Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator ($65.00 for 0.68 fl. oz.) is described as a “shimmering, peach-pink.” It’s a warm-toned, golden-shimmered coral-orange with a pearly sheen. This is an illuminator, not a blush, so if you’re more in the market for something with substantial coloring to work as a blush, try perusing the coral swatch gallery.
The formula is designed to mimic “the look of skin bathed in summer evening light.” And you’ll have to track it down in-store to find it, because it sold out online nearly instantly. The Skin Illuminator can be applied all over, mixed with foundation, or as a spot highlighter “under or over makeup.” The consistency is lightweight, naturally dewy, and thin. When I wore it all-over, it lasted all day long with whatever foundation I was wearing (it didn’t seem to reduce my foundation’s wear time or how it looked at the end of the day). As a spot highlighter, it gave me a dewy finish wherever it was applied for eight hours.
I, personally, think it works best mixed with foundation or moisturizer. I’ve been wearing Giorgio Armani’s Maestro foundation a lot, and it doesn’t work well mixed with this (I think it has too much of a velvety texture from the silicones in it), but I loved it mixed with my tinted moisturizer or a more traditional liquid foundation like Make Up For Ever HD. If you want to wear it all-over and plan to still wear foundation, I recommend mixing the two together during application, because then the foundation doesn’t cover it. There’s a very subtle radiance that’s your-skin-but-better that doesn’t read shimmer, glitter, or pearl. Applied as a spot highlighter it does create a glowy, dewy sheen, but it’s virtually colorless against my skin tone so it would be something better suited for really pale complexions.
The Beauty Look Book has a great comparison of this against NARS’ Orgasm Illuminator (which I don’t have), which seems to be pinker overall (but it is also $30.00 for 1.1 oz.), so it might be a more affordable (and accessible) alternative.
This is an illuminator, not a blush, so if you're more in the market for something with substantial coloring to work as a blush, try perusing the coral swatch gallery. It adds a lovely dewy sheen or all-over glow if mixed with your moisturizer/foundation. It's something I'd wear most often with tinted moisturizer or a foundation that was too matte.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman -- sold out online!
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Edward Bess Summer in Capri Quad Royale ($45.00 for 0.25 oz.) is described as a “beige pink.” It’s a medium-dark brown with a rosy, plummy tinge and a satiny sheen. The individual colors are: a soft peach, warm beige-peach with a satin sheen, muted, medium brown with neutral undertones, and pale peach with a satin finish. bareMinerals The Indecent Proposal is much darker, more plum, less beige. MAC Darkly my Dear is darker but similar in color. NARS Douceur is slightly browner. Burberry Cameo is rosier.
The palette is primarily marketed as a cheek product, though it can be used on the eyes. It contains four shades to “sculpt and highlight the face.” As a blush/cheek color, it’s easier to use sections but not individual shades, as only the bottom right shade is large enough to accommodate a blush brush (and even that is not that large). Summer in Capri had good, true-to-pan color payoff, but it’s a lighter shade and will not show up well on medium-dark and deeper complexions, so I would recommend it primarily for lighter skin tones.
It is subtle on my skin tone (I’m medium) and adds some definition and color without being over-the-top. The texture is soft like silk, incredibly finely-milled, and so smooth. The finish is lovely with a satiny sheen that doesn’t look shimmery or heavy on the skin and gives skin a natural-looking glow. It lasted eight and a half hours well on my skin, and it started to fade after nine hours of wear.
Summer in Capri had good, true-to-pan color payoff, but it's a lighter shade and will not show up well on medium-dark and deeper complexions, so I would recommend it primarily for lighter skin tones.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Purples can be tricky, but Make Up For Ever managed to produce a lavender that applies fully opaque with little effort. It’s nicely pigmented, buildable, and blendable–so long as you work quickly as the Aqua Cream formula, while it lasts and lasts, sets within thirty seconds (or less) and once set, does not want to move. Sometimes I find applying a thin layer, lightly blending the edges, and then working with other colors in the same fashion is more practical; and after I’ve gotten the basic shape and color scheme going, I apply another thin layer on on the colors I want more opaque. #54 wore like iron for twelve hours; no creasing, smudging, budging, or fading during the entire time I tested it.
It does set quickly, so work one eye at a time and build up the color in layers for best results! It is very pigmented, and it can be used as a cream eyeshadow, eyeliner, or as a base.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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The consistency is lightweight, creamy, not too thick or too thin, and can be applied as a sheer wash or layered for more opaque color. It dries down quickly (between fifteen and thirty seconds), so I recommend working quickly and blending any edges as you go to avoid it becoming unmovable! Once it dries down, it isn’t going to go anywhere (I tested it for twelve hours); no smudging, budging, or creasing from there on.
What's nice about this particular shade is its lightness, which allows you to use it in many ways - to brighten eyes, make other eyeshadows pop, or blended as a wash.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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It was opaque in two coats, and it dried down to a naturally shiny finish. The consistency was great; really well-balanced so it applied beautifully and easily without streaking, bubbling, or pooling along the edges. This was my favorite shade of the three for summer, because the application was outstanding–and this is how a $27 polish should apply and look. Chanel’s formula wears a week with minor tip wear but no chipping in my experience.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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#52 is very pigmented, but it is also buildable, depending on how much product you apply. It starts off with a creamy, glide-on consistency that remains blendable for fifteen to thirty seconds (so work quickly). Once it sets, it doesn’t budge, smudge, or move–it won’t blend, either, if you wait too long. I recommend applying in thin layers to build up the color to avoid potentially applying too much, because it can sometimes clump in places if applied too heavily (making your eyelids look dry and flaky). I tested #52 for twelve hours, and I didn’t experience any fading, smudging, or creasing during that time.
It does set quickly, so work one eye at a time and build up the color in layers for best results! It is very pigmented, and it can be used as a cream eyeshadow, eyeliner, or as a base.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
