Tom Ford Beauty: Shade & Illuminate

Fans of luxe beauty products rejoice for another ultra luxury beauty brand has launched and landed on our shores.

While not a new brand, we were previously only spoilt with his private blend lip colours. Now, we can also indulge in the first of Tom Ford's cosmetics collection.

From essential products that primes, protects and creates a flawless base to beautiful palettes of eyeshadow quads that give striking eye looks and sensous lacquered lip, the collection is a comprehensive set to achieve complete sophiscated looks.

Of course your hip pocket would probably not be able to withstand such an assault all at once so it's a good thing that these are permanent additions to the line so you can slowly build you the collection on your favourite products.

Today I have to pleasure of showcasing to you the Shade and Illuminate contouring creme. 

Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate - RRP A$100

Shade & Illuminate packaging; heavy swatch on NC30 skin

• The heavy and luxe and glossy dark brown packaging with gold accent is sturdy and the strongly magnetised closure housing an oversized mirror means it's not only ridiculously good looking when whipping this out of your makeup bag, but is practical and secure so you know there is no chance of accidentally spoiling the contents in your bag. 
• An extra light creme, it's almost-gel like in texture on skin. The white side is used for highlighting and give a radiant pearlescent sheen and can be used on brow bones, cheeks, the bridge of nose, cupid's lips and anywhere else that could do with a bit of glow. It is very sheer is easy to blend so is fool-proof to use, even heavy-handed enthusiasts who might otherwise look like a disco-ball. 
• The deeper shade is a deep bronze/brown colour that reminds me of Becca's Brazillian Bronzing Sheen - Samba sans the shimmer. It is also slighter deeper and gives a true bronze without looking dirty or orange. Used as a shader, this blends flawlesslessly and gives chiselled looks when used to sculpt the cheeks (which I'm still mastering) and shade the corner of foreheads. It can also be used to give a narrower and higher nose bridge with the contouring of it on the side.  Despite looking quite deep in the pan, it's ease of blending, it means it suits all skin tones by adjusting the amount of blending and product used. 

I find the best way to apply and blend the product is with a flat synthetic brush like the ones you would used for concealer or creme blushes. Fingers only work well for the Illuminate colour on smaller areas like brow bones.

I used the product in my recent FOTD I took for my circle lens review and you can see the results again below - subtle and radiant with shadows placed in the right areas for a more structured look. 

A beautiful product that gives beautiful results, Shade and Illuminate is a lust-worthy product to add to anyone's collection. With my first taste of Tom Ford's cosmetic collection, I'm hungry for more and am already eyeing the cheek colour in Love Lust (RRP A$85) and the Crushed Amethyst eye quad (RRP A$100). Perhaps I should put this onto my Christmas wish list?

Tom Ford Love Lust cheek colour has me lusting all over it

Have you started your Christmas Shopping yet? What's on your list? I haven't even begun to think of Christmas gifts yet but I'm a typical late starter.

Tom Ford Cosmetic Collection is available now exclusively at David Jones Bourke St, Melbourne and Elizabeth St, Sydney stores.

This featured product was provided for consideration.