Beauty Care: Tom Ford Explicit Flush Shade & Illuminate Blush Duo Review & Swatches

Explicit Flush

Tom Ford Beauty Explicit Flush Shade and Illuminate Blush Duo Tom Ford Beauty Explicit Flush Shade and Illuminate Blush Duo ($90.00 for 0.22 oz.) includes two more matte blush shades–a lighter peach and more vivid coral–and both shades applied and blended out well on bare skin as well as over foundation, though the left side was sheerer than the right. The right side was richer and would work on more skin tones, but the left side was so light that it barely showed up on my skin tone so this duo did not feel like it’d work across as many skin tones as it could have (with a more mid-tone left shade).

Top Dupes
Ingredients

Top Dupes

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ColourPop Growth Flirt (P, $8.00) is darker (95% similar).
Dior Coral Flight (462) (LE, $44.00) is warmer (95% similar).
Tarte Mod (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Nude Glow (Center) (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
ColourPop Totes (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, glossier (95% similar).
Milk Makeup Infinity (P, $20.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
ColourPop Double Bubble (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
KIKO 108 Orange Coral (DC, $12.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
ColourPop Frisky Business (LE, $8.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Clinique Ginger Pop (01) (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).

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Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Didecene, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Glycerin, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquistearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Caffeine, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499)].

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.

Explicit Flush

PPermanent. $90.00.

A-

9.5

Product

8.5

Pigmentation

9.5

Texture

Longevity

Application

92%

Total

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Explicit Flush (Left)

Explicit Flush (Left) is a medium peach with warmer undertones and a semi-matte finish. There seemed to be the random smattering of fine sparkle in it, but I didn’t feel like it translated to the finish once applied to my skin as it just looked more matte in practice.

It had medium, buildable color coverage with a soft, finely-milled texture that felt almost cream-like to the touch as it was so silky. The blush applied evenly to bare skin and blended out easily, though this shade just barely showed up on my skin tone (for reference). It lasted well for eight hours before fading visibly.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Cover FX Soft Peach (Left) (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
ColourPop Double Bubble (LE, $8.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
ColourPop Frisky Business (LE, $8.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Physicians Formula Vintage Rouge (P, $12.99) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Makeup Geek Bliss (P, $10.00) is darker (90% similar).
Flower Beauty Pinched (P, $9.99) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
LORAC Prism (P, $23.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
Patrick Ta She's Sincere (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).
Zoeva Shy Beauty (P, $11.80) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
NARS Buzzed (LE, $30.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).

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Formula Overview

The formula is supposed to be "silky-smooth" with "semi-matte and highlighting hues" for a "light-reflecting" glow. I'd describe the finish was matte, and it'd be a stretch to even say semi-matte, but the powders were silky, smooth, and blendable and sat well on bare skin without emphasizing texture or dryness. I was actually going through a real dry spell with my skin when I swatched and tested this range!

The brand didn't make any claims regarding coverage, and my experience with these showed they were fairly pigmented--usually semi-opaque and buildable--but could be used with a lighter hand or less-dense brush for sheerer, more buildable coverage if desired. The coverage was versatile and seemed like it would be plenty for those who prefer more pigmentation but nothing that required a very light hand to start off with.

The most impressive part about the formula was how well it applied over bare skin and still-damp foundation; more matte finishes tend to "stick" and go on more patchily and often have to be applied over a mattified base. I didn't have any of those issues with the shades I tested; they applied beautifully over bare skin and blended out with ease.

They lasted between eight and nine hours on me before fading a little.

Browse all of our Tom Ford Beauty Shade & Illuminate Blush swatches.