Tom Ford

It is the time of the year that Tom Ford has released another set of new boys and girls lip colors! This time around I have controlled myself and only acquired only one shade – the highly sought-after color Chadwick! It is one of those IT colors of the moment and you just know instantly that it will be a best-seller. There is so much hype about this color so I was really happy that I got hold of it as it is nearly sold out everywhere. I can see that this color still has limited stock available here in the US,  and I bought mine here in Australia.

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If you have seen my lipstick posts over the past year, you would know I’m going through this crazy brick red lip color phase which I am still obsessed with. Chadwick is exactly what I anticipated – it is a beautiful medium rose brown color. Depending on how intense you want to wear it – as a sheer layer would make it a lovely MLBB with a hint of rosy brown tone, but an opaque layer would add more reddish brown tone to it. Pictures paint a thousand words below. Overall it is a beautiful neutral and fashion color that suits all complexions. If you see one available go grab it!

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FOTD wearing Suqqu Nude Wear Liquid Foundation (reviewed here), Pat McGrath Mothership V Bronze Seduction Eye Palette (reviewed here) and Tom Ford Boys and Girls Chadwick

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It was love at first sight with the Tom Ford Shadow Extreme in TFX5 Garnet Red. This is a wow-factor color that is just right on point and the micro-glitter finish makes the color extra special. As with most popular shades from Tom Ford, this particular shade had been sold out worldwide for a long time since it was released. If you can find it in store or online, make sure you snatch one as fast as you can! It restocks here (where I bought it from) and here every now and then with worldwide shipping.

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Close up

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Tom ford never fails for delivering cutting edge and high-end looking packaging. Each Extreme Shadow comes in a mini compact with encased mirror in a sleek reflective chrome case.  The texture and finish of TFX5 Garnet Red is amazing depending on the application. The micro glitters are so finely milled so it glides on buttery smooth for a foil-like sparkly finish. It almost feels like it is melting on the finger with intense color payoff. The red brick color is simply stunning – I have included a lot of swatches to show you how beautiful this color is. In fact it looks far more alluring on the eyes when it catches the light than what it looks in the picture.

Swatch – the heavy swatch was done with one single swipe onlyTom-Ford-Shadow-Extreme-TFX5-Garnet-Red-swatch-review-3

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Verdict: Must-have eyeshadow of the year!  The color is wearable and flattering but not boring. The Tom Ford Extreme Shadow range is currently only exclusive to Neiman Marcus in the US. I bought mine here in Australia, and it is also available here with worldwide shipping.

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Sharing a couple of things that I bought lately. One of the most exciting purchases this month had to be my two pairs of new boots. They are both sock boots which is the style I am obsessed with. The black pair is from Nicholas Kirkwood and I bought them on sale at 50% of here! I love them so much as they are super comfy. The style is cute but chic and his signature pearl heel just makes the boots more special. I’ve been on a hunt for a pair of white leather stretch boots for so long and I finally found a great pair from Barneys New York. This is my first purchase from Barney’s own brand and I am very impressed with their quality and styles. They are made in Italy and look and feel expensive just like designer shoes, it also comes in other colors such black, patent black and red.

Left Barneys New York Right Nicholas Kirkwood Sock Boots

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The rest is all the new makeup that I bought lately. I am much more selective with makeup these days and I only buy the ones that are very special and stand out to me.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In Foundation – Big fan of cushion foundation so I cannot resist the new cushion-like foundation from La Prairie.

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Tom Ford Shadow Extreme -I was lucky enough to pick up one of their most popular colors TFX5 Garnet Red (bought mine here), as it was literally all sold out everywhere. The color is right on point and is just as amazing as I have seen online. Highly recommend it if you can still find it!

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Last but not least, my lovely Chanel SA has reserved these limited-edition Chanel No5 L’EAU Hand Creme and All Over Spray for me. They are great sizes for carrying around in a purse and the design in a frosted matte finish is just too good to pass.

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For those of you who are into keeping up with the makeup trend and colors, you probably would know that the Tom Ford Lip color Hiro is one of the hottest shades to own. It was originally released in the mini lips & boys version, but since the shade has been a huge success Tom Ford has released the Hiro in the full-size version (bought mine here with worldwide shipping)!

