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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Tom Ford Beauty African Violet Nail Lacquer

March 3rd, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Tom Ford African Violet Nail Lacquer
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in African Violet ($32)

African violetPurple eyeshadows; purple liners; purple lipsticks; flowers; candy; sweaters; one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eaters! PURPLE EVERYTHING!

And purple paw polish, too. ๐Ÿ™‚

Of the millions (well, hundreds) of promising purple paw polishes in the universe, the one that electrifies me like a Tesla coil from the tips of my ears down to the tips of my toes has to be Tom Ford’s bright creamy Nail Lacquer in African Violet.

Tom Ford African Violet Nail Lacquer
Purse by Reed Krakoff; bracelet by Na Hoku

It borrows its name from one of Mother Nature’s most perfect purple creations, in my opinion, the Saintpaulia ionantha plant, or African violet, which, coincidentally, happens to be cat-friendly, according to the good folks over at VCA Animal Hospitals.

Speaking of cats (’cause we alway circle back to the kittehs around here), this particular African Violet has never elicited any complaints from my favorite fashionable feline.

Tom Ford African Violet Nail Lacquer
Ring by Wings Hawaii; bracelet and earrings from Nordstrom

In fact, if Tabs had his way, I’d be required to wear this shade 24/7, because he thinks it looks stunning with the grays and peachy beige in his tabby coat.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

Coincidentally, those are shades I happen to wear a lot (hey, they hide the cat fur!), and if I plan to wear a gray dress or carry a purse with either gray or neutral colors in it, like this beige, peach and dove gray purse by Reed Krakoff, I’ll paint my fingertips with African Violet for an eye-catching pop of color.

Tom Ford African Violet Nail Lacquer
Silver Midi Rings by Kristin Perry

I also think that African Violet complements silver and gold jewelry very well, so no matter what shiny baubles I happen to be wearing, it never, ever clashes.

Not only does it look fab with just about everything, it’s also one of the smoothest, creamiest, most intensely pigmented polishes I’ve seen in Tom’s line.

I usually apply two coats, although I could probably get away with one, and when I wear it with a base and top coat, it lasts at least seven full days before I start to see the first tiny chips at the tips.

I think if I were better about reapplying a top coat during the week I could probably get 12-14 days out of it, and I should also say that because of how much typing I do, I wreak SERIOUS havoc on my claws.

Eye-catching with just enough of an edge to keep things interesting, African Violet rocks.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Tom Ford Beauty African Violet Nail Lacquer / Originally published March 3rd, 2014

Categories: Nails, Tom Ford Beauty, Unsung Heroes

The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

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Comments

  1. Fancie says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    That is a beautiful purple!! Love the earrings too!
    Fancie recently posted … Pops of Purple with Phlox Garden!

    Reply
  2. Icequeen81 says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 4:27 pm

    love the shade and it look stunning on shirt nails it is so shiny and chic, btw love all your accessories and mostly the silver rings, where are they from? they are also so stunning

    Reply
  3. Tiffany says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 5:29 pm

    Stunning shade! It falls right in line with the Radiant Orchid trend. I’m going to have to find a dupe, Tom Ford ain’t in the budget right now. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Happy Monday, Karen!!
    Tiffany recently posted … Five Favorites: February

    Reply
  4. Ankita@corallista says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Sounds absolutely perfect! Have you tried Illamasqua nail varnishes Karen? You should check out Stance – same color family but different shade. I love it!
    Ankita@corallista recently posted … NYX Slim Lip Pencils : Peekaboo Neutral, Natural ~ Review, Swatches, FOTD

    Reply
  5. Renee says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Ughh. Gorgeous color! Looks great with your gold accessories ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  6. Joanna says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 9:07 pm

    My first tom ford nail polish and I love it!. Get so many compliments whenever I wear it. Looks great on you Karen!

