Style

Tom Ford's New Lip Duos Are Drool-Worthy

by Rachel Nussbaum

Hold onto your socks, lipstick innovation is afoot. I'm not talking lip masks or lip gels or lip palettes — I'm talking lipstick that looks like eyeshadow. Not just that, but an eyeshadow duo.

Jokes, somewhat. Tom Ford's new Shade and Illuminate Lips are now available for preorder, and while they are in actuality pans of lip color, in theory they're very cool (and also, drool). The two shades of complementary color are intended to "bring the play of light and dark integral to Tom Ford's face philosophy to color contouring," a concept that's been batted around the industry before, but never in so luxurious a product. If you're wondering how much Tom Ford's Shade and Illuminate Lips cost, it's a mixed bag of news.

Each duo costs $60, par for the course in Tom Ford's expensive world (the original Shade and Illuminate Highlighter & Shader Duet is $80, and the new Cheeks line is likewise). *However,* if you're madly in love and trying to reason the price away, that's a two-for-one cost, so each color is $30. Compared to the brand's bestselling Lips and Boys line, at $36, that's.... savings. It holds up in the court of ounce, too, with the duo at .12 oz and the Lips and Boys at .07. Not a one to one comparison with a .02 oz discrepancy, but pretty good.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Nikita, $60, Tom Ford

It helps that they're gorgeous. The Shade and Illuminates come in six duos, ranging from earthy nudes to dramatic violets, and are another iteration of the customization trend we're currently living through.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Impulse, $60, Tom Ford

As per the shading concept, one side of the duo is light and the other dark, both patterned with Tom Ford's signature logo.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Possession, $60, Tom Ford

Layer the lipsticks for a custom shade, or mimic the brand's iconic Shade and Illuminate highlight/lowlight face duo for a sculpted effect.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Tantalize, $60, Tom Ford

Valentine's day specific classics are Possession, a dark pink and fuchsia set, or Tantalize, a dark coral and hot red pair.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Saboteur, $60, Tom Ford

Honorable mention Saboteur, mainly for the name.

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Lips in Automatic, $60, Tom Ford

But if you want to wear these every day for the rest of your life (milk that $60), it's hard to beat Automatic's velvet nudes. The most conservative set, the sculpting technique takes on a subtle larger-than-life effect. Whichever way you go (or just to the counter to linger and touch them all lovingly), it's the salivation emoji's time to shine.

Images: Courtesy of Brand