Tom Ford Virgin Orchid Eye Color Quad Review & Swatches
Virgin Orchid
Tom Ford Beauty Virgin Orchid Eye Color Quad ($88.00 for 0.21 oz.) is a new, rosy/mauve quad featuring a pinkish-white, mid-tone pink, light mauve, and deeper plum. The formula on this is more comparable to Nude Dip, though I found it a bit more compact/denser (but definitely not in line with most of the previously-released Eye Quads). I didn’t see anything about it wet/dry but often find this type of formula can be used that way, so the swatches reflect that but testing and ratings are done based off of dry application and wear. The four shades came together fairly well, but I did find that the inclusion of three lighter shades made them run together a little more than ideal (for versatility across skin tones).
Ingredients
Look Using this Product
Virgin Orchid
PPermanent. $90.00.
Virgin Orchid #1
Virgin Orchid #1 is a pale white with warm undertones and pink pearl that gave it a slightly metallic finish. It had good pigmentation that was buildable to full coverage with a second layer. The texture was soft, smooth, and blendable without being powdery or too firmly pressed in the pan. It applied well to bare skin and lasted for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Pretty Vulgar Break Free (PiP, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty First Frost #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Too Faced Unicorn (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Tarte Pearl (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Milani Bella Diamond (30) (P, $4.49) is cooler (90% similar).
- Tarina Tarantino Dreamy #1 (DC, ) is more muted (90% similar).
- LORAC Snow (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- LORAC Black Tie Attire #1 (LE, $19.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Bright Moon (LE, $17.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Mortal (DC, $25.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Virgin Orchid #1
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Virgin Orchid #2
Virgin Orchid #2 is a muted, medium pink with strong, warm undertones and a frosted, golden shimmer finish. It had medium pigmentation in a single layer, which was buildable to mostly opaque coverage with a second layer (if I applied it with a dampened brush, it was opaque in one layer). The consistency was soft, slightly dusty at times, but it applied evenly, blended out with ease, and didn’t have fallout. This shade stayed on nicely for eight and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Clarins Rosewood #1 (PiP, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Tarte Frose (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Bubbly (LE, $6.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Angelic (PiP, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Dior Rouge Trafalgar #1 (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Sleek MakeUP Sunset #12 (PiP, $9.99) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop The Scales (LE, $6.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Dior Sugar Shade #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Dipped (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Wildfire (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Virgin Orchid #2
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Virgin Orchid #3
Virgin Orchid #3 is a pale mauve with warm undertones and a pearly sheen. The pigmentation was nearly opaque in a single layer, while the texture was soft, smooth, and blendable without being too powdery or too firmly pressed in the pan. This shade applied easily to bare skin and diffused along the edges without sheering out the color too readily. It lasted well for eight and a half hours on me before fading a bit.
Top Dupes
- MAC Dress Me Up (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Pewter (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Lancome Exhibition (PiP, $19.00) (85% similar).
- Smashbox Aglow (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Tarte Rum Pum Plum (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Too Faced Winter Dream (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop Piece of Me (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Hourglass Plum Mauve (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (80% similar).
- LORAC Soft Plum (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Dior Magnify #4 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
Look Using this Product
Virgin Orchid #3
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Virgin Orchid #4
Virgin Orchid #4 is a deep plum with subtle, warm undertones and a satin finish. It had rich pigmentation that applied evenly to bare skin in a single stroke. The eyeshadow felt smooth, lightly creamy, and denser to the touch, but it picked up well with brushes. It could have diffused a bit more easily along the edges, though. It lasted well for nine hours on me before it started to fade noticeably.
Top Dupes
- Olivia Palermo Amethyst (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- NARS Not for Sale (LE, $25.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Sephora Sodalite (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Smashbox Cabernet (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Chanel Jardins de Lumieres #4 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Stila Plum (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Violet Plum (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Twilight (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Doe-a-Deer (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- LORAC Black Violet (PiP, ) is cooler (90% similar).
I love this look! I am really curious about the more pinky quads and also Pretty Baby.
Sorry, I don’t have those!
That’s probably good for me because after your review and look, I might be tempted to buy!
How similar would you say this this is overall to Orchid Haze? Thanks!
Orchid Haze is very warm-toned – gold/peach, bronze, mid-tone pink, and deep plum. There’s no overlap between the pinks as Orchid Haze’s pink is less shimmery and much darker. The plum in Orchid Haze is matte and cooler (finish makes it totally different, IMO).
Hello, can you please clarify the above?
