Tom Ford Boys & Girls Ultra-Rich Lip Color ($36.00 for 0.07 oz.) just released with 25 shades. They are “clutch-sized,” which is code for miniature, though they are actually a better value (from a price per ounce perspective) than the brand’s full-sized offerings. There are also 25 shades Lip Color Sheers, and you can find swatches of them here.
Also, a big thank you to Beautylish for supporting Temptalia’s endeavor to swatch all the things and sending one of each shade for swatching. 🙂
First Impressions
The formula is supposed to have “full-coverage, “high-shine” that is moisturizing. The brand has released this formula before in six shades, and based on that experience and swatching through the new 25 shades, I expect a similar experience. They have a more luminous finish with moderate slip, and while they are more pigmented than the Sheers, they are not always full coverage–more like medium and buildable to semi-opaque for most shades. They seemed comfortable and likely to be hydrating over time. The wear in the past has ranged between three and five hours. They have a vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
Tom Ford Boys & Girls Lip Color Sheer ($36.00 for 0.07 oz.) just released with 25 shades. They are “clutch-sized,” which is code for miniature, though they are actually a better value (from a price per ounce perspective) than the brand’s full-sized offerings. The collection itself also features 25 shades in the Ultra-Rich formula, which I’ll share shortly!
Also, a big thank you to Beautylish for supporting Temptalia’s endeavor to swatch all the things and sending one of each shade for swatching. 🙂
First Impressions
The formula is supposed to have a “semi-sheer effect” that can be worn alone or layered. They are sheer to semi-sheer with a few with more medium and/or buildable coverage. The consistency was lightweight, emollient but not too slippery for the most part, and comfortable to wear. Swatching 50 lipsticks back-to-back is no small feat and really makes it glaringly obvious how comfortable a formula is (or isn’t) and my lips are no worse for the wear today. I don’t imagine that these will have stellar wear–two to three hours based on preliminary testing. They are vanilla-scented but had no discernible taste.
The palette is supposed to have a “creamy powder formula” that will “cut your blending time in half” and “primes lids for payoff.” The consistency was dense but softly pressed, so there was some excess product that kicked up in the pan, but it adhered more smoothly to the skin than expected. There were some shades that were a little looser and more shimmery, and they did not seem to go on as evenly without a primer as one might want. The formula seemed better than the average Tarte eyeshadow for a holiday palette, but I generally find their mega-palettes to be more prone to problems than smaller ones like this palette. The shades themselves seemed fairly dupable, and the varying sizes of the pans may not work for all.
Becca Apres Ski Glow Collection Eye Lights Palette ($45.00 for 0.35 oz.) is limited edition holiday palette that contains seven eyeshadows based on the brand’s famous Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powders (their powder highlighters).
First Impressions
The texture of the eyeshadows felt drier and thinner with loose shimmer, and frankly, they lacked the creaminess of the powder highlighters they sought to emulate. From the brand’s description, it sounded like the formula was modified to be an eyeshadow, but that drier texture just made it difficult to apply the colors evenly or to maintain opaque coverage. They were more prone to sheering out and fading more quickly as a result, though they improved by using a dampened brush. I did find the eyeshadows to be blendable overall. The shades were fairly similar to their powder highlighter counterparts.
Natasha Denona Lila Eyeshadow Palette ($129.00 for 1.20 oz.) is a new, permanent palette that features 15 eyeshadows–four mattes and the rest ranging from pearl to sparkling, metallic in finish.
First Impressions
I imagine that if you liked Natasha Denona’s Sunset Palette or enjoy the more shimmery shades from the brand’s earlier releases, you’ll enjoy the quality of the Lila palette. It felt comparable to me, and the shades that I did apply (I have not finished wearing them, so I cannot speak on wear) were in line with the formulations used in the Sunset palette. If you tend to incorporate more matte eyeshadows into your looks, you might find that there aren’t enough to support a variety of looks within the palette, and a lot of the shimmers are quite frosted/metallic with some having a bit of larger sparkle to them, which might be prone to fallout. The majority of the eyeshadows seemed to be semi-opaque to opaque in pigmentation with fairly soft textures, though the mattes had a drier, velvety feel–dry but not really in a bad way–and always appeared noticeably darker applied than they did in the pan (the metallics are almost the reverse–more reflective and therefore lighter on).
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick ($25.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a cream formula that can be used as a highlight or blush and is available in 10 shades. You’ll also find a swatch of the sole gloss released with the launch. I did not purchase any other products at this time as buying the powder highlighters and these cream cheek colors was quite a hit to the budget, so I hope you understand!
First Impressions
The formula is supposed to be long-wearing with a “light-as-air,” “blendable” texture that “lives to be layered.” They twist-up and are medium-sized with a domed edge. I found that applying to my fingertips worked better than direct application, as it enabled me greater control over coverage level as well as placement, and if you tend to apply over foundation, then this will help keep the Match Stix cleaner, too. The texture was thin, and it did seem to go from a “cream” in the tube to a more powder-like product once on the skin. They were blendable with a few being more sparkly with less visible base color, which may not be for everyone, and others had a more pearl-like sheen that didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture.
A problem I had throughout just swatching each shade on my cheeks for photos was that whatever was exposed was a bit dry, more powdery to the touch, and I felt like I had to really warm the product up and/or swipe it back and forth on the back of my hand to refresh the texture. This is not uncommon with drier, cream-based formulas, but it will be something I look more closely at as I test these over the coming weeks. Some shades were very pigmented, others were medium and buildable, and a couple were sheerer.
