Tom Ford Limited Edition Spring 2015 Creme Color for Eyes: A Hot Mess

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I love cream eye shadows, and after reading rave reviews of Tom Ford's limited edition Creme Color for Eyes formula, decided I would plunk down $42 at Neiman Marcus for the Spring 2015 version.  Described as a sooty gun-metal gray with some color shifting characteristics (taupe? gray? charcoal?), it sounded unique enough to further justify the price. 

The consistency is more mousse than cream like, and I found it easy to apply with my finger.  It smooths out nicely and color can be built from sheer to opaque by building layers, while still maintaining a light feel.  You can blend out the edges fairly easily as well, as once it dries down it has a powder like finish that can be buffed out, although that will also sheer out the color.

I was happily expecting great wear with this formula, as the arm swatch I did lasted through several showers and I still have a faint shadow that could pass for a bruise, 4 days after application. 

1 layer

2 layers

Alas, it was not to be.  This bad girl creases like a mofo on me, making her a hot mess.  It's official, I may have the oiliest lids on the face of the earth.  I read review after review of this formula with some saying it wore for 9 HOURS without creasing.  I can see creasing within 2-3 on me, and by hour 4 I'm officially a hot mess.  And this is over primer, people.

Applied lightly, worn over bareMinerals Eye Primer

Below I'm wearing it over bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow in Elegant Taupe.  You can see that it's starting to sheer out around the crease line, and this is less than an hour after application.

Determined to find a way to make this expensive (and apparently high maintenance) beauty work, I tried it over Urban Decay's eye primer and with a powder shadow on top.  I didn't want to cover up the uniqueness of the finish, however, so I chose one of my more sheer black powders, from the Chantecaille Wild Horses palette (review here), to lightly blend over the cream shadow.  I used the blonde Palomino to transition up to the brow bone.  Below is after about 5 hours of wear, so some slight improvement, but I may have to concede defeat. 

I will say it looks better from a distance than in these close up shots, but it's still a hot mess.  Now, given that the marketing surrounding this creme shadow is saying things like "Unleash your inner rock goddess" or "rocker chic", perhaps I'm right on track for that "I've been up all night doing doing illicit activities" kind of look, but that's difficult for me to pull off in my day job. 

I want to love you, Tom Ford Beauty, I really do.  We may not be meant to be, however.