Tom Ford Spring 2016 Runway Color Collection

This spring 2016, Tom Ford has refreshed its permanent makeup offerings, and there is plenty to love!  Apart from some extensions to their popular Cream Color for Eyes, there are a couple of completely revolutionary and brand new releases.  Let’s take a look at some of my top picks!

The most hotly anticipated (and perhaps controversial) of the SS16 releases is the Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Color [SGD72].  These are a hybrid between lip stains and lip lacquers, with very enduring last and a high shine glossy finish.  By now, long-wearing glossy lip lacquers are nothing new, but Tom Ford has been able to make these even more long-lasting, they basically stay on until removed!  And with a color intensity that is the best of its class!

There are 8 fantastically bold hues to love, ranging from bright cherry to blackened berry.  Here are the swatches of all 8 shades:

1. Red Corset is a medium mauve red that is everyday wearable
2. Exposed is a medium-deep fuchsia
3. Ravageur is a neutral-toned medium red
4. Infamy is a brightened pink with strong blue undertones
5. Stolen Cherry is a brightened cherry-cola shade of cool-toned red
6. No Vacancy is a bright poppy vermillion
7. Erotic is a brightened fuchsia
8. Orchid Fatale is a stunning berry that is much more wearable than most people realise!

To up the shine factor, there are some sparse micro-shimmers worked into the formula.  My lips generally don’t take well to shimmers, but these did not irritate me at all.  Here is another look at the same set of swatches:

These Patent Finish Lip Colors come in sleek pens with a click dispenser and a sponge applicator head.  I was very much on the fence on this form of packaging initially, because sponge applicators get soggy after awhile and they crumble apart.  Not to mention unsanitary from a hygiene perspective.  But any other sponge applicator wand that go right into the tube containing the product would probably be even worse.  The saving grace is the applicator tip really makes applying the product around the the curves of my lips a breeze.  It provides perfectly even coverage, and allows me to define my lips without bleeding.

We have been seeing these little pots of Tom Ford Cream Color For Eyes [SGD68] pop up with every other season the past year, and now the most popular shades have been made permanent to satisfy those who have been unsuccessful at securing theirs.  And of course, we all know that we are not supposed to keep cream products (especially those for the eyes!) for more than 6 months after their first open date, so now we can get replacements for our beloved shades!

There are 8 shades in the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes family, 3 of which are repromotes.  Unfortunately at the time of my preview, 2 of the shades were unavailable, and I was also not able to swatch all of them for you.  The repromotes [pictured on the left in the earlier picture] are – Platinum and Spice from Holiday 2014 [both reviewed here], and Caviar which looks very similar to the cream shade in the Black Oyster Cream & Powder Eye Color from Summer 2015 [reviewed here].  The 2 shades that I received are Burnished Copper [top right] and Midnight Violet [bottom left].  Swatches for your reference:

• Midnight Violet is a must-have for purple lovers!  It is a gorgeous blackened violet with reddish base and is filled with the most amazing multicoloured shimmers!  It does sheer out quite a bit when applying on the lids, but it is easy to pack on more.  The shimmers are very fine and really only visible up-close and under bright lights, so wear it with ease!
• Burnished Copper is an antique copper that pulls olive green and has a more metallic finish than Midnight Violet.  In terms of pigmentation and opacity, it is very similar to Spice although easier to wear since the color is lighter.

One of the biggest critiques of this season’s releases is the drop in size from previous Cream Color for Eyes.  Apart from the fact that the jars are smaller and taller, the new crop carries only 0.17oz / 5ml versus 0.21oz /6.3ml whilst the price remains the same.  This is a marked increase in price per unit and never a good thing despite the fact that few of us will be making a dent on these jars before their expiration.

As soon as I am able to access the full range, I plan on adding more swatches here – so stay tuned!

To complete the eye look, Tom Ford Eye Definition Eyeliner [SGD56] is the latest addition to the brand’s eyeliner offerings.  Much as I love Tom Ford Beauty, I’ve never had much luck with their eye liners on my heavily hooded lids that are prone to smudging.  So I was very intrigued with these new twist-up and retractable eyeliners.  There are 6 shades all with a matte finish, and I have 2 of them – Black & Azure.

These new Eye Definition Eyeliners are not as smooth as the Eye Defining Pencils [reviewed here], but they are certainly much more long-lasting and budge-proof!  There is sufficient time after applying to smudge and blend, but once they set they do not move even on my lower lash line.  Swatched on the arm, these feel smooth enough, but on the lids they do tend to skip a little but nothing that I can’t live with.  The colors are intense, especially the black shade, which I really appreciate.  Azure is an interesting deep cerulean that I’ve never seen in a liner until now.  I do wish there’s also a built-in sharpener so I can get a defined wing tip when I want.

Here is a makeup look featuring Midnight Violet Cream Color for Eyes and Black Eye Defining Eyeliner, and Infamy Patent Finish Lip Color.  Notice how intense and glossy Infamy is on the lips when worn in its full glory!

On this next makeup look, I applied Burnished Copper Cream Color for Eyes all over my lids, and dabbed on a little Platinum on the inner half.  Also added Black Eye Defining Eyeliners on lash line.  Lips feature a new Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Gloss that I will be reviewing soon.

And here is a makeup look featuring Orchid Fatale Patent Finish Lip Color worn lightly as a stain – notice the brilliant shine despite being sheered out!  This is a very day-wearable lip color despite its blackened hue.

Overall, I would recommend giving these Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Colors a good try if you can… I simply love them! Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes never disappoint and the new shades are really lovely; the Tom Ford Eye Defining Eyeliners pair wonderfully and are bullet proof.  These will be launching in Singapore on 22 February, and will be available permanently!

_{This post featured products that were kindly provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}