The first images from the TOM FORD Spring/Summer 2012 Campaign hit WWD this weekend along with some info on the shoot itself.

According to WWD, the campaign, lensed by designer Tom Ford himself, will officially drop in March magazines including the usual suspects (Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar). The images released so far are a definite departure from the highly stylized Fall/Winter 2011 shots by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The emphasis here isn’t on sex and glamour–it is much more lighthearted and playful, and it isn’t something we typically see in a TOM FORD campaign.

I love the clothing featured in these two shots–these were two of my favorites from the lookbook.

UPDATE (January 10, 2012): The remaining images from the shoot with Mirte and Mathias have now made their way online. I have to say, I really like this campaign the more I study it. It’s sassy and fresh in a way that is completely unexpected. I am a fan.

What do you think of the campaign? Love it? Hate it?

Images courtesy of TOM FORD and WWD

I know what you’re thinking.

TOM FORD Beauty’s Cheek Color in Love Lust looks like it may be a perfect dupe for NARS Orgasm. Right? Right?

Wrong.

Love Lust is the first blush I have purchased from the newly launched TOM FORD Beauty Color Collection.  Upon first glance, I agree, it really does look like a possible dupe for Orgasm.  Thankfully, that is not the case at all. In my opinion, Love Lust actually succeeds where NARS Orgasm fails. It manages to emulate that very flush — you know the one I am talking about — without being overly pink or shimmery.

It absolutely is special… and it has quickly become my go-to blush.

LOVE LUST CHEEK COLOR

Symmetrical, sculpted cheekbones are vital to creating the Tom Ford look. This sumptuous powder blush delivers layers of possibility, from a sultry glow to a more dramatic, color-rich look. Formulated with spherical pearls and rich emollients, it glides onto skin with the comfort of a cream, achieving outstanding luminosity and a velvety transparency. – TOM FORD Beauty

The first thing you’ll notice about Love Lust is its gorgeous peachy-pink hue and smooth velvety texture.  This is a very finely milled formula that applies with an almost cream-like consistency (must be all those spherical pearls and rich emollients).

Upon close inspection, it becomes evident that Love Lust is a warm golden brown-based peach with pink tones. This combination makes it look almost coral, but in actuality it wears more like a true peach on my NW/NC25 skin.

TEXTURE & PIGMENTATION 

This is where Love Lust really shines.

As mentioned above, this particular blush is so finely milled that it has a rather powdery consistency. If you use a dense brush (like the TOM FORD Cheek Brush) to pick up color you will have some powder fallout on the pan. That being said, you can except a flawless finish when applied.

It is really rather remarkable… I see a small dusting of powder rise every time I swipe this pan, but when I apply it to my face it glides on smoothly and imparts the loveliest peach glow.  There is no heavy sheen or shimmer to be found here (unlike NARS Orgasm)… just a gorgeous flush of color.

Varying the amount of powder you initially pick-up allows you to easily customize your application and make it as sheer or opaque as you like. The best part is that the formula is so deeply pigmented that:

1. You don’t need to be heavy-handed for great color payoff;
2. It won’t oxidize and change color;
3. It lasts forever.

I mean FOR. EVER.

12 hours forever, with no touch-ups needed, and counting.

Did I mention how velvety and smooth it is?

Exhibit A:

Love Lust up-close in natural light

Did I mention the ultra-fine shimmer?  Again, this is so finely milled that instead of coming across frosty, as shimmers often do, these particles blend melt into your skin and leave a subtle peach glow.

Exhibit B:

Love Lust up close in direct sun

Plus, it’s just so pretty to look at.

Soooo pretty.

My precious.

Sorry, where were we?

SWATCHES

Although some may say that Love Lust is best suited for warmer skin tones, I believe it is neutral enough to work on both warm- and cool-toned complexions.

Here are two swatches of Love Lust, one taken in direct sun and one in shade. You can see some of the shimmer picked up in these photos, but when applied to the face with a brush (as opposed to your arm for swatch purposes) that sheen is easily diffused.

Beautiful, no?

Love Lust is my first TOM FORD Cheek Color but it definitely won’t be my last.

Will you be buying LOVE LUST?  

Have you tried any of the other cheek colors in the collection?  

