best of brands: tom ford beauty

Today, I'd like to talk about my guilty pleasure — luxury makeup. For some reason, luxury beauty products are my soft spot. Good for stress-relief, not so good for my wallet. If you ever hack into my Instagram account 'save' section, you'll see my dream list. All that said, playing with new makeup, is a bit like gambling. This is why I started this new series, hoping to make your life a little easier, especially for those who have just only dive into this endless hole of luxury beauty. So welcome! Welcome to a brand new series called ‘Luxury Makeup Favourites'. For round one, I'm starting with the one & only, Tom Ford Beauty.

號外、號外！有新系列了！以前剛開始寫部落格的時候，給自己寫了一系列的文章清單，但很多都沒有實現。為了讓自己執行力好點，決定來好好鞭策一下自己，再度把清單拿出來，其中「彩妝品牌特輯」是一直想寫的，所以就先從它開始吧。就如同字面上的意思，從手邊擁有比較多品項的品牌，挑出五個我最愛的彩妝來跟大家分享。第一篇，就先從讓人又愛又恨的 TOM FORD 下筆吧。

I'm not sure that a brand has ever landed in Asia (Taiwan in particular) with such fanfare as Tom Ford did. As a lover of all things well-packaged, they are right up on my alley. However, I have been a fan long before their grand entrance, I guess that's one of the perks of living overseas. Some brands that come with such noise tend to disappear from one's beauty routine quietly, but I'm pleased to most of Tom Ford items that I picked up from the past two years are still banging around or restocked. So without further ado, let's begin!

據我所知，目前為止應該沒有任何一個品牌和 TOM FORD 一樣，在進駐台灣的時後造成如此大規模的轟動吧，記得當時許多網路平台都以「美妝盛事」來形容。第一次認識這個品牌，是在香港，被那奢華的包裝迷得如癡如醉，買下盤腮紅來滿足一下虛榮心。沒錯，可能我天生反骨，第一眼看上的不是很多人推薦的的唇膏或眼影，而且在準備這篇文章的時候，也發現我愛的都是些相對較冷門的（笑）。不得不說，這塊腮紅，就是讓我入坑的理由，促使我陸陸續續收集了不少 TOM FORD 彩妝。有些時候，討論度較為熱絡的品牌，或許是因為期望與價位太高的關係，身為消費者的我們標準相對也就高些。好在，目前為止用過的 TOM FORD 彩妝，都表現挺好的，大部分都安全飛過我心中的門檻。到底是那些呢？來，讓我們一起看下去！

TRACELESS Foundation spf15

Latest to my Tom Ford Collection, if only I discoveredthis foundation a little sooner, it would definitely be in my Top 5 Foundation blog post. Think extremely glossy base, like the editorial stuff you see on magazines. Sheer & glowy. The staying power is pretty amazing too, about 8 - 12 hours or so. Perhaps that's why the hydration effect isn't the best (for very dry skin). However, I find that you can always make it work if you increase the moisturising level of your morning skincare. I'd say the only downside is the price point, which goes for all Tom Ford products.

首先！先從最新入手的開始說起。這款，我應該到專櫃詢問了不下十次，而且是在世界各國的專櫃（笑）一開始，我其實想要的據說紅毯女星都非常愛的星光完美粉底，但來自世界各地的專櫃小姐都說，我的膚質不適合，建議我選另一款較為清透的星光透亮粉底。不過，不知道是我耳根子硬還怎麽樣，明明每次試完妝都很愛，但就是無法接受我無法買原先想好那罐的事實。總之，這款我其實是兩三週前才購入，從那之後真的是天天用，如果早點擁有它，我一定會寫進之前那篇「最愛五罐粉底」裡面。貼膚性很不錯，5光澤很美很精緻，應該是我手邊最精緻的前三名。用刷具的遮瑕度會比較高，但我自己更愛用美妝蛋上裝呈現的裸妝感。粉底推開後，非常透亮，以乾肌來說持妝度也頗讓人滿意。要光澤有光澤、要遮瑕有遮瑕、要持妝有持妝，除了乾肌人冬天妝前保養要做的充足些外，真的是集所有優點於一身啊。

Cream & powder eye shadow duo

Ahhh…my FAVOURITE Tom Ford product! I just cannot get enough of this Cream and Powder eye shadow duo. It might be my imagination, but I feel like the texture of the cream shadow is a lot better than the Emotional Eye Colour. If you're anything like me, take a tiny bit of the product and smudge it on your eyelid with your fingers and call it a day. If you prefer more shimmer, pat the powder on for some sparkle. It is one of those quick & easy applications that will help you get ready faster and still go through the day with loads of compliment.

