Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

Saturday, June 15, 2013

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
Nars Creamy Conealer in Custard
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Eyes
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

Thursday, May 9, 2013

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?

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Review: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - Vapor Nail Lacquer

Guys, my first luxurious nail polish and also my absolute favorite until today is Tom Ford Vapor . I don't wear nail polishes very often, hence the clumsy application in the pictures below :D. When I do, my go-to brands include Essie, Zoya, Revlon and the base and top coats by Butter London. I don't want to spend $$$$ on nail polishes either. So what's special about Vapor? 
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Vapor ($30 for 0.41 oz) is part of a well-edited summer collection from the brand. As soon as I saw the promo picture a few months back, I knew Vapor would be an instant click for me. When I swatched it at the counter, it turned into a love struck! 

The color, shimmery pearly white that reflects light gracefully, got me right from the start. Yes, pearly white has existed for aeon. But this white is rather unique. It's very me. It pops against my skin color in a subtle fashion and brightens up my skin. The delicate shimmer, as I expected from Tom Ford, adds fabulous touch for the color and yet isn't overdone. Under the strong light, you can see the gorgeous multicolor shimmer. Adored! 

 The applicator. Quite easy to handle except for the bulky cap. 
Vapor goes on opaque with 3 layers although I also really enjoy the sheer look of just one or two layers. It's chic, classic and not boring! The texture is weightless and smooth with excellent consistency. As you can see from the swatch, Vapor is streaky, which doesn't bother me at all. I know some people prefer a uniform look of the polish so this could be a drawback. Also, once applied the streaky finish can't be altered by my Butter London top coat.

Next to the windows - 3 coats

Direct sunlight - 3 coats
What really won my heart over is the long wearing. Vapor isn't chip-resistant like gel nail formula, of course. I wash dishes, do gardening, move things around etc... all with my bare hands. Now most of my go-to brands will peel by half of the nail after day one with all these activities. Vapor stays put on the major part of my nails, only the tips peeled after day 7. Love it!

Super fine shimmer
Now, I'm not familiar with nail polishes from other high-end brands although I tested many of them out at the counter. I can't say Vapor beats all white nail polishes in the market but it's an excellent choice for day or night, work or party and even the beach. It's so versatile that I know I'll wear the heck out of the 30-dollar bottle. My affection with Vapor is, like I said, a love struck. Not a single nail polish have ever caught my attention like Vapor. No one was even selling it to me at the counter. I played with it by myself then bought it. 

Vapor offers slightly less quantity than a typical nail polish bottle (0.41 oz vs. 0.5 oz) and comes with a hefty $30 price tag. I believe you can find a similar shade in other brands, drugstore or high-end but I've never come across a pearl white like Vapor. Depending on what you already have, it might or might not be a must-have. In any case, I still strongly recommend you check it out. It's too lovely to be missed out. 

Bottom line. Definitely a must-have for me. A classic shade that stays strong. Highly-recommended! 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Preview: Tom Ford Beauty Summer 2013 - My picks

***Update: Review of nail lacquer Vapor is here. Review of Escapade and Pink Haze can be found here.

What a day today! Hectic, exhausted, nervous, and satisfied!!!

I'll dedicate a whole post for the first part of my day. Let's fast forward to my beyond satisfying purchases of Tom Ford Summer 2013. I didn't have as much time as I wanted to test out the collection thoroughly. Beside the two powder bronzers repromoted from the permanent line, we have two illuminating sticks, one illuminating liquid, a lip lacquer, a nail polish, and two cream eyeshadows.

Here are my picks.

Vapor is my first high-end polish. I didn't expect to love it at all. It's pearl white and apply smoothly on my nail. I'll report back to you guys how well it wears on my nails but for now: ADORED! 

My first instinctive choice was of course Escapade cream eyeshadow. It's a shimmery light peach that has excellent buttery texture and stunning color that is both subtle and intense enough to be worn alone. The biggest wowing item from the collection is Pink Haze. It has bronze/golden shimmer that keeps the pink wearable. Trust me, I have the toughest time to pull of pinks and just recently reconciled with the color. I'm completely obsessed with Pink Haze. Give it a try ladies!!!! 

I also grab Tom Ford eye brush #13, the perfect eye blending brush. It created the chaos today. More about that later! :D
Now, I (temporally) skipped all the illuminating sticks and liquid as I feel like they're a bit too sheer and redundant, especially with my Tom Ford Illuminating Primer. I mix the primer with foundations too and it creates fabulous glow. The lip lacquer was so-so in terms of color and quality so I decided to save my wallet for one of the new stunning bronzers from other brands. 

In the next few weeks I'll have more time to test them out. I'm going on a trip tomorrow and still have laundry, packing and cleaning to do. Talk to you all soon.

xx

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Yumeko's Weekly Photo Challenge # 10

Yumeko's hosting a weekly photo challenge. This week it's all about summer must-haves. I did my summer beauty essentials a couple of weeks ago but the idea is so fun that I decided to join her.