All images taken by me and subject to copyright

~~~~~~~THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED~~~~~~~

As 2011 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your support these past few months. When I launched Full Time Ford in June I didn’t know what to expect, but through your visits, emails, and comments it has become crystal clear that the admiration and respect I have for Tom Ford is shared by countless others. I am thrilled that Full Time Ford has become one of your go-to places for the latest news on TOM FORD and look forward to continuing the journey in 2012! Now, on to the fun stuff…

I’ve made it pretty clear that I adore the products TOM FORD Beauty has launched so far. I know I still owe you reviews on quite a few of the items I purchased, but I want to spread the love a bit by offering you a chance to win some of my favorites!  Please note: This giveaway is not sponsored by TOM FORD or TOM FORD Beauty and the products were not given to me–I will be purchasing them myself for the winner!

THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE (~$200 value):

(1) TOM FORD Beauty Eye Quad in their choice of color

(1) TOM FORD Private Blend Lip Color in their choice of color

(1) TOM FORD Brow Sculptor in their choice of color

(1) TOM FORD Nail Lacquer in their choice of color

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To Enter the Giveaway (required):

• Leave a comment here telling me which colors you would choose if you win (you can find them on Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and TOM FORD).

For Extra Entries (optional):

• Like the newly launched Full Time Ford page on Facebook and let me know you did so in the comments below.
• Like the official TOM FORD Facebook page and let me know you did so in the comments below.
• Follow Full Time Ford on Bloglovin’ and let me know you did so in the comments below.
• Follow me on Twitter and let me know you did so in the comments below.
• Tweet the following and let me know you did so in the comments:   Have you entered @BeautifullyInv’s TOM FORD Beauty giveaway? Win her favorites on Full Time Ford: http://su.pr/1Jm8Vr #TOMFORDBEAUTY

Rules, Etc:

• You must enter the giveaway by midnight EST on January 9th, 2012.
• Giveaway is open to international residents.
• Winner will be selected using random.org.
• Winner will be announced on January 10th, 2012.
  • They will have 3 days to contact me (admin@fulltimeford.com) with their information or a new winner will be drawn.

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Well, what are you waiting for?!  Good luck!!!

Earlier this month, I shared my thoughts on the Silvered Topaz Eye Color Quad from TOM FORD Beauty. Today I want to take a look at one of the neutral options in the Color Collection: Golden Mink. Before we delve into the review, however, let’s talk about that $78 price tag.

THE COST BREAKDOWN

I know that $78 sounds like a rather large sum to be spending on an eyeshadow quad. It is. But before balking at that hefty price tag, consider this: each TOM FORD Eye Color Quad contains 10 grams (0.35 oz) of product. This is significantly higher than most other brands.

To break it down further:

• TOM FORD Eye Color Quad:  10 grams = $7.80/per gram = $78.00
• MAC Single Eyeshadow ($15.00): 1.5 grams = $10.00/per gram = $100 TOM FORD equivalent
• YSL Pure Chromatics Palette ($48.00): 5 grams = $9.60/per gram = $96 TOM FORD equivalent
• Dior 5 Couleurs Palette ($59.00): 6 grams = $9.84/per gram = $98.40 TOM FORD equivalent
• Chanel Les 4 Ombres Palette ($57.00): 6.8 grams = $8.38/per gram = $83.80 TOM FORD equivalent

TOM FORD quads are actually the best value out of the examples listed above! You get a lot of product in these quads and when you consider that the cost per gram is less than $8.00… well, that $78.00 price tag doesn’t seem so scary anymore, does it?

THE COLOR EDIT

Golden Mink is a beautiful neutral eyeshadow quad. Unlike the other quads in the Color Collection, Golden Mink comes with two glitter shades to complement the buttery softness of the satin colors. That being said, this quad is definitely on the softer side when it comes to the color edit.  The glitter is not overwhelming and instead almost gives the eye a wet look when patted on. It is perfect if you want to create a subtle bronze smokey eye.  If you want something more vibrant you may want to seek out its sister quad, Cognac Sable.

In terms of longevity, I experienced about an 8 hour wear-time and absolutely no fallout from the gold and bronze glitters. Quite impressive.

GOLDEN MINK UP-CLOSE

Let’s take a closer look at the quad and see what it really looks like. First up, the texture and color:

Top left:  soft  pale yellow-gold with glitter

Top right: peachy-bronze with glitter

Bottom left: cool beige-based taupe (shimmery satin finish)

Bottom right: cool soft chocolate-based brown (shimmery satin finish)

The complete color edit, direct sun vs. natural light (shade):

Golden Mink (direct sun)

Golden Mink (shade)

 And finally, some swatches:

Top: direct light (bottom left, bottom right, top right, top left)/Bottom: shade (bottom left, bottom right, top right, top left)

Gorgeous, no?

Do you own Golden Mink? What do you think of it?

All images taken by me and subject to copyright

If my inbox is any indication, I know many, many of you have been looking for the full version of the Tom Ford episode of Visionaries.

If you haven’t been able to catch the documentary on the Oprah Winfrey Network yet–or if you are just dying to watch it again–it looks like you are in luck!  The full episode has now been posted on vimeo by unofficial sources.  Translation: I don’t know how long it will be available for viewing, but check it out while you can!

Don’t forget to catch the deleted scenes when you are done!

Image by Sara Singh via WWD

Is it any surprise that TOM FORD Beauty won the award for Prestige Brand Launch of the Year at the ninth annual WWD Beauty Inc Awards?  Demand for the line is high, products like Bitter Bitch nail lacquer are already reaching cult status, and the quality rivals the best available right now.

According to WWD, industry sources report TOM FORD Beauty already has sales of $150 million globally due to the success of the fragrance line.  That number is expected to grow to a staggering $400 – $500 million in the next five years.   I wouldn’t be surprised if it surpassed that as the offerings are expanded.  Having tried quite a few products from the line (reviews here with still more to come), I have no doubt this honor is much deserved.

Congratulations to everyone at TOM FORD Beauty!

There has been a lot of talk about Karlie Kloss’s December 2011 Vogue Italia shoot recently.  The buzz turned into outright controversy when the publication decided to pull one of the images from their site.  You can read more about that here.

I, however, want to focus on a different shoot here.  Karlie—who happens to be one of my favorite models—looks absolutely amazing in Numéro #129.  Lensed by Greg Kadel and styled by Elizabeth Sulcer, the images are as raw and gritty as they are luxurious.  Karlie wore a number of different designers for the shoot, including Cavalli, McQueen, Pucci and Ferragamo, but here is the TOM FORD money shot:

Karlie is wearing the Raspberry Backless Rouched Tulle Cocktail Dress, RubyVelvet Waist Cincher and Red Degradé Kidassia Fur jacket.

Gorgeous, right?  Click here to check out the rest!

Photoshoot Details:
Numéro #129
Photographer: Greg Kadel
Stylist: Elizabeth Sulcer

Image via fashion4addicts