My kneecaps liquified into jiggly piles of pudding when I swatched the deep red terracotta shade from Tom Ford’s new Contouring Cheek Color Duo in Softcore ($77) and found out that — aaah! — it has a matte finish.
Matte.
Finish.
YES!
It’s what I was hoping for from Stroked, the other Cheek Duo Tom Ford released for fall, but didn’t get.
Now, Softcore isn’t your run-of-the-mill, standard issue contouring palette. You’ll find no flat browns or grayed-out taupes here.
Instead, it has a dark terracotta red (to sculpt out the hollows just below the apples of your cheeks) and a lighter shimmery, peachy pink (to reflect light off the high points of your upper cheekbones). Very retro ’80s fab, and if you’ve ever wanted to look like you just stepped out of a Jody Watley video circa 1984 — I totally have, not gonna lie! — then this duo could make your sculpted cheek dreams come true.
Snaps to Tom for going with a flat matte finish on the darker contouring color in Softcore. Compared to the pearly contour shade in Stroked, Softcore’s matte finish carves out that space below the apples much more effectively, so the hollows appear more recessed, sharper and cleaner.
And, holla! — it’s easy to blend, too. As a contouring shade, Softcore’s dark terracotta red gets the job done, and then some.
Oh, and that peachy pink highlighter? Baller. It’s very similar to theBalm’s Cindy-Lou Manizer, one of my current highlighting loves. I’d recommend applying it with a tapered eyeshadow brush, since the powder’s high level of pigment and shimmer make it an easy one to go overboard with. For dramatic highlights, I find that using a a whisker light touch using my MAC 224 works great.
PRICE: $77
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Tom Ford counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- (obnoxiously expensive…but those cheeks though!)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I was just looking for this online at Nordstrom. It’s so gorgeous!! It looks like it may not hit Nordies though so I’ll have to check out the Tom Ford site soon. I seriously don’t need anymore cheek products but I just have to have this!
You said Jody Watley & I nearly lost my makeup-loving mind! Of course I wanted to be in one of her videos. Hello, didn’t everyone want to be her?!
And yes, it’s pulling all kinds of 80’s vibes for me.
Karen, this looks gorgeous on you! Do you think the contour color might be too pigmented though on a lighter skin tone (I’m NC30)?
It really looks gorgeous on you. I don’t think I’d know what to do with it, lol and it is rediculosly expensive.
Karen:
I just got this duo. Question for you – do you wear blush with this or do you just use the contour powder and highlighter. Would love to find a video or technique tips for the combo. Any advice?
Susan
Looks great on you! Though it looks more like you used a blush to sculpt rather than a contouring powder. I’m not sure if the reddish tone would work on all complexions.
What a heavenly look. I am waiting for my picks from this collection (including Softcore and Negligee) to arrive from all over the globe. It also looks great with Cognac Sable. Usually the words “Terracotta Red” would be enough to send me running for the hills, but wow……
I think I might pick this one up! It just wowed me from the moment I first saw it, there’s something about it that just says ‘you need this’ to me 🙂
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I need this softcore in my life! it’s insanely expensive though!!! 🙁
That looks divine on you! What a pretty duo.
My first trip to the beauty counter was with my grandmother when I was in high school. It was the Estée Lauder counter. I picked out a pretty blush & a light pink / purple lipstick.
It was a really fun day. We had lunch at John Wanamaker on the 6th floor in Center City Philadelphia.
I developed my love for chocolate chip mint ice cream that day as well !
Michele
The combination looks great and its nice to see the contouring powder without shimmers in this.. Never seen a contour powder as red as this.. I am intrigued now to try such red toned contour powder and give those browns and taupes a rest!! 😉