Key takeaways
- Hannah Chody's search for a discontinued Tom Ford Beauty eyeshadow became a viral TikTok series that tested over 50 shades across two years.
- Her collaboration with Saie resulted in Bellini, a shimmery rose-gold eyeshadow that launched October 15 as a permanent product.
- Bellini sold out in hours and was the most-searched brand on Sephora that day, with an exclusive TikTok Shop set reportedly setting sales records.
- Chody hopes to revive a discontinued Chantecaille teal green eyeliner as her next project.
A creator with 387,000 followers on TikTok turned a personal hunt for a discontinued eyeshadow into a viral sensation, then a brand partnership. Hannah Chody’s two-year search for Tom Ford Beauty’s Golden Peach, a shade the brand stopped producing, led to her collaboration with Saie on Bellini, a shimmery rose-gold eyeshadow that became an instant bestseller upon launch.
The journey from shade-hunting to product creation shows why influencer collaborations continue to matter in beauty. Bellini launched October 15 as a permanent addition to Saie’s SuperSuede Baked Eyeshadows collection, selling out within hours and becoming the most-searched brand on Sephora that day. An exclusive gift set sold through TikTok Shop allegedly set a sales record on the platform, though the company declined to confirm the specifics.
The Golden Peach Discovery
On March 4, 2023, Chody posted a TikTok video praising an eyeshadow she believed would become her everyday go-to. “It is the absolute perfect color, it looks good on everyone and it lasts forever,” she said of the shade. A follower’s comment revealed that Tom Ford Beauty had discontinued the shade. Rather than accept the loss, Chody bought two backup pots and set out to find a replacement, a decision that sparked a content series spanning years.
A Two-Year Search for the Perfect Dupe
The Hunt Begins
Chody started her search systematically on August 8, 2023, posting the first video of her eyeshadow testing. She began with two specific options: Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick in Prism, which read as cool rose-gold but lacked sufficient pink, and Sisley Paris Ombre Eclat Liquide Eyeshadow in shade 3, which offered pink-rose tones with too much sparkle and insufficient copper warmth.
The series took on momentum as 2023 ended and 2024 began. Brands started sending her products to test, while Chody continued making store trips to Sephora and Ulta, comparing potential dupes against a swatch of Golden Peach on her hand. “I kept going because people kept suggesting [more] and new eye shadows were brought to the market, and it evolved from there,” she told Allure. By October 1, 2025, when she posted her final search video, she had tested upwards of 50 shades on her lids. That last post featured Armani Beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in shades 20S and 27S.
Turning Down Early Offers
As her content gained traction, smaller beauty brands began reaching out with collaboration proposals. In early 2024, one brand approached with an offer, but Chody declined. “It didn’t feel like the right fit because it wasn’t a brand that I had a connection to or I felt passionate about, and the eye shadow that I had tried wasn’t my favorite,” she explained. She had standards for any partnership: not just finding the right color, but ensuring the formula aligned with her preferences. “It was really important to me that it was not only getting the color that I wanted, but a formula that I really loved.”
During this period, Chody held out hope that Tom Ford Beauty might restock the original shade. Despite maintaining a relationship with the brand, including attending their fashion week party in fall 2025, a Golden Peach reissue did not materialize. “Obviously, I started to become a little less bullish on the potential of that happening after about 18 months of talking about it,” she reflected.
The Saie Collaboration: From Lab to Launch
Flying to Italy
By fall 2025, two years into her search, Saie approached Chody with a different proposal. Rather than simply matching a shade, the brand offered her a seat at the development table. Within a month, Chody was on a flight to Italy to visit Saie’s lab, located outside Milan. The trip marked the beginning of an intensive development process.
Testing and Perfecting the Formula
At the lab, the SuperSuede Baked Eyeshadow formula was already finalized: a powder product baked low and slow for 12 hours to achieve its texture. Chody spent her days comparing colors and fine-tuning the shade itself, lowering the shimmer in some areas and adding bronze depth in others. The formula surprised her. “I’m not one who used to gravitate towards powder eye shadows, obviously my favorite eye shadow was a cream shadow, but it’s such a creamy powder that’s so easy to manipulate and use,” she said. “Learning about how they bake it low and slow for 12 hours to get it to this perfect consistency that allows for such long wear was so interesting.”
They named the finished shade Bellini, a nod to Saie’s Italian-themed naming convention for the SuperSuede collection.
Post-Launch Momentum
After returning to the United States, Chody continued posting from her search series, though at a slower pace, while awaiting Bellini’s release. She posted only four additional videos before announcing the collaboration on October 1. Despite the abundance of similar products on the market, she remained confident in what Saie and she had created together. “I was so confident in what Saie and I created together that I still would stand ten toes down for Bellini, but obviously the more, the merrier,” she said.
Finding Close Competitors
According to Chody, the closest matches to the original Golden Peach besides Bellini included RMS cream shadow in Luster, several pink-toned shades from Armani Beauty, and a Make Up For Ever eyeshadow crayon. She acknowledged that while these alternatives came close, none fully replaced the original experience. “But of course, nothing will ever replace the original Golden Peach,” she noted.
What’s Next
Reflecting on the collaboration process and the demands of beauty product development, Chody expressed admiration for the industry. “I will say I am extremely impressed by how difficult it is to not only formulate, but create shades and come out with these lines. I give these beauty brands so much credit,” she said. Though uncertain about future collaborations, she already has another discontinued product in mind.
A Chantecaille green eyeliner ranks high on her wish list to revive: specifically a teal-green shade that enhanced her eye color. “As someone with green eyes, it really made the eyes shine,” she said. The brand has yet to respond, but if history repeats itself, they may soon hear from a dedicated audience ready to bring it back.
Source: Allure
Frequently Asked Questions
What eyeshadow was Hannah Chody searching for?
Tom Ford Beauty's Golden Peach, which she discovered was discontinued after posting about it on March 4, 2023.
How many eyeshadows did Chody try during her search?
Over 50 shades of shimmery rose-gold eyeshadows across two years. The closest alternatives she found were RMS Luster cream shadow, pink shades from Armani Beauty, and a Make Up For Ever eyeshadow crayon.
When did Bellini launch and how quickly did it sell out?
Bellini launched October 15 as a permanent addition to Saie's SuperSuede Baked Eyeshadows collection and sold out in just a few hours.
