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? 

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: Chanel Dentelle Precieuse Illuminating Powder

Chanel Dentelle Precieuse Illuminating Powder ($80 for 0.21 oz) is a stunning highlighter that delivers a phenomenal quality. It offers luxurious packaging, exquisite lace design, a velvety smooth texture, an extremely flattering shade of beige with ultra fine multi shimmer, and that's not all. It stays on for 8 hours under humid weather like what we're having here in Houston.

Sounds awesome eh? However, Chanel Dentelle Precieuse is not a must-have. Yes, you hear me right. I found several alternatives that possess the same quality and only fail to compete with the beauty of Chanel's latest collector item. Not to mention the 80-dollar-plus-tax-plus-quite-a-few-run-around-to-locate-it price tag for just decent amount of product. I don't hate it, actually I love it. But I have better choices.

Before you Chanel Dentelle fans stone me, please hear my reasoning. The Chanel beauty comes in a pretty velvet pouch, a decent brush, and a large mirror. All is very convenient for touch up or traveling. You don't have to worry about bringing an extra mirror or brush or the case will be scratched. It's already taken care of.

The powder comes in a pretty velvet pouch. 

When you open the pouch, the brush is tucked neatly in the smaller compartment. It's actually quite a good brush. The bristles are soft and densely pack. I might use it for on the go, although I always prefer my own brushes.

Now onto the embossed dentelle. Breathtakingly beautiful and elegant isn't it? The lace details are so real that I had goose bumps taking these photos. So incredibly exquisite! You can see the thickness of the embossed lace. So Chanel!

Next to the window, under cloudy sky

Under direct sunlight

The multi shimmer reflects sunlight

Chanel Dentelle Precieuse has more to offer than just the pretty face. It's a warm peachy beige with a hint of pink infused with multi shimmer. Don't let the shimmer worry you as it's ultra fine and looks natural on the skin. From all the swatches I've seen on the internet so far, I think it works wonderful for all skin tone. The beige is delicately balanced with both peach and soft pink. For fair-skinned girls, I would recommend you use a light hand to highlight. It could well be a blush if you're really fair. On my light medium skin, it blends seamlessly into my skin color, leaving a sheen rather than a shine on the skin.

The texture of the power is silkily smooth without over powdery. It makes the blending effortless. So far so good right? I don't have any complains about the quality or the color itself. When I played around with Chanel Dentelle Precieuse at the counter, I thought of several other highlighters in my collection. So I pulled them out for comparison.

I swatched the bronzier stripes of Dior Shimmer Star Amber Diamond next to Chanel Dentelle. The colors are painfully similar. Dior Amber Diamond doesn't have as soft and smooth texture as Chanel's, yet the difference is nuance. The multi shimmer in Chanel Dentelle is a touch more visible, and may I say, sexier than Dior's. However, I can create more variations of highlighter with Dior Amber Diamond by simply swirling different color stripes together. Plus, Dior's priced roughly at $48 for 0.35 oz compared to Chanel's 0.21 oz of product at $80. Dior Amber Diamond wins, in my book. She doesn't have that stunning lace though. 

Cream: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Opal, Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow 

Powder: Dior Shimmer Star Amber Diamond, Chanelle Dentelle Precieuse 

I also found two other highlighters in the cream formula, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Opal ($41 for 1.7 oz) and Edward Bess All Over Seduction Afterglow ($38 for 0.08 oz), aka my all time favorite highlighter. They have the same peachy beige color as Chanel Dentelle. However, Edward Bess' has more subtle shimmer and Becca's has shinier and more metallic finish. On my skin these two look slightly different from Chanel Dentelle but mainly due to the different shimmer levels. Edward Bess Afterglow is tiny and turns out to be more expensive than Chanel Dentelle, $99 for 0.21 oz of Edward Bess Afterglow. Becca Opal is considerably more affordable than Chanel's. 

Different lighting to show the color

So my point is, if you already own one of those highlighters, and the chance is you have something similar to them anyway, you won't need Chanel Dentelle Precieuse. It's definitely a collector item. At the same time, if you collect beautifully designed makeup items, then you need to check it out.

I'm debating whether to keep Chanel Dentelle Precieuse. The lace does make me wonder...

