Tom Ford Autumn 2014 Collection Nude Dip quad and Stroked contouring cheek color duo

Tom Ford limited edition collections set off the inner hoarder in me. Sure, half of the time, they sell out before they even grace the counters across the states, but doesn't that just add to the thrill?

Taupe eyeshadow? Check.

Beigey highlight? Check.

Coral-orange blush? Check.

Really, Tommy. You know the way to my heart... and wallet.

The star of the collection is -- without a doubt -- the quad in Nude Dip ($79.) Not to sound too overly-dramatic or anything, but there is a national Nude Dip crisis at the moment. However, word on the street is it will be available at department stores' websites early September, so keep your eyes peeled. Thankfully, I was gifted this as a birthday gift, and I couldn't thank the person enough! I was saved from calling every TF counter from coast to coast trying to track down this baby.

Let's just say that if this wasn't sold out nearly everywhere, I'd be submitting an order for a back-up. That's how much I love this quad. However, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's take a look at the gorgeousness.

Shimmery, metallic, smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting... just how I like my eyeshadows to be. Neutrals, too, of course. There's usually one shadow that under-performs in most quads, but not with Nude Dip. All four shades translates beautifully to leave a metallic sheen on the eyes that is never over the top. One can tell from the swatches that they are highly pigmented (with practically no fallout!), even when applied dry. I haven't tested nor worn them wet, but I would assume that they boast an even bigger punch. I'm usually not the biggest fan of wet/dry shadows, but these are nothing short of amazing.

Whether or not you're a fan of neutrals shadows, I really do think this is one limited edition product from Tom Ford you don't want to miss. Despite Nude Dip looking like a cool-toned quad, it actually leans neutral, thus, complimenting any blusher harmoniously. It's a simple palette, but one can create several eye looks while supplementing a transition shade (and possibly a browbone highlight) with it.

My favorite [quick and easy] look using all four shades in Nude Dip is:

• ivory gold in the inner coner
• taupe all over the lid and outer 2/3 of the lower lash line
• dark chocolate brown in the outer V (blended out with Urban Decay Naked in the crease)
• champagne on the inner 1/3 of the lower lash line
• Urban Decay Skimp as brow bone highlight

No liner, just mascara. Simple as that.

Blush duos (or contouring cheek color duos, as he likes to call them) are new to Tom Ford's makeup line. In fact, so are powdered highlighters, not taking into account the highlighter from the Unabashed palette. I initially held off on purchasing Stroked ($77), because I thought the blush looked similar to Love Lust. Long story short, the highlighter beckoned, and I responded.

Now that I have Stroked, I couldn't be any happier with my decision. Tom Ford's blushes usually run $57 each, so paying nearly 1.5 of a blush for two pans of product is quite the deal. Sometimes, the quality of a product is compromised when in a "palette", but I'm happy to say that the quality of both the blush and highlighter is what I would have expected his cheek products to be -- pigmented, finely-milled, easy to blend, and with great lasting power. I really cannot rave about this duo enough!

The highlighter was a pleasant surprise, and I wish he would release highlighters as part of his permanent range. It is a beige highlighter with just the hint of peach undertones to make it suitable and flattering for both warm and cool toned folks. It reminds me a lot of Chanel's highlighters, since it is more glowy and subtle than it is frosty and metallic.

Just for comparison purposes, I have Love Lust, Savage, and the blush from Unabashed to compare the blush from Stroked to. As you can tell, there are no dupes in the bunch. The blush in Stroked applies more coral on my cheeks, even though it seems more terracotta in the pan.

There was another contouring cheek color duo released along with this collection in Softcore ($77) which I passed on, because the highlighter is quite similar to the one from Stroked, so I couldn't justify owning both blush duos. The blush in Softcore is also darker and berry-toned, so if you typically gravitate towards such a color family of blushers, you might fancy Softcore over Stroked.

All in all, another winner of a collection from Tom Ford. My picks would have to obviously be the quad and Stroked blush/highlight duo, but then again, I'm partial to my brown eyeshadows and peachy-coral blushers. He also released two lipsticks, Negligee and Twist of Fate, a polish in Black Cherry, and an extreme mascara in Mocha Rush -- all limited edition -- along with this collection that might pique your interest if you are in the market for something other than an eyeshadow palette or cheek products.

