Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo Review, Photos, Swatches
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo ($77.00 for TBA oz.) is supposed to create “sculpted cheekbones” by using the “lighter, pearlescent shade to highlight” and the “deeper, matte shade to add definition and structure.” Long-time readers may be well-acquainted with my love for Tom Ford’s Cheek Color formula, so I’ve been eager (but anxious) about the arrival of the new, limited edition duos. The illuminating powder is impressive with a really soft, buttery consistency that sits on the skin beautifully. The blush-like color had a slightly thinner texture in comparison and could have used a wee bit more pigment, though it was still a soft, finely-milled, blendable blush. I’m definitely going to buy the other duo whenever I see that available online!
Highlighter is a peachy beige with warm undertones and a soft, frosted finish. It had good color payoff, and the texture was soft, buttery, and so smooth. Applied, it illuminates the skin without emphasizing pores. I would consider this a higher-sheen highlighter, so if you prefer more subdued finishes, this might be too glowy in comparison. On me, the highlighter wore well for almost ten hours before breaking down. IT Cosmetics Hello Light (P, $24.00) is warmer, darker. Giorgio Armani Belladonna (LE, $88.00) is similar. Becca Moonstone (P, $38.00) is a touch lighter. theBalm Mary Lou-manizer (P, $24.00) is more golden. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Contour is a muted, medium orange-brown with a satin-matte finish. The texture was soft, finely-milled, and smooth, but it was slightly thinner/less dense. It had good, buildable pigmentation, though it wasn’t as pigmented as the blush formula typically is. It was easy to apply, and it was very blendable on the skin. The color lasted well for ten hours before fading gradually. Makeup Geek Infatuation (P, $9.99) is lighter, less red. MAC Seduced at Sea (LE, $25.00) is more shimmery. MAC Pleasure Model (LE, $25.00) is darker, more shimmery. MAC Bad Girl Gone Good (LE, $21.00) is darker. NARS Gina (P, $29.00) is lighter. MAC Eternal Sun (P, $23.50) is slightly darker, more muted. MAC Coppertone (P, $21.00) is similar. Burberry Tangerine (P, $42.00) is darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Stroked
LELimited Edition. $77.00.
Highlighter (Stroked)
LELimited Edition. $60.00.
Contour (Stroked)
LELimited Edition. $60.00.
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo
Way out of my price range, but it’s pretty!
It is pretty!
Very lovely with your eyes and coloring!
Thanks, Debra!
The so called contouring color isn’t it too orange to play a contour? I think its gorgeous as a blush not sure what else!
Here’s what the press release said about the formula, “Symmetrical, sculpted cheekbones are vital to creating the Tom Ford look. Tom Ford’s Contouring Cheek Color Duo contains a lighter, pearlescent shade to highlight and a deeper, matte shade to add definition and structure, achieving the look of contoured cheekbones. This sumptuous, cheek-transforming powder blush duo is formulated with spherical powders and rich emollients to ensure the colors glide onto the skin with the comfort of a cream.”
Tom Ford has Shade & Illuminate (here), which is more your classic highlight/contour pairing, so the two are somehow distinct products – they say “powder blush duo” so it seemed like this was more to define the cheek bone but not like your classic contour? It is confusing, IMO. I wore it lower on my cheeks as kind of a contour + blush in one, so it does define the cheek that way.
Yeah, I’m going to need this!!!! It’s so beautiful on you! I love this! Will you be reviewing the second one?
I hope to purchase it once it is available for sale.
I thought the orange warm one was softcore and that stroked was more the plum color? Will you be reviewing the other one too?
Hi Vanessa,
Mine is labeled “Stroked,” but I’ll double-check with Tom Ford.
Thanks. I was just wondering because I saw swatches from other bloggers of softcore and they look exactly like yours. The other bloggers are listing the stroked with a white/pink highlighter and a berry/plum contour color. I am definitely leaning the whichever color the plum one is. Thanks again for the great swatches and pictures.
I asked Tom Ford and sent over links to various other swatches/reviews I saw, because I understand your confusion – right now, Tom Ford corporate/PR confirmed that Stroked is “warmer” and Softcore is “more plum” (so the way this post is listed is correct), which is what corresponds to the label on the back of my palette (but it is a lab label, meaning it is not a official, retail label, which is why you don’t see photos of it in the review itself). I’m waiting on a return phone call from the Tom Ford store in Chicago, who I’m hoping has the actual collection physically present and try to have them describe the shades to me as well. I did a pre-order through Nordstrom for both shades, but I’m not sure when they’ll get in.
To follow-up on this, I called a few Neiman Marcus and was able to get to a location that had testers on display (SF), and she described the blush in Stroked as a cross betweet Love Lust and Weekend, and the the blush in Softcore as a cross between Love Lust and Ravish – which would be consistent with other reviews and the opposite of this one. The blush I have in mine is not pink at all – very warm, reddish and brown, so I don’t see how it could resemble Weekend (which is a pink) at all. Still waiting for calls back from TF Boutiques in Chicago and Beverly Hills.