One last picture of this beautiful piece of art.

Have you check out Chanel Dentelle Precieuse? Anyone wants to convince me to keep it? 

Review: Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2

Given that Shade and Illuminate was the main target of my first trip to Tom Ford counter, I could have reviewed it first. Why didn't I? Um uh well, as typing this line, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Part of me loves it for its blendability, natural result and quick setting. The other part feels disappointed with the short wearing, and lack of intensity of the highlighter. Oddly enough, I don't hate the price. Let's break it down then, shall we. A look I wore the highlighter is here.

Tom For Shade and Illuminate ($75 for 0.49 oz) comes into two shades Intensity 1 and Intensity 2. They share the same highlighter, only the contouring shades are different. Based on my swatch, Intensity 1 is really yellow and lighter, even on my yellow skin tone. Intensity 2 has deeper brown/grey undertone and matches my skin better. The girls at Tom Ford told me that Intensity 2 matches most people while Intensity 1 looks yellow on most people. Puzzled :)

The close-up. White and brown!

At the first glance, I thought the highlighter would be stalky white and the contouring shade would look muddy. Not at all! The highlighter is a sheer shimmery white while the contouring shade is a matte deep neutral brown. The shimmer of the highlighter is beyond delicate. You guys probably remember I always rave about Edward Bess All Over Seduction for its finely milled shimmer. This is even more sophisticated. The texture is, as you would expect from Tom Ford, heavenly smooth. It blends seamlessly and effortlessly into the skin. You won't detect the transition from your skin to the area with product.

It surprises me that both the highlighter and contouring shade are sheer. I have to apply about 4 layers of the contouring shade to create believable high cheekbones. It does take me sometime to feel comfortable with the application. Once you get it, faking those hollows is really enjoyable. 

I want a quite visible glow so 4-5 layers of the highlighters are needed. Even so, the highlighter looks very natural under direct sunlight. No stalky white strips, guaranteed! Your skincolor peaks through a veil of sheer shimmery glistening soft white. Your cheeks will glow at certain angles when you turn your face. Now, if you like extremely natural glow, you'll enjoy this. I prefer more visible effect at all angles, so this falls short for my expectation. The highlighter reminds me of Giorgio Armani Sheer Fluid in cream formula only more opaque and of higher consistency. 

The highlighter stays put for about 6 hours on my combination skin, in the drier months. After hour 6, it becomes a layer of sheer sheen. I'm not sure how it'll behave in more humid weather. I would want it to last 8 hours, especially for the price. The contouring shade stays fresh for at least 8 hours. 

 Heavily swatched under direct sunlight. Both the contour shade and highlighter are sheer

Compared to some of my highlighters, Shade and Illuminate is the most natural and also the sheerest. But the consistency and texture is the best. Becca Skin Perfector in Pearl is more white and more frosty. Edward Bess Sunlight has beigy champagne undertone and about as shimmery as Shade and Illuminate. MAC cream color base in Cream is ivory cream and just a little bit less shimmery than Shade and Illuminate. I don't have another cream bronzer or contouring blush to compare. Just want to show you how it stands against the shimmer highlighters. 

 Compared with some other highlighters

Tom Ford is the sheerest of the bunch

Different angle to show the level of luminosity

What about the price? You pay $75 for 0.49 oz of product assuming $37 for 0.245 oz of highlighter or contouring shade. That's A LOT if you think about Edward Bess All Over Seduction - $38 for 0.08 oz of highlighter (same formula). Of course, it's way more expensive than Becca Pearl. But you have a large mirror and sleek compact for traveling. I do think the case can be more sturdy with metal material instead of plastic.

Now, I use the Shade and Illuminate brush to create a crispy line with the contouring shade then blend upward. I prefer my fingers for the highlighter as they curve with my cheek bones. The brush is a wonderful product that demands a separate post. Spoiler -alert: if you are skilled at contouring, you can skip it. I bought it for the ease of application. Also, I have quite a few cream face products that require a good brush.

Bottom line. After the above analysis, I conclude that Shade and Illuminate is a great product for everyday use. And I need it. If you want more intense highlighter, you probably want to look somewhere else. The contour shade, however, would cover all your needs from day to night. I don't want to highly recommend a $75 palette for everyday use. It's your personal preferences to determine whether you need it. 

