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Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator Review, Photos, Swatches

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

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.

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator
Tom Ford Fire Lust Skin Illuminator

44 Comments

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Precious Avatar

How timely! Hubby’s on a business trip and he was able to snag one for me, he also got me Pink Haze, so yay! 😀 I’m planning to mix this with foundation, do you think it will work with Guerlian’s Lingerie de Peau, Christine?

Precious Avatar

Thanks! 🙂 I haven’t tried Maestro, but I’ve been wanting to. Do you prefer it over Lingerie de Peau? I tend to get a little oily on the cheeks when it’s hot.

helen Avatar

Just the perfect amount of luminescence. What are you wearing on your lips? It looks shimmery with just a hint of colour. Perfection!

Mariella Avatar

Nice but too pricey. I’ve got MAC Strobe cream, which I like, and Clarins’s skin illuminator or perfector or whatever it’s called that comes in a more pinky shade that works better for my colouring. But if Tom Ford’s stuff was readily available to me, I think I’d be sorely tempted.

Dusty Avatar

Have you ever tried Strobe Liquid? I prefer it over Strobe Cream personally because it dries down better – Strobe Cream stays very creamy. Then again, I don’t mix these with foundation I place them over foundation and powder so Strobe Liquid just holds up better and dries to a nice finish 🙂

Kris (kmk05) Avatar

It is, and it costs £60! I wanted to go for it but we are getting the raw end of the deal here. The exchange isn’t 1:1! £60 and $65 are not the same :(.

kmk05 (Kris) Avatar

Thank you! There are actually two sizes (10 mL and 30 (?) mL) and when I was at Selfridges the Tom Ford SA only told me the price for the 30 mL one.

MC Avatar

Hi Kris, it is definitely £46 and there is only one size which is a 30ml bottle. The guys there are Italian so maybe his accent was the fault? When he said 46 he could have pronounced the 6 far more strongly than the “forty” part – they say “sixa” rather than six as they add an “a” to the end of everything, so it would have sounded like 60. sixa = sixty

Jenny Avatar

I have this–and just adore it. It is similar in color to Orgasm–but the texture is absolutely divine–it’s not oily or greasy. It’s so silky smooth and just melts into your skin. And it’s not too dark–I’m super pale–and it just gives the most lovely glow. I love the whole Summer Collection. Pricey but worth it.

Wednesday Avatar

I totally get the TF collection this summer. The products are like an amazing version of a bronzed goddess look only toned down and suited for people with paler skin. All the products have cohesion and work well together for a very natural look. I picked this up as soon as it hit Neiman’s on-line and managed to nab one before it sold out. I wear this on top of foundation and blusher along the high planes of my face. I just stipple little bits of it on very carefully and it looks really really pretty. While I really enjoy Benefit High Beam or it’s powder counterpart by Chantecaille, this makes a nice warmed up change for summer… glowy without my face looking like a bad version of suntan barbie.

Dusty Avatar

I’m a sucker for illuminators – I buy them all the time and can’t stop. I’ve been trying to cut back because I have far too many (I say this but I JUST picked up several MORE of the Armani Fluid Sheers LOL!) Does this have a fragrance? You know me and scents 😉 I can’t stand them! Renders a product worthless if the perfume is overpowering.

Dusty Avatar

Cool! Thanks for checking! 🙂 Thanks for the Link Love today too! I was like, “Wait… did I post something recently?!” Completely forgot! Haha!

tyler Avatar

I think there are cheaper, better options. (Armani fluid sheers, nars illuminators, benefit nail polish applicator ones, etc)

Speaking of fluid sheers, will you be reviewing the new shades Christine?

Aussie Donna Avatar

For any Aussies reading this you may know that to buy this item in Australia we are expected to pay $130.

For an EXACT dupe (according to Christine’s photos), check out FACE OF AUSTRALIA’s Illuminator for $15. In fact I bought a backup of this at Priceline recently for $10 in on of their sales.

I don’t own anything Tom Ford, I could not justify shelling out the money that line demands for products that wash off.

…Donna

VickyM Avatar

Very pretty, but I wouldn´t use it often, so I wouldn´t buy it even if it was accessible to me, what I really want is a TF lip product…

Alley Cat Avatar

Christine, I’ve lately become a fan of mixing illuminators with my foundation, but found that I still have to powder afterward… and that kind of defeats the purpose. The two reasons why I still have to powder are: 1) I haven’t found a good cream contour yet and powder contour goes on patchy over liquid foundation 2) my nose is an oily mess.

Could you – or anyone else reading this – recommend me a good mattifying primer and cream contour, pls? I know Mac has a line of cream contours, but the colors look real odd to me. To note, I’m currently NC42, tanned Asian skin with moderate golden undertone. Thanks!

Stacey Avatar

If I were this, I would look like a grease ball….too shiny….Even though I own some of TF brushes and the eyeshadows and blushes, I find TF colors to be very much like Estee Lauder.

Icedcaramelllatte Avatar

I can’t find this anywhere. I went to 2 B&M stores and they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for it. I did get the two cream eyeshadows.

summer Avatar

Hi Christine.
It’s a bit unrelated but I’m loving your new website. Over the years I must have loved and tried to remember over a hundred products from your blog but never could recall any of them when I went to look, try or buy them. Now because we can add items you have reviewed to a wish list you have made life SOOOOO much easier. I thought your blog rocked before but now it’s next level awesome. Thanks again xx

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