dark vampy lips day 1: tom ford black orchid

While rummaging through my lipsticks I noticed that I have a nice handful of deep vamp shades. I thought it would be fun to do a vampy lipstick series where I will post for 5 days on the shades I have. Deep berries have always had a special place in my heart. They were the first type of bolder lipsticks that I felt comfortable enough to wear out in public which sounds a bit strange since they can look very dramatic on. I think my comfort stems from me liking the contrast they have against my dark hair. To start off the series with some luxury, I picked Tom Ford Black Orchid.

Black Orchid is an intensely dark burgundy. It appears as a very dark purple in the tube so I was surprised to swatch this and see a reddish brown quality to it. It is still gorgeous, pigmented, and EXPENSIVE. A tube will cost you $49 USD. I was lucky enough to spot this in a Sak's off Fifth for around $35.

One of the things I love most about dark lipsticks is they work beautifully on their own and also as a stain. It can give a completely different and less dramatic look by simply tapping on the lipstick lightly on the lips and then adding a clear balm on top to smooth things over.

WORN AS A STAIN

As a stain, Black Orchid shows it base color to be a reddish plum. The color looks really soft and flattering on. It is very wearable and nothing too dramatic. I love stains, not as much hassle to touch up or upkeep the color.

WORN FULLY APPLIED

When applied to its full opacity, the richness of the burgundy is apparent. It is very dark and bold. There is a bit of a shine to this formula. As it is such a deeper color, it can be unforgiving if applied to dry, patchy lips so I always prep with Nuxe Reve de Miel.

If you are a fan of Tom Ford's lipstick formula and love a good deep berry, Black Orchid would be something to look into. I would act fast if you are interested though; I have heard this shade is being discontinued. You can still find it at the Sak's website still so I'm guessing they are selling it until their stock is gone. Nordstrom's website no longer lists it.

SWATCHES

Black Orchid is the farthest to the left. The rest of the swatches will be revealed as we continue out the series.

What do you think of Black Orchid? I was surprised to hear of it being discontinued as I thought it was a pretty coveted color! Perhaps it was a bit too runway and dramatic for the general public...