Category: Tom Ford

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What’s In My Makeup Bag – New York Edition! | Blogmas Day #14






















The time has finally come for my birthday trip to New York! This afternoon I am jetting off to NYC with the boyf to celebrate my 21st birthday! This was actually my present from my parents, and it is possibly the best a girl can ask for. However, I have committed myself to Blogmas, and I really want to keep up with posting everyday, so I actually plan on scheduling enough posts until I return on Thursday! I thought I would start off with what makeup I am planning on taking on my trip, as these are some of my favourite posts to read – everyone loves to be nosey…


I will begin by saying that I am by no means a light packer – I like to have options. Having said that I don’t think that I have gone too overboard; I will leave that one up to you.

Face
Because the days will be long, I definitely wanted to bring a primer. One of my all time favourites is the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer (full post here), and as I’ve almost ran out, I thought I would be able to finish it off on the trip. I then decided to bring my tried and true L’Oreal True Match Foundation (review here)- I am bringing two shades (W1 and W4) because I fake tan, and once it fades I need to mix the shades. I am also bringing two concealers: the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard for blemishes and general imperfections and the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair to highlight the face. Moving on to powder products, I am bringing the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light (post here) to set my makeup, and the Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna and the Mac Blush in Harmony for general bronze and contour goodness (check out my recent post for more details on this!). I decided to bring two blushes – my all time favourite Tarte Amazonion Clay Blush in Exposed and Mac Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul. These are quite similar colours, but Exposed is matte and Warm Soul is very shimmery. Finally, I’m bringing my current favourite highlighter theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer (post here).





















Eyes
This category is one that I feel I have actually been quite selective. I had to bring my trusty Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base to keep my eyeshadow looking flawless all day, and I also decided to bring the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Stay On Shadow Paint in Chained for days when I want a quick easy option. I decided to stick to one palette that has everything I need, and this had to be the Lorac Pro Palette – I have a full review and swatches here. This is still quite new to my collection but it is probably my favourite palette, and I know that it will serve me well. Next is the Urban Decay Ink for Eyes liquid eyeliner and for mascara I am bringing the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara. And of course I am bringing an essential to my makeup routine – my Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers and my current eyebrow pencil, the Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde. As a bit of a glamorous addition to my makeup for my trip I thought I would bring a pack of my favourite eyelashes, the Ardell Demi Wispies.  






















Lips
Probably my favourite category, and one that I always struggle to pack for! So I decided to bring the basic choices. For my nude lip option, I have picked the Kiko Precision Lip Pencil in 300 Caffe Latte and the Mac Lipstick in Kinda Sexy. This is one of my favourite go-to combinations at the moment. For a bold red, I chose another Kiko Lip Pencil in 306 Geranium Red and my current obsession, the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red. In case I’m feeling a bold lip that isn’t red, I decided to bring Mac Impassioned, which is another fave of mine. And finally, the newest lipstick in my collection, Tom Ford Leonardo (full post here) just because it’s stunning. For a lip liner to accompany that, I’m bringing Mac Beet Lip Pencil. 

Brushes
The final category is tools. For ease, I will list the brushes I am taking, and if you want to know more about my favourites, check out my posts on brushes here. So from left to right we have: the Real Techniques Setting Brush, the Sigma F25 Tapered Face Brush, the Real Techniques Contour Brush, the Real Techniques Multitask Brush, the Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, the Mac 239 Brush, the Real Techniques Blush Brush and the Mac 217 Brush. I know this may seem like a lot of brushes, but it means that I will have everything I could possibly need on my trip.

I apologise for the incredibly wordy post, but I hope that you enjoyed having a nosey in my makeup bag. Stay tuned tomorrow for all the skincare goodies that will be travelling across the Atlantic with me. 