Jill Stuart Velvet Crystal Eyes 01 Nudy Venus

There was a time when I felt the need to own every single Jill Stuart quad she has ever released. Now that I'm older (and, hopefully, wiser), I find it an impractical goal. I can't pull off shadows chock full of glitter on a daily basis, and her shadows are known to pack quite the shimmer and glitter particles, while still being slightly on the sheer side at times. Don't get me wrong, they're still gorgeous and perfect for nights out -- not so much for an everyday conservative work place.

That said, Jill Stuart recently launched a Velvet Crystal Eyes line, which is such a nice departure from her former Jewel Crystal Eyes and Illuminance Eyes quads. The shadows are more pigmented (compared to other Japanese eyeshadows) and just overall smoother in texture. The best part of it all? She's finally incorporated satin finish shadows in the midst of shimmery shades in these, as opposed to her older quads, where all four shades contained glitter. It's still difficult to achieve a full look look with the current layout, methinks, but it's doable if need be.

Wanting to play it safe, I stuck to my comfort zone of neutrals and opted for 01 Nudy Venus. The colors are straightforward with one satin brow bone highlight/all over base shade, two shimmery lid shade options, and one shimmery shade perfect for lining or the outer-V. The eye looks one can come up with with this palette alone is limited, but it has all the shades I need for an everyday, quick, and fuss-free look. I previously used the included applicators to apply the shadows as they ran more sheerly, but with the new formula, the applicators are rather useless.

(From top to bottom):
-Shade 1: Shimmery dark chocolate brown with a handful of glitter particles that do not translate when applied
-Shade 2: Shimmery, metallic beige-champagne that is probably the smoothest shade of the four
-Shade 3: Shimmery, slightly metallic pink-champagne
-Shade 4: Satin ivory white that -- more or less -- disappears on my NC20ish skin

With the new quads come a couple of changes. The first and most noticeable is the design of the palette. I personally find it more simple in design, though bulkier and certainly heavier than her other quads. Now, Jill Stuart listed her new quad as containing 8 grams of product, as opposed to the former 6 grams. The size of the pans look the same to me, and the new palettes seem to actually contain less product to me, so I'm not sure where exactly the weight discrepancy comes from.

Quality and performance-wise, I'm happy to say that these stack up to Jill Stuart's past offerings. With primer, these stay put for at least a good ten hours. Without primer, I suspect they still run on the sheer side. The shadows themselves do have the traditional floral scent that is common in her products, so do make note of that if you are one who are sensitive to fragrances (in eyeshadows, especially.)

I couldn't be any happier with the launch of the Velvet Crystal Eyes line, and I do intend on picking up her limited edition palettes, as the color schemes are more unique than the current permanent range. The price of a palette ranges anywhere from $55-$70, depending on the website you order from.

Cle De Peau Eye Color Quad in #305 Satin Moon

Cle De Peau's newly reformulated line of eyeshadow quads has got to be one of the most highly anticipated launches for fall 2014. I mean, how could it not be? Just look at those shades!

CDP released eight palettes that will be part of the permanent range to replace the former quads, and I couldn't be any happier. The older quads, while creamy in texture, was a bit ho hum in the color selections. None of the color combinations really called out to me, and the shadows themselves were more on the sheer side as well.

The new formula, however, is amazing -- to say the least. The quads, dare I say, easily rival Tom Ford's quads. Yes, you read that right. Tom Ford shadows translate much, much better on the eyes than they swatch at times. These CDP shadows swatch beautifully and they wear just as nicely. In terms of texture, I do find them smoother than some of TF's shadows. However, they both blend effortlessly and with great lasting power -- easily 10 hours with no fading nor creasing when applied over eyeshadow primer!

From the eight new quads, #305 Satin Moon was the one that really caught my attention. "Satin Moon" is a bit of a misnomer if you ask me, because all of the shades are anything but satin in finish. In fact, all four shades are shimmery in nature.

I cannot fault this palette in any way. If I were to nitpick, I'd say that Shade 4 is a bit on the drier side. It's also the only shade that's chock full of noticeable (yet finely finely milled) multi-colored glitter. Shades 1-3, however, are just phenomenal -- a dream to work with! I cannot say that the other quads are of the same caliber, as I didn't get the chance to swatch all eight of them, but the ones I did swatch, I loved. In fact, #303 Baby Universe is conveniently sitting in my cart as we speak.

My biggest gripe with CDP (and the main reason why I don't own any other CDP products aside from this quad) is that the palette ($55) and the compact ($25) are sold separately. It's a concept I could never fully wrap my head around, aside from profit-making from the company's standpoint. The refill might fit inside a Z-palette, but if you're already taking the CDP route, you might as well go all the way and just bite the bullet on an empty compact. That said, the older compacts are not compatible with these new quads.

