I've had Tom Ford at the top of my wishlist for a very long time, specially the famed lipsticks. I thought I wouldn't be tempted by this new collection but it turned out to be my introduction to the brand! Take a look at my picks from the new Lips & Boys collection.

Tom Ford Lips & Boys is a limited edition collection of 50 clutch size lipsticks named and inspired by the men in Tom Ford's life. They were pre-released online at Selfridges on Black Friday and then they were released again on Boxing Day online and in counters.

I was able to resist temptation first time round but the second time I saw them for sale I started looking into shades and swatches and ended up picking three. I could only order online and it was extremely hard to choose only 3 out of 50 amazing lipsticks. He has really released such a wide variety of colours and even a set of shimmery metallic ones, why settle for one when you can have so many different ones?

Size and Price

When I received my parcel and examined the lipsticks the first thing I thought was: "OMG, these are tiny!" Even though I had read about their small size that didn't prepare me for the fact that they looked like mini gift with purchase lipsticks at premium price. Nevertheless they are £26 for 2 grammes and the large lipsticks are £37 for 3 grammes so it actually works out quite well.

Packaging

I ordered three lipsticks in the hopes that they would send me the gorgeous box for the three that I had seen on other blogs, but unfortunately they only give them at the counters. The best thing about these small lipsticks is that they're beautifully designed and they have the same packaging as the large  lipsticks, with the TF embossed on the tube. Once you get past their size they're actually really cute and I prefer a smaller size to try as I have too many lipsticks as it is.

Finish

The 50 lipsticks were grouped by colour and finish. Most of them are cream shades and even though some may have some micro-shimmer they're mostly creamy on the lips. Some of them have a shimmery finish with lots of shine which is unusual for the regular Tom Ford line.

As for coverage and pigmentation it depends on the shade. Some of them are quite sheer and others are medium to full coverage. Of the three that I have picked two have medium coverage and the darkest one has full coverage.

Colours

There are 50 lipsticks to choose from, which is a great amount and Tom Ford has included a wide range of colours, from light colours to dark ones. As I mentioned, there are also some shimmery lipsticks which are more unusual.

Most of the lipsticks are completely new but 15 of them seem to be repromotes of shades from the regular line or past limited editions. Beautyscene documents this in their post which you can read here.

I will list the repromoted shades here in case you're interested:

- Addison is Pink Dusk

- Adriano is True Coral

- Alejandro is Slander

- Beau is Blush Nude

- Cary is Casablanca

- Collin is Indian Rose

- Cooper is Pure Pink

- Didier is Moroccan Rouge

- Henry is Warm Sable

- Holden is Vanilla Suede

- James is Twist of Fate

- Leonardo is Smoke Red

- Richard is Negligee

- William is Pink Dune

- Xavier is Violet Fatale

Formula

When I purchase a luxury lipstick I expect an amazing formula. I have issues with many lipsticks due to the formula as I have very dry lips and I speak a lot which means I really want the best formula in my lipsticks.

Tom Ford lipsticks are supposed to be formulated with amazing ingredients to create a creamy and long-lasting lipstick. I have to agree that they glide on the lips and have a beautiful finish, they're comfortable to wear but after a while they seem drier on my lips. Amazingly enough they feel a little dry but when I look in the mirror my lips look juicy and plump so perhaps it's a personal impression.

Of the three Flynn has the most disappointing formula as it seems to enhance lip lines after a short while.

MY PICKS

Patrick

This is a really bright pink coral which will be a lovely colour for the warmer months. I didn't expect it to have so much pop, it is really bright. It has medium coverage and it's creamy and comfortable to wear.

I'm really looking forward to wearing this in the summer as it's a little too bright for winter.

Richard

This is supposed to be a reprobate of Negligee, which was a limited edition shade for the Fall 2014 collection. It is a dark pink rose and actually looks quite brown on me. I thought it would be too brown on my light complexion but it's actually my favourite shade of the three, also because of its formula.

It's creamy on the lips and plumping, making my lips look better than they actually are. It's long lasting and leaves a stain, which I think is great. I think it's a wonderful colour for the colder months.

Flynn

This is the lightest of the shades I have picked, it is a baby pink which doesn't lean too cool. It has medium coverage and is a beautiful shade, specially for fair skin tones.

As it's a light colour it isn't as long lasting but for me the worst is that it emphasizes lip lines a little bit. Other than that it's a lovely creamy colour and I can even forgive its imperfection.

Final thoughts

At first when I saw the size of the lipsticks I thought it was crazy to pay so much for such a small lipstick. Nevertheless when you do the math it actually turns out it's well priced compared with a full sized Tom Ford lipstick. It's a good opportunity to give them a go if you've been wanting to try Tom Ford for a while like I have.

It was really difficult to choose which lipsticks to buy and as I haven't got a counter where I live I had to rely on swatches. You can take a look at Silverkis' swatches as they're really comprehensive. I was quite lucky with the three shades I chose but if you get the chance to see them in person that's always a better idea.

Richard is my favourite of the three shades I chose as the formula is perfect and the shade is quite unique to my collection. I'm a bit disappointed that Flynn enhances lip lines, specially as it's a premium lipstick.

If you don't have problems with regular lipsticks I think Tom Ford is extremely overpriced and you're paying for the luxury brand. Nevertheless if you have problems with regular lipsticks like I have, you might want to try some high end lipsticks like Tom Ford, Guerlain and Charlotte Tilbury to find the perfect formula for your lips.

There are many more shades I'd love to pick up from this collection, but as I have to pay £15 shipping from Selfridges I won't be purchasing more! 

Have you bought any shades from the collection? What were your impressions?