–RachelElizabeth
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Tom Ford Leonardo | Review and Swatches – Blogmas Day #9






















Tom Ford created a bit of a frenzy recently with the release of his Lips and Boys collection. 50 lipsticks only available for a few days… How could I resist? Since I am trying to save money right now (and I am constantly reminding myself that I am a student) I limited myself to just one shade. After way longer than I wish to admit, I had analysed every shade in the collection and finally picked myself up the gorgeous deep red that is Leonardo…
Leonardo is a very me shade, and that’s probably why I ended up picking it. It’s a dark red that’s a little bit of the blue-toned side, but less so that your typical deep red. I only have two other lipsticks from the brand, but I just can’t get over the formula of these. They come with a hefty price tag, but I don’t think it’s until you actually apply them that you really understand why. Obviously the packaging is truly drool-worthy, but these are probably the most creamy and luxurious lip products out there. The pigmentation is great and the lasting power is decent considering the formula (not that I mind whipping it out and reapplying).
The only thing to bear in mind about this collection – I believe it’s coming out again on the 26th December fyi – that the lipsticks are a bit smaller than the originals. They are 0.07 oz as opposed to 0.10 oz, which does actually make them better gram for gram, but it’s important to remember that you aren’t getting as much. The Lips and Boys lipsticks are £26, whereas the original lip colours are £37, so it is a considerable saving.

I for one will definitely be stalking the Selfridges website on Boxing day for these lipsticks. There were so many shades that I wanted and I am considering giving myself a nice post-christmas treat! Did you manage to snag any of these? What were your favourite shades?
–RachelElizabeth
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Top 5 Luxury Products | Blogmas Day #6

























 It’s that time of year when you can subtly ask your loved ones for those products that you really can’t justify spending your hard-earned cash on. Or maybe you do want to part with your cash but you So today, I wanted to bring to you my favourite luxury products, and ones I think that are really worth it…


We’ll begin with one that I have continually praised – the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (full review here). This stuff is magic. If you have oily skin or you have trouble with your foundation’s longevity in general, then you will love this. This was such a game-changer in my makeup routine that this is my third bottle, and as you can see from the picture, it is on its last legs. When I feel a bit guilty about how much it costs and how quickly I go through it, it is also the perfect product for special occasions. The other base product that had to be mentioned was the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (I have also reviewed this in full here). This is the closest to perfect foundation that I have found. It has a natural finish – somewhere in the middle of matte and dewy. It lasts incredibly on me (especially when paired with the aforementioned primer), and best of all, looks stunning in photographs. This is another product I save for special occasions, but if I could afford to, I would wear this on an everyday basis. 
Moving on to colour products, the first I will mention is the Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna which I dedicated a whole post to recently here. Nars products aren’t quite as expensive as the other brands I’ve mentioned, but it is definitely still luxury. For my complexion, this is the perfect shade to warm up the skin, and the texture and longevity are both incredible. For eyes, the Charlotte Tilbury Colour-Coded Eye Shadow Palette in Dolce Vita is the ultimate in luxury. I definitely plan on writing a whole post on this soon, as it is so stunningly pigmented and perfect for this time of year. She has several different quads if these warm tones aren’t your thing, and they are all beautiful. The final product I will mention are the Tom Ford Lipsticks. I have a few, but the one photographed is Wild Ginger (full post here) which is an extremely vibrant orangey-red. The formulation of these are so pigmented and creamy, and are just a pleasure to apply and wear.
These may not be something that you can easily go out and purchase on a whim, but if you’re in the market to splurge or want to treat someone with something very special, then these would be what I recommend. What are your favourite luxury products?
–RachelElizabeth
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FOTD | Makeup For Glasses

I’m not entirely sure why I’ve never spoken about or worn my glasses on my blog before, but I actually have to wear them everyday in real life. I also have contacts, but I’ve never found them comfortable enough to wear daily, and in all honesty, I actually quite like wearing glasses. The only thing that I find annoying is that makeup ultimately gets swallowed up by the frames, and there are also several factors that I have to consider when adapting my makeup for glasses.

So, my frames are Tom Ford (link here) and they are relatively new. On me I prefer a bigger frame, just because I feel it suits my round face shape. I really like the slight cat eye that these glasses have and I always go for tortoise shell frames as they are less harsh against my light features than black. However looking at them from a distance they practically look black meaning that they go with everything.

