Of course the rant is how expensive products can be! The other is accessibility–it’s hard to find Tom Ford in person unless you live in a larger metro. I really have loved a lot of the formulas I have tried, though I’m not a big fan of the regular eyeshadow quads.
— Christine
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I only have 2 Tom Ford products so far and love them ( Spring Cream Shadow 2015 and mini -Guillermo lipstick) and I would buy more, but their stuff costs an arm and a leg!! I swatched Raw Jade in-store and was completely mesmerized by the duo-chrome opalescent shimmers (almost like a hologram), but was stunned by the sky-high price tag. I want to dupe it for less, and might have found some options.
I love Tom Ford Beauty Line. The packaging and the quality is great. I wished it would be more accessible although during the recent years this certainly improved in Europe. Also some repromotes are sometimes a bit overwhelming, like I just purchased the cream eye shadows and they repromoted it in a duo after a few months only.
I would really like to see some more reviews form you on the Tom Ford quads, specially Titanium Smoke, Cocoa Mirage and Golden Mink that are so raved about (and given that you are one the few persons that I have heard admitting not being a big fan of them). I have wanted Titanium Smoke since forever, and would really like to see a review from you about it, since it is so expensive! (and not sold in my country, so if I do decide to finally buy it I probably won’t have a chance to swatch it myself).
Titanium Smoke is the first thing I got. The glitter is pressed glitter. I would grade it B quality. The matte black is like UD darkest black. I like it still.
Rant expensive, a lot of LE, large makeup artist turnover at N.M.
I have Golden Mink (along with seductive rose and orchid haze). Golden Mink is hands down my favorite palette. I really like each shade and the glitter shades make the palette worth it for me. It’s something that I’ve personally recommended to my sister and cousins.
Seductive Rose is lovely due to the two glitter shades, but I don’t really like the 1st and 4th color that much. First color is too pink and frosty and the 4th, I don’t like how warm it is.
Orchid haze is overall pretty, the last shade is not as good as the others but still work well. I don’t know about 88CAD unique though.
I’ve been looking at silvered topaz. If those shades suit your skin tone, it looks really pretty.
I just picked up the nude dip quad yesterday and while I do think it’s great, I feel like the brand is a bit overly hyped up. I do own a lot of Tom Ford products but I’m not sure the price is really justifiable. I think people get really into collecting it all because of the limited edition aspects of seasonal releases. I’m just not sure if its worth the $$
Rant: Accessibility of a counter and the price!
Rave: Everything is so pretty!
Expensive, but boy does the brand have some amazing lipsticks!
Love the quality. But hate most of his eye shadow palettes have one really glitter bomb. Hardly any colour from these but big on just glitter.
The brushes, okay I may be nuts but I HATE white bristles!!! I would spending all my time cleaning them LOL
Want more shades in the blushes. Wish the cream eyeshadows would be perm
I love TF products, particularly the blushes of which I own all but one, the Shade & Illuminate compact, Nude Dip quad and the Private Blend perfumes. Of course the price point is cringe worthy, but my biggest complaint is how difficult it is to get products, particularly LE ones because I’m in Canada and there is only 3 stores that carry the full cosmetics line (none of which are in my city)…if you are unlucky you miss the presale and then there is NO chance of getting anything new. Sometimes I almost feel it’s less of a hassle buying things online, but then you have to pay extra $ for shipping & duty (not to mention the exchange rate.) My only other beef with the brand is their eyeshadow quads which don’t stand up to the quality of the rest of the line.
I’m in Los Angeles, of all places, and I have yet to see an actual counter… It has nothing to do with where you live, but brands like this like the “exclusivity” factor, which Estee Lauder created several decades ago! It’s *supposed* to make the brand/products more “appealing”, but in all honesty, it simply turns me off… I’d rather give my money to a brand that seems to *want* it, by actually making their products available!
In the LA area Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills has a full counter and Neiman Marcus Topanga Canyon has been slowly expanding theirs. You’re absolutely right, though, about inflated pricing being used to create the illusion of exclusivity. That same principal is rampant in that world of fashion that gave birth to Tom Ford. TF’s ego and elitist approach is infamous and so I can’t think of any reason why he would approach cosmetics any differently. His target demographic is the affluent, middle-aged woman who has discretionary income to spend on beauty products as she’s the same woman who is likely to spend on his perfumes, accessories, and clothing. His fashion promotes his beauty line and his beauty line promotes his fashion. TF’s quite the businessman!
