Reviews and Other Stuff

Tom Ford Foundations and Primer Review + Swatches

April 17, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello Everyone! Today’s review is something I’ve always wanted to do. A lot of people talk about Tom Ford cosmetics and really rave about their products, while some also said that it’s just all but a name. The feeling of splurging on something doesn’t necessarily equate to good quality products. That I agree, and with that being said, I feel like in this review I want to talk about my experience with Tom Ford cosmetics in general and also specifically about their foundations and primers. For me, I love Tom Ford beauty products even though they are pricey, I think they do have good quality stuff apart from their fancy luxurious packaging. However, not all of their stuff is worth splurging into, and a lot of it really depends on your skin type and chemistry, as well as your personal preferences. For example, I know everyone’s crazy about their lipsticks, it’s like a girl must have at least a few Tom Ford lipsticks in her vanity just because it’s Tom Ford and everyone has it. While it’s good to have a few Tom Ford lipsticks that you actually like, I don’t think that all of Tom Ford’s lipstick line is worth hoarding into. I like a lot of Tom Ford lipsticks but they can be a hit or a miss on me. However, I do love their foundations and one of their primers. They’re the type that once you’ve applied it to your skin, you’re like “wow” and mind you, the TF Foundations and primers never disappoint.

I started loving the Tom Ford foundations and one of their primers when I met an SA who looked like she was probably around her 50’s but her face looked like it was frozen in time. She literally had a face of a teenager, even though her hands revealed her true age. So I got curious and asked her what’s her secret. She said she uses La Mer and Tom Ford. Hmmm, interesting. Anyhow, from then on, I’ve been a Tom Ford foundation devotee.

Primer

Illuminating Primer (1 oz: $75) – The SA with the frozen face in time gave me a sample of this and I fell in love with this primer right away. I had to go to Nordies to get it in full-size. This primer is so good and it’s still the best or one of the best primers I’ve ever tried. It’s basically a primer/skincare that helps the skin fight free radicals while making the makeup last a long time. The finish is dewy but not overly so, and the texture is so smooth and creamy that it almost feels like a moisturizer. It has a bit of a weird silicon smell which I got used to and didn’t actually bother me, but for some, it might be too much. This works really well with any of the Tom Ford foundations and it gives a subtle glow to the face.

Foundation

Traceless Foundation Broad Spectrum Spf 15 in 4.0 Fawn (1 oz: $85) – This is Tom Ford’s lightest and most luminous foundation, kinda like a tinted moisturizer because the coverage is sheer to medium. It’s a great foundation to use every day because it has Spf 15 and some skin nourishing properties. This feels really easy on the face and the Fawn shade is great for covering some redness, especially for someone with a light to medium skin tone.

Traceless Perfecting Foundation Broad Spectrum Spf 15 in 4.7 Cool Beige (1 oz: $85) – This is a medium to full coverage TF foundation and my most favorite Tom Ford foundations of all. I fell in love with this foundation immediately because this also feels very lightweight and the coverage is not too sheer and not too thick. It goes really well with the Tom Ford Illuminating Primer and it lasts practically the whole day and more on me. This also has a skin-nourishing complex and an Spf 15, so I’ve never had any breakout issues with this and I didn’t notice this foundation to oxidize at all. This pretty much feels like a second skin with its natural finish that doesn’t cake and it holds its coverage even in humid weather or against sweat. The Cool Beige shade matches my skin very well when I have minimal redness on the face.

Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in 4.5 Ivory (1 oz: 85) – If you want a foundation that won’t budge in any kind of weather, especially in super-humid weather, well look no further because this TF Waterproof foundation is the answer. It’s a full-coverage foundation that will stay on your face no matter what. The packaging feels really tiny compared to most TF foundations but you only need to put a little bit in order to get a nice full coverage on the face. Despite being a full-coverage foundation, this still feels creamy and lightweight. It has a natural to satiny finish and as it doesn’t cake. I like this a lot and I wear this when I have to spend a lot of time outdoors or when going to the beach, I just have to wear a good sunscreen underneath and this doesn’t clog my pores at all. On top of that, this has no strong scents. This is definitely the longest lasting breathable high-coverage foundation I’ve ever tried and I love the Ivory shade which is also very close to the Fawn shade as you can see in the swatches below.