The main concept I’m going to focus on in this post is definition. Especially with big frames like mine, your face can get pretty lost and end up looking quite flat. I find it hugely important to pay extra attention to the brows – the key here is for them to look groomed, defined but not so intense that they compete with the frames. Today I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Taupe (full review here). I think it is also important to focusing on defining the lash line, especially when you have light-coloured eyes like me. I always go for a wing, and my favourite eyeliner of the moment is the Urban Decay Ink For Eyes (full post here). Finally, as cliche it may be when it comes to makeup looks for glasses, I love to rock a bold lip as it really balances out the face. Today I was feeling quite autumnal, so I lined my lips with Mac Beet Lip Pencil and then applied the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in 60 Antifashion over the top. I love this lip combo as while it is still a berry, it still brings a lot of light and colour to the face.

I don’t believe that there should be any rules or restrictions you have to abide to when it comes to makeup, but sometimes, especially when you’re in a rush, it is nice to have a go-to look to fall back on. Glasses are a great accessory in themselves, so it often means you don’t have to wear as much makeup to make a statement. Do you wear glasses? What are your tips and tricks? 

–RachelElizabeth
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Tom Ford Wild Ginger

An orangey-red is possibly my favourite lip colour to wear ever. There is something about a bright punchy firey-red that is so striking, yet really flattering and easy to wear. Every time I went to a Tom Ford counter I always had to swatch this on my hand but just couldn’t justify the price tag. Apparently my boyfriend was taking notes as I ended up receiving this as an anniversary present!

Wild Ginger is a bright orange based red. When you first apply this lipstick it is very creamy and leaves quite a creamy and glossy finish but as it wears throughout the day the sheen fades and it becomes more matte. For a creamy lipstick this is surprisingly long lasting – it stayed on my lips through eating and drinking. Also can we take a moment to swoon over the packaging? Stun-ning. 

This is obviously a splurgy purchase at £36, and I wouldn’t say that you need this in your life. If money isn’t an issue then it is definitely a great luxury purchase, or if you love the shade, maybe its something to put on your next christmas or birthday wish list! Having the lipstick, I am absolutely head over heels in love with it and I probably would repurchase or ask for it again if I ran out (however I am one of those weird people that for ages after I get it still apply it from the back so I don’t ruin the embossed TF!)























What is your opinion on luxury makeup? Do you think it’s worth the money?

–RachelElizabeth

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The Naked 3 Weekender | Look 3

Sadly, we have come to an end of my three part series, but I thought I would end it with a bang with this dramatic smokey look. My attempt was to show the versatility of the palette and even though it is ‘rose-hued’ it doesn’t have to look overly pink. I fell in love with the colour Blackheart when I first saw it, and knew I had to include it in one of these looks. 

Look #3 – The Dramatic Smokey
I wanted the eyes to be really dark, so I started with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Zero and put it all over my lid and blended out with a fluffy brush as a base for my eyeshadow. I then put the shade Nooner in the crease as a transition shade, and to keep the smokiness I used Darkside in between the black base and Nooner. I then packed Blackheart onto the lid, and the black base really helped the burgundy shimmer pop. For a bit of interest under the eye, I used the colour Buzz along the bottom lash line and Dust in the inner corner for some added brightness and sparkle. 

To add to smokiness of this look, I lined the upper and lower waterline with the Zero eyeliner I used as a base, and put a thin line of the Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack. As usual, I put heaps of the Chanel Volume de Chanel Mascara. For added drama, falsies would be a great touch. As I would wear this on a night out I contoured with Mac Powder Blush in Harmony (only available in mac pro stores) and used a little of the Mac Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul. I love pairing a nude with deep smokey eyes so that the look is all about the eyes so I chose the Tom Ford Lip Colour in Nude Vanille.



So that concludes The Naked 3 Weekender. I would definitely say that this palette is unique, and I think I will be creating infinite rose-hued looks with it. Is it a must have? For all you Naked and Urban Decay lovers out there it probably is. But for those of you who aren’t as Naked-fanatic as I am, I would suggest picking one up as they my favourite palettes I own. As for which one? If I had to choose, I would probably say that the original Naked Palette is my favourite, because the warm golden tones really suit my colouring.

–RachelElizabeth 
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