Tom Ford Beauty Haul - First Impression

From dislike to doubt to adore and total addiction! Heck yes, I find the entire Tom Ford Beauty including his fabulous fragrances more than tempting. Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would enjoy Tom Ford Beauty. I detest his provocative perfume ads in the past. And I still do. The price tag of the line, my goodness, really put me off. So I didn't follow any raves or rants about the brand around the world wide web.

Until I saw this documentary film. His way of life, the inner peace and the life he lives fully and completely have inspired me to make changes in my life (another looong story) and of course to own some of his products. Watching the film feels like sitting in a yoga workshop where people at higher spiritual state share their thoughts. That's how I feel. ;;)

Long for short, I made a couple of trips to Neiman Marcus at Houston Galleria, which by the way means huge deal. Parking and walking in that mall drives me insane. I usually feel like a victim of consumerism then loose interests quickly, and just go home. Fortunately, I had a good time at Tom Ford counter and did a huge damage to my wallet. As a result, I'm beauty sober until next year (no regrets :D)! I also tested the mascara, foundations (liquid and stick), and eyeliner pencil at the counter. Reviews of my orders are coming!

First thing first, the Shade and Illuminate Intensity 2 ($75 for 0.49 oz) is the target of my trip. I'm an highlighter sucker and especially love the cream formula (like Edward Bess All over seduction). Naturally I have to try this. The price is steep, no doubt, but for a huge amount of product. It does require some blending practice but is worth every penny. 

I also got the Shade and Illuminate brush ($70). Seriously overpriced I must say. Nonetheless, it applies the product incredibly easy! I can also use it for other cream blushes and highlighters. Plus, I wasn't able to find a substitute for this brush. So for my skills and conditions, the dollars were well invested. 

Now comes the wildly popular Narcissist blush ($55 for 0.28 oz), the new limited edition for Fall 2012. It scared me away from the picture and even in person at first. However, none of Tom Ford permanent blushes really scream at me. They all have frosty finish, though subtle. Narcisssit has subdued satin finish that looks matte without drying on my cheeks. And the color is OMG, lovely pink flush to bright bold fuchsia. LOVE! Another wisely-spent. 

Then I certainly need some eyeshadow quads ($75 for 0.35 oz), the star products of the line. I picked up Cognac Sable the first trip and had to come back for Golden Mink. Phenomenal! The color, the texture, the wearing, the finish and the style blow me away. They all suit me so unbelievably well. I swatched most of eye color quads at the counter and they were all excellent, no dryness or fall-out. The question is which color theme/finish responses to your style. The two I purchased are versatile, wearable and have my name written all over them :D. More on how they work for me will be coming soon.

And there is a compulsive procurement, the brow sculptor in Espresso ($42 for 0.01 oz). It's beautiful, natural, user-friendly and uh over priced. I don't own any mechanic brown pencil, only have tried some in store. So my opinion is probably biased. In any case, this is an excellent product. 

No, I didn't forget about his lipsticks. The formula really moved me so much so that I almost got Indian Rose. The shades aren't that special (even deeper shades like Cherry Lush) beside the fact that they're seriously overpriced. The girls told me Jasmine Rouge lipsticks are of deeper shades, promising more interesting colors. For now I decided to wait.

Finally, the generous samples of Tom Ford fragrances. Gotta love the customer service!

The good news is I love all the fragrances. For years I fell for big brand names like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, Bvlgari, etc... and never got intrigued enough to purchase a single full-sized bottle from them. Tom Ford perfumes stays put all day and lingers a unique scent that isn't overwhelming on my skin. And they express different selves of me. BIG LOVE!

The bad news is I love all the fragrances. Tough call to pick one.  They'll break my wallet too. I'm still looking for the one that has the power to withdraw $200 for 1.7 oz from my budget. Maybe there's none but the huge samples should last a while.