I haven’t tried the TF Traceless Foundation Stick but that’s on my wishlist for the next Sephora Beauty Insider Event this coming weekend. I sort of stayed away from foundation sticks before since my skin is on the oily side and the sticks tend to be somewhat sticky and thick. But this Tom Ford Foundations Stick won’t be missed for sure and will update you soon as to what I think about it.

Bottom line, the Tom Ford foundations are truly worth splurging into but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any cons. First, even though they’re such good foundations, I find that their Spf is really low, I guess that’s to minimize oxidation. Second, it’s true that their packaging is really unique, beautiful, luxurious and easy to use, yet they can be somewhat flimsy and impractical to dispense. Third, some can have strong scents that are not for everyone and Lastly, their foundations are really expensive. However, I find the Tom Ford foundations to have the best texture and wearability when it comes to foundations. They have such nice smooth finishes without any caking on the face. Their foundations are reliable to wear for any occasion and are long-wearing. They also feel very lightweight and they work with the skin’s texture quite well. On top of that, they make the skin look poreless and naturally balanced, and with their beautiful luxe packaging, they’re true to what they’re made to be.

Have you tried these foundations already? Are you a Tom Ford fan? If so, why?

These Tom Ford Foundations and Primer are currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Net-A-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, and Harrods

Dior Addict Lacquer Plump Review + Swatches

April 13, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Whaddup Everybody! Happy Weekend! Anyone shopping for the Rouge First Access Sephora Beauty Insider Event? Oh, I’ve got my wishlist right in my pocket. If you haven’t seen what’s inside it, click HERE more details.

Here’s something to look forward to when you hit Sephora today or this weekend. I just recently tested the newly-released lip product from Dior, the Dior Addict Lacquer Plump (0.18 oz for $37). It is a plumping lip stain that is comfortable on the lips and also long wearing, according to Dior’s description. I was really excited to get my hands on this particular lip product because I’m a big fan of Dior lippies especially the Rouge Dior Liquid (seen HERE) and the Dior Addict Lip Glow (reviewed HERE). I purchased two shades online that I seemed to like based on the swatches I’ve seen at Dior’s website and Sephora’s. When I received them, I thought the packaging is really pretty and different. It is sort of shaped like a lipstick inside and the brush applicator looks robust and well-made.

Upon application, I noticed a very slight floral scent that really didn’t bother me since it fades away immediately. The formula feels a bit cooling on the lips but I didn’t notice any plumping effect at all. It feels very much like a glossy lip stain but not very glossy like a patent finish. It reminds me a lot of the YSL Glossy Stain (seen HERE) and is also very similar to the Dior Addict Lip Tattoo (swatches HERE) especially with the way the formula stains the lips, like being lightweight and very pigmented. However, unlike the Lip Tattoo which dries into something of a natural to a satin finish, this Dior Addict Lacquer Plump has a glossy finish and it stays that way all the time.

The formula never dried nor chapped my lips after hours of wear and it is indeed lightweight, creamy, non-sticky, and overall very comfortable to wear, but the application can be streaky and may require you to put a bit more of product on the lips since the coverage can be patchy at times. Although it has a medium to full coverage, I find myself constantly swiping the brush on my lips to get that good amount of color.

With that being said, I really love the shades that I picked even though I have never swatched them in-store. I’m inclined to think that the shades in this lineup must be all pretty because the shades I got are not only very wearable, they really do brighten the face with such nice pop of color. However, I find that their swatches online are very misleading because the actual shades of these lipsticks are so different than when applied to the lips and are also very different than by just looking at their packaging alone. Some of the colors appear bright and washed-out on the packaging and can also look very different in the brush, some mostly turn out to be darker in tone especially if you have pigmented lips. So I suggest probably to take a closer look at these lipsticks in-store or look at the swatches online very carefully before you decide.

