Tom Ford First Time & Black Dahlia Lip Color Matte Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte ($50.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a light-medium pinky-peach with a satin finish. This was a limited edition color, and likely the only way to find it is if your local store happens to still have one stashed away. As pretty as this color is, it was the type of finish that I feel is more unforgiving and definitely benefits from a full lip prep routine (the majority of shades in the formula didn’t feel that way). It lasts for five hours, but it pulls into lip lines after three and a half hours (you can even see how it seems more attracted to my lip lines upon initial application). The more velvety texture doesn’t cling, so you can smooth it out as you wear it, but it is a little drying. ColourPop Button (P, $5.00) is warmer. Bite Beauty Leche (P, $24.00) is more beige. Bobbi Brown Pink Nectar (P, $26.00) is darker. NARS Julie (P, $32.00) is pinker, glossier. NARS Brigitte (P, $32.00) is pinker, glossier. NARS Descanso (LE, $25.00) is similar. MAC Runway Hit (LE, $16.00) is pinker, darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte ($50.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a cool-toned, burgundy with strong red tones and a semi-matte finish. It was semi-opaque and pulled into lip lines from the get-go. There was more slip in this shade than others in the range, but it wasn’t that emollient, even though it still seemed to have similar issues as many burgundies do. It lasted for six hours and left behind a stain, and it wasn’t drying (nor hydrating). I think this one needs to be applied with a lip brush and over a lip liner to perform well. This is also a limited edition shade, but it is still available at Neiman Marcus. Kat Von D Motorhead (P, $21.00) is more matte, cooler-toned, less red. MAC Talk That Talk (LE, $16.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Sin (P, $16.00) is slightly warmer. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
First Time (09)
LELimited Edition. $55.00.
Black Dahlia (10)
LELimited Edition. $55.00.
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford First Time (09) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
Tom Ford Black Dahlia (10) Lip Color Matte
I feel the same about Black Dahlia … I need a lipliner to make it work … such a shame too because in the bullet it looks like such a gorgeous shade, but it needs work … and the lip prepping especially.
First Time just doesn’t seem to work with my coloring 🙁
Compared to the others, it’s so much more work! I consider my lips pretty “prepped” without actually committing to doing it right before, since I do lip swatches so infrequently (the removal of 20 lip products usually suffices as exfoliation, lol), and if I haven’t done any in a few days, I’ll use a lip scrub–but Black Dahlia definitely needs a liner (and lip brush) to look even.
Lots of great dupes for First Time!
Thankfully! 😀
I really like the color Black Dahlia on you.. but it is definitely accentuating lip lines. For that price.. oh no!
Agreed! There are plenty of so-so performing shades like Black Dahlia, that one might as well pick up a lip pencil + lipstick for less than the price of one inferior lipstick in this case!
First Time looks very nice on you, but I can see what you mean by emphasizing lines. As for Black Dahlia, it seems really hard to get burgundy lipsticks right, and at this price point, the formula needs to be close an A but it’s not.
Thank you, Katherine!
Yes, burgundies can be tough and more often than not, really benefit from a lip pencil underneath! Guess we know that even at $50 it can’t be done with any consistency…
I bought black dahlia when it came out BC I love the color and usually have found I love tf lipstick formulas–but this one just sadly doesn’t wear as well. 🙁
🙁 It’s definitely one of the less impressive TF shades I’ve tried that I can recall.
The First Time lippie looks so pretty, I just wish I could pull off those kind of peachy nudes!
Tom Ford really tried it with the Black Dahlia though. So disappointing! I’ll stick to my original OCC Black Dahlia lip tar for now. 🙂
Thank goodness for OCC!
Hm, it’s a shame that First Time looks so dry.
I wish it was an A!
Black Dahlia is a difficult one, yet the shade is so darn pretty, is worth the effort. Prepping your lips is imperative, as well as remove any crazy dry patches on them, for this sucker clings on those like nothing else.
OCC Black Dahlia liner is great with this, same as any thin moisturizer previously to the application.
It is a pretty color! For me, I just can’t accept the way it stands at this price point. 🙁
I cannot express in words how I am thrilled… I have been waiting for your review about FIRST TIME as soon as I saw your swatch on October 29th, 2014.
I madly fell in love with it. And I am jumping up for joy that is permanent!
Now your approval gave me confidence to get it!
Thank you, thank you, SO SO much, Christine! I have already stated to you that ALL merits of ALL my makeup purchases belong to YOU!
Will end by reiterating my profound gratitude !!!!!!!!!!
First Time is limited edition! (And Black Dahlia) 🙁
NOOOOOOOO Black Dahlia, why?? Such a beautiful color, but a C+ is unacceptable for a $50 lipstick.
(Also, why are we naming lip products after grisly murders of women?)
Definitely not worth the extra $$ in this case!
Normally I would be all over Black Dahlia (especially just between these two colours), but the unevenness is quite a shame for a brand like TF!
I love my black dahlia. It’s a little more difficult than pussycat (my other tom ford matte), but I still find it fairly easy to apply.
Do you remember what brushes you used to apply platinum and spice to your lids? I love them, but I always use my finger to apply. I’d like to try a brush that works well-I think it would give a different look.
I hate that Black Dahlia doesn’t apply or wear too well. I love the color but it’s too expensive to perform like this.
Wow – love that Black Dahlia – what a stunning colour.
I know this ruins the point of the whole matte thing, but what would be a nice gloss to put over First Time?
I wish they’d stop naming beauty or fashion stuff “black dahlia”. Although it is also a flower, it’s best known for being the name of a horrifying murder case, not something I’d want to remotely associate with a glamorous product. It baffles me that it appears over and over again as lipstick, perfume, or lingerie names. There are many other flower names to use that don’t have the same terrible associations.
That said, it is a beautiful color. A pity it didn’t perform well, but I can’t wear such dark burgundies myself anyway, they look black against my pale skin 🙁
Black Dahlia looks so amazing in the tube but the results werent the same on lips.. plus the poor grades.. 🙁
I picked up Black Dahlia just before Christmas, after the MUA at my local TF counter used it when she did my makeup for a special occasion. Have to say I bought it straight away, something I rarely do – it applied really well for me, much better than, say, Sweet Spot – but that’s the luck of the draw sometimes I guess. I have friends who wear lip products that look amazing on them but drag, settle and generally look awful on me 🙂
Ah, such a pity with Black Dahlia. It actually looks like a beautiful colour. I think that vampy shades are hard to get right, I’ve found a lot of them are patchy and hard to get even!
First time is a very beautiful colour, and it looks amazing on you Christine!
Hi Christine! How do you think First Time compares to MAC’s Kinda Sexy? I couldn’t find a swatch of it on the site 🙂
I love Black Dahlia’s color but I’m not sure I’d be willing to use lip liner and a brush all the time for touch ups too.