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: Tom Ford Lips and Boys - Giacomo, Cary, Didier

As Tom Ford usually does to us makeup fanatics, he somehow convinced me to order sight unseen more than one limited edition lipsticks from the Lips and Boys collection. And I usually just go one lipstick at a time. On a more self-forgiving note, this collection contains 50 (FIFTY) shades so 7 doesn't sound that bad. I based my decisions mostly on my previous experience with his lipsticks, stock images, and some unconfirmed information on repromoted shades. In other words, this haul was a leap of faith in Tom Ford. And boy, he does not disappoint.

The most frequently asked questions I've noticed is how mini these lipsticks are. Priced at $32 each for 0.7 oz compared to a full-size version at $50 for 0.1 oz, they are actually less expensive. Because the price is friendlier, I image they will be more appealing to a larger group of customers. As someone who mainly just touches-up lip makeup, I really appreciate a lighter version to carry around. Also, I love the skinnier bullets of the minis for precise application.

The first three shades that arrived are Giacomo, Cary (Casablanca in permanent range), Didier. It's funny to refer to a lipstick as he. Anyway.

Giacomo  is a satin bright deep rose. The shimmer is so fine that it's only visible under direct sunlight It's 70s I tell you. Very Tom Ford! He's bright yet still muted enough for daily look. I love to sport him as a statement lips with a very natural complexion. Giacomo is the most exotic pink of the three, in my opinion. Coincidently his names sounds exotic eh?

Cary is a more redden plum version of Collin (Indian Rose). They are very similar in tone. Cary doesn't have any shimmer yet it still has some sheen finish. Although the muted plum undertone makes it a safe my-lip-but-better choice, I think he adds interesting plum touch to the lips. 

Didier is a satin deep plum rose with ultra fine fuchsia shimmer. This particular shimmer reminds me of that in Tom Ford Ravish and Wicked blushes. It's edgy and lovely! Didier is the most moisturizing of the bunch. He's sheerer and brighter on my lips than in the tube. But by no mean it's a sheer lipstick. 

Giacomo is the most rosy. Cary has the most brown. Didier has the most plum with fuchsia tint. 

All three shades wear well for 5 hours, surviving lunch and many glasses of water. They moisturize my lips and feel so comfortable. In fact, after these lippies were washed out down to a stain, they still have the same undertone and look pretty. I do need a lip balm as usual but Tom Form's creamy lipsticks don't dry out my lips. This quality is consistent across his range. In this case, I slightly prefer the hydrating performance of Didier to the other two, although all three deliver the Tom Ford quality that I want.

Now it's time for some lipswatches.

Giacomo

Cary

Didier

 See how Didier is considerably deeper in the tube?

Were you able to resist or wait for counter swatching? What did you pick up? How do you like these boys?

Peter, Alasdhair, Addison and Richard are on the way. I hope to get the review early enough before they're once again sold out. 

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? 

Swatch and Review: Tom Ford Blushes Love Lust, Frantic Pink, Flush, Savage, Ravish, Wicked, Narcissist

(Click to enlarge) Tom Ford blushes side by side 

I fell in love with Tom Ford Beauty so quickly staring with his Cognac Sable eyeshadow quad and Shade and Illuminate duo Intensity 2. But not until I dusted Narcissist on my cheeks has my love for the brand completely established. Permanently. Then I of course went back to the counter for more blushes, more eyeshadows, lipsticks, primer, foundation stick, brow pencil and most recently his insanely good brushes.

If you want to just own a single Tom Ford item, grab a blush. I finally managed to get all of Tom Ford current blushes and swatched them here for you. How beautiful, edgy, sensual, opulent, extravagant, impeccable they are! They deliver phenomenal quality and are surprisingly wearable! If you want to read my detailed review of each shade, please choose below 

