Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate- the art of Chiaroscuro comes to life

Tom Ford has the perfect product to enhance your natural contours of your face (and even make supermodels jealous.) The cream duo allows you, the artist, to mould your features and hide your imperfections. Your cheekbone are now discovered and you will be bathing in the etherial glow of this soft-focus sheer highlighter. This is a cream palette which is housed in the distinctive Tom Ford packaging. Two large size pans are filled with one luminescent pearl highlighter and a natural shade for contouring that does not add warmth but depth to your face (a key feature for a good contour product). This shade, although a cream, goes on natural with a more matte finish. Many reviews made me worry that my oily skin would not like this cream product, but once applied it stays put and does not look shiny. The highlighter, of course has a more dewy finish to it, but used sparingly and in the right places can be worn during the day without making my skin look greasy and at night to add allure to a smokey, sexy look.
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate should be renamed "Contouring and highlighting for Dummies."

Shade and Illuminate in Intensity One

When at the Tom Ford counter, the correct method of applying the Shade and Illuminate was shown to me. Tom Ford is all about being bold, bordering on exaggeration . The Sale Associate also explained how Tom Ford loves symmetry and even the most beautiful are not perfect. This duo helps, with a little smoke and mirrors to achieve this beauty in symmetry. Lara Stone looks gorgeous and over -the- top lounging on Mr Ford himself, in many previous Tom Ford beauty adverts. The contour shade is therefore, taken in an arc motion. The top should line up with the top part of the ear, then arced downwards, following the hollow of the cheek. This, of course is the area we want to shade and recede. Please note that I did place too much product to illustrate the shape of the line. I used the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate brush, which was designed for precisely place the product in the right place. This cream can also just be used in the typical position as a diagonal straight line in the hollow of the cheek, from the ear area to direction of the mouth. But, since we are all little Tom Ford monsters, we need to do it in the Tom Ford way!

Step 1 : Apply contour shade in arc

Step 2: Pull brush along arc to blend cream

Step 3 : Pull brush downwards blending in the hollow of your cheek

Finish - subtle contouring achieved

L-R Illuminate pearl shade, Countour Shade, Contour shade blended out (with flash)

I did the face swatches without any foundation and in full sun. With your favourite foundation a more flawless finish will be achieved. The illuminate shade should be used on the high points of the face. These being down the centre of the nose, the cupid's bow part of your lip, brow bone and the part of the cheek just below the undereye area on the outer area of the eye (my beauty mark marks the area). Got it! I have had so much fun using this product. While the brush, they say is not essential, to achieve that Tom Ford glamour, it really makes it child's play. Intensity one will suit a wide spectrum of skintone. If you can check it out at your nearest counter. Makeup does not come better than this!

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