Showing posts with label Fall 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall 2012. Show all posts

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2012 - Narcissist Cheek Color

Tom Ford Narcissist tops all of my favorite blushes, powder, cream or gel! I ADORE it. I'm literally blown away.
Tom Ford Cheek Color Narcissist ($55 for 0.28 oz) belongs to his fall collection 2012. Let's start with the color and pigmentation. It's a bright red pink that also has blue undertone. The color is bold, strong and saturated. There's no way around it. When you are confident you rock Narcissist. But it's absolutely wearable.

I pick up the color with a standard blush brush, tab the brush on the pan, tab off the excess and lightly dust the powder on my cheeks. I then blend it out well. That's it. It stays there, fresh and looking the same for solid 12 hours till I take it off. Blown away, indeed! A little goes an extremely long way. You can see Narcissist in action here.

Now, don't be scared of the striking red pink. If you use Narcissist lightly, it mimics the natural healthy flush on your cheeks after a nice walk under the sun. If you have light skin tone, use less. Layer more if you are on the tanner side. Because Narcissist can be layered beautifully, it suits all skin tones and tastes for intensity.
Below are the comparison swatches of some pink blushes I own. Tom Ford Narcissist is the brightest and reddest. Smashbox Radiant Blush has more fuchsia undertone. The bright pink stripe in Guerlain Rouge G Blush Serie Noir has golden shimmer and warm pink undertone. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Dollface is a baby pink and has more white base. Edward Beass Compact Rouge in Love Affair has more raspberry base than Narcissist. 

 Swatched under direct sunlight

 Different angle to show the undertones of all the blushes
Tom Ford's permanent blushes gear toward frosty and shimmery finish yet Narcissist has matte finish. The powder is silkily smooth, so finely milled and weightless that I thought I touched velvet. The texture helps the pigment blends seamlessly into the skin, effortlessly. And this velvet texture applies to all of his powder products.

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.  Now 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, Narcissist included, is extremely competitive to the other brands.

You sure have your rationing system to justify your beauty purchases. I'm not defending a 55-dollar blush as reasonable. It depends on your rationale. I think Narcissist is no ordinary investment. You have an exceptional high quality blush that is versatile for natural or bold cheeks. It will last a long time even when you use it daily.

Bottom line. PHENOMENAL. ADORE. OBSESSED. Get it before it's gone! 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Review: Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale Fall 2012

Chanel Joues Contraste Rose Initiale ($43 for 0.21 oz) is the new blush of the Fall 2012. Good news is it's added to the permanent line. You might already seen the 987654321 reviews of Rose Initiale by now. It tells you how popular Rose Initiale has become. For very good reasons.

When I first saw the pictures of Rose Initiale, I thought it'd be just another peachy pink blush I already owned. But no, I don't have anything this sophisticated. And the baked formula is actually buttery smooth, not at all how I pictured it in my mind. 

Chanel Rose Initiale is a muted peachy pink, not really pink nor peach. I feel like it has the equal mix of both. When worn, Rose Initiale looks very natural, just like a pink rosy flush on the cheek. Very nuance, very muted yet pinky and peachy. It doesn't lean cool nor warm, which makes it universally flattering on all skintone. It's one of those classic blush that you don't have to think hard of what it will match. It goes with almost every look from natural to dramatic. It's sheer but buildable for intensity. I used two layers on the apple of my cheeks for the look below.

The subtle golden shimmer brightens up my cheeks with a very soft sheen. So don't let the shimmer worry you if you more prone to matte blushes.

Heavy swatch  (natural light)

 Heavy swatch (direct sunlight)

What sold me completely though is the staying powder. I was running errands and 5 hours later, Rose Initiale sill looked fresh. It only started fading after 8 hours. Love it so much! Blushes generally don't last over 4 hours on me so I was thrilled. 

Like other Joues Contraste, Rose Initiale is infused with light rose scent elegantly though. I prefer fragrance-free products but this is actually quite pleasant. It comes with a large mirror and a decent brush. 

Bottom line. Totally in love! Rose Initiale is a great natural blush that flatters all skintones. Easy to wear and easy to use. Thinning my wallet for a $43 blush definitely consumes lots of thoughts. For me, it's totally worth it.

Have you tried Rose Initiale? How do you like it? What do you pair with it?

Here's a look with Rose Initiale (photo taken at hour 5)

Makeup breakdown
YSL Touche Eclat in 08
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Chanel Joues Contrase in Rose Initiale

Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Liner in Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara 
The Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit (dark brown/black)

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