    Reply
  7. lyn says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 10:09 pm

    Oh my, I need this polish! Absolutely gorgeous photos and I love your accessories.
    lyn recently posted … Top Monthly Picks: February (And January) Favourites

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 10:35 pm

    That’s a nice shade! Why oh why, must you be so expensive Tom Ford!
    Erin recently posted … Luxe Be A Lady Tonight: Luxe Sweatshirts For Women

    Reply
  9. Christie says

    March 3rd, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Do you happen to know if L’Oreal’s Violet Vixen is at all similar to this? (Or of any cheaper dupes for this?) I love the color of the TF but it’s just way too expensive for me!

    Reply
    • Lorraine says

      March 8th, 2014 at 12:00 am

      I just test drove African Violet and it matched pretty closely with Sally Hansen Complete Manicure in Cherry Cherry Bang Bang. This color is no longer available in stores but you might be able to pick it up on the cheap on amazon or ebay. It is a pretty dead on match. African Violet is a tad sheerer, so the Sally hansen is actually easier to work with, more pigmented, easy to get looking good in 2 coats, whereas the TF takes a little more patience and effort. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  10. Charlotte (@makupbcandlelit) says

    March 4th, 2014 at 12:08 am

    Stunning color – just the perfect orchid that I’ve been looking for :o) Xx

    Makeup by Candlelight
    Charlotte (@makupbcandlelit) recently posted … Persunma… what?

    Reply
  11. Gowthami says

    March 4th, 2014 at 2:06 am

    Sounds great!
    Gowthami recently posted … The Natureโ€™s Co. Founder unveils beauty essentials at work!

    Reply
  12. realitygreene says

    March 4th, 2014 at 8:27 am

    Karen, if you chose one more Tom Ford polish for your Unsung Heroes I will be forced to send my credit card bill directly to you! I am still thinking about Viper every day and may have to dash to my nearest mall to pick it up! And I might get this one while I’m there! :p

    Reply
  13. Majick says

    March 4th, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Love the color, hate the price. I used to save and wait for coupons or F&F codes to buy high end but now even the mediocre stuff is expensive. Tom Ford, YSL, and a few others are just ridiculous.

    I’m sorry but can someone explain what makes this worth $32? I get a full week out of OPI and Essie so…??? (And, I think they are over priced.)

    Hmmm, I think I’m in a bit of a snit today. LOL
    Sorry if I am a wet blanket, I really do love the color!

    Reply
    • Lorraine says

      March 8th, 2014 at 12:12 am

      I agree about the overprice. Tom Fords that I have tried are hit and miss. Some are worth the splurge. Some are just a fancy name and bottle. Sometimes you can find TF polish at the Cosmetics Company Outlet stores for a discounted price. But a discount of $8, it’s still a splurge polish. this is why I only have one Tom Ford polish in my stash.

      Reply
  14. Sylirael says

    March 4th, 2014 at 11:43 am

    Pretty! Gotta love purple, it’s totally the best colour ๐Ÿ˜€

    I love that Nordstrom bracelet, too!
    Sylirael recently posted … The Lipstick Tagโ€ฆ Rogue-Style!

    Reply
  15. Majick says

    March 4th, 2014 at 11:43 am

    p.s. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE african violets. My mom used to grow them and now I’ve started. I even get them to re-bloom. YEA!

    Reply
  16. Lena says

    March 5th, 2014 at 4:19 am

    that is gorgeous. opi has a color called ‘dim sump plum’, it’s similar although a teeny bit lighter and more pink, i think (not having the tom ford myself).
    Lena recently posted … The Happiest Oscars Ever and โ€œLet it Go!โ€

    Reply
  17. Cindy says

    March 5th, 2014 at 5:07 pm

    That color purple is so gorgeous. its a day to night color <3

    http://www.cindyslittleblackbook.com

    Reply
  18. theblahqueen says

    March 6th, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    soo pretty…I love the purple shade
    theblahqueen recently posted … Tutorial : Silver Smokey Eyes

    Reply
  19. Cyndi says

    April 17th, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    LOVE that colour!!! And your accessories are gorgeous too!! Especially that ring!! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my two-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my cat (Tabs).

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