I'm one of those folks who likes to use all of the colors in a palette for eye looks. To be honest, this palette is not complete on its own. It lacks a matte transition color and a solid brow bone highlight. However, for the sake of this review and my wanting to incorporate all four shades in one look, this is my favorite way to wear this palette. To make it more cohesive, I did reach for two additional Urban Decay shadows (both of which are easily dupable.)

• Urban Decay Skimp as brow bone highlight (Any preferred highlight shade will do.)
• Benefit B-day suit as a base all over the lid (optional)
• Shade 1 on the inner 1/3 of upper lid and inner corner
• Shade 2 on the outer 2/3 of upper lid
• Shade 4 on the outer V and along the top lash line
• Urban Decay Naked in the crease (MAC Kid or Wedge are good alternatives)
• Shade 3 along the bottom lash line
• Too Faced Perfect Eyes black liner to tightline
• Givenchy Noir Couture Waterproof mascara on top and bottom lashes

 There's bound to be a quad for everyone with Cle De Peau's fall line-up. It will be hard resisting all the gorgeous color schemes, but thankfully, these are not limited edition. It's just a matter of time, really.

All eight quads are now available everywhere Cle De Peau color cosmetics is sold. I strongly suggest running to your closest counter for a swatch-fest. You can thank me later when you come home with a quad or two, although I'm not responsible for your thinning wallet.

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face Color Rose Laduree 02

If I could own every single product ever released from one Japanese brand, it would have to be from the brand Laduree. It goes without saying that they know packaging -- very well at that! Along with fancy packaging, sometimes, comes compromised quality, but I must say that Laduree shines in the quality department too.

I had been lusting over the famous rose petal blushers for as long as I can remember, but being from the states, the full set (blush and pot) runs anywhere from $136 to $170 -- depending on whether or not there's a sale going on. Still, it's a price that I can't stomach, so I couldn't be more grateful to have received this as an early birthday gift all the way from France!

Laduree had released many limited edition colors of these blushers, but I stuck to one of the three colors from the permanent range: 02 (brighter warm pink.) 01 is a lighter baby pink, which I know will barely show up on my NC25-NC30 skin tone, whereas 03 is a warm brown -- I couldn't think of anything less attractive than brown rose petals sitting on my vanity.

The blush is a DIY in of itself. The rose petals/blush itself comes in a refill form in a plastic case and wrapped in a silk drawstring bag. The plastic pot with the Marie Antoinette-ish locket must be purchased separately. Laduree advised to only transfer half of the petals into the pot, but let's face it, ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, I like seeing my pot filled to the brim with petals than seeing it half empty.

What exactly are these petals? In short, they are blush-coated sheets of paper, which had been cut in the shape of flower petals. Now why didn't I think of that? Some petals have pale yellow to yellow centers which give the blusher the glowy and slightly highlighted effect. It is next to impossible to solely pick up said center shade to use strictly as a highlighter though; I've tried on many occasions only to give up in frustration each time.

Delicate? Indeed! However, I was surprised to see that it is very easy to pick up product with a natural-haired brush with just a few swipes across the petals. Laduree specifically designed a goat-haired, plastic handled cheek brush to use with this product, but I wasn't in the market for another $100+ brush.

Instead, I found that my Kose Addiction Natural Veil brush works just as well in grabbing the right amount of pigment, as you can see from the product on the bristles. Again, any natural hair, pointed, densely packed bristles of a brush in your collection will do, since the pigment isn't pressed too tightly onto the petals.

On my cheeks, it gives a healthy subtle warm pink glow. I can continue to build the color intensity to give a more flushed look if I really wanted to, but I prefer my blush to be on the more subtle side. 02 is a shade I can see light to medium (and possibly tan) folks wearing as a blush. Any darker, and the color may not show up too much.

I have worn the blusher for more than twelve hours before, and the color held up quite nicely in the humidity without any signs of oxidation nor fading! That alone has me looking into the other rose petals that Laduree offers. Ehm... the mini versions of the blushers, that is. The petals also have the distinct Laduree scent, which I can only describe as a "mature woman" scent: think powder meets floral (rose.) If you are sensitive to heavily fragranced products, do note that the scent lingers longer than usual on the cheeks. In fact, I can still detect it after I had removed the swatch from my hand!