1. Base makeup
My T-zone gets extra oily during the summer and Korres matifying primer is my life saver.


Korres Matifying Primer, Kiehl's super fluid, Kiehl's Damange-Repairing Serum, Clarins Ever Matte Foundation, Laura Mercier Translucent setting powder

 2. Point makeup
Glowy peachy tan cheeks
Edward Bess Sunlight and Afterglow give me a seamless sheen that look natural under direct sunlight. Dior Aurora and Edward Bess Monte Carlo are perfect peachy bronzes that are smooth and have a little bit of sheen. Obsessed!



Neutral colors, long-wear formula for the eyes
I've been wearing Dior Beige Massai non-stop since March. I find it compliments summer bronze looks particularly well. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara holds the curl all day, lengthens my lashes and doesn't smudge. It's not waterproof but I never have a problem.

Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel liner in Espresso, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Dior 5-color eyeshadow quint in Beige Massai, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara

Bold or Nude lips
In the summer, I either go nude with Bobbi Brown High shimmer lipgloss in Beach and Edward Bess Pure Impulse or bright with YSL Rouge Couture Innocent Fushia. And my lips need extra moisture under the sun. My current favorite lip balm is EOS. 


4. Bodyspray/ Perfume
Tocca Giulietta, Tom's deodorant (natural!), The Body Shop Salt Body Scrub


3. Cover up
I'm brave. I only shield my eyes! Sunglasses from LOFT

5. Other must-havez
I can't endure makeup long in the summer. Even can't wait until I got home. So I use Boots No.7 makeup remover wipes in the car:) 

Boots No. 7 Quick thinking 4 in 1 wipesThe Body Shop Aloe exfoliator

Water, Fruit and Sandals!

If you want to join us, please leave the link to your post for Yumeko here and in the comment of this post. I'll stop by to leave you comments. Rouge Delux and BirkinBagBeauty have shared their must-haves! 

What are your summer must-haves?

Monday, July 23, 2012

Guest post - Zoya Pippa

My lovely friend from grad school Huidong was kind enough to write a guest post for my blog. I really love her Zoya yellow nail polish so I asked her to share some thoughts about it. 

Zoya Pippa is a beautiful fresh yellow. It's bright and fun without being neon and in-your-face. The texture is creamy yet streaky. Pippa is rather sheer but becomes opaque after 2 coats. Huidong feels that Pippa goes on smoothly. It's very easy to apply but chips quickly. It would be a great color on your toes too. Imagine your tan toes with a pop of bright yellow on a white sand beach next to the blue ocean. 

Two coats

Zoya Pippa in action. Here, Huidong paired her fresh yellow nails with a green summer skirt. I think it's lovely.

Big hugs to Huidong! She was unbelievably patient with my request. She swatched Pippa several times between conferences, seminars and her own research schedule. As a result, yellow on left hand and black on right hand :)

What is our favorite nail colors for the summer? Mine is definetely baby blue

Summer beauty essentials

Happy Monday everyone! While typing this line, I can't believe I'm feeling happy on Monday. A mental note to mention this at my yoga class.

As we're rolling half way through Houston hot summer, I thought it'd be fun to share some of my must-have beauty products in the summer.

Kiehl's Super Fluid SPF 50+Kiehl's Avocado Eyecream; Tom's natural deodorant 

Clarins Ever Matte Skin Balancing Foundation (review is coming soon); Dior Healthy Glow Powder in Aurora

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight and Afterglow Irreplaceable!!

Bobbi Brown Long wear Gel eyeliner in Espresso; Giorgio Armani Eyesto Kill Pulp Fuction #4

Dolce and Gabbana Shine Lipstick in Soiree; Guerlain Rouge G Serie Noir Orange Euphorique

Blue nail polishes

And this adorable Paul and Joe makeup bag (a gift with purchase last summer)

What products do you swear by for the summer? 

Hope everyone's having a great summer. 

Joanne

Monday, May 2, 2011

My favorite lipsticks for spring/summer

Spring and summer are the time of the year I love to wear warm fun colors on lips. I think it’s nice to have a memoir of my all time favorite lipsticks for the seasons.



Guerlain Rouge G Serie Noir Orange Euphorique ($47) has recently became my all time favorite lipstick. It is truly the best for color payoff, creamy texture and longwearing. Its muted orange color flatters warm stkin tone very well and at the same time  . It feels very comfy on lips. Too bad it’s a limited edition for Spring 2011. So I purchased a backup!

Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle ($32) is a classic medium pink with brown undertone. It’s just so easy to work with, almost fool-proof. I found it opaque but wearable even with two thick coats. The texture is creamy and long wearing. I will just purchase it again and again.

Laura Mercier Audrey ($22) is my staple lipstick year round, all ocassions. This is the most versatile lippie I own. It can go sheer, a natural bright pink, or opaque, a warm rather deep rose. I also use it as a blush under my setting power. The review of Audrey as multiple product will be up soon.

Chanel Rouge Allure Exquisite ($32) offers a quite unique color – a warm pink with fine golden shimmer. It’s also truly versatile. I always find warm pink lipsticks are less common eventhough pink is arguably the most common lipcolor. That’s why warm skin tone would all thank Exquisite.


Dior Addict Pink Embroidrey ($26) looks quite normal in the tube. But wait until you dress it on your lips. It’s wearable mauve pink that feels soft and springy.  While Pink Embroidrey can go both semi-sheer and opaque, I prefer a sheerer application just enough to light up my natural lips colors.

What are your favorite spring/summer lipsticks?
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