September 20, 2011

Tom Ford lipstick.

I was in NYC this weekend, and tried to squeeze in all the shopping I could stand. I barely had time to make it to Bergdorf's, but when I did, I beelined straight for the Tom Ford counter. Aside from scoring a nice sample of Amber Absolute perfume, I took the opportunity to try out the new lipsticks.


So. Are they worth the 48$ price tag?

Well, the packaging is sublime.

And it has all kinds of wonderfully emollient properties and exotic ingredients (like murumuru butter), as the saleslady assured me. It definitely felt soft, creamy and plush going on.

The color I tried on is the one in the picture here, called Crimson Noir. It's a universally flattering deep red, rendered almost neutral by a hint of brown. The pigments, I was told, are not comparable to anything out there. And the lipstick was indeed very pigmented and opaque, without sacrificing smoothness of application.

So if I were inclined to spend about 50$ on a lipstick, this would be a strong contender. But...I just can't see myself doing that. My apologies for not having a 'live' picture of the item as a result. I just couldn't make myself spend that kind of cash. It is without a doubt a great lipstick - just not noticeably better than what is offered by Chanel, Guerlain and other luxe lines for a (somewhat) more reasonable price.

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Availability: Bergdorf Goodman, and I assume other higher-end department stores that carry Tom Ford counters. (In Canada, probably Holt Renfrew.) Price is 48$ in the US, no doubt more in Canada. (!!)

Pros: Beautiful, scrupulously edited range of colors. Plush, creamy texture. Stunning packaging. Status symbol. 

Cons: Price is insane.

(I did not purchase this item, and it was only tested in the store.)