The Best & Worst of Tom Ford Private Shadows

Tom Ford’s Private Shadow ($36.00 for 0.04 oz.) is supposed to have “unadulterated color” that’s “highly pigmented, longwearing, and crease-resistant.” The packaging is clever, though for anyone who has more than few eyeshadows in their stash, the compact is rather large relative to the actual pan of product (which is less than average for a full-sized eyeshadow–given the price point, I would have expected closer to 0.07 oz. or even 0.09 oz.). The formula itself varied a lot between shades with enough inconsistency that would make me weary of buying blind online.

The pailette (glitter) finish was most similar to the glittery shades in the brand’s eyeshadow quads, though I felt that there was more of a base color/powder coming through and slightly finer, less fleck-like glitter particles. The ultrasuede (matte) finish seemed to have the softest, most finely-milled consistency out of all five finishes. The suede finish is like a satin in my mind–barely-there sheen, whereas the sateen finish seemed to have more noticeable, larger shimmer particles in comparison and was more pearly overall. The vinyl (metallic) finish had a denser texture relative to the other finish but wasn’t as creamy or as rich in feel as I would expect based on luxury brand formulations that have been releasing.

The price point is high for singles, which wasn’t unexpected given the brand is positioned as a luxury brand. I wish that the quality was higher, and I wish that the formula was more innovative and interesting. I only tried 10 of the 3-shade range, but there wasn’t enough within those 10 (which were varied across the finishes) to justify purchasing the remaining shades to review. Some shades were very rich in pigment, others were weaker; some were drier and others were satisfactory; and most wore for around seven hours well.