Temptalia

Tom Ford Cheek Color ($60.00 for 0.28 oz.) has been a go-to blush formula for me since I first tried it many years ago. As time has passed, I have tried many more blush formulas from brands, but I still go back to this one frequently. I keep a few of my favorite shades (Love Lust, Ravish, Wicked) in my go-to drawer, where I keep products I want to wear again and again (when I’m not testing something!). The formula is soft, moderately dense, and smooth, which results in good pigmentation, a satin to pearly sheen, and easy application–plus, they wear long on me (over eight hours).

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Marc Jacobs Air Blush

Marc Jacobs Air Blush ($42.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a new formula for the year, but it is permanent and, surprisingly, quite good. The brand actually made a rather extravagant claim for wear, but it lived up to it better than anticipated–14 to 16 hour wear was definitely possible for me. They had good color coverage that was blendable and sat well on the skin. There are only five shades presently, but here’s hoping for a greater variety in selection in 2017! Some of my favorite shades are Flesh & Fantasy and Lines & Last Night.

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Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder ($44.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a luminous, powder highlighter that strikes the right balance between being noticeable without emphasizing the skin’s natural texture. The shimmer is fine, while the powder is silky and smooth. There are only three shades at the moment, and the one I use the most is Starlight, which works as a highlighting blush on my skin tone.

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Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad ($82.00 for 0.21 oz.) contains four shades of warm-leaning neutrals that go from golden champagne to dark brown. The eyeshadows go on so easily and nearly blend themselves; they work and transition into each other in a way that’s effortless. This one is ideal for someone who likes a fair amount of shimmer, though!

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Chanel Tisse Rivoli (226) Eyeshadow Quad

Chanel Tisse Rivoli (226) Eyeshadow Quad ($61.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a set of warm-toned neutrals. All four shades wore well for just over nine hours and after, there was very, very slight creasing (no primer). The texture is soft, smooth, and they eyeshadows are incredibly blendable.

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Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is supposed to have one-stroke color coverage with a hydrating, smoothing formula, and “nourishing shine.” I have been impressed with the formula as a whole, as the majority of the shades are very pigmented in one pass with a creamy consistency that glide on easily. There’s a richness to the texture that does feel more “luxe” in a way. The natural-to-luminous shine level gives lips a smoother, plumper look, while the formula itself is hydrating and many shades are longer wearing. Some of my favorite shades are: Bahama Brown, Bond, Soft Berry, and Plum Brandy.

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Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick

Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick ($55.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a long-wearing, moisturizing lipstick with a moderately creamy consistency that glides on easily and leaves a lightly glossy, luminous finish behind. Most shades are mostly opaque to fully opaque, though a few are less pigmented. Some of my favorite shades are: Garconne, Gracia, Gemma, and Galiane.

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Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Color ($52.00 for 0.07 fl. oz.) is supposed to be a “lip stain with an ultra-glossy finish” that has “intense, vibrant color” and “long-lasting high shine.” The formula feels lightweight, almost watery, when initially applied but thickens and feels more like a moderately tacky gel after thirty to forty seconds. It has great staying power with the glossiness lasting for six hours and the color itself still going strong eight to ten hours later (after two meals and coffee)–by the end of the day, it has more of a natural sheen to it (like a lip stain) but looked even. It does stain as well. I would forget that I was wearing it, which is a testament to how comfortable and hydrating it is for all-day wear. The coverage is nearly opaque but has that slight translucency that you would expect to see in a lip stain. Some of my favorite shades are: Infamy and Red Corset.

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Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge

Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge ($48.00 for 0.18 fl. oz.) is supposed to be a long-wearing “glossy stain” that give lips a “shiny, vinyl look” with “rich color.” The consistency is smooth, lightweight, and like a watery cream when initially applied, but it develops into a lighter weight gel texture after a few minutes. Most of the shades have medium or greater coverage, long-wearing, high-shine, and are hydrating while worn. There is a subtle floral scent to the formula, but I did not notice it except in the tube and did not encounter any taste. They look more like a stain than they actually behave like one, as I only found the darkest shades to leave behind any trace of color after it had worn away. There is a slight tackiness after an hour or so, but it never turned truly sticky.
Some of my favorite shades are: Mepicka Red, Chenille, and Bugatti Red.

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Tom Ford Oud Wood Eau de Parfum

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Tom Ford Oud Wood Eau de Parfum ($225.00) is my all-time favorite scent. I have loved it for years, and I still smile every time I smell it. Oud Wood opens with a spicy, smoky air–rosewood and cardamom–that is a little sharp initially, but it transforms into an amber and sandalwood mix with an underlying touch of vetiver with just a lingering smokiness. Toward the end, it is a mix of amber, vanilla, and woods; rich and earthy and warm. It lasts for hours and hours on me, and a little goes a very long way–so even the smaller bottle will last quite awhile (if not a lifetime).

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