subtle satin finish (my favorite eyeshadow finish!). So if you're like me or you have more mature eyelids, you might prefer this type of palette over the new generation of pearl finish Dior has perused in recent years. Not that the pearl finish isn't pretty (Rosy Tan, for example, is deservingly popular). It becomes plainly boring after overly made by so many brands for so long. There's only one pearly shade in Grege, the white. Good enough for me because this white is soft, leaving a sheen rather than frost on the skin. 

Direct sunlight

Just like the other Dior quints I own (Stylish Move, Sunset Cafe, Rosy Nude, Rosy Tan, Beige Massai, Smokey Design), Grege has a lovely buttery smooth texture but not overly so. It glides on the skin seamlessly without any fall-outs. It also layer very nicely on the skin for different intensities. 

All but the silvery silvery mauve in the center has excellent color payoff, especially the plumy brown. What a shame because I love the center shade. It's has a perfect balance of mauve, silver, and a hint of plum. This is one of those colors that brighten up your eyes. These are soft colors so it might not show up well on deeper skintone. I would recommend you tanner ladies use this palette wet or on top of an opaque eyeshadow base or a cream eyeshadow. 

The center shade is the farthest right. 

Although pretty, Dior 5-color palette Grege isn't without flaws. My first complain is the lack of pigment of the center shade. The second complain is the wearing of this palette in general. I usually got solid 8-10 hours of staying-put eye makeup with Dior quints. Grege looks good for 6 hours only, and that center shade last about 2 hours (on top of a standard eye primer). I can deal with sheer colors but sheerness and short-wearing are kind of unforgiving. 

The reason Grege still has a spot in my collection is due to its versatility. It's not too cool not too warm not too neutral nor too shimmery nor too plain. Just a perfect balance of everything.  

Bottom line. A staple for neutral eyemakeup wearers. Not the best quality from Dior. I still highly recommend you check it out. The lovely color coordination and luxurious powder finishes might help you to overlook the drawbacks. 

Review: Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set - Holiday 2014

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors have been on my wish list for a while. For some reason, I never got around to grab any of them. So when the brand released a limited edition set of 6 mini eyecolor sticks, I jumped at the opportunities. 

The set ($55 for 6 sticks of 0.03 oz/1 g each) contains Rosegold, Amethyst, Moonlight, Copper, Khai and Cocoa. They are all lovely and beautiful. I love how these colors work well together among themselves and are neutral enough to compliment bolder colors in my stash.

- Rosegold: a shimmery warm champagne. It matches my warm skintone NC20-25 perfectly, neither too warm nor too bright. I love it on its own as a wash of color that will radiate a subtle sheen.
- Amethyst: a shimmery taupy plum, also a great lid color. It looks pretty on by itself or as a base color for your mauve, plump or taupe laid on top.
- Moonlight: a highly shimmery cool taupe. It's the most shimmery of the bunch and a great highlighter. I love to apply it in the inner corners of my eyes then blend it out to soften the metallic finish for a more natural result.
- Copper: a shimmery warm peach.
- Khaki: a satin green khaki that looks pretty as a sheer wash of color or when built up for intensity. I love it for a soft smokey eye looks, something more interesting than a ever-predictable black/grey theme.
- Cocoa: a satin deep brown that works well as a crease color and an eyeliner. It ain't just another brown. It brings depth and definition to the eyes without looking too warm nor too cool.

All the colors glides on the skin so effortlessly that requires minimum blending. They all dry fast yet I still have enough time to blend the colors. I would recommend you blend the first color as soon as you apply it before moving on to the next, though. Once the colors set, they won't budge for good 6 hours (without a primer) to 8 hours (with a primer) on my lids.

These caviar sticks are mechanical so you won't need a pencil sharpener. No product will be wasted. I apply the colors directly from the pencil then blend them out with my clean fingers. It's really easy and fool proof.

