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| Tom Ford Moonlight and Solar Gold Lip Shimmers in studio lighting |
The 2014 Summer Beauty Collection from Tom Ford is a modest one. Really quite small, though in no way meager. The high point of the collection is clearly the Eye & Cheek Palette in Unabashed, but perhaps the more unexpected pieces are the two new Lip Shimmers in Moonlight and Solar Gold.
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| Tom Ford Moonlight and Solar Gold Lip Shimmers in studio lighting |
I must admit, when I first heard about these, I thought they were a Lip and Cheek Shimmer, able to be used on the cheeks as a highlighter, as well as on the lips. They have a very phallic shape which is identical to the Lip and Cheek Stain, Tainted Love, from the Fall 2012 Collection. Although, I have been told that they can be used on the face.
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| Tom Ford Moonlight Lip Shimmer in studio lighting |
The Moonlight 01 Lip Shimmer ($49 .1oz/3g) is a pale, creamy, ivory white with faint gold shimmer. Both Lip Shimmers have the typical vanilla scent that is present in Tom Ford lip products. When swatched, it gives the skin a gleaming, silvery, iridescent, sheer white sheen with golden sparkle. Moonlight makes the lips look lighter and pasty. It is almost completely translucent and doesn't add shine, as much as it adds frost. It feels noticeably moisturizing and has quite a bit of slip. It glides across the lips smoothly and effortlessly and feels luxurious on.
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| Tom Ford Moonlight Lip Shimmer swatch with forced flash in studio lighting |
Solar Gold 02 Lip Shimmer ($49 .1oz/3g) is a light medium to medium, warm, coppery gold, with an abundance of yellow gold and silver glitter. When swatched, Solar Gold looks as it would appear to, only remarkably sheer. The same is true when it is applied to the lips. Solar Gold simply adds shine and golden sparkle. It adds no real color, perhaps just a touch of warmth to the lips. Solar Gold feels hydrating, though it doesn't have as much slip. The glitter doesn't cause it to feel gritty or rough, yet it's not as smooth or creamy as Moonlight.
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| Tom Ford Solar Gold Lip Shimmer in studio lighting |
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| Tom Ford Solar Gold Lip Shimmer swatch with forced flash in studio lighting |
When worn over lipsticks, the effects Moonlight and Solar Gold can vary. For the most part, Solar Gold just adds golden sparkle. It doesn't alter the color of the lipsticks it is worn on top of in any way. Moonlight on the other hand, though it is sheer, it is like adding white to a color and tinting it. It some cases it lightens the overall look, creating a pastel and in others, if the lipstick is on the transparent side to begin with, it can create an ashy and frosty look. While Solar Gold will work over most lipsticks, I didn't find many that Moonlight combined well with.
While Solar Gold works better on the lips, Moonlight works better on the skin. Not that they work all that well to begin with. They have an incredibly waxy texture when applied to the skin that sort of sets when applied. They must be blended into the skin extremely well to get rid of the tacky feeling. Moonlight leaves a beautiful prismatic glow, yet after it is smoothed onto the skin, not much of the brilliance remains. Solar Gold on the other hand, once blended, leaves nothing at all behind but particles of glitter.
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| Tom Ford Moonlight and Solar Gold Lip Shimmers in studio lighting |
These are, for the most part, a considerable disappointment for me. Which is a first for me from Tom Ford. So much so, it's been a bit difficult for me to review them. I bought them because I had heard and read that they could be used as highlighters, but these just aren't formulated for use on the face. These are essentially just a overpriced, not quite tinted lip balm, one of which doesn't even achieve the result it's going for. While they feel wonderful and divine, they simply aren't worth it.
For more swatches and reviews, check out The Beauty Look Book and Color Me Loud.
I purchased my Lip Shimmers at Saks. They are also available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale's.
What do you think of Moonlight and Solar Gold? Did you pick anything up from Tom Ford's Summer Collection?