REVIEW & SWATCHES: NUDE DIP LIMITED-EDITION FALL 2014 EYE COLOR QUAD

It ‘s no secret that the item I have been coveting most from TOM FORD Beauty’s Fall 2014 Color Collection is the Nude Dip Eye Color Quad. Those who follow me on instagram in particular have gained some special insight into exactly how obsessed I have become with this quad. Thankfully, I know for a fact that I am not the only one who has been lemming this release since our first sneak peek all those months ago. This is going to be the IT palette of 2014 and I hope for everyone’s sake that the supply of this limited-edition beauty is plentiful.

Thanks to the kind folks at TOM FORD Beauty, I have the honor of reviewing a few of the items from the Fall Collection before they are officially released. Is it any surprise that I chose to start  with a review of  the star of the Fall release? No? I didn’t think so.

Dear readers, I bring you… NUDE DIP.

NUDE DIP LIMITED-EDITION EYE COLOR QUAD ($79)

The focus of the Fall Color Collection is monochrome color that uses light and shadow to achieve a defined and alluring look.  The goal for the eyes in particular is a softly sculpted look achieved with various skin-toned shades. The Nude Dip Quad and complementary Mocha Rush Extreme Mascara are designed to give us that look. According to TOM FORD Beauty, “Nude Dip contains one-of-a-kind technology that wraps concentrated pigments for a color-true, highly polished, multi-dimensional look. May be applied dry for a sleek and shimmering look or wet for a bold effect.”

Before we get into the color edit, let’s talk about the formula. Nude Dip uses the same amazing pressed powder wet/dry formula that we were first introduced to with the Emerald Lust and Enchanted Eye Color Quads. The texture is absolutely beautiful. When dry the uber-pigmented shadows apply smooth as silk and feel almost creamy. When wet? They are amazingly cool on the eyelids and the pigmentation is even more phenomenal.

The shadows wear beautifully with no fallout and last for at least 8 hours without having to reapply (it’s possible they would have lasted longer but I had to go to sleep!).

THE COLOR EDIT

This is a carefully edited collection of shimmery nudes that work together to create a striking but soft look.  When it comes to pictures and swatches, the shimmer in the quad can make it a bit challenging to capture accurate color because it truly is multi-dimensional and looks different at various angles. The truest I could capture is this:

And some close-ups of the various shades:

Top left: pale gold

Top right: golden peach champagne

Bottom left: beautiful taupe

Bottom right: a lovely bronze-toned deep brown

And now for the swatches… please bear with me as I swatched this what seemed like a million times to try to capture the multi-dimensional look of this quad.

NUDE DIP SWATCHES (DRY)

Top: direct sun, no flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)/Bottom: natural light, no flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

Top: shadow with flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)/Bottom: shadow, no flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

NUDE DIP SWATCHES (WET)

Top: direct sun, no flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)/Bottom: natural light, no flash (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

NUDE DIP SWATCHES (DRY VS. WET)

Top left: pale gold, dry/wet (natural light/shade)

Top right: golden peach champagne, dry/wet (natural light/shade)

Bottom left: taupe, dry/wet (natural light/shade)

Bottom right: deep bronze brown, dry/wet (natural light/shade)

I hope those swatches give you an idea of the dimension in these colors. It is such a versatile quad and will work on any skintone.

ORCHID HAZE/NUDE DIP/ENCHANTED COMPARISON

Finally, I have one more round of swatches for you. A few people had asked how this compares to Enchanted in terms of the color edit, so I decided to swatch each color against the corresponding shade in Enchanted and Orchid Haze. As you’ll see, Nude Dip is decidedly more neutral in its edit, with no violet/purple tendencies.  Enchanted is much cooler and there is not a lot of similarity in the individual shades at all. The taupe color in Orchid Haze is reminiscent of the taupe in Nude Dip, but the darkest color is a striking aubergine verse the deep bronze of Nude Dip.

Top Left: soft pink with peach tones/pale gold/frosty pink (natural light/shade)

Top Right: mid-toned taupe/golden peach champagne/peach-toned pink (natural light/shade)

Bottom Left: rose-toned mauve/taupe/mauve (natural light/shade)

 Bottom right: aubergine/deep bronze brown/burgundy-toned brown (natural light/shade)

FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope all of these swatches and close-ups give everyone a better idea of what the colors look like.  As I said, it’s difficult to capture the true beauty of this quad, but I think I managed to do that here. It’s most definitely the IT quad of the season and it WILL sell-out.

The original release date was set to be September, but by all accounts that has been moved up to mid-to-late August in the U.S.  When I have an exact date I will let you know, but if interested I suggest you pre-order with your favorite TF sales associate. I plan to purchase back-ups for myself!

Final word: Nude Dip is a must-buy for nude/neutral lovers everywhere. It is such a versatile quad and perfect for a nude smokey eye!

Next-up: Softcore Contouring Cheek Duo!

What do you think of Nude Dip? Will you be buying?

TOM FORD BEAUTY Eye Color Quad in Nude Dip ($79)

Buy It Now: TOM FORD Online (SOLD OUT) / Bloomingdales / Harrods / Neiman Marcus / Saks Fifth Avenue (Pre-Order)

Disclosure: PR sample provided for consideration. All opinions are my own.

All images taken by me and subject to copyright