If you can believe it, this limited edition Soleil De Feu Glow Highlighter from Tom Ford will set you back $95. If you are familiar with the Tom Ford brand, you probably can, but if not, this is a luxury cosmetics brand. I came across this highlighter while yet again shopping at a Cosmetics Company Store (an outlet store for Estee Lauder brands), so I was able to buy it for $42.75. I’ll cut to the chase, I’m so mad I bought this highlighter 😂. The only other highlighters that I currently own are the Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Divine Glow ($48) and the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish ($42), and I like them both a lot better than Tom Ford’s Highlighter. Let’s get into my reasons and who I think might still like this formula even though I didn’t.
The biggest reason I’m mad at myself is that I don’t even wear highlighter regularly. The Tom Ford brand also really doesn’t speak to me, and I only know about it through other people being fans of it. So I should have just kept moving regardless of the discount that I could get at the outlet. Obviously, my curiosity got the best of me, so I figured I might as well share my experience.
So, for reference, I am 41 (today is actually my birthday 😊) and I have dry eczema-prone skin. Basically, on any given day, I am dealing with texture of some sort, whether it be an eczema issue or just normal fine lines. On my skin, the Tom Ford Oasis highlighter is not kind to those texture issues. The mica particles aren’t small enough, they come across as a little chunky, and I end up looking like I have glitter on my cheeks. I was initially hoping that there was an overspray, but even with continued tries, it looks the same. I do want to mention that I have the darker of the two shades from this limited edition collection, so this texture could be unique to the shade 02 Oasis. A big thing to keep in mind with highlighters is that some people do like that extra sparkle. If you do, then you might love this. It just doesn’t suit my taste.
As with a lot of luxury brand items, the Tom Ford Soleil De Feu Glow Highlighter comes with a dust bag to keep your compact in. It’s a nice touch and adds to the luxurious experience.
Tom Ford 02 Oasis Comparison Swatches (Pat McGrath Venus Nectar and MAC Global Glow)
Both of the highlighters from Pat McGrath and MAC work beautifully for me. They melt into whatever foundation I’m wearing and don’t look dry or sparkly on my skin. They accentuate more texture than not using a highlighter, but that is normal. Overall, they are flattering and enjoyable to wear. The days I tested the Tom Ford Soleil De Feu Glow Highlighter I couldn’t wait to take my makeup off.
I know this was kind of a short post, but there just isn’t anything else to say. Again, if you like a more stand-out sparkle from your highlighter, you might enjoy this. That is if you are a luxury makeup shopper and don’t shy away from the $95 price tag. If you are not into luxury prices but are still curious, you can call your local Cosmetics Company Store (CCO) to see if they have it in stock. If you are not sure if you are near a CCO, you can check here (Tanger outlets) and here (Simon Premium outlets) to find out.
UPDATE May 24, 2024: I have discovered that a fluffier brush does help and looks better, but I still prefer other formulas (MAC Extra Dimension, Sephora Colorful Powder Luminizer, MUFE Artist Highlighter). I was curious to know if this was a formula or shade issue, so I also tried another shade (Soleil Neige 02 Gran Paradis). While the 02 Oasis is a much better shade for my skin tone, the formula of the 02 Gran Paradis is much smoother. So, I think the formula of Soleil De Feu 02 Oasis may just be an outlier. I did my best to capture how the mica particles separate from the base color of 02 Oasis (left swatch in the image below), but I’m not sure I succeeded 😂. I honestly still wouldn’t recommend this formula, even though I think Soleil Neige 02 Gran Paradis is a more flattering formula to wear than Soleil De Feu 02 Oasis. I just don’t feel like it is worth the price for me, even considering that I got the 50% off by buying them at the Cosmetics Company Store. Obviously, “worth the price” is very subjective, but that is just my thought.
Have you tried any highlighters from Tom Ford? Do you find it to be too sparkly?
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Nikki From HR 