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!