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? 

Lately, I've come back

 

My dearest readers,

The past several months of my life has been filled with ups and downs. Something at my core has changed, or grown as I'd like think. One of the consequences is that I no longer have the urge to own new beauty products. However, my passion for makeup and anything beauty hasn't changed a bit. I truly love to explore the world of beauty, learn and share this wonderful experience with you guys, my readers. The Convenient Beauty lives on. I'll leave

Thank you so much for your support. We've never met in person yet quite a few of you personally emailed me to make sure things were OK. It means so much to me.

I'm alright.

I'm back online.

xo

Joanne 

Lately (hospitalization, thoughts on new beauty launches and some shopping)

Well well well. Where could I begin? Eh, The Convenient Beauty went muted for nearly a month. I also disappeared from my favorite blogs for even longer than that.

I was sick and was sent to the hospital for a few days. At first I felt like the earth shattered beneath my feet. I'm very scared of the hospitals in general. Oddly enough though, I had a great time there. I was making friends with everybody from nurses, doctors, administrative staff, cleaning staff, totally random patients, the room service ladies and having fun. But I was SO happy when my doctor sent me home. Then I spent the next few weeks to get back on track.

My friends during August and September. Never want to see them again. 

I still read your blogs, follow your conversation on twitter, browsing your youtube tutorials and drooling over your latest hauls on instagram. You still put a big smile on my face. I just didn't have the energy to join the talks :(.

Speaking of instagram, you guys probably recognized my obsession for flats. I ain't care if that extra half an inch looks more fashionable. Everybody knows that I'm petite. Plus, flats are ridiculously cute, aren't they?

My recent splurges! The wish list goes on, especially J Crew. 

Top left: Coach Unique flats; Bottom left: Coach Wendy Snake Polka Dots

Top right: J Crew Cece flat; Bottom right: J Crew studded Cece flats 

Since my last makeup haul, I completed my Tom Ford blush collection with Wicked (swatches of all blushes are coming) and expanded my Tom Ford brushes. The only fall makeup I got was Tom Ford Orchid Haze eyeshadow quad (review coming soon). Then there were some essentials, i.e. Shiseido urban environment sunscreen, and YSL baby doll mascara full size. No haul is complete without some compulsive purchases. I'm obsessed with Formula X for Sephora in Ignite and Blazing. Guys, you must check it out!!

Some beauty goodies since July. 
Top row: Le Metier de Beaute kaleidoscope Spendid Frost, Formula X for Sephora Ignite, Shiseido Urban environment Oil-free sunscreen SPF 42, Tom Ford brushes
Bottom row: Tom Ford blush Wicked, Formula X for Sephora Blazing, YSL Babydoll mascara, Tom Ford eyecolor quad Orchid Haze 

August and September were also the launch month of long-awaited makeup lines. Michael Kors beauty is a big fat MEH. It's just pile of shimmer, and lack of personality and pigmentation. But I gotta admit the promo pictures are utterly glamorous and stunning. Also, I've been underwhelmed and unimpressed by the entire Marc Jacobs' beauty line, well, except for his liquid eyeliner.

On a more positive note, I'm so excited about Charlotte Tilburry's makeup line, especially all of her eyeliners, the bronzer/highlighter, and the eyeshadow quads. I can't wait until she ships it to the US. That $40 shipping from Selfridge doesn't cut it for me.

Michelle Phan's em cosmetics also grabbed my attention. I don't plan on testing out her line but I applaud her for the very well-designed range. The idea is spot-on for her target audience, although I don't think the price point addresses them well.

Have any of you checked out Torry Burch's beauty line? I would love to hear your thoughts. The fragrance was OK but I'm curious about the rest of her makeup line.

That's it! I'm alive. Had some time off. Shopped. Enjoying life as it is. What about you?