Thanks for all your effort on this. Sorry to be a pain ;0)
The last thing I want to have is readers purchase it and get the wrong duo! Similarly, I don’t want to buy the same duo myself, LOL!
THE SAGA CONTINUES!
I just spoke with Connie from the Tom Ford Boutique in Chicago ($10 shipping, they’re sold out of the quad and Negligee already, (312) 605-5041), and she described Stroked as a warmer, lighter version of Ravish with a coral tone and Softcore as a shade of red with a berry undertone.
So… we are… in the same, confusing place. The Tom Ford Boutique is selling product right now, so they don’t just have testers but are retailing product. I just placed a phone order with her for both blush duos, because then I can just know for sure. A pricey way to solve it, but hopefully it will help. I’m in California, and they’re processing the order today, but with the time difference, not sure if it’ll make it out in today’s mail. I probably won’t have them until Wednesday next week at the earliest (more likely Friday-ish).
Thank you again. I called my store and the collection should be there next week so hopefully I can go look at it.
I’m glad you’ll be able to see it in-store 🙂
Christine, I think what you have is definitely Softcore. I posted a review with swatches of the PR sample I received last week on my site, if you want to compare. The lighting is slightly different in our photos, but it definitely looks like they are both Softcore to me.
Also – Connie at the Chicago boutique is amazing. That is all. So glad a lot of people found her today!
Hi,
Mine is also a press sample from Tom Ford, but it is labeled as Stroked (and PR is confirming this is Stroked, not Softcore – that Softcore is berry/plum). Connie confirmed (based on her descriptions) that what I have is Stroked. Neiman Marcus said Stroked is berry, Softcore is coral, but they only have testers. The answers I’m getting are inconsistent (it is 2 to 1, right now), so I purchased one of each shade and will update when I can confirm myself.
Interesting. There is definitely a mix-up somewhere. The Fall Lookbook color swatches make Stroked look berry and Softcore look coral (http://www.fulltimeford.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Softcore-and-Stroked-Swatch.jpg), which seems to be the opposite of what you are being told. Maybe mine is mislabeled and it should be Stroked. Who knows. Looking forward to a resolution on this!
Yeah, it’s definitely confusing since I agree that ours looks similar – lighting is obviously going to differ BUT one seems pretty berry-ish, one is rather brown – and I mean, mine is not at ALL pink or berry (neither does yours). Mine definitely looks true to “similar to Ravish.” I think we have the same one from what I can tell, but we have different labels – is yours a retail label or lab/sample label? Mine is a lab/sample label but says “Stroked.” So I’m hoping that retail is consistent with name on the outside of the box and the actual sticker label on the back, even if perhaps it was intended to be different. TF is owned by ELC, and there have been a couple of recent incidents with mislabeling with MAC, also owned by ELC, so I’m curious how it will pan out.
Agree on all counts. Mine is a lab/sample label as well, but mine is marked Softcore. It;s interesting to me that even the PR folks seem to think that the berry one is Softcore and mine isn’t berry or pink either – definitely more of a muted/brown-based coral. Then again, i don’t have the other duo to compare with so maybe when i see them next to one another I’ll see that I am colorblind? 🙂
I opened a can of worms with my original question. LOL! who knew it would be such a mystery.
I went home and studied my duo and I think we actually do have 2 different duos. My guess is that somewhere along the way the names were switched (or our lab samples are mislabeled) but I might have the deeper/cooler of the two and you have the warmer one. Without having them both in hand its difficult to say for certain because our swatches are similar, even if the lighting isn’t. This is going to drive me bananas until you have both yours in hand to confirm!
It’s driving me nuts, because the descriptions should be consistent at all counters/stores, at the very least! We shall see… If you do have the deeper color (which seems to be the “berry” of the two), then perhaps the names are good after all! It would match up with what Chicago TF and PR said they were.
Ditto. I am still not sure. I don’t consider what I have in my hands “berry” or “burgundy” which is what someone else described to me, but if your pics are fairly accurate in terms of color mine definitely leans more red, but I would call it a rich rosy red if anything – not really pink or plum.
I’m going to add to our confusion. I saw the display for the duos today at my Neiman Marcus. The duos weren’t labeled but the display diagram used to set up the display shows the lighter more orange duo as Softcore and the darker more berry one as stroked. They didn’t have the product in stock yet to verify the names.
That’s what seems to be the case for counters 🙁 I should receive mine on the 21st (per my tracking #).
I just picked up both duos today. The berry one is Softcore and the one you reviewed here is stroked. Finally an answer.
Thanks, Vanessa! I’m feeling a little better. Mine are due to arrive today, actually (FedEx moved the date up), so hopefully once I see mine, I’ll feel REALLY confident.
Have you had a chance to play yet? 😉
I only played a little bit. I wasn’t sure which shade to get so I bought both. I have fair skin with pink undertones but I think I can pull off both colors. Just need to apply with a light touch. I was told today by my Neiman store that they only received a limited quantity of the fall collection and that there wasn’t even enough to fill the wait list. Good thing I was at the top of the list. :0)
So glad you were able to get ’em! xo
Hi Vanessa!
