Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color ($52.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium-dark reddish-berry with subtle, cool undertones and a creamy, high-shine finish. The color payoff was mostly opaque with a translucency to it that gave it that stain-like appearance. The consistency was lightweight, comfortable to wear, but it does have moderate tackiness. This shade was still going strong after eight hours (glossiness lasted about six hours) and was hydrating over time. Chanel Crushed Cherry (DC, $30.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). MAC Utterly Tart (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). MAC Suggestive (LE, $20.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar). MAC Lust for Life (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). MAC Preserving Passion (P, $24.00) is more muted, cooler (90% similar). Giorgio Armani #601 Plum Vinyl (P, $38.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Exotica (P, $54.00) is more muted (90% similar). MAC It's Never Ending (P, $24.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). MAC Tease Don't Touch (LE, $20.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Guerlain Rouge Parade (920) (LE, $30.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Chanel Distinction (21) (P, $34.00) is lighter (85% similar). Urban Decay Brickhouse (DC, $26.00) is warmer (85% similar). MAC Peer Pressure (LE, $20.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (80% similar). NARS Chez Claude (LE, $26.00) is darker, more muted (80% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Molten Orchid (P, $54.00) is more shimmery, more muted, glossier (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color ($52.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a bright, medium red with warm, orange tones and a creamy, glossy finish. It had rich, nearly opaque pigmentation with even, smooth application that lasted all day. The shine was going strong for five to six hours, but the color remained just as vibrant with more of a natural sheen for hours after. NARS Disruptor (LE, $26.00) is more muted (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Dressed to Kill (P, $54.00) is darker, more muted (95% similar). Anastasia Punchy Red (-, $16.00) is cooler (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty True Coral (P, $54.00) is darker, more muted (95% similar). NARS Red District (LE, $26.00) is darker (95% similar). NARS No. 54 (P, $26.00) is more muted (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty No Vacancy (P, $54.00) is warmer (95% similar). Laura Mercier Poppy (P, $25.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). Cle de Peau Bugatti Red (17) (P, $48.00) is darker, more muted, cooler (90% similar). MAC Last Minute (P, $24.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). YSL Rouge Remix (402) (P, $36.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). Revlon Fire (DC, $7.49) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). MAC Forever Darling (P, $24.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Anastasia Neon Apple (-, $16.00) is lighter (90% similar). Giorgio Armani #402 Red to Go (P, $38.00) is darker (90% similar). MAC Russian Red (P, $21.00) is more muted, glossier (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Stolen Cherry (P, $54.00) is lighter (90% similar). Smashbox Bad Apple (P, $24.00) is darker, more muted (90% similar). Illamasqua Touch (P, $22.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Erotic (P, $54.00) is cooler (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

FORMULA OVERVIEW | 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 had 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. I would forget that I was wearing it, which is a testament to how comfortable and hydrating it was throughout the day. The coverage is nearly opaque but has that slight translucency that you would expect to see in a lip stain. I didn’t experience feathering or bleeding on these two shades. It has a strong, vanilla cake scent–not your typical vanilla but something sweeter–and noticeably stronger than other Tom Ford lip products. The formula reminds me of products like YSL Glossy Stains, Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Lacquer but with a slightly thicker consistency. It’s a click-style product with a flocked, slanted applicator where the liquid color flows from. I’m not particularly fond of the applicator, though it is not rough or hard to use, but the flocking makes it harder to get really precise, clean edges (sometimes I felt like it gave a more jagged edge).

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford Exposed Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color

Tom Ford No Vacancy Patent Finish Lip Color