Now let's chat about the value of this set. A full size caviar stick is retailed at $28 for 0.05 oz. You have 6 x 0.03 oz (0.18 oz) for $55. This amount would have been worth $100. The nice thing is you have 6 color variations. This set by far is my favorite holiday set from any brand this year. The value is awesome but more importantly the quality is superb.

Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color set will be a perfect gift for makeup beginner as it's so easy-to-use, color-wise and application-wise. And your makeup connoisseur friends will love it too. Don't let the shimmer concern you as it's subtle and buildable accordingly to your taste.

One more close-up

Bottom line. Big love. If perfection exists, this is it. I can't say enough good things about this set.

You can find this set at department stores Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman. Sephora has a set of 4 (minus Copper and Khaki) that get sold out quickly. It showed up online for a while then disappeared again. So if you're patient, you might be able to get it.

Have you tried Laura Mercier caviar stick eye colors? How do you like 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?

Preview - My Pick of Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2014

As you're reading this post, Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2014 is already sold out online, especially the eyecolor quad Nude Dip. This light-speed disappearance of Mr. Ford's limited editions happens every season but this fall it's ridiculously fast. So call around the counters and grab them immediately before they're gone. My recommendation is the entire collection, which isn't helpful I guess. If you're warm toned like me then Stroke contouring duo and Twist of Fate lipstick are must-haves. Nude Dip works for everyone and offers superb quality. If you lean more cool-toned, then Softcore will look beautiful on you. 

I'm still playing around with the purchased items. Here are a few thoughts

Nude Dip eyecolor quad is stunning. Although it's a neutral quad and quite dupable color-wise, the texture and finishes are unmatched. It has peach, champagne, taupe, and cool bronze theme that will flatter all skin tones. Tom Ford shimmer is wearable and sophisticated. Still, Nude Dip is all the heavier shimmer side so you need to at least like to have some sheen for your eyes. I prefer to use it dry for less intensity of the frost finish but the wet look is really sexy. It weights noticeably less than a permanent quad (0.21 oz/6 g vs. 0.35 oz/10 g). I still think it's worth $79. Highly-recommended!

The most intriguing item to me, however, are the two contouring cheek duos. Given how much I love Tom Ford blushes, it's no surprise that I must jump into any new powder products. Stroked is warmer and Softcore is cooler and more berry in both highlighting and contouring shades. I skipped Softcore due to the highlighter that can easily look ashy if I'm not careful. The contouring shade in Softcore palette however is gorgeous. I'm debating whether to get it just for that.

 The contouring cheek duo is housed in the similar case as the Shade and Illuminate, yet it offers more product ( 0.7 oz/ 20 g vs. 0.49 oz/14 g). Each shade also has more product than a blush (0.7 oz/20 g for 2 shades vs. 0.28 oz/8 g of blush). I have doubled checked and neither Stroked nor Softcore is similar to any blushes ever offered by Tom Ford. So no worries on the duplicate and more reason to splurge on these lovely duos.

Finally, Twist of Fate was a pleasant surprise. We have to gush no more about the formula of Tom Ford lipsticks. I LOVE this muted and somehow bright coral on my lips. It's deeper and has more brown than Burberry Devon Sunset but belongs to the same coral family. It's beautiful!!

Have you picked up Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2014? Any favorites? Or you have the super power to resist it then share your secrets here with us.

Review: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Orchid Haze

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Orchid Haze ($78 for 0.35 oz) was the new release from Fall 2013 collection. When entering the market last year, it created quite a buzz for the exquisite color coordination and finishes (I think). However, I resisted to review it sooner as I wasn't sure if I loved it enough to mention it  finally I know how to wear this palette to suit my style!

Orchid Haze has very complex colors that I haven't found accurate words to describe. You have a shimmery neutral champagne, a shimmery taupe/mauve, a shimmery pinkish plum, and finally a beautiful matte deep plum. The whole palette radiates a warm rosy vibe, which I haven't gotten used to see myself in it. Maybe that's why Orchid Haze is my first eyeshadow palette of this color theme.