Do you mean that orchid haze is cooler and virgin orchid is warmer? Did you mean to say that virgin orchid is very warm toned? Or orchid haze? I ask because I have orchid haze and the swatches seemed similar in some images and would love to know before ordering sight unseen 😉
Orchid Haze is warmer toned overall compared to Virgin Orchid, which has a much cooler tone to the first three shades in particular.
Awesome thanks! 🙂
I’m so in love with this quad’s purpley/ plummy/ taupey them! Then again, of course I would be. Because I love the looks I get using Nars Thessalonique with a deep muted plum in my crease and MAC Haux as my transition. I *may* have just talked myself out of getting Virgin Orchid, eh? ?
I love the shades of these but I wish they were matte instead of all having a sheen!
My color story for sure and I have many, many dupes for each of the shades in this palette. I don’t understand the exclusion of any mattes either. One of the reasons I buy singles.
Really pretty look, Christine. It seems like it would be a no-brained to slap it on in the morning and always end up with a great result. For me personally, it’s just not wow-worthy enough for the price.
This does feel like a more cool toned kind of quad and it’s quite pretty. The plum shade is the stand out shade to me. Gorgeous eye look Christine.
Reminds me of the Honeymoon palette, aka your wedding palette. Pretty but I rarely reach for it. Going to pull it out for fall. TF makeup never rings my chimes much for some reason. I do love Tom Ford perfumes though.
I actually used Guerlain Turandot on my wedding, not Honeymoon!
Love this color combination, but I’m definitely going to try to dupe it because of that pricetag
I love the look you have done.. perfect for my tastes.., but my recent PMG splurge and the rehoming of about a dozen es palettes I’ve barely touched AYND the TF price tag has me just saying no. Also: a deeper matte midtone would have really knocked it out of the park. My opinion, but my brand of hooded eyes seeks a matte transition
I cringe thinking of the palette price in non-US currency, LOL.
Nothing could ever tempt me to spend $88 on an eyeshadow quad, I don’t care how pretty the colors are. I don’t mind spending more for good products, but to me, this is a waste of money better spent elsewhere. Just my opinion.
Very pretty, but not very versatile.
I am someone who gags at Natasha Denona & Pat McGrath prices and I still purchase their products, but I cannot ever see spending $90 for 4 shadows. This is really pretty and something I would really like, but I’ll have to just make due with the Melt She’s In Parties stack, even though they aren’t really similar, lol.
I enjoy Tom Ford, even when he’s doing the most, but the price point is extravagant. For the right set of shades for the right person, assuming high quality performance is a given, I can see the justification… but the price point makes it so there’s no room to negotiate, IMO. It better be perfect for me to buy it (on a personal/consumer level).
Very true! For me to even consider it, it would have to a perfect rating AND be recommended, lol.
I thought this was going to be my dream quad from your description and photos, so I took the plunge on my first Tom Ford product. Sadly when I got it and excitedly opened it, I could see it didn’t look the same, but I hoped maybe it would swatch the same. Well #1 had gold in it instead of pink, #2 was not rosy & pink with gold it looked straight up peach. A pretty shade, but not what I was going for. #3 was a silver taupe with no discernible pink/mauve tone. Waaaaaahhhhh. #4 was pretty similar to yours though more on the brown side.
Then I tried it on my eyes. The formula is fabulous! The super-fine complex shimmer is so elegant and blends like a dream!
I tried applying it dry. I tried applying it damp. I tried different placements and combinations of the shades, and I just couldn’t get it to look remotely like what I was hoping for. So sad. Maybe I should have tried it over a pink base before I packed it up to return it, but I shouldn’t have to work so hard with a quad that should have been effortless, and at that price point. I don’t understand how the colors can be so different. Where is the quality control for uniformity? It seems to happen an awful lot with cosmetics, especially colors and formulas.
Anyway, just thought I’d let everyone know my experience, and hope theirs is different 🙂
P.S. I forgot to mention that the first promo pic I saw of the quad is what I fell in love with. It looked like light and midtone pinks, mauve and plum Yours was somewhat different, but I often find on my computer your photos are a little warmer than I see IRL, so I was adjusting for that and I also pay attention to your verbal descriptions, which helps for clarity and possible differences in color calibration with different computers.
I really loved the formula, I can see why Nude Dip was such a huge hit. I never tried it because I thought it would be too warm for me. Maybe I’ll see it in person sometime, but I don’t feel right ordering it and trying it, and then sending it back. I know we’re “allowed” to, but I very rarely return anything, and I feel bad enough returning one of those palettes, let alone two.