The question that many are probably wondering is whether or not the product itself warrants the exorbitant price tag. It all depends really. If you want a blush that performs just as beautifully as it looks sitting on the vanity, then yes, you do need one of these blushers in your life. If you are one who could care less about the aesthetics, then no, this is not a must-have, as you will find other blushers that are just as good of a quality. In fact, this shade is easily dupable, in my humble opinion.

The prices of these blushers are over-inflated here in the states, and often times, the sites that do carry them (such as Imomoko) usually have limited stock. Thus, I highly suggest checking out Ichibankao, Mihokoshop, and BeautiesHK instead if you want to snatch one of these beauties without having to pay the marked up prices.

By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace 01 Rose Melba and 02 Flower Sorbet

Terry de Gunzburg, the mastermind behind By Terry, knows luxury quality... and prices. Some products are more worthy of the hefty price tag than others.

I have a love-hate relationship with cream blushers. I like how they give a more glowy and natural finish, but I dislike the fact that a lot of them tend to disrupt the foundation beneath. But when a company like By Terry releases such delicious-looking blushers, resistance is futile really. Quite honestly, after having given these Cellularose Blush Glace a fair shot and with different ways of application, I'm still on the fence.

These blushers come in three flavors: 01 Rose Melba, 02 Flower Sorbet, and 03 Frozen Petal, but I only have Rose Melba and Flower Sorbet to show.

01 Rose Melba is the quintessential baby doll pink that leans neither too cool nor too warm but can pull coral at times. This is best suited for light to light-medium folks.

02 Flower Sorbet is the perfect coral-orange shade that compliments all skin tones. I can see light to medium skintones pulling off this shade.

Touted as blushers that "flush the cheeks with a cool burst of watercolor for a long-wearing healthy glow", I can see why they are very appealing to many (including yours truly) during the hot summer months. A gel form cheek stain -- more or less -- in a pot with a cooling sensation upon application all sounds too good to be true. I mean, it even claims to "smooth the complexion, protect the skin, and delicately flush the cheeks with color for a plumped, preened finish."

Flush the cheeks, they do, albeit with a slight learning curve. I can't apply cream blushers as well as Lisa Eldridge can with my fingers, so my preferred way of applying cream products is still with makeup brushes. With a duo-fiber stippling brush, I find that these blushers blend to nothing, no matter how many layers I apply. However, they do fare better when I use my fingers to tap the product onto my cheeks, and I find that I also use less product that way.

Smooth the complexion? Not so much. If I don't exfoliate well prior to wearing these blushers, they apply very unevenly and splotchily. The same goes for dry patches or any blemishes I may have. They just seem to accentuate such imperfections even more. However, I am glad to report that these do not alter my foundation whatsoever. I did try them on after I had set my makeup, and let's just say, these do not go well over powder at all.

Lastly, and quite possibly, my biggest gripe with these Blush Glace is the fact that they never fully dry down and remain somewhat tacky throughout the day. On days when I opt for all cream products, I only like to lightly powder down my T-zone while leaving the rest of my face powder-free. When I first wore Rose Melba in such a manner, all I could think of was to not have my Nth strand of hair stick to my cheeks. In short, it felt just as uncomfortable as hair being stuck to lip gloss. Thankfully, a light dusting of translucent powder over my cheeks took care of that issue, although it did take away some of the glow.

(Size comparison to a mini Baume De Rose)

That said, these blushes wore extremely well, true to its claims. While they do stain the cheeks for at least ten hours with minimal fading, they were also easy to remove by the end of the day (unlike other cream blushers which stained my cheeks for days.) Like all By Terry products, the Blush Glace smells like roses, ie pure luxury. I'm sensitive to fragrances in my makeup but I have yet to break out from any of her products. *knocks on wood*

These blushers retail for $58 each wherever By Terry is sold. For 0.25 oz, there isn't a lot of product in a jar, but do keep in mind that you also don't need a lot of product (if applied properly.) I believe these are limited edition, but all three are still in stock from sites like Beauty.com and BeautyBar, as well as at Space NK.

Marc Jacobs The Siren (Summer 2014)

Despite being a neutrals gal at heart, I'm always on the lookout for that one perfect colorful palette. You know, the only palette that will satisfy all of my colorful shades needs. Supposedly. I passed on the Urban Decay Electric, because to be honest, the fact that not all of the colors are safe around the eye area scared me a bit. Okay, a lot.

So when I saw that Marc Jacobs had released The Siren palette, I couldn't help but place an order. Sleek packaging with seven beautiful colors? Sold.