In the pans, it looks like you get three shimmering shades. In reality, however, they lean more toward pearly and frosty finishes. Don't let the shimmer/frost scare you away if you tend to wear more subdued eyeshadows. I can't stress this enough - Tom Ford is the beauty brand that execute shimmer/glitter brilliantly. You won't walk out of your house like a disco-ball. It's office-friendly.

All four shades look lovely on my warm skin tone thanks to the warm undertone. I just don't feel it. Maybe my type of colors need to be more neutral. I use Tom Ford eyeshadow brush to apply the pinky plum on my lids and that's enough pink. My eyes can look a bit irritated if I don't pay attention. I also need to apply the matte deep plum lightly or else it'll look harsh. The warm taupe also works wonderful as a lid color or a highlighter to brighten up the inner corner of my eyes. My friends and colleagues love Orchid Haze on me! Me, just OK:)  What I love about this palette is that it adds interesting rosy touch to a rather neutral and predictable colors. You know what I mean?

Swatched under direct sunlight

Like other Tom Ford eyeshadow quads I've owned so far (Golden Mink, Cognac Sable, Cocoa Mirage), Orchid Haze has velvety smooth texture and stays put for good 8 hours on top of a standard primer. All four shades are richly pigmented and very easy-to-layer. I'm happy with the quality it offers, which is the main reason I keep this palette in my stash. 

The ingredients (click to enlarge)

Bottom line. I'm pleased that Orchid Haze stays in the permanent collection although it's not my top choice of eyeshadow from the brand. The quality is super. Really it's the matter of your taste and your skin tone, you might love it or you might be indifferent like me. or you might have to play around quite a bit until you find the right approach like me. 

Review: Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Eye Kit Spendid Frost - Holiday 2010 Limited Edition

 Why on earth am I reviewing a holiday 2010 limited edition that was sold out moons ago? Well, I'm new to Le Metier de Beaute and have long desired to try out its Kaleidoscope kit. When Spendid Frost came about 3 years ago, I missed it and subsequently lost the interest to get other kits. I took a mental note to start the journey with LMdB if I could find a decent substitute for Splendid Frost. None came close to the impression with it and I thought it would be forever...

While I was chatting at LMdB counter the other day, the SA pulled Splendid Frost out from the drawer. It wasn't on display and I literally screamed. I had to have it. Although the second tier was slightly touched and the pan came off (which I didn't find out until I got home), I decided to keep it. I wanted to see if Splendid Frost was good enough for a thorough experiment with the brand and if I would regret not to return it.

Splendid Frost is the most expensive single piece of makeup I've ever splurged. The jaw-dropping $95 for 0.44 oz or $23 for 0.11 oz per shade is very comparable to other designer brands like Burberry, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, etc.. even a little bit less painful. LMdB is priced the same as Tom Ford per ounce; both are about $214/oz. It's the initial investment we need to get through :D.

(Click to enlarge the image)

Now, let's see if Splendid Frost delivers the expensive quality. It offers four gorgeous colors arranged on 4-tier compact. You have a shimmery gold taupe, a matte light grey, a shimmery pink peach and a fabulous blue with purple shimmer. The shimmer looks striking in the pans but very subtle on the lids. Despite the diverse finishes and tones, all colors blend together so well without getting muddy. They also complement each other well. The 3rd tier shade could be a blush if you're fair but it didn't show up much on my light medium skin. It's also the sheerest of the bunch. The other three shades are highly pigmented and go on opaque in just one layer. 

I'm blown away by the texture, silkily smooth and ultra blendable. All for shades melt into the skin, making the blending and layering a piece of cake. Dark shades like tier 4 (Burberry Midnight Blue for example) tend to fall down onto my cheeks when I blend them away but I experienced zero fall-outs with any shade of Splendid Frost. Where you place the colors is where they sit and melt together. Impressive! 

