Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo Moodlight: Review & Swatches

I tried to make myself not want the new Tom Ford Illuminating Duo Moodlight, but after it sold out the first time I grabbed it on back order. I thought it was limited edition, but looks like it’s available everywhere again and might be permanent.

Per Tom Ford’s website: “Tom Ford created this highlighting and illuminating powder duo to capture the two most flattering types of natural light on the skin: a soft white shade is like the luminous glow of daylight and a radiant golden shade is like the romantic illusion of candlelight. These lightly shimmering shades can be applied individually or layered together to create a multi-dimensional glow.” The retail is $80 for a 12g compact.

The colors are a white and shimmery tan. The texture is finely milled, it’s a little hard so you definitely need a brush that’s not the softest hairs to be able to pick up enough pigment. I use a goat hair brush, the Hakuhodo J5521. I can see a squirrel hair brush being too soft to really pick up enough product. This may bother some, for me it does not.

The white shade looks white in some light, but it’s really off white with a golden and red pearl to it. It reminds me of a less shimmery more refined MAC Vanilla pigment. The gold and red shimmer really pop out more in the sunlight. This is the least bold of the two shades, it applies sheerer and is less shimmery or frosty feeling than the tan shade. This is not frosty at all, it’s a beautiful shade. It’s not the most subtle highlighter I own, nor is it the most bold. It’s a good medium intensity highlighter that can be sheer or more intense depending how much you apply. It is my favorite out of the two and I wish it was available by itself.

Compared to the other similar shades I own(see below): Anastasia Starlight is the closest but is more shimmery, less finely milled, is pinker and cooler. MAC Lightscapade is sheerer, less shimmery, is cooler and more white. Chanel Camelia de Plumes is much more silver, cooler and more shimmery. The Tom Ford is warmer and more golden than all the other shades in comparison.

The tan shade is more shimmery or frosty feeling than the white shade. It’s more intense and pigmented. In honesty, I could do without this shade. I don’t really use colors this dark for highlighting, though it was nice on. It can be subtle if you’re more light handed with it, or also be more intense if you layer it more. It can be good on the eyes as a shadow as well. I used this more on the cheeks or eyes than on the cheekbones.

Compared to the closest shades I own(see below): Chanel’s Dentelle Precieuse is probably the closest in color but it’s sheerer, less shimmery. Charlotte Tilbury’s Dreamy Glow is much peachier, lighter and less shimmery. Becca’s Opal is less frosty(because it’s the cream shade, the pressed powder would be similar in frostiness) and more peachy pink.