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The beauty of Hiro is that it has a beautiful and flattering metallic finish with rose gold shimmer. It looks warm and orangy from the tube, but once it is applied, it translates to a soft peachy pink with rose gold sheen (like peachy mermaid color).  The warm lip tone also compliments the warm eyeshadow look perfectly which is trending all over the world. The lipstick has medium color payoff so the finish is soft and pretty without looking too frosty. In a way, it reminds me of the NARS super orgasm but better!

closer look – taken in the sun

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As usual, Tom Ford lip color has a luxurious texture that glides on creamy and it doesn’t feather with a long lasting finish.  Here are some swatches.

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closeup

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The Tom Ford Hiro tends to sell out fast as soon as it is replenished. It is still not available on Tom Ford.com and Net-A-Porter but you can check out their swatches for different skin tones. In the US, you can still find them on Nordstrom and Beautylish. I bought the full size exclusive version on Selfridges. It is also available here in Australia.

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Current Favorite Makeup

December 19, 2017

Rounding up some of my favorite makeups this month! A lot of the items in this post are not easy to get due to their popularity and they are often sold-out worldwide, and the thrill of being able to get hold of them is just surreal. I always tell my friends that buying beautiful luxury makeup is the entry point of indulging in retail therapy. They are relatively much cheaper than any luxury fashion goods, but the thrill and happiness are no less.

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Clockwise:

Tom Ford Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette Violet Argent (available here in Australia) – To me, the Tom Ford Soleil is the most beautiful collection he releases every year. Every piece is exquisite and is like a collectible-item. The Violet Argent has all the wearable shades in the most stunning packaging. I bought mine here with worldwide shipping. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am shifting my shopping sites to mainly UK-based, as I find the currency exchange rate is much more favorable than the US sites, and Selfridges is my top favorite site for all the best beauty products. I have also subscribed to their annual $65 unlimited international shipping!

Pat McGrath MatteTrance OMI Lipstick – Must must-have lippie of the year! (swatched here)

Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High-Intensity Lipstick (refillable)- The newest lip color range from Hourglass. If you could get your hands on the shades I Can’t Live Without, or At Night, you should snatch one straight away because they are both stunning and extremely hard to get. Review to come soon. I bought mine here.

Chanel Longwear Color Corrector/Concealer– Chanel has recently reformulated their concealer. It now comes in two color ranges – color correcting and concealers. I love the lightweight, super hydrating creamy gel consistency that melds into the delicate skin around the eyes, and it covers my mild dark circles perfectly without creasing over time, nor enhancing any dry lines. I bought mine here in Australia.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Foundation – This is the first cushion-like foundation from Chanel! Apparently, one is sold every 2 seconds, and the lighter shades are out-of-stock at most department stores in Australia. It is also called the Jelly Cushion foundation because it is slightly different to the conventional cushion foundation. The consistency is very watery and it gives an instant cooling sensation when applied. It feels so fresh on the skin and perfect for the summer and gives a satiny dewy finish with a sheer coverage. The color is about 1 shade lighter than usual. Will give a detailed review soon. Available on Chanel.com in the US, Selfridges, Cosme-de, and David Jones in Australia.

 

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Tom Ford has released another epic collection of the Boy and Girls Lip ColorsThe Girls (limited edition). They come in 50 new shades housed in his iconic white and gold case in the clutch size. They are named after 50 women he admires, and the finish varies from sheer, metallic to ultra creamy rich. I picked up 4 gorgeous colors to share with you in this post – Marisa, Isla, Zoe and Grace, as I know many of you are after the swatches! I bought mine here in Australia, and they are also available here with worldwide shipping.

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As usual, I go for my usual  MLBB colors and they are just beyond beautiful! All of them are ultra-rich with a creamy consistency in full coverage and opaque colors. Marisa, Isla and Grace all have a high shine creamy finish, and Zoe has visible tiny specks of shimmer so it looks a tad more shimmery than the other colors when it is applied. Swatches below are done with 2 swipes only.

From left to right: Grace, Zoe, Isla, Marisa

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Marisa – Medium nude creamy MLBB dusty pink.

