Tom Ford Solaris Shade & Illuminate Eye Kohl Duo Review & Swatches
Solaris
Tom Ford Beauty Solaris Shade & Illuminate Eye Kohl Duo ($44.00 for 0.05 oz.) contains a chocolate brown and rosy bronze. The shading side worked better than the illuminating side, as the latter was drier and firmer, which made it less comfortable to use. I didn’t find the quality of either side, or the formula generally, to be remarkable in any way, though.
Ingredients
Solaris
LELimited Edition. $44.00.
Solaris (Shade)
Solaris (Shade) is a dark, chocolatly brown with warm undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had good pigmentation in a single stroke, which applied evenly and smoothly without dragging–it was considerably creamier than anticipated based on the testing I did of the Aurora duo earlier! It was more comfortable to use and did translate to my lower waterline, though it only lasted about six hours there; it lasted better on my lower lash line at eight hours.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Long Espresso (P, $17.00) is lighter, more muted (95% similar).
- MAC Coco Bar (P, $25.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Crave (DC, $22.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Coffee (PiP, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Whiskey (P, $22.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Stew (LE, $7.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Decibel (P, $15.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Burberry Chestnut Brown No. 02 (P, $29.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Immortal Love (PiP, $10.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Chanel Mat Taupe (932) (P, $34.00) (85% similar).
Formula Overview
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The formula is supposed to have "rich color pigments" that have a "creamy feel for ultra-fluid application" and can be used on the "lashline and waterline." It's a firmer, stiffer consistency used in these dual-ended pencils, which makes them less comfortable to use and more to tugging/dragging on my lash line. The pigmentation ranged from shade to shade, and some were more or less buildable than others. They had decent wear but I could not get these to apply well to my waterline--they just didn't seem to transfer onto the waterline much.
Browse all of our Tom Ford Beauty Eye Kohl swatches.
Ingredients
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Triethylhexanoin, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, BeeswaxCera AlbaCire D'Abeille, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCera CarnaubaCire De Carnauba, Ozokerite, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Silica, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Lecithin, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Ferric Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Black 2 (Ci 77266 Nano), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Aluminum Powder (Ci 77000), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Carmine (Ci 75470)
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Solaris (Shade)
LELimited Edition.
Solaris (Illuminate)
Solaris (Illuminate) is a muted, medium-dark rosy bronze with warm undertones and a pearly sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that was buildable to mostly opaque coverage with two to three passes. The texture was slightly drier and felt almost chalk-like when I applied it to my lower lash line, and I had great difficulty getting the product to show up noticeably on my waterline. It stayed on well for eight hours on my lower lash line before thinning noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Melt Cosmetics Prissy (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Starfire (PiP, $22.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- MAC Plank (P, $17.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Trick (LE, $22.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop The Rose Standard (LE, $9.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Smashbox 24K Rose (LE, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Chanel Brun Agape (943) (P, $34.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Glitz Blitz (P, $24.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Haus Labs Antique Rose (P, $18.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar).
- elf Rose Gold (P, $5.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
Formula Overview
-
The formula is supposed to have "rich color pigments" that have a "creamy feel for ultra-fluid application" and can be used on the "lashline and waterline." It's a firmer, stiffer consistency used in these dual-ended pencils, which makes them less comfortable to use and more to tugging/dragging on my lash line. The pigmentation ranged from shade to shade, and some were more or less buildable than others. They had decent wear but I could not get these to apply well to my waterline--they just didn't seem to transfer onto the waterline much.
Browse all of our Tom Ford Beauty Eye Kohl swatches.
Ingredients
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Triethylhexanoin, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, BeeswaxCera AlbaCire D'Abeille, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCera CarnaubaCire De Carnauba, Ozokerite, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Silica, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Lecithin, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Ferric Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Black 2 (Ci 77266 Nano), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Aluminum Powder (Ci 77000), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Carmine (Ci 75470)
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
IMHO, Tom Ford seems to rely on his prestige brand and name to sell many products that just aren’t imaginative, aren’t good quality and are actually down right bad. Sure he has a few products that are really nice but more often than not I have been disappointed in products or I look at them and think, meh!! The only products that I have that I really love are some of the lipsticks but even those I love mostly for the unique colours I have chosen and not for the exceptional quality. I have been wearing Chadwick quite a bit since I got it and it is a lovely colour but it doesn’t last well on me. I do have that problem a lot so can’t really blame the lipstick. I don’t have that problem with Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Guerlain and Nars, though!
At least not as horrible as the 1st duo, but still. At this price point, I expect it to glide on like butter, have exceptional pigmentation and wear like iron. This doesn’t come close.