單單寫眼影膏，因為我查不到台灣這款的翻譯，大家將就一下（笑）此身最愛的 TOM FORD 產品，沒有之一。我以前是個不上眼影的人，原因很簡單，我不相信自己的技巧。這款膏狀眼影，又是一個適合跟我一樣，喜歡清淡彩妝（新名詞？）的女孩男孩們的產品。我用的是比一粒米更小更小的量（真的很少，必須再次強調）。桃粉色乍看之很搶眼，但其實用手指暈開後，反而很柔和，一點也不浮誇，給人一種特別溫柔的感覺。習慣亮片色的人，可以再沾取一些上層同色系的亮片加強一下，非常簡單快速，身邊同事都因為被我推薦跑去買了，還有人包色（笑）。我自己是還有 BRONZE 這色，通常是特殊活動，或是晚上出去的時候才會用。同樣手指沾取上色，減緩了一般古銅色系眼妝容會有的銳利感，但又能讓雙眼非常有神。總之，推薦給對自己動手畫眼妝沒信心的同學，真的是零技巧呀。

Cheek colour BLUSH in inhibition

My very first Tom Ford product. Now I don't use this every single day, but it's at least used three times each month whenever I feel like dabbling into blushes again — Extremely rare because my face flushes easily, and I just don't think I need anything to highlight that part. So when those days come, the Cheek Colour Blush in Inhibition has been my ride or die blush for ages. Even though now its sort of replaced by Clinique & Charlotte Tillbury, I still consider this up on my alley. The product itself extremely fine, perhaps the most delicate blush I've ever come by, which is why it made it to the list.

就是這款設計師頰彩，讓我跌入 TOM FORD 的深淵，目前手邊共有兩色。必須說，雖身為奢華品牌，粉質細幾乎可以說是基本要求，但這真的是我遇過數一數二極細的，幾乎偵測不到有粉感覺。我不是個太常上腮紅的人，因為我非常容易臉紅，加上季節交替臉會泛紅，所以不太想再特別強調。突然想用的時候，就是TOM FORD、倩碧小花跟 Charolette Tillbury 相互交替使用。前陣子看過一個彩妝教學的影片，說腮紅最怕的就是上起來有色塊，沒暈染好。我想，這就是 TOM FORD 頰彩讓我驚為天人的原因，當初買的時候，還不太會化妝，只覺得上起來好順手，而且也好看，現在終於知道為什麼了。雖然說不管是開架還是專櫃好用的腮紅都非常多，不需要特別買他們家的，但我對這盤 INHIBITION 的喜愛，絕對能榮登單一品牌的排名中。顏色很襯白皮膚人的膚色，但之前給比較健康膚色的朋友試用過效果也很好，所以應該是沒有太多限制。

skin illuminating powder DUO

Just like the Cream & Powder Eyeshadow duo, this is a highlight that I use all the darn time. It might not look like I've used much from the photo, because this is my second palette, lost original one in Brisbane a while ago. The beige/white colour at the top blends to nothing but a sheen (my colour is #1 Moodlight). Meanwhile, the one at the bottom is your classic & flattering champagne tone. I tend to just mix into the both of them for a natural healthy glow look. This concoction creates a beautiful neutral finish on my Asian skin, and it never sits too blue or too pink. You can apply it with your fingertips or work it in a couple times with your brush. Either way, they don't show your skin texture or take away whatever you applied underneath.

如果要我說出最常用的 TOM FORD 彩妝，除了剛入手的粉底外，就是眼影膏跟這盤雙色打亮了。我知道，它看起來非常新，因為它就是新的！上趟去布里斯本玩的時候忘在飯店了，但打電話去的時候他們說找不到（淚）我用的是最淺的 ＃1 MOODLIGHT，上層的米白色，刷在亞洲人的黃皮膚上幾乎是透明的，下層則是很經典的香檳色，我個人喜歡的是方式兩者疊擦。TOM FORD 的粉質非常細，完全沒有亮片，但依舊能看到那道閃閃的裸光。為什麼說是裸光呢，因為太不會給別人你有上打亮的感覺，反而是那種睡很飽或是有認真保養的光澤肌。當初專櫃的彩妝師是用刷具上的，他有說這款的粉質地需要在肌膚上暈久一點的時間，然後盡量用抓粉力強點的刷具，或是用手指輕拍在C字。可能是手有溫度的關係，我覺得輕拍的妝感比較好看，提供給大家參考。

