Your favorite bakery. A bell dangling over the door jingles as you enter into a world of candy sprinkles and fresh baked bread. Like a character in a cartoon, your eyes practically double in size when they see the row upon row of full-size and miniature cupcakes, all of them decorated and carefully arranged, behind a glass display case.
An unintelligible noise escapes your lips as you drift into a trance. Nnngggh… Driven by the sights and smells around you, you lumber up to the counter, dragging your feet along the polished tile floor. You order a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and gobble the whole thing down, right then and there, before the salesperson can even hand you your change (um, yes, I have done this before).
“Oh,” she says, a little embarrassed for you.
Tom Ford Beauty’s new Lip Color in Aphrodisiac ($48) is kinda like the makeup equivalent of that.
There’s something about this intense fuchsia, with its creamy texture and satiny finish, that makes me think of an all-you-can-eat cupcake buffet, where I get to devour dozens of rich, indulgent cupcakes without upsetting my muffin top. 🙂
Vivid fuchsia lippies like this one always light my fire because they make bright, polished looks so incredibly easy. A little liner, some mascara, a bright blush (Tom Ford’s Narcissist, perhaps?) and one layer of lipstick, and I’m ready for almost —
HOLY MOTHER OF TABS! $48?! Are you kidding me?!
Yes, ma’am, in this case, that ease of use also costs an arm and a leg (seriously, Tom, have you ever heard of a sale?).
To its credit, though, Aphrodisiac does seem pretty special for a fuchsia lip product; it’s probably one of the smoothest, most pigmented lippies I’ve ever worn.
Somehow, even when my lips are dry, gnarly and totally ewww, Aphrodisiac still manages to look and feel smooth…
Smooth like Jeremy Renner pouring you a glass of red wine after a candlelit dinner at home and firing up his Jodeci mid-’90s slow jams playlist.
(Gurl, you know that would be pretty damn smooth.)
On top of everything else — on top of the cupcakes and the candlelit dinner with Jeremy Renner and the Jodeci playlist — Aphrodisiac doesn’t seem garish to me at all. It’s like, cultured and stuff. Like it’s waiting to be worn to a fabulous Parisian cocktail party, with you wearing your fiercest cat eyeliner, sleekest black shift dress and a single strand of pearls (werk!).
PRICE: $48
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Neiman Marcus stores and neimanmarcus.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-
Taking my Revenge!
I ran five whole miles this morning, and I’m a little proud of myself because I really, really didn’t want to, but the only reason I did it was revenge…
Revenge — it’s a show on ABC. I started watching it from the first season on Netflix, which I stream to a tablet while I run on the treadmill, and every single time something dramatic happens, I go “Ooooh!” and pick up the pace a little, LOL!
I wonder how many cupcakes I can eat for five miles… 10 or 15 of them? (Please say yes.) 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Hope you’re having a good hump day so far.
Mmm…. cupcakes. I need to get back to the cupcake bakery we have here in town soon. Last time I was there I had a key lime one and it was AMAZING!
Very pretty lipstick. Where did you get the earrings you’re wearing? I’m obsessed with leaf and/or feather motif earrings lately.
Hi Heidi,
I don’t think I’ve ever had a key lime cupcake, but I bet it’s delish!
Re: the earrings. They’re by Cam & Zooey. I ordered them from Haute Look a few weeks ago. Funny, I’m going through a feather earring phase too! I just have to keep them away from Tabs, because he loves to swat them. 🙂
That lipstick is pretty, but geez, I can’t imagine shelling out that much for a lipstick. WOWZA! Hehe, yes, it has to be perfection to be worth the price.
Tom Ford’s lipsticks are so, so pricey, but I gotta say, the ones I’ve tried are fab!
oh! what lens for that close up of the TF logo on the lipstick? such a pretty post! unfortunately I can’t seem to find Tom Ford in Canada. So sad.
Wow, that’s an expensive lipstick! But the colour is so beautiful!
I really love this makeup on you, bright lips and a liner.
Speaking of Pink (you’ve posted her video recently), have you seen the new one – Try? I really like it and the song is now stuck in my head.
As for the series, have you seen Homeland? Is it good? I am currently watching the Rachel Zoe project and think about watching The Hour (BBC).
Oops, forgot about this one http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1782352/ ‘Upstairs Downstairs’, I read that it is good. Looks like something I may like.
Sadly I think probably no mroe than 5 cupcakes. 🙁 But well done to you for doing 5 miles! 🙂
Oh and forgot to say the lipstick looks gorgeous, the price less so… 🙁
Ahh this one is pretty! It looks fantastic on you, and I suspect it’ll look good on me too 🙂
It’s a great colour, and the best part is you can wear it everyday without looking obnoxious 😀 Congrats on the blog makeover, it looks great 🙂
That colour looks STUNNING on you, it suits you so much! x
Great job on the 5 miles! I love this lip color but I just can’t shell out for it. Oh – on a cupcake related note – I went to the little cupcake place in the Army Exchange store and they WEREN’T THERE. I called the parent shop and they said, “Oh yeah, we had someone ill today so we couldn’t do it.” Totally ruined my day yesterday! You know I’ll be hittin’ it up today, though! Lol.
I expect that price from Tom Ford but you’re buying the luxury of Tom Ford.
Looks like an amazing color! LOVE it!
This one..I LOVE!!! ButI guess I will never buy it,wonder if there are any dupes for it..:p
I am a Fuchsia fiend! I see a Fuchsia and I have to have it (or put it down on my wish list in this case!). I love the understated eyes and soft pink cheek you’ve done here, looks lovely with the bright lip!
What a super gorgeous lipstick! ^_^
That is beautiful on you, but I would NEVER pay $48 for a single lipstick. I guess lipsticks aren’t really my thing though–I’ve only just recently been getting into lip color. I’m sure it’s a lovely formula and many women and even men will be very happy with it. I, on the other hand, can do without.
Hi Karen! Is the TF Aphrodisiac and TF Flamingo comparable?
I blame you for my Nordstrom order of this TF lipstick…but I did have a $20 Nordstrom note so it didn’t hurt as much as it could have!