Rave: consistent high-quality products, especially cheek! Decent size for the price you pay. First rant is price, of course. The second is a combo of price and exclusivity, because I want to be really sure about a product before I drop major money on it – and most of the time, things sell out before I decide. I really wanted the newest cream eye shadows, but before I could take the plunge on spending $60, they were sold out. Also, the lipsticks won’t fit in a regular lipstick holder, which is a silly rant, but worth mentioning since I have to figure out a way to store them outside my usual system.
Way too much shimmer, which I think is a mistake since older women who can afford the $$$ are his most likely customers. I have no interest in his line at all.
So far, nothing I’ve seen seems to merit the pricing… Of course, if more products were actually available for one to actually see at counters, I could possibly be swayed. As an avid contour/highlight fiend, I could possibly be persuaded to try the Shade & Illuminate duos, but they are far too expensive to buy blindly, and not worth the hassle to return (I rarely get to a Nordstrom). Also, I haven’t found any reason to spend $50 on a lipstick…
Rant: Expensive, some things are more gimmicky than necessary due to status..
Rave: Gorgeous Man, mmhmm, dig the eyewear, almost everything cosmetic & beauty.. It’s efficient and quite great quality. 🙂
I made the decision to boycott the brand a few years ago, when they released extremely offensive misogynistic promo pictures and ads for their men’s fragrances. In my opinion they can’t have it both ways: desecrate the female body to sell men’s perfume on one side and try to sell cosmetics to women on the other side. I don’t care how high-quality their products are, I’ll never buy them. I prefer to support companies that give a positive image of women with my hard-earned money.
I agree with you, Lulle, and I too also boycott this line. I think if more women took a look at these ads that you are talking about, and really thought about it, more would not purchase until he stops degrading women. Some of the ads are really shocking.
Thank you SO MUCH for bringing this up. I wanted to write about that but I didn’t know how it would be received. I really can’t bring myself to buy any Tom Ford since I saw those ads. It’s like I’m being played for a fool. They can pander to me with a smile and a lipstick and then run insulting, sniggering stuff in a fragrance ad that’s “Just between us guys”.
That’s my rant.
Thank you for mentioning that–I just googled those ads. Knowing how sexual abuse and violence can tie together with women being objectified (the idea of “why can’t I hurt them–women are just live blow-up dolls), I can’t in good conscience buy or recommend his products. It’s one of the reasons why I stopped shopping NARS. If I’m going to spend that sort of money on a luxury product, I want to feel great about using it–not cheapened, objectified and knowing my money is going toward ads that perpetuate such a message and continue this cycle of objectification. It’s even more messed-up that Mr. Ford calls himself a feminist. Really?!
I googled his ads and while they have a lot of boobies and…whatnot in them nothing outrageous to my eyes. Then again I’m in my 40s and nothing shocks me anymore.
I don’t have any Tom Ford products, so my rant would be that they’re expensive. I really like how some of their lipsticks look.
I just love the beautiful packaging but I’ve never gotten a chance to try anything yet because it’s all so darn expensive lol. I really want to try some Tom Ford goodies but I hate those prices. Maybe one day
Can I curse?
I am sick and tired of the BS of the LE items that you gotta rush to get or else, but then you get them and they are not exactly what you expected, cause there is no way for you to test them in person or read enough reviews, and so you are stuck with a uber expensive thing you are not crazy about.
The other scenario is not being able to snatch the item… And is uber expensive… Or you hesitated and by the time you figure out you want it, it’s gone.
I’m tired. I love the cream eye colours. Loooove! Love the blushes. Stull, I love and hate the brand above all things.
I find this curious. Maybe it depends on where you live? I have never had to rush for a TF item, nor felt pressured to spend lots of money before being able to try things out. It’s completely calm makeup shopping experience for me. Reading your post, MAC came to mind. Now, that, is ridiculous to me. Things sell out in minutes, never committing to a release day/time, poor communication via CS on releases, it makes a false “demand.” I’m in the US, so maybe that explains our different experiences with Tom Ford. My local counter always has plenty stock. Plus I never find a deficit of products online. Some of the coveted Summer items are still available online despite coming out weeks and weeks ago.
I have a few products from TF. The Nude Dip was my first. Love it! I have a few of the Boys and Lips and of course, the latest Golden Peach shadow duo and pink glow palette (so happy with that one)– Love them!
They are so pricey,but i feel they are good quality. The way they play this game of only producing a limited number of product –which helps intensify its demand– I totally fall for it! Ugh!
I am still kicking myself for missing a couple of items from previous collections. I am okay with coveting a few very pricey limited additions. The rest of my collection of makeup has gotten too large anyway!