 (Click to enlarge) Swatched under direct sunlight

(Click to enlarge) Contrasting finishes: Matte - Satin - Shimmer - High Shimmer

(Click to enlarge) On my lids: tier 2 and 3 were mixed for the crease. Tier 1 is the main lid color and Tier 4 is the focus of the look. 

The wearing is equally impressive. I used a standard primer and Splendid Frost stayed in place for 12 hours until being removed. I couldn't be happier with the quality of a powder eyeshadow palette, which brings me to the packaging.

Some people really enjoy the gimmicky slide-in-slide-out design of LMdB's kaleidoscope kits. I find the pans fling out too freely, which is OK on the counter rather than in the bag. I'd prefer four shades in the same plane like the regular eyeshadow palette. You wouldn't have to slide out 4 tiers to access the color. A mirror would be nice too. The particular kit I own isn't very sturdy. The pan comes off of tier 2, which has been reported a quite common problem with kaleidoscope kit. I hope LMdB will fix it for the sake of convenience and the hefty price tag.

Is Splendid Frost a must have? Quality-wise I would say Heck Yes!!!! But you'll get this type of quality from their single eyeshadows anyway. The colors of Splendid Frost isn't original. The golden taupe shade from Guerlain Place Vendome is only a slight touch lighter and more golden than tier 1. Burberry Midnight Blue has more grey and purple and deeper than tier 4, while the blue shade of Guerlain Place Vendome has more blue. However,  Splendid Forst delivers way better quality than Guerlain Place Vendome, much smoother and more pigmented.

Tier 3, a pink peach, is closet to Chanel Rose Initial blush. Tom Ford Wicked has more shimmer and pinker. Nars Orgasm and Benefit Coralista are peachier and more golden. Mixing Nars Orgasm and Chanel Rose Initial will be the dupe for Tier 3. However the texture of tier 3 is almost as smooth as Tom Ford Wicked.  

For all those possible alternatives, I don't think Splendid Frost is a must-have for me nor everyone.

Lastly, I'd like to share a few thoughts on Couches de Couleurs (or layering colors literally) that is heavily promoted by LMdB.

I highly recommend you check out Messy Wands' detailed description on this topic. Basically, you can layer LMdB eyeshadows in many ways, including mixing cool and warm colors and contrasting texture to define the eyes. The shades can be broken down into 4 categories, brighten, warmth, focus and depth. Depending on your skin tone (and preferences), no two people's categories resemble exactly.

Now, I think this technique is a neat way for an average makeup user like me to navigate through zillions of eyeshadows all depths and finishes. However, I find it neither innovating nor original. Put aside the fancy terminology, we've seen this technique (although under no label) used by celebrity makeup artists like Mary Greenwell, Lisa Eldridge, Charlotte Tilburry, Pat McGrath, and self-taught makeup artists slash youtubers like Michelle Phan, TiffanyD, Raeviewer to name a few. And even a makeup amateur like me has layered colors and mixed textures that same way.

 (Click to enlarge) The ingredients

More ingredients on the side of the box? Not sure if it's for all kaleidoscope kits

Bottom line. Nice to have! A truly beautiful beginning with Le Metier de Beaute. The quality and the color intrigue me to check out the entire line. However, I believe you can be equally happy with their single eyeshadows or find the dupes in your own collection.

What do you think of Spendid Frost and Le Metier de Beaute? 

Review: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad No 3 Cocoa Mirage

You probably know already that I have a thing for Tom Ford Beauty. I like the master mind behind it and the products speak to me. I trust the brand with its brilliantly executed shimmer/glitter powder products. The promo pictures always features dramatic makeup. It took me by a huge surprise that I would go crazy about a matte neutral understated chic eyeshadow palette by Tom Ford. Cocoa Mirage, in my opinion, is the very best Tom Ford's eye color quad, although it doesn't contain a Ford signature glitter shade nor the high-shine shimmer. By the way, I raved about Tom Ford shimmer and glitter in every post of the brand and why I, a self-diagnosed anti-shimmer-eyeshadow gal, love to wear them. So please don't let the word shimmer worry you!