426 Lovely-D – Rosy Nude. In Sephora’s website, this shade looks like dark red (yes that’s weird), but it’s actually a medium nude beige in real life. I love this shade as an everyday lip color and it suits really well if you have a fair to light or light-medium skin tone. Even medium and deep skin tones can rock this as a perfect nude lip color.

456 Dior Pretty – Rosewood. More like a rose berry shade actually, and it’s a very pretty shade that truly brightens the face but not looking over the top. It’s actually a darker shade than it looks on the packaging and in my arm swatch. I find this color to transform into a shade darker once applied on the lips.

I love both of these shades and they are really pretty but I feel like they’re not true to what Dior described about them as being plumping. They do leave a good amount of stain on the lips but you may still have to reapply after eating or drinking. Somehow, I wanted to buy more shades of these but I’m kind of holding back because it’s quite too similar to YSL’s Glossy Stain or the Dior Addict Lip Tattoo, both of which I already have. So, I’ll probably just save my money for some other better liquid lipsticks out there, especially some other new releases like the Tom Ford Lip Lacquer.

Overall, this is a very good Dior liquid lipstick that has a good staining power and with a comfortable formula. It also has a pretty packaging and some very lovely wearable shades to choose from. So, I recommend this lipstick if you don’t own a lot of Dior liquid lipsticks already or are just venturing into Dior lip products, and with the sale going on at Sephora nowadays, you may wanna look into this particular lipstick, just don’t expect any plumping effect of this because you most likely won’t get it.

The Dior Addict Lacquer Plump is currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, JCPenney, Selfridges, and Lord & Taylor,

Ciao folks! until next time…

Samples of The Week: Byredo & Creed Fragrances

April 11, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Heard about Byredo and Creed Perfumes before? I’m sure you’ve seen their one of a kind bottles in several bloggers’ posts. Both Byredo and Creed’s packagings are really pretty and they’re something you don’t typically find in most beauty stores like Sephora or Ulta, plus, they seemed really fancy and well-curated. I wanted to see what’s the fuss with these two fragrance makers, and I wanted to know if their scents are actually as amazing as their beautiful bottle containers. In addition to that, most of their perfumes are on the expensive side, so I wondered if their prices also correspond with having an exquisite scent. Since each of their bottles can be pricey, I decided to try their sample vials online. It’s a good way to test their scents before actually pulling the trigger of buying the regular-sized bottles. In Byredo’s website, you can purchase their six iconic fragrances or bestsellers in 2 ml vials which costs $20 per person and per month only. Within 14 days, you’ll receive a $20 voucher (via email) that you can use to purchase at byredo.com. The voucher is valid only within 6 weeks after receiving it. In Creed’s case, you can only pick three 2ml vials of any fragrance you want to sample per person for $30. Interested with my verdict for these two very interesting fragrance makers?

Creed

Before all these, I have never seen nor tried any Creed products before, not even in-store. All I know is that they not only make perfumes, they also make soaps, aftershaves, perfumed oils, lotions, deodorants and some more. Anyway, I picked three of their bestselling scents and here they are.

Spring Flower (1 oz: 215- 17 oz: $780) – This scent has the perfect blend of something very fresh, fruity, and floral at the same time. It’s hard not to keep sniffing it because it’s really quite breathtaking, especially because there are notes of bergamot, apple, apricot and something else. Then it dries down into something rosy and slightly musky in a delightful way. I love this scent a lot and I’m quite tempted to get it in a large size, even more so because of its feminine pink bottle with a nice bow. But that’s not the only reason. The lasting power of this fragrance is pretty much for the whole day and it has kept me loving it all throughout. This truly is a scent of a blossoming Spring flower.

Virgin Island Water (1 oz: $215, 17 oz: $780) – This scent is a mixture of coconut and lime, with some alcohol in it. The scent didn’t quite appeal to me when I first tried it because it smelled like virgin coconut oil, and I’m not much of a coconut lover, be it for food or scent. Also, I thought the dry down was annoying. Later on, as I kept trying this scent, I realize that it’s actually quite interesting and really appealing, like a vacation mode type of scent. I noticed that the scent is actually on the fresh/fruity side with its notes of bergamot and mandarin. You could still smell the hint of coconut in this perfume, but this is definitely one of the best smelling coconut-infused fragrance I’ve ever tried.

