Tom Ford Acqua Metal Shadows Reviews & Swatches

Reflects Gilt

Tom Ford Beauty Reflect Gilt Acqua Metal Shadow ($46.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a sparkling, metallic finish. It had medium color coverage, and it was hard to sheer it out (it was supposed to be “translucent”) without really spreading out the tiniest amount of product all over my lid space but definitely not sheer if using the included applicator in any shape or form–you’d have enough for a sheer layer over half one’s face, probably!

It had a thin, watery consistency that felt cool as it applied, and it had a longer dry down time (about 30 seconds), which made it prone to creasing as it dried down so I had to try and smooth it back out as it was drying down. It applied fairly evenly but the sparkle/shine camouflaged the bits it didn’t apply as well to. It lasted for eight hours but had some visible flaking, though no creasing once it set.

Top Dupes

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Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Muse #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
NARS Bayadere #3 (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
PIXI Beauty Nude Lustre (PiP, $20.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
Bobbi Brown Sandcastle (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
Dior Lucky Star #3 (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
Sydney Grace Treasure Hunter (P, $6.00) is darker (90% similar).
Sydney Grace Seize the Day (P, $6.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Too Faced Dearest (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Tarte Sunset (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Chanel Rêve d'Orient #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).

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Formula Overview

$46.00/0.1 oz. - $460.00 Per Ounce

The formula is a "translucent cooling liquid eyeshadow" that is supposed to be "longwearing" with a "metallic shine" and superior adhesion," First, it's not translucent--it's fairly pigmented, and while it could be sheered out, they ranged from medium to mostly opaque. They had a smooth, thin but not watery feeling as they applied from the doe-foot applicator (which really over-applies the product; I'd recommend a flat, synthetic brush for more precise application) and did feel a bit cooling initially. I actually thought they were like a thinner, liquid version of the brand's Cream Color for Eyes, but the ingredient lists were different (not much of the half dozen initial ingredients overlapped).

These were hard to apply evenly and tended to clump up on my lid as I worked with them, and I used a separate flat, synthetic brush to apply a little amount to my lid space and there was no way I could have sheered it out without using it as a standalone color and really wiping away a lot of product to sheer it out. They took longer to dry down and had a tendency to crease as they did so, and in order to minimize this, I had to let it dry down for 10 to 15 seconds, then gently buff the product out to smooth it back out, and then let it fully dry down from there. I had some flaking after eight hours of wear, but once it had dried down, I didn't get additional creasing.

Browse all of our Tom Ford Beauty Acqua Metal Shadow swatches.

Ingredients

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyurethane-35, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Tin Oxide, Ammonium Hydroxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Tetrasodium Edta, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, [+/- Mica, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Bronze Powder (Ci 77400), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Ferric Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Carmine (Ci 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Aluminum Powder (Ci 77000)].

Reflects Gilt

C-

Limited Edition

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

71%

Total

Violet Argente

Tom Ford Beauty Violet Argente Acqua Metal Shadow ($46.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a medium bronze with strong,w arm undertones and a metallic finish. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer–and a little went a long way. When I tried to sheer it out, the color appeared a bit softer but was still fairly pigmented! The swatch above is taking the barest dab and diffusing it with my fingertip and not having luck getting it to sheer out. It applied similarly onto my lid–I couldn’t really get it to sheer out in a meaningful way. I would never describe it as a “translucent” product–it’s intense!

The consistency was lightweight, thin but not too runny, and felt cool as it initially applied. It applied fairly evenly, and I was able to blend out the edges without much effort. The issue I had with it was that it had a tendency to crease as it was drying down due to it taking a longer time to set, though once it locked into place, it didn’t crease further. I felt like the shimmer/finish of this shade also emphasized my lid texture and appeared thicker in places. There was slight flaking of product after eight hours of wear.

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Tarte Joyous (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Colour Pop Underworld (LE, $5.00) is darker (90% similar).
Charlotte Tilbury Supersonic Girl #3 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
NARS Isolde II (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Charlotte Tilbury Icon Diva Eyes #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
NARS Isolde #2 (DC, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
NABLA Cosmetics Danae (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
MAC Tan (PiP, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Huda Beauty Topaz #9 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Warm (Winter 2016) Eyeshadow #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$46.00/0.1 oz. - $460.00 Per Ounce

Browse all of our Tom Ford Beauty Acqua Metal Shadow swatches.

Ingredients

Violet Argente

Limited Edition

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

8.5

Longevity

Application

66%

Total

Venus Rising

Tom Ford Beauty Venus Rising Acqua Metal Shadow ($46.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a medium pink with warm undertones and a frosted finish. It had semi-opaque pigmentation when I applied it using the included applicator; I had to really work at it to get even semi-sheer coverage–taking a small amount and blending it out with a fingertip all over the lid. The applicator was uneven, slightly patchy, and it was hard to apply it with precision when attempting to use it as a sheer layer of product.

It was actually easier to just apply it at its natural pigmentation level rather than trying to sheer it out. It took about 30 seconds to dry down and creased and moved a bit during that time, so I had to buff the color a bit to try and minimize the creasing before it finished drying down. Once it set, I didn’t get additional creasing but saw slight flaking after eight hours of wear.