Hello lovelies!
Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme is the newest addition to the Extreme line and the second new eyeshadow quad of the season. The color combination is really nice and quite universal flattering having two light shades on the top and two statement shades at the bottom. The Extreme formula is different for the rest of Tom Ford Eyeshadows and needs special “attention” and practice. 🙂
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U.S. Launch Date – Now at SEPHORA | UK Launch Date – soon at Selfridges
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Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme Review
Tom Ford Mercurial (01) Eye Quad Extreme ($88.00 / £68.00 for 6g / 0.21 oz) is a new richly pigmented eyeshadow quad with the extreme formula. This has the same formula as Tom Ford Badass Eye Quad Extreme (review, swatches, looks). You may see it as a combination between Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Quad (review, live swatches, makeup look) and Tom Ford Honeymoon Eye Quad. The colors are definitely dupabale but the formula is different.
THE FORMULA & HOW TO USE IT
I promised that I’ll talk about Tom Ford Extreme eyeshadow formula as I didn’t have the best knowledge when I purchased the Badass Quad. Even though I liked the colors I ended up giving it to a makeup artist who would make better use of it.
This time I purchased this palette not only for review purposes but also because I was ready to work this formula. So, long story short the products is best applied using your fingertips. This is what I did when I created the soft makeup look bellow for which you can see videos in my Tom Ford Highlights section on Instagram.
It’s super easy to use these colors and blend them with your fingertips. The color payoff won’t be so intense and the shades won’t look extremely pigmented. If you are a beginner or someone who doesn’t look for an intense makeup look then this is the best way to go. You can then use a fluffy blending brush to give it two swipes and get a perfect blending. Needless to say that the shades are quite creamy and blend effortlessly and seamlessly.
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The shades are definitely buildable and the creamy powder formula is so soft and buttery that feels weightless on the skin. There’s no fall out during the application and if applied wet you get a more metallic intensity.
Another great way to use the Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme is by choosing synthetic brushes and apply the colors wet. So make sure to use damp brushes as these colors perform better wet than dry. Getting your way into the Tom Ford Extreme formula can be quite challenging and it takes some practice but is not impossible. After all the Extreme line is the avante-garde branch of the color collection.
THE PACKAGING
I love the limited edition chromatic, mirror-like packaging that Tom Ford chose for this quad. I honestly prefer it even though your fingerprints will show every-time you touch the compact. Although it has a mirror inside, the compact itself doubles as a mirror. I constantly need to wipe it off and not to mention that the packaging is hard to photograph and that’s why I didn’t even try to be honest.
IMPORTANT NOTE
There’s one thing that I don’t understand when it comes to Sephora.com. Apparently this quad (the others as well) is listed as having 9.9 g / 0.35 oz when on the back of the quad we always see 6 g/ 0.21 oz. In Europe the quantity is listed correctly on every website that I checked but in the U.S. there’s a different story. Does someone knows why this is happening? To be honest I find it deceiving but I hope there’s an explanation for this.
Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme Live Swatches
Do enjoy these Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme swatches taken on bare skin and applied on two layers. The shades are very luminous but not extremely pigmented. I applied them dry but like I said they can be intensified when used wet.
I took the photo under natural light but you definitely need to see these LIVE SWATCHES as well. It’s very interesting and intriguing at the same time how the colors shift under different light. I took live swatches under the sunlight but also early in the morning and the colors looked more rosy.
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Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme Shade by Shade Review
Mercurial #01 is a light champagne beige with neutral to warm undertones with a satiny sheen. It had a good pigmentation applied, to almost a full coverage. In order to yield a richer coverage you should apply it with a dampened brush and you’ll instantly get a deeper shade.
The texture was smooth and soft to the touch, dense and a bit creamy. You can use your fingertips to apply this shade as it needs a heavier hand. It blends well easily, looks evenly and doesn’t causes fall out. The shade wore well for about nine hours before starting to fade.
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Mercurial #02 is a light-medium rose-champagne with softer warm undertones and a metallic finish. It can lean more pink under sunny light and it will look more beige when you are indoors. The color had a good pigmentation in a single layer being easily buildable to full coverage with a dampened brush. The cream-like formula feels smooth to the touch, applies evenly and blends easily.
Even by using your fingertips you get a nice, even color coverage and you can blend the color easily. If you want a more intense hue then applying it wet with a flat/ firm synthetic brush will be the best choice. I got around nine hours wear with this shade without fall out.
Mercurial #03 is a deep-dark brown with slightly red warm undertones and a soft sparkling finish. It does strike that metallic sheen as the previous two shades and the color is buildable up to full coverage in two layers, applied dry. It can be easily intensified if applied wet using a flat/ firm brush to pick up the product.
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The texture had a denser feel, compared to the previous shades but blended out without too much effort. It adheres well on the skin and performs well even applied dry. The fine shimmer translated beautifully during the application and gives a bit of luminosity to this shade. It stayed well on me for about nine hours before fading noticeably.
Mercurial #04 is a deep bronze-plum with reddish undertones and a metallic sheen. It had a fantastic color payoff with a full coverage in a single layer, applied dry. This shade works like a charm, easily blendable even with your fingertips. It adheres well onto the skin, applies evenly and blends seamlessly.
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The creamy-like formula is very soft, smooth and feels almost like a gel-to-powder. It was a pleasure working this shade and have it intensified even more when applied wet. It lasted on me for nine hours before starting to fade.
Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme Makeup Look
I started this makeup look by using my all time favorite Hylamide HA Blur primer by Deciem (review, photos) and then followed with The Ordinary Serum Foundation (review, swatch, makeup looks) with a light natural coverage. No concealer whatsoever but I did set everything in place with Rouge Bunny Rouge Skin Perfecting Loose Powder.
I’ve used all the shades from Tom Ford Mercurial Eye Quad Extreme just by using my fingertips and blend them gently. For the darkest shade I used a pencil brush and draw a soft cat line. As a mascara I’ve used Shiseido Imperial Lash Mascara Ink for natural, long lashes.
Now for the fun part which are the lips, I really wanted to have them pink, glossy and sparkling at the same time. So I paired two of my favorite products which are very emollient, hydrating and really sparkling.
I first applied Guerlain Terracotta Kiss Delight in Grenadine Syrup (review, lip swatches) and then went over with Tom Ford Lip Spark in Baby (review, live swatches, makeup look). Honestly I prefer the Guerlain lip oil over the hyped Dior Lip Glow Oil (review, lip swatches, photos). The Guerlain one has much more color coverage, is not tacky and the packaging is sleek and more elegant.
I set my entire look in place with Urban Decay All Night Makeup Setting Spray as I just finished my MAC Fix + the other day.