ultra lengthening MASCARA

I haven't felt this way about mascara for a LONG time. I've never tried anything that competes with the Chanel Inimitable Mascara until I found Tom Ford. I know I've said it a million times before, but I like a natural looking eye look. Nothing too dramatic or extreme, which apparently is quite hard to come by. This Ultra Lengthening Mascara holds and separates my lashes exceptionally well, does not smudge at all. If you feel like treating yourself, and you have quite soft lashes as I do, trust me, this is well worth the splurge.

巨星超纖長睫毛膏

來說說，我對睫毛膏的要求吧。我基本上只有纖長跟維持捲翹度的需求，因為本身睫毛很軟，有些走豐盈路線的膏體，都會讓我睫毛下垂，但我偏偏不習慣用燙睫毛器。先前和大家提過我最喜歡的睫毛膏，是CHANEL的深邃大眼睫毛膏，用完之後，實驗精神作祟，一直很想試試其他牌子的，結果瘋狂踩雷（默），尋尋覓覓一路到今年二月，嘗試了 TOM FORD 的巨星超纖長睫毛膏，才找到了媲美心頭好的完美替代品。這款睫毛膏，纖長功效沒話說，刷起來又根根分明，應該是我目前用過分散力最厲害的，看起來比香奈兒自然（對沒錯，睫毛我也是追求自然），除了價格外，各方面在我心中都是超越的，當然這純屬我個人的使用習慣，每個人要求不同。重點是，雖然產品介紹沒特別強調，但這款完全不會暈，剛試用的時候澳洲還是夏天，也是一樣的。

bonus: BRUSHES

These days I do find myself using the beauty blender more than ever — mostly because it's the easiest way to go 'non-cake face' and sheer everything out. However, when I do feel like being fancy on some days, I turn to brushes. And nothing speaks fancy better than Tom Ford brushes. I own four brushes from Tom Ford, an eyeshadow brush, a bronzing brush, a blush brush and the cream foundation brush. I didn't feature the first two because they are made in natural hair, and Tom Ford as reformulated all their brushes to synthetic hair. Though I personally prefer the old formula, the new ones are still in pretty good quality, just a tiny bit denser. And like all Tom Ford products, they are SOOO expensive, but once you've tried it, you know what you are paying for. But I wouldn’t consider this if your are trying your first Tom Ford product, there are many other great ones with a more reasonable price, that’s why I listed these as a ‘bonus’.

之所以說是同場加映，是因為他和腮紅的感覺有點像，市面上有很多好的，不管是專櫃或開價，但一但入手，就會知道他們為什麼那麼貴。我自己有的是，古銅刷、眼影暈染刷、粉底刷跟腮紅刷，前兩款就不介紹了，因為 TOM FORD 在刷具方面做了改變，不再用動物毛了，這兩支 比較早期買的，所以我不知道這合成毛的感受怎麼樣。至於粉底刷的部分，這是我手邊唯一扁平狀的粉底刷，雖然不管用膏狀或是液狀的粉底妝感都很好，但我發現它會吸走很多偏水的粉底液，所以建議大家用稠一點的粉底好些。腮紅刷的部分，抓粉力很夠，我自己不喜歡腮紅太明顯，所以下手會比較輕。不得不說，TOM FORD 的刷具真的很精緻，看得出來不管是製作過程和設計都用盡了心思，但相對的，價錢也就非常「精緻」，所以我並不會覺得這是他們家一定要擁有的東西。當然，如果想好好犒賞自己的話，可以納入考量。

So there you have it, these are Tom Ford Products I’ve been enjoying. Have you tried anything from Tom Ford before? What are your favourites? Also, please let me know what brands you’d like me to feature for the next series, I’ll not them down. x

好咧，這就是一些我個人最愛的 TOM FORD 彩妝，大家用過他們家的彩妝嗎？特別喜歡哪些呢？另外，如果有希望我做別的品牌特輯，可以在底下留言，或是到 FACEBOOK 或 INSTAGRAM 跟我說唷。我如果手邊有的話，立刻來整理。我們下次見啦！