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Isla – Medium peachy coral

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Zoe – Medium warm MLBB muted coral with shimmer

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Marisa – Warm rosy pink coral

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Group Swatch:

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Whenever there is a new Tom Ford makeup release, we all know there’s going to be a race as a lot of popular items tend to sell out within hours! With the latest Tom Ford Soleil 2017 collection,  I managed to pick up two of the most popular clutch sized Soleil lip balms (LE) – 02 Neotropic and 04 Fathom (bought them here in Australia) These lip balms have taken luxury to a new level packaged in the iconic Tom Ford design in a super cute mini size. The formula is very user-friendly for applying on-the-go for adding a flush of color as well as moisturization.

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marble plate is available here

The lip balm has the size as the lips and boys, but in a beautiful glossy white case with gold trim. It doesn’t feel waxy nor ultra balmy like a traditional lip balm. The texture is quite hard (unlike the FRESH lip treatment that breaks easily) so you will not add too much product on the lips. It applies silky smooth and feels completely weightless on the lips. The pigment is on par with a sheer lipstick – 2 swipes give enough coverage for adding the right amount of color with a degree of translucency. It doesn’t make your lips look overdone, and gives a very pretty youthful and fresh look. Lasting power is about 4 to 5 hours.

As for a lip balm, it moisturizes the lips mildly – good enough for keeping your dry lips soothed throughout the day, but not nourishing enough for dry and chapped lips.

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02 Neotropic is a bright orange color. It’s must-have color me as it’s different to the usual pinks and reds, and it’s a very wearable orange color as it’s not too warm and it instantly brightens up the complexion

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04 – FATHOM is a pretty pink red

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Swatch on hands – the finish appears more glossy when swatching on the hands, but once it’s applied on the lips and blended out it gives a semi-satin finish.

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Monthly Favorites

March 27, 2017

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of March as I haven’t updated my blog as I planned. I have been having rounds of flu lately so not in the perfect condition for swatching new products, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite and most-used products of the month.

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MAKEUP

1. I’ve been using the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Seductive Beauty almost every day ever since I got my hands on it. Thumbs up for its practicality and easy to wear, and they just look flattering without looking like you have too much makeup on. Detailed review for both palettes here.

2. My skin has been looking ok lately, so I am opting for a very natural foundation. The Tom Ford Traceless Foundation gives the dewiest and most natural finish that is completely traceless as the name suggests. The low-down is that the coverage is very sheer and the ultra dewiness will not work for oily skin. The highlight is that it is very hydrating for dry and aging skin, and you can easily fake the most glowing editorial-like complexion with this foundation! FYI my shade is Albaster that is similar to NC15-20.

3. The exclusive Chanel Le Blanc Compact Foundation is one of the best the powder foundations I have used for its buttery texture, good coverage, and feels quite moisturizing for a powder-based foundation. Detailed review here.

4. Switching to bright coral lips lately after being on brown lips for months! My favorites are the MAC Retro Matte Rich & Restless (swatched here) and Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick Berlin (swatched here).

SKINCARE & HAIRCARE

5. I prefer washing powder more than paste these days, and the Kose Sekkisei White Powder Washing Powder forms into the most creamy lather that deeply cleans and gently exfoliates your skin. It also helps to clarify and brighten your skin after each wash that you can see the difference.

6. I have been resisting Oribe haircare line for a while as it’s a very expensive line and I knew I would be loving it. Finally bought the Oribe Signature Conditioner travel-sized to give it a try when I was on holiday and I was blown away! It’s not easy to transform my overly processed dry hair to the best hair condition, and this conditioner did it after only 1 wash! Will definitely be getting the full-size set soon.

LIFESTYLE

7. I am a big fan of home fragrance, and as a result, I am obsessed with Diptyque. I have pretty much used most of their home fragrances, and my all time favorite will always be the Baies. I have it in Candle, Room Spray as well as the Scented Oval (reviewed here)!

8. Received a lot of questions about this beautiful crystal and gold coaster when I posted it on my instagram lately. They are from the brand RABLABS (I bought it here and also available here worldwide). They are beyond beautiful in real life when it gleams under different angles, and make your vanity/coffee table instantly more expensive and glamourous!

9. Here is another accessory that I have been wearing a lot. The Celine Shadows Flattop sunglasses that is seen on every fashionista! Currently on sale at 40% off here!

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