Rave: The lipsticks are fabulous!
Rant: The Boys & Lips collection – GORGEOUS colors in a ridiculously SMALL size with an obnoxiously HIGH price tag. What the…? I order three from Nordstrom & was PEEVED when they arrived because of how microscopic they were. I did end up keeping two of them, but $32 for a “sample size” at best was not cool.
I can only rant because I don’t own any of his products except for perfume – and that was a drama too.
Rant – very expensive and difficult to locate. I was looking for ages to get his Emerald Lust palette but just couldn’t here in Australia and NO-ONE was shipping it out internationally. Oh well, that’s life.
Too addictive, that’s my only complain. I came across an blog post about some eyeshadows quads and lipsticks a couple years ago and was shocked by the crazy price tag and how amazing and luxurios they looked. Now my makeup stash slowly changed to all things TF. My first buy was the quad Orchid Haze and the blush Love Lust. I used both nonstop for the first month I got them and made a huge dent. Just couldn’t stop! That’s when I saw the magic of the brand and became obsessed. Now I collect them, including lipsticks, perfumes (oh the perfume! so delicious and crazy long staying power, worth every penny).
I just feel uncomfortable with this brand as a whole and do not own anything by them. A) It is a true luxury brand and the exclusivity is a huge turn-off. It’s not only the price point, but the constructed myth of the brand that aims to cater to the selected few that is repulsive to me. If I were draped in Dior and Hermes I might feel different, but I am not. B) As Lulle brought up (and I couldn’t agree more) some of their advertisement is extremely disrespectful to women. While I support the freedom of speech and do not expect people to stifle themselves creatively, I just choose not to support that message with my purchases. I could do without a 65$ tube. I don’t know what to do with all of my 19$ MACs as is.
My rant is simple: The full line is available at one counter in canada, the second largest country in the world, but because they made an exclusive deal with one retailer, it’s impossible to order from outside the country now too.
I have two lipsticks and both are beautiful, but one “turned” pretty quickly. So I’d say that they haven’t won me over with their quality, based on the limited products I can purchase.
My rant was going to be that the products aren’t readily accessible. However, after reading the comments here and learning more about the brand, I’m not currently interested in purchasing anything by Tom Ford. I don’t watch television or read fashion magazines so I’m not exposed to ads. I’m going to start researching brands and the way they portray women from now on.
I have the one quad, which I hemmed and hawed about buying for two years after having tried it. Not sorry I bought it, as I wasn’t able to find anything else in that time that gave me the same look, and the colours just work for me (Cognac Sable quad). So that’s my one rave.
It’s the only Tom Ford I own, and it will remain so, for a whole host of reasons. Mainly: I don’t think the price point is justified; I dislike exclusivity to the nth degree behaviour in a brand; and the ads others have already mentioned, which I wasn’t aware of at the time I bought the quad or I would have skipped Mr Ford altogether.
(Side note: I’m allergic to some ingredients in the lipsticks, so have never even been tempted.)
Rant: The price
Rave: The lipsticks are beautiful but I just can justify spending that amount on a lipstick. The fragrances are amazing. I fell in love with Black Orchid the moment it was released. I love Tobacco Vanilla. I recently found an oil which is an exact match.
RANT: Too expensive and dupable.
Rant:
Unsavory (to me) fragrance ads.
Also expensive…
These two things prevent me from buying tf to date.
I have easy access to a TF counter and so I am able to try everything before buying. That means I’ve never had a “miss” with any TF product I’ve purchased although I have rejected some things after trying them at the counter–but then, that is true of any brand, isn’t it? In general I think his foundations, blushers, bronzers, lipsticks, eyeshadows (powders and creams) and well-edited color collections are simply outstanding. TF really knows how to develope a concise, beautifully coordinated color story that doesn’t try to be all things to all people. He then creates a set of products that bring that story to life. I also love that he focuses more on seasonal releases rather than on coming out with a collection every other day like MAC. As for the price, that’s all relative and it’s important to remember that TF is marketing the concept of luxury and exclusivity. He doesn’t want to be perceived as a brand for the masses and so he keeps his prices artificially high. I think for TF, having a successful cosmetic line is more about fostering name recognition than anything else.
I love the pigment but IME Tom Ford products have major quality control issues. It likely has to do with shipping since I have to order, but half the time the lipsticks are too soft and break (even in the winter months) and every single quad I buy from NM/TF has the pans falling out of it and the shadows break. NM is wonderful about replacing, but the replacement always comes broken also =( My local Nordstrom has started to carry polishes and lipsticks, here’s hoping they get the full line!