Review: Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad in Orchid Haze

This was on my lust list that I posted a little while back, and I’ve finally got it in my grubby little paws. I was going to order another one of the new fall quads too (Seductive Rose) but I decided to hold off because holiday collections are coming up soon. I already have a few Tom Ford quads, and I realized that I haven’t done a full review yet so I might as well start with a brand-spankin-new one, right?

 Packaging

Tom Ford Beauty products are pricey by pretty much anyone’s standards, and when I’m paying a premium I expect not only great performance but above average packaging too. On the packaging front, Tom Ford delivers. The box it comes in is heavy, slightly textured, very glossy cardboard printed with the very simple Tom Ford logo along with ‘technical specifications’ on the product (name, product amount, etc).

Once you crack that bad boy open you find a soft microfiber pouch that encloses the compact. The compact is a rich mahogany color with a gold logo endcap and just like the box, very glossy. It does show fingerprints, but so many things do that I’ve stopped letting that bother me. The compact is larger than most of the other eyeshadow quads I have, but as you’ll see in a moment, there’s a reason for that.

Included are two dual-ended applicators, so you end up with three sponge tips and a brush, which feels like natural hair. The brush feels a little too loose for applying color, and it’s not really big enough to blend with. The pointy one looks like it might be excellent for applying the darkest shade as eyeliner though. I don’t really use included compact applicators, so these immediately went into my box o’ unused applicators – for some reason I seem to be incapable of throwing these things away.

Inside the compact of course is what we all came here for. You can see here why such a large compact – oh my, what big pans you have! There is some space for the applicators (which as always is a bit of a waste, IMO), but the pans are generously sized and take up most of the room. You get a total .35oz/10g, which is quite a bit compared to other high-end quads:

• Chanel – .24oz/6.8g
• Burberry – .19oz/5.4g
• Dolce & Gabbana – .16oz/4.5g

The pans have a nice, big surface area, with plenty of room to get your brush in there. The lid is covered almost entirely by a mirror, which is etched again on the bottom with the Tom Ford type logo.

Colors

As I’ve come to expect from Tom (we’re on a first-name basis by this point), all of the colors are extremely pigmented. This quad is a little unique because it doesn’t have a pressed glitter shade like a lot of the other ones do. Instead you get two shimmers, one that’s more of a satin, and matte shade.

• Top left – champagne shimmer
• Top right – taupe shimmer that pulls a bit rosy in some lights
• Bottom left – dusty pink satin
• Bottom right – matte plum with brown undertones

The colors all work together really well to make a full eye look. They’re subtle enough for everyday wear, or you can build them up/use more of the darkest shade for something more dramatic. I think these would look great on just about any skin tone.

Texture & Wear

All four of the shades are buttery smooth and almost blend themselves. They pick up easily with a brush, and I haven’t experienced any fallout. The matte shade is very soft, so there can be a little bit of excess powder kick-up if you really jam your brush in there. Worn over primer these shadows wear for easily 10+ hours without creasing or fading.

Comparisons

Left to right: Silvered Topaz, Orchid Haze and Crushed Amethyst

In case you haven’t gotten a chance to see these in store yet – or you’re like me and the closest TF counter is a six-hour drive – here are swatches of Orchid Haze against a couple of other Tom Ford quads.

Top: Orchid Haze
Bottom: Crushed Amethyst

Crushed Amethyst is much less neutral-toned and the purples are more reddened. The highlight shade in Crushed Amethyst is also more glittery.

Top: Silvered Topaz
Bottom: Orchid Haze

The colors in Silvered Topaz are more neutral, and the highlight shade is very glittery. You can see in this photo how the colors in the Orchid Haze quad appear a bit different from another angle, which is part of why I love Tom Ford eyeshadows – the colors are really complex.

 In Short: This is a must-have.

Tom Ford Beauty products are available at neimanmarcus.com, bergdorfgoodman.com and saks.com