Love Lust, Frantic Pink, Flush, Savage, Ravish, Wicked, Narcissist 

Close-up under direct sunlight

Swatches

Neutral Lighting

Direct sunlight

Cool lighting

• 01 Love Lust -  a golden brown peach and cool pink shimmer that has high shine on the skin. It can be used as a highlighter. 
• 02 Frantic Pink - a soft peachy pink with golden shimmer. It's gorgeous layering over Edward Bess Compact Rouge Love Affair or Chanel Cream Blush Affinite. 
• 03 Flush - a vibrant peachy coral and coral shimmer. It's my favorite pick-me-up blush after a long night or the sun doesn't shine as brightly. 
• 04 Savage - an opulent red brown and cool pink shimmer. It's stunning for contouring or as a bronzer, but remember to use a light hand. 
• 05 Ravish - a pinky brown and cool pink shimmer, and probably the most versatile shade of the bunch. If I had to pick one blush to travel with, it'd be Ravish. 
• 06 Wicked - a cool medium pink with pink shimmer and a toned down version of Narcissist and less red. 
• 07 Narcissist - a vibrant red pink with blue undertone and tiny pink shimmer and the least shimmery shade of the bunch. This is where my love for Tom Ford blushes begin. Use a very light hand and what you'll get is a healthy blushing glow as if you just came back from a walk. 

Summary

Tom Ford blushes have a velvety smooth. They melt seamlessly into the skin like the second skin. They never cake up nor look powdery. They all have ultra fine shimmer, although at different levels. You will have a sheen on your cheeks without visible sparkles. Your skin will have a ridiculously beautiful healthy glow. And hold on, it's not all. Tom Ford blushes stay put all day, even under a humid weather like Houston summer. Highly pigmented except for Frantic Pink.

Application

I would recommend several brushes for Tom Ford blushes

• For Narcissist, I've found a not so dense brush like MAC 168 pick up just enough color and great for blending. 
• For Frantic Pink, Tom Ford blush brush seems to work best to pick up color if you want to use it alone. In case of layering, Studio Gear blush brush #13 or rouge brush #14 are both good options. 
• For the rest, use a dense brush to pick up the color then dab lightly to build up the colors. Any blush brush would work for those shades really. However, I've found natural-haired brushes pick up and blends the colors better since they're highly pigmented. 

There you have it. My makeup collection heavily gear toward eyeshadows, yet I dare to own all shades of Tom Ford cheek colors. THAT's how much I love them. Do you have any favorite among those blushes? Or you swear by a different brand? Share away guys... 

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: 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 Cheek Color 02 Frantic Pink

It took me quite some time to finish the review of Tom Ford Frantic Pink as I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It's a very good blush. Beautiful. Lovely. Natural. Long-wearing. Smooth. But it isn't as phenomenal as the rest of Tom Ford's blushes (reviews of Love Lust, Flush, Savage, Ravish, Wicked, Narcissist). While I still love Frantic Pink, I don't reach for it very often. Here is why.

Tom Ford Frantic Pink blush ($56 for 0.28 oz) is a light peachy pink with golden shimmer. On my light medium skin tone, it's a soft peachy pink. The pigmentation is sheerer than the rest of Tom Ford blushes. Also because Frantic Pink is a soft color, it doesn't show up very well on me. If I keep layering the blush to get more opaque result, Frantic Pink washes me off. My solutions are 1) layering on top of a brighter blush (my favorite is Edward Bess compact rouge in Love Affair, subtle bright pink!) and 2) applying it on top of the cheekbones as a highlighter.

Frantic Pink softens and enhances a brighter blush, creating a soft glow and tone down the strong pigmentation. On deeper skin tones, Frantic Pink would work beautifully as a highlighter. I prefer a stronger glow that requires a much lighter color and a bit more shimmer. So it doesn't highlight my cheekbones much. In other words, I need to use Frantic Pink together with something else. And I'm lazy about it. Yes, the combination will be beautiful. It's just not what I expect from a Tom Ford blush. 

Swatched under direct sunlight

With that being said, Frantic Pink still offers excellent quality. Like other powder products from the brand, Frantic Pink has velvety smooth texture and delivers a sophisticated sheen. You won't detect the shimmer, yeah I know, I've emphasized how elegant Tom Ford shimmer is. 

The ingredients

Bottom line. A nice-to-have blush for me. An excellent blush although not as phenomenal as the rest of Tom Ford blush range. If you have fair to light skin, you'll rock it way better than me.