Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Shadow Quad For Fall 2014

The hype and mayhem surrounding the release of Nude Dip, the new Tom Ford Eye Color Quad for Fall 2014, did little to endear the brand to me. There were teaser photos months ago that made just about everyone feverish with desire for this palette. I know that I can't help it: a super-luxurious collection in easy-to-wear everyday neutral. It's irresistible. When it's also a limited edition the madness is obvious (remember Bobbi Brown's original Chocolate palette from Fall 2006?) . And then it started to look like the palette was going to sell out during pre-sale and will never even make it online, at least in the US. So I pre-ordered it by phone, which I normally hate to do. And not that it was easy. The counter at Bergdorf dodged phone calls, so I turned to Saks flagship store, but it took playing phone tag and spending a total of 45 minutes on hold before I could place my order. At least they were willing to sell and send me the palette right away. My friend CharlestonGirl from Best Things In Beauty had to throw a hissy fit to receive hers from Neiman Marcus.

I admit that most of my crankiness dissipated when I had this Tom Ford quad in my hands. It really is lovely. I could tell that the texture is special just from looking at it, and the first careful swatching confirmed it.Soft, almost creamy, very rich pigment--- it's gorgeous. The colors are not groundbreaking in any way, but they're so beautiful that there's no question about the amount of usage I'd get from it (from now to eternity, considering the amount of product in each Tom Ford palette).

Outside, full sun

Indoors, artificial light

The finish of the colors in Nude Dip is this modern semi-metallic (except for the darkest brown which is more of a satin with less sheen). There are no shimmer particles in any of the pans, and the shine is elegant and flattering. Personally, I don't use more than two colors with this finish in one look, but I know I'm the minority here. I use each of these colors as the focal point, paired with a muted color (or what I consider muted. A matte navy might not be everyone's cup of tea).

Application of the Nude Dip colors calls for a flat dense brush and requires very little blending (except for the darkest brown. A small soft but firm pencil brush works wonders here for an effortless smoky contour). A MAC 239-type brush is ideal. A softer lay-down brush will give a more sheer finish. What you want to avoid is over-blending that dilutes the pigment and reduces the color to nothing but shimmer. So give the fluffy brushes a rest in this case.

My favorite color from this palette is not surprisingly the taupe one, that's perfect by itself for a one-brush-one-eye-shadow look. The rose gold is gorgeous, and works as a late-summer color (I've been enjoying rosier shades this summer, such as the ones from the stunning YSL palette). The other two are more standard, but again: there's a reason for that. Workhorse eye shadows end up worth their weight in gold, so no complaints here. While I don't believe in must-haves, especially for those of us with large makeup collections that already include a massive number of neutrals, a useful no-brainer palette makes sense, especially if you love this kind of finish.

Bottom Line: Almost makes those 45 minutes listening to muzak worth it.

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Shadow Quad For Fall 2014 ($79) can be purchased by phone from Tom Ford counters (and obviously in person, if your counter has it in stock and is actually willing to sell).