| Review | Tom Ford Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow

By now, we have all seen two other versions of this contouring compact but this one, is everything I could have dreamed of. First of all, its called Nude Glow, if that doesn't entice you well you are made of stone, or maybe you have a darker skin tone and this won't work for you. Every summer, Tom Ford gets me with his glowing, golden, and bronze goddess aesthetic and this year is no exception. However, did he just repackage the other two compacts to create this one? Keep reading to find out!

The Tom Ford Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow retails for $110.00 USD and is available at Neiman Marcus and other retailers. As with so many Soleil Collections in the past, the packaging is a white lacquered compact with gold trim detailing. The compact is magnetic, slim, and sleek. It opens up much like a clutch and reveals the beautiful trio of colors inside. 

Traditionally with the previous compacts, Soleil Afternooner (review here) and Soleil Afterglow , there are 3 products contained inside - a highlighter, blush, and bronzer. This year, it appears they have switched it up with 2 highlighters and 1 blush shade. SEE MY COMPARISON SWATCHES BELOW, THEY ARE VERY CLOSE! 

Highlighter (warm) - This first highlighter has a warm beige base with fine and soft gold shimmer. On a medium skin tone, this is a very subtle highlighter because the gold looks very natural on the skin. These highlighters give more of a natural sheen than an intense gleam to the skin. 

Blush - This matte soft peach blush is very pigmented. With one light tap into the product, it was enough to give my cheek a pop of color. It looks very fresh and brightens my complexion. It is however, very reminiscent of my favorite "nude blush" from the Tom Ford line in Inhibition but much more peach than nude. While I don't currently have a review of Inhibition, it has made my favorites list for 2017 Makeup here and for the Best of Tom Ford 2017 here. 

Highlighter (cool) - This highlighter is a soft cool pink shade that offers just a pinch more glow than the gold highlighter. It is still very subtle and soft but on a medium skin tone, this contrasts more and gives a more glowing effect. The shade isn't too cool-toned that it looks unflattering on a warm skin tone. Like all the finishes in the palette, it is very soft and natural but will pick up very well in the sunlight. 

This formulation is the same as the previous two palettes which is a baked powder. Like the previous releases, this palette has very soft and subtle finishes. I think the most impressive product in the palette is the blush! While not at all a unique shade, it has strong pigmentation and blends beautifully into the skin. The two highlighters are really mediocre, they are pretty and subtle but are pretty much something you can get from any brand for significantly less! They really aren't a mind-blowing formula and to be honest, I would have preferred if they included a bronzer than two very similar highlighters. However, the inclusion of the cool and warm highlighters allows for more versatility as far as skin tones. Additionally, you can mix and match to compliment the look you are wearing that day. To be frank, this palette is quite boring and I'm a little disappointed in it. It isn't a bad product by any means, but it is just very basic and we have seen these products many times before. Overall, if you skip this palette, you're really not missing out on anything.

Speaking of having seen these products before, you will be STUNNED at the fact that this palette contains products that are practically IDENTICAL to Soleil Afternooner and Soleil Afterglow! I didn't believe it until I swatched them next to each other but the Nude Glow seems to contain Soleil Afternooner's Gold Highlighter and Peach Blush. It also seems to contain Soleil Afterglow's light Pink Highlighter!

Swatches from left to right: Soleil Afternooner, Nude Glow, Soleil Afterglow





As you can see, the GOLD HIGHLIGHTER in Soleil Afternooner is barely peachier than the Nude Glow, the look identical to me and on the skin no one will be able to tell!

Also, the BLUSH in Soleil Afternooner is a pinch more pink, again, on the skin there's not a huge difference.

Finally, the PINK HIGHLIGHTER in Soleil Afterglow is barely lighter than the Nude Glow.

I think we can conclude that these products are basically repackaged products from previous releases, especially the highlighters! I think we could possibly make an argument that the peach blush in Nude Glow is "different' but not by much. This is an easy pass for anyone who owns the previous palettes or has anything similar to these shades!

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