That's all guys. I was extremely exhausted after work and a sleepless night before visiting the counter. I made a mental note "to try not to buy" and was ready to bitch down any sale associate who tried too hard to sell. The girls at Tom Ford counter treated me well. They provided me with the information, chatted about the line and helped me to test and apply the products. I really appreciated they tried to make my trip fun and kept an open mind to the customers' knowledge. You know sometimes SAs talk you down to push/create needs for purchases. I hate that (Macy's Chanel counter at Mermorial City). If you live in Houston area, you must visit Tom Ford counter at Neiman Marcus. It's so much easier to decide which items to purchase, especially with Tom Ford's price. Plus the girls there are helpful and polite. 

Review: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector SPF 25 in Pearl and Opal

I was never impressed with liquid highlighters until I tried out Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors ($41 for 1.7 oz). They produce such a natural glow that becomes seamless with the skin. The idea of liquid shimmering highlighter is no new but the consistency of texture and just right amount of shimmer make this product stand out.

A few close-ups of the packaging

Don't worry about dropping them. The bottles are made of plastic and rubber-like material with a pump. 

Pearl, as its name suggests, is a pearly white with extremely delicate white shimmer. When I first pump it out, it looks stalky white and nothing like a shade that can match with the rest of my face. However, it blends seamlessly into my skin and quite sheer. I have medium, yellow undertone and Pearl doesn't wash me out or concentrate into white stripes on my cheekbones.

Opal is an apricot with coppery champagne shimmer. Like Pearl, the shimmer is finely milled, creating a from-within glow that is incredibly natural. Opal compliments my skin tone really well and better than Pearl. I would recommend Opal for warm skintone. If you're on the cooler side, it might not look as natural.

Side by side outdoors

There are two ways I apply Becca Skin Perfector, with either a foundation or concealer brush and with clean fingers. Even though I prefer the brush, clean fingers will work just as well and the effect is sheerer. In the photos, I swatched Pearl and Opal heavily for them to show up. On my skin tone, though, they create glycerin type of glow that catches light and only show when I turn my face to certain angles. And the glow stays put all day. This result, ladies, is what I expect Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer should have.

The only drawback of these goodies is the setting time, around 10-15 minutes, which doesn't break the deal. I don't complain much since liquid formula tends to require more time to stabilize on skin in compensation for the ease of blending and natural looking effects.

More swatches indoors (using heavy hands on Pearl!)

Final thoughts. Totally in love! Natural, effortless and long-wearing. I use Pearl for day time and Opal for night time. For the amount you need of each application, this bottle is huge. If you love highlighters, you MUST have one of Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors. 

Compare: Edward Bess Quad Royales 01 South of France, 02 Monte Carlo, 03 Summer in Capri

Edward Bess has recently added Quad Royales to his superb beauty line. They are South of France 01, Monte Carlo 02, and Summer in Capri 03. Retailed at $45 for 0.25 oz, they are on sale at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Zuneta and thankfully Sephora (online only for now). Although I do think they are truly different in color and finish, I can see some of you might want to justify for one quad only.

Let's take a few moments to cherish them again. 

South of France is a beautiful soft beige pink with golden and lavender shimmer. 

Monte Carlo is a shimmery peachy bronze with peachy and coppery shimmer. 

Summer in Capri is a pink peach with pink shimmer and beige undertone. 

On my arm, they don't look a million miles away from each other but you can still see different shades.

Under direct sunlight, Monte Carlo gives a more metallic sheen while Summer in Capri has cool pink shimmer and South of France creates a soft warm sheen. 

I really love this particular picture as it shows how these quads behave based on their types of shimmer. Monte Carlo has the most shimmer and slightly frosty. Summer in Capri has the least shimmer yet produces a cool sheen. South of France simply brightens up my skin. 

What is my absolute favorite? Tough call, I tell you. They all have excellent texture, soft yet not too powdery. I personally prefer South of France to the other two quads by the thinness of a razor. I just love its uniqueness that stands out from all the highlighters in my possession. I don't have a dupe for neither Summer in Capri and Monte Carlo in my stash, but the latter is not too different from my Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar. Summer in Capri is more unique than Monte Carlo. They both are more subtle and sophisticated than Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks, hence more wearable and fool-proof. 

Does it mean that I can settle with only one of the three Quad Royales? Nope :d. High quality, elegant color and long wearing completely grab my heart. So yeah, I collected them all and I won't stop looking forward to a (few more) Quad Royale in the future.