Aventus For Her (1 oz: $270-34 oz: $1,600) – This is the feminine version of Creed’s most popular masculine fragrance, The Aventus. This scent smells really good at first spritz, but just as I had predicted, this is quite a manly scent. It is musky but in a more fruity way (berries), and it’s very long-lasting. The scent practically lasts the whole day and then the next. I did notice that this has a very nice unique dry down which is something lightly musky and sweet. I can see the appeal of this scent, especially when you smell its middle notes of sandalwood and musk, a commanding blend of scents that is both unforgettable and classic.

Byredo

Just as what I’ve said about my experience with Creed fragrances, I’ve also never tried any Byredo fragrances before. I know that they make all sorts of products with their fragrances like soaps, lotions, oils, etc. However, I do have one of their scented candles, the Tree House.

Blanche (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This scent smells like white cotton or strong linen mixed with something like white floral. It’s a clean and pure scent but for me, I find it to be too strong. I’m not much of a fan of cotton or linen scents, but I can see the appeal that this scent will do to others.

Mojave Ghost (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This is probably the most amazing and the most unusual scent I’ve ever tried. It is somewhat woody, slightly musky, sweet, fresh and something else. In other words, this fragrance is SO good and hands down one of the best I’ve ever tried. There’s berries, sandalwood, magnolia, and cedarwood, etc. in it, and there’s nothing quite like this unique scent. It is intriguing and mysterious like its catchy name. On top of that, it is long-lasting, so that makes this scent my new fave and definitely a must-have.

Bal D’Afrique (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This is another amazing scent that kind of reminds me of the Mojave Ghost above but with a fruitier blend. This scent will remind you of sunshiny days with its lemon, neroli, African marigold, amber, musk, and cedarwood blend. It’s definitely a unique lively scent that’s kind of fruity and floral at the same time.

Rose Of No Man’s Land (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – With strong notes of rose and pepper, I find this particular fragrance to be too strong. There’s a lot of alcohol notes in this at first spritz and it dries into a strong musky rose scent. It’s a pity because I like the name of this particular fragrance and how it’s dedicated to nurses, but I’m just not into this kind of strong scent. On the other hand, this scent kind of reminds me of those Chloe Perfumes, but I actually still prefer the Chloe scents over this.

Gypsy Water (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230, 250 ml: $240) – This very popular scent by Byredo is light, clean, and crisp, yet it’s vibrant and very fresh with its notes of lemon, pepper, juniper berries, and pine. The dry down is not bad as well, I could sense a faint vanilla and sandalwood at the end. However, the scent is not very long-lasting on me, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Also, I really dig its super catchy name. How did Byredo come up with such unique names for their fragrances? I’m curious.

La Tulipe (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – Probably my most disliked scent of all Byredo fragrances. To me, this smells like dish soap. Too strong, too weird, and too sharp. Its notes of cyclamen, rhubarb, and freesia are just too much for my nose and it doesn’t last long enough for me. It has a similar kick to the Blanche scent that also didn’t appeal to me.

So far, I think I kind of prefer the Byredo fragrances more than the Creed scents because I feel like Byredo’s fragrances are more of my generation’s type. I also notice that I tend to like a lot of the fragrances from their lineup. Plus their unique, sleek, chic and minimalist packaging really appeals to me. Creed has very nice styles on their bottles too and they also have some of the most unique and complex blends of scents that are extremely long-lasting compared to Byredo’s. But they’re also very very expensive. So far, with the Creed scent, I seem to like the Spring Flower a lot and I’m slowly enjoying the Virgin Island Water yet I still couldn’t make up my mind for it. For the Byredo fragrances, I have my eyes set on the Mojave Ghost and the Bal D’Afrique, which are two scents that are slightly quite similar to each other but I love them both a lot. I’m also wavering whether I should pursue the Gypsy Water with its very fresh tropical scent but with questionable longevity.

Which of these fragrances are your faves? Have you tried any Creed or Byredo fragrances before?

To purchase the Creed fragrance samplers, click here

To purchase samples of Byredo’s iconic fragrances, click here