First things first, the goods. I have always been a fan of Marc Jacobs' packaging, especially with his 7-pan eyeshadow palettes. This was no exception, and the glossy white packaging really complemented my glossy black Starlet palette -- quite possibly the only palette from his permanent line that I can wholeheartedly recommend. They are super slim and compact in nature, and they don't attract fingerprints in the same manner as NARS. I had heard that The Siren was designed to mimic the keys to a piano, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Onto the not-so-goods: the shadows themselves, with swatches to prove.

1. Slightly shimmery white: Easily my least favorite shadow, this not only swatches chalkily but applies patchily too.
2. Slightly shimmery burgundy red: Like the white, this is on the drier side as far as shadows go but applies slightly better.
3. Shimmery, metallic copper bronze: My favorite shade of the seven, this is beautiful and a dream to work with. Highly pigmented and very blendable!
4. Shimmery, metallic gold: My second least favorite shade, this reminds me a lot of MAC lustre formula eyeshadows (translate: glitter-laden with poor pigmentation.)
5. Shimmery aquamarine: Another disappointment of a shade, this needed a white base in order for it to show up true to color on the eyes.
6. Slightly shimmery blue: Very dry in nature and nowhere as vibrant as the color seen in the pan.
7. Shimmery dark teal: One of the better performers, this actually applies well and blends effortlessly.

As you can tell, chalky and dry seems to be the common theme when it comes to the shadows of this palette. With only two stand out, note-worthy shades, I cannot recommend snatching The Siren -- which is a shame, since it is pretty to look at. For the luxury brand and price tag of Marc Jacobs, the performance should not be questionable.

 
On the topic of luxury, might I also add that the included sponge tip applicator is absolutely flimsy and useless? If Dior includes two sponge tip double-ended(!!) applicators with its quints, the least MJ could do is make it double-ended, right? Or not include it at all, because quite frankly, it's insulting for those of us who actually reach for such applicators from time to time.

I had high hopes for (and wanted to like) this palette, but truth be told, it fell short of my expectations. A friend and I were just talking about how there might possibly be different batches of The Siren, since some palettes actually swatch better than others. That might be the case, and if you're one who's willing to take the risk, you might be able to snatch a better performing septet of a palette. This currently retails for $59 at Sephora -- in stores and online. Despite it being dubbed as "Limited Edition", I really cannot see this palette selling out. If anything, I'm half expecting it to show up under Sephora's sale section within the next few weeks.

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Macro-Color 09 Tadzio

If there is one shade I just can't get enough of in my stash of eyeshadows, it would be the color taupe, defined as a "gray with a tinge of brown." Personally, I think it's a chameleon of a shade, especially given the different undertones. Either way, I feel the need to own every single taupe shadow ever released, whether it be cool-toned, warm-toned, neutral-toned, what have you.

*cues entrance music to my latest addition*... Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Macro-Color in #9 Tadzio!

I don't know what Armani did with this new and permanent ETK formula, but it takes the word 'buttery' to a whole new level. It is noticeably creamy, smooth, and pigmented upon first application but without the fallout that goes along with such textured eyeshadows from other lines.

What I love so much about this eyeshadow (apart from the reasons I listed previously) is how fool-proof Tadzio is for those mornings when I need to be out of the house in less than five minutes. With the shimmery, metallic taupe padded onto my lids and blended into my crease, it looked like I had actually put some effort into my eye look by at least incorporating three shadows.

At first glance, it did look like a shadow I had multiple dupes of in my collection. However, I am pleased to say that it is unique in its own ways. While some seemingly neutral-toned taupes actually pull warmer or cooler on the lids/skin, Tadzio stays true to its neutral-toned nature. I have also pulled out some taupes for comparison purposes. As you can see, Cargo Yukon and Chanel Gri Gri both lean cooler, whereas the slightly purplish undertones show through with Inglot 402 and MAC Satin Taupe.

If you are just as big of a taupe fan as I am, Tadzio is a definite must! From the shade to the packaging, I do think that Armani really outdid itself with its new release of eyeshadow singles. The eyeshadows are practically packaged as mini versions of the limited edition highlighters and the cheek fabric blushers. Beyond adorable, if you ask me!

Each eyeshadow runs $32/pop wherever Armani makeup is sold, which is quite the investment -- especially for a single containing 0.14 oz of product. However, if you are a firm believer of quality taking precedence over quantity, I cannot stress giving Tadzio (or any other shades from this range, actually) a go. I promise you won't be disappointed with whichever shade(s) you decide on!