Hello beauties!
Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme was released last month but I just purchased it recently as I took the time to really think if I need this quad in my life. To be honest with you, the requests I got to review this palette weighted a lot in my purchase decision.
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Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme Review
Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme ($88.00 / £68.00 for 0.21 oz. / 6 g) is a new and limited edition eyeshadow quad that looks very elegant and is very appropriate for evening looks, smokey eye makeup or any festive makeup look. It features four shades: a soft vanilla taupe, mauvy eggplant, dark gray and a sparkling black.
I honestly think this palette is meant to be used in combination with another palette that has matte shades, because you won’t find any transition shades or matte finishes here.
You can see in the photos bellow the makeup look I created using only the shades from Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme but I badly needed to reach out for a dark brown or a matte transition shade.
The Formula & Pigmentation
I felt the formula of these shades was a bit different compared to other Tom Ford eyeshadow quads and even they way they applied and performed was different.
There are so many mixed reviews about this palette that I understand the confusion around this quad. When you see the colors in the pan, they look so deep and intense so of course many would expect insane pigmentation, maybe even full opacity in a single swipe. Is not the case with all the shades to be honest!
The shades can be applied wet or dry, but even wet that mauvy eggplant won’t give you full opacity and a very rich pigmentation. To be hones that was the trickiest shade in the palette for me. It applied well, easily, without fall out but after 2 min I could see the shade sheering out, almost like it was sinking into my skin. I know I have oily lids but I made sure to use UD eyeshadow primer potion.
I used one more layer of colors and the same think happened, the color sink in and looked quite sheer the more I blended. Finally on the third layer of color I could achieve more pigmentation as you can see in my makeup look photos (I applied it in the crease and went very close to my brow bone).
The overall formula felt really creamy and dense and especially the dark ones were very easy to use with my fingertips. It’s not a powder formula, it really felt more like a thicker cream. You really have to get use to it and know how to use it and make it work for you.
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The packaging on the other hand, I do feel is very luxurious, feels heavy and I like the magnetic closure. It comes in this mirror-like compact which really works very well as mirror so you can see the quality is there compared to other compacts who tried to do the mirror-like packaging.
Anyway you have also a mirror inside which can be handy for touch ups during the day, along with 2 mini eyeshadow applicators that I find completely useless. 🙂
Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme Shady by Shade Review
Badass No.1 is a light vanilla taupe with neutral to slightly warm undertones and an intense metallic finish. It had good pigmentation with a great color payoff that looked almost full coverage applied dry. The color is buildable but if used wet it gives you an instant richer color coverage and metallic shine.
The texture is smooth, creamy and glides easily and evenly across the lid being easily blendable and giving no fall out during the application. I prefer to work this a light fluffy brush if I’ll use it in the crease and I’m not after too much intensity.
If you want to get a richer color payoff and more pigmentation I’d use either my fingertips or a firm, denser brush and apply the color wet. I had around 9 hours wear with this formula without creasing.
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Badass No.2 is a deep purple-eggplant with warm undertones and a satin finish. It had semi sheer pigmentation when swatched or applied on the lid but it was buildable in 3 layers to almost full opacity. Like I said this color was the trickiest one for me, as it kept being absorb into the skin and prone to sheer out when blended.
Some people really found this color pigmented from the start and I tried to apply it with my fingertips or wet using a flat/ firm brush. I got the same result every time in terms that it needed to be built up in 2-3 layers if I wanted more pigmentation.
I do understand that not every eyeshadow is meant to be fully opaque in a single swipe but I was puzzled as why others described it as having an opaque pigmentation when on me it was semi-sheer to slightly medium pigmentation. It was easy to blend and lasted on me for about 9 hours.
Badass No.3 is a deep gray with cool undertones, bright silver sparkle and sparkling finish. It had a rich color which appeared much darker when applied on the lid compared to how it looked in the pan. The high sparkling finish was really standing out in this color even though the formula felt creamy and smooth.
I did feel the consistency of this eyeshadow was more like a cream turning into powder when applied on the lid and worked very well applied with a dry brush or with my fingertips. It gives an opaque coverage but again the sparkling finish takes over. I had around nine hours wear on me without creasing and with minor fall out throughout the wear.
Badass No.4 is a deep black with multi-colored sparkle, cool undertones and a metallic sparkling finish. It had a great color payoff being fully opaque applied wet or dry. This color was so easy to work with, applying easily and evenly, giving no fall out or creasing throughout the wear.
The consistency felt smooth, creamy and adhered better on the skin. Overall the texture was like a cream transformed into powder once it touched the lid. You’ll definitely get more intensity from this shade if you apply it wet, making those multi-color sparkles pop out more. It wore well on me for about 9 hours.
Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme Swatches
These are Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme swatches in a single swipe applied on bare skin without any eyeshadow primer or base. They were applied dry so this is what you get from one simple application.
Of course they’ll look more intense over a primer and applied wet but for me how they swatch on bare skin is the starting point in forming my opinion.
Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme Makeup Look
This is my Tom Ford Badass Eye Color Quad Extreme Makeup Look using only the shades in the palette. I do admit I went a bit too high with the purple shade so close to my brow bone but that pigmentation was after I applied 3 layers of color. Otherwise you’ll get a nice wash of color.
It’s definitely an elegant and luxurious palette which is not meant for everyday makeup looks obviously but will help you create unique smokey eye looks or others that can be very sophisticated.
As luxurious and elegant as this palette may look I personally think is a complementary palette that is difficult to be used on its own. Having no mattes and no transition shades I felt the need to reach out for another palette but I stopped myself just for the sake of creating and entire look with this one using all the 4 shades.
On my lips I’m wearing Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Care Liquid Lipstick in 860 Flirt (review, swatches, makeup look) which is a deep red with cool undertones.
What are your thoughts and experiences regarding this palette?