Confirming that I received both blushes today as ordered from the Chicago Tom Ford Boutique. Softcore is the darker, more red/berry shade and Stroked is the lighter, warmer shade so the shade reviewed in this post is correctly labeled! Yay! 🙂
I’m quite confused by this product. Can the lower shade be used as a contour or more of a blush? Hope you can help me out.
It’s more like a contouring blush, but it’s not a gray, shadowy shade. It works on cheeks, because it can be diffused upwards as a blush while adding depth right under the cheek bones, but it’s not going to work so well say along the nose.
Ah, this looks beautiful on you, Christine!! Ugh, my wallet will not be happy with this if I get it! I already have my fair share of both highlighters and blushes, so am undecided whether or not it’s worth the splurge. It’s so pretty though!
I’m sure you are covered!
So pretty….
It is!
Way to warm and way too expensive! It looks smashing on you though!
Thank you, Erin!
I like the highlighter!
I liked that one a lot, too, but I am a sucker for a nice highlighter!
Oh..me too! I own more highlighters, and lipsticks than I do anything else!
The contour shade definitely looks more like a blush, but that highlighter shade I’m all about!
Glad you liked the highlighter!
ummm..WOW.. so not expected. That contour looks positively orange…but it really really works…on you! I think a pass for me, but I’m astounded by your photos. You look incredible!
Thank you so much, Wendy! 😀
Hi Christine, I don’t think you make a mistake on the duo cheek name. I went downtown last week (union sq) and pre ordered with Neiman. The SA showed me both duo with the names matched with your post today. I think it is def Tom Ford co mistake on either press sample/new or prod line
Hey Valerie! So Stroked look like the blush in the photos? With a warmer, browner blush shade? 🙂
Yes. Stroke is the one in the picture. The warmer berry shade is soft core.
I meant the darker berry shade is softcore. Yes it totally opposite with their initial press release. 🙂
Thank you so much, Valerie! That is very helpful!
So Valerie, the one I have up on my site really is Softcore? But its more red? (I wouldn’t call it berry exactly?).
First of all, I love both your and Christine blogs.:) super informative and helpful. Yes. I saw your review before I hop down to downtown SF Neiman to order. I’m not quite sure but probably the one you had is Softcore. I remembered swatch in store and told the SA that I have to choose the color. I love the plum/berry one but that color normally don’t look good on me. So I did order to quad and the one on Christine website. The SA showed me both color with the name labels on the back. She also wrote on the receipt that I ordered Stoke (the orangy one). I still think somehow the production line made a mistake and we are now stucked with the wrong names. 🙂
Oh I see your latest post now. It is definitely Softcore. Please tell me I don’t need it. I am so tempted order that one as well 🙂
Thank you, Valerie!
Love your posts as always. I have a feeling that Mr Ford prob named this as Softcore and the berry one as Stroke. Prob somebody made a mistake on packaging and too costly to correct the mistake and therefore we’re stuck with the wrong name. 🙂 I just hope they don’t have 2 identical duo blushes with different names.
I wonder if we’ll ever know, LOL!
As long as it’s consistent – it would be so horrid if half ordered Softcore and got one set of colors, and the other half got the right ones!
You look so pretty! It’s like you have an all over glow going on lol. I really like this duo though. The colors really seem to warm up the skin. It looks like it’ll work well for deeper complexions too. I have to try it!
The collection felt so bronzy/summer to me because of how luminous it all is!
I usually hate orange blush, but this duo is gorgeous. It looks so pretty on you.
Thanks, Rachel!
That highlighter is the bomb
It is really lovely on!
Pretty especially with that lipstick!
They work well together!
My compliments for your fantastic reviews. Always stunning pictures of the products. And loving this look on you. And what is great, what looks good on your skintone is also perfect for mine. Bud dangerous to buy evering that looks good on you. ;-).
Thank you, alsways helpful. Keep up the good work. Greetz from the Netherlands.
So happy to help, Priscilla 🙂
Thank you so much!
I like how the ‘apricot’ colour theme is present in both halves! All too often I feel like the highlighter in a set ends up being just a generic ‘champagne’ colour, regardless of the theme of the palette. I could be totally wrong on this, but it’s just a ‘feeling’ I have, LOL!
Was reading the big naming saga down below – such confusion!
SO confusing!
This is SUCH a lovely look, Christine! You look great!
Thanks, Anne!
Just read through the Stroked/Softcore saga! Huge and amazing efforts on there, Christine – and everyone involved! =)
🙂
Confirming that I received both blushes today as ordered from the Chicago Tom Ford Boutique. Softcore is the darker, more red/berry shade and Stroked is the lighter, warmer shade so the shade reviewed in this post is correctly labeled! Yay! 🙂
I’m so jelly 😉 I’m anxiously waiting for your review to see if I need Softcore 🙂
Possibly Saturday at the earliest – clearing through all the MAC stuff first 🙂
This looks completely amazing on you!
Thank you, Lani!
WOWSER- it Looks so good on you!! For comparison what is your coloring, in MAC NC/NW# terminology??
I am NC25/NC30!
Which duo do you think is better for a warm deeper skin tone?
Softcore!