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad 03 Cocoa Mirage ($78 for 0.35 oz) comes in the signature golden-rimmed brown case with a large mirrors and double-ended applicators which turned out quite good. It offers four stunning neutrals: a matte ivory, a matte medium brown, a matte deep brown and a rich cocoa brown with a hint of plum/bronze shimmer. The shimmer is so fine that you don't actually see it on the lids. What detectable is just the sheen that adds interesting twist to the rather basic color palette. I've found matte eyeshadows tend to have dry texture and look chalky on the skin. The three matte shades of Cocoa Mirage are however incredibly soft and pigmented. The shimmery cocoa brown is less pigmented than the other three yet it's still an opaque shade. 

Capturing the true tone of Cocoa Mirage was a heck of a challenge. Under the direct sunlight, the palette looks rather warm. I took the pictures under different lighting to show you the sophisticated colors.

Warm lighting

Brighter and cooler lighting

Like other Tom Ford powder products, all four shades of Cocoa Mirage are velvet smooth and melt into the skin seamlessly. What I really adore about this particular quad is that all four shades work unbelievably harmoniously that you won't be able to tell where one color ends and another starts. It's a truly fool-proof quad. Cocoa Mirage is therefore ideal for professional settings but you can definitely smoke it up for edgier looks.

Cocoa Mirage will also complement all skin tones. The neutral browns that work for both cool and warm tone without making us look bruised and swollen. I have loads of neutrals brown, taupe, grey, mauve, and the likes but none is as neutral as Cocoa Mirage. For your reference, Tom Ford Cognac Sable is considerably warmer and Golden Mink is slightly cooler. 

Cocoa Mirage stays put for 8 hours straight without a primer and looks fresh past hour 12 with a standard primer. I tested it out during the 115F temperature and 80% humidity weather in Houston. The colors didn't fall out or fade but creased a little after 8 hours on my bare lids. 

(Click to enlarge) Neutral lighting

(Click to enlarge) Warm lighting

(Click to enlarge) Cool lighting

All four shades on my lids. Very subtle yet flattering. 

Tom Ford Beauty comes with huge price tag. I did a calculation on the eyeshadow here. Price per ounce, Tom Ford eyeshadow quad is actually more affordable than Dior and about the same as Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Eye Kit. The eyeshadow turns out to be the least overpriced in the line :D. For me, Cocoa Mirage is well worth the investment. I've been wearing it non-stop for the past month. It now sits the top 3 all time favorite eyeshadow palettes besides Dior 5-color Beige Massai and Chanel 4-color Kaska Beige, both were discontinued. 

Last but not least, the ingredients

(Click to enlarge) The ingredients

Bottom line. All around a phenomenal quad! Neutral eyeshadows fanatics, you must check out Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage, I insist. 

Look: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 with Escapade and Pink Haze

Boo!!! You thought this look would be an interpretation of Tom Ford ad campaign. I'm no Charlotte Tilbury guys. And I want to use Tom Ford products in a wearable fashion that proves that we can all wear sexy edgy Ford's makeup. Since I'm in the full mood for bronzing cheeks, it's the focus of this look. I keep the skin matte and a subtle sheen on the lips to balance out the shimmery eyes. I did apply more cream eyeshadows Escapade and Pink Haze than usual for the sake of the photos. Hope you enjoy! Scroll down till the end for the list of makeup worn. 

 Close-up of the eye makeup. 

 With warmer lighting

Makeup breakdown

Face

Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 in Sand 108

Nars Creamy Conealer in Custard

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminiate #2 (highlighter)

Dior Aurora Bronzer (summer 2011 limited edition)

Tom Ford blush in Savage

Eyes

Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso

Tom Ford cream eyeshadows in Escapade and Pink Haze as main lid color

Tom Ford eyeshadow quad in Cognac Sable all but the copper shimmer

Bobbi Brown long wear gel liner in Espresso

Dior mascara Extase

Lips

EOS lip balm

Chanel Rouge Allure Exquisite

Tom Ford lipgloss in Rose Crush

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Escapade and Pink Haze Cream Color for Eyes

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes ($40 for 0.21 oz) in Escapade and Pink Haze are my first real-deal cream eyeshadows. Not that I don't like the cream formula, I often find cream eyeshadow a bit hard to handle, particularly with blending. Escapade and Pink Haze blown me away with how blendable and layerable they are. Plus the colors are supreme.

Escapade and Pink Haze has a hybrid texture of cream and whipped mouse texture. They are incredibly smooth and blend seamlessly into the skin. It weightless and doesn't dry out though out the entire day or look greasy. Phenomenal!

Both stay fresh for over 10 hours over a standard primer. While Pink Haze gives me the same powerful wearing with and without a primer, Escapade creases on my eye lids after 4 hours without a primer. I haven't seen any reviews that report this issue. There's also no creasing if I layer a powder eyeshadow on top of Escapade. This could mean I need to test it a little longer. Priming my eyelids is part of my daily makeup routine but I thought I point this out. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to creasing guys.

Escapade is a golden/yellow peach with multicolor shimmer. Pink Haze crosses between brown pink and burgundy pink with silvery/multicolor shimmer. Escapade is a touch less pigmented than Pink Haze. Both are sheerer than in the pot but can be layered for maximum opacity. Escapade and Pink Haze look dazzling alone with just the eyeliner and mascara if you opt for more simple and clean look. I love to wear them together then define my outer V with one of Tom Ford's brown eyeshadows in Cognac Sable or Golden Mink, or Dior Beige Massai. They also work well as base color to add warmth and sophisticated sheen to the lids underneath my powder eyeshadows like Dior Rosy Nude, Dior Rosy Tan, Dior Sunset Cafe, Burberry Midnight Brown, Burberry Pale Barley, Rimmel Spicy Bronze, Edward Bess Back to Basics and the list goes on. Escapade and Pink Haze have become an important part of my eyeshadow collection.

I've emphasized this in all my Tom Ford posts and am doing it again: don't be shied away by the shimmer. It's opulent, edgy and sexy in the ultimately delicate fashion. The word shimmer/glitter itself seems to often be associated with teenagers, proms, and bling. Tom Ford has created and elevated the shimmer/glitter to a whole different class and made it wearable to suit the most elegant, simple and chic taste. Of course it's my personal view but if you try Tom Ford's beauty line in person, you'll know. 

I don't have similar cream eyeshadows to compare with Tom Ford Pink Haze nor Escapade. I highly recommend you guys check out Makeup Magpie's marvelous review and the lovely eye look she did with both. Below are some peach and beige shades for you gauge how Tom Ford's sit in the color range. 

Comparison swatches. Tom Ford Escapade has the most peach. Tom Ford Cognac Sable (peach shade) has much more golden bronze. Dior Rosy Nude (peach shade) is considerably pinker. Burberry Pale Barley is much more beige (although contains golden shimmer). 

Swatched next to the window to show the color bases. 

 Swatched under direct sunlight to show shimmer

The high price point of Tom Ford is always up for debate. A single eyeshadow for $40 isn't wallet-friendly for everyone. But you'll get a great amount for what you pay, 0.21 oz or $190.5 per ounce. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre provides 0.14 oz at $36 or $257 per ounce. Bobbi Brown, another Estee Lauder's beauty brands, offers 0.12 oz at $24 or $200 per ounce. Basically, we Tom Ford's fans need to get over the first shot to own the eyeshadows, then they'll last for a long time. The question is whether you like the color and quality enough to give it a try. I do and both Escapade and Pink Haze are must-haves for me. They're worth every penny!

Bottom line. The biggest hits of the collections, and of this summer. I must own both Escapade and Pink Haze. Get them before they're gone guys!

Have you checked out Tom Ford beauty summer collection? What are your picks? Which items you're most excited about?