Dolce & Gabbana Eva Illuminator & Tan Blush: Highlighting & Contouring

Among the many face products in the Dolce & Gabbana line there's also The Illuminator -Glow Illuminating Powder in two shades: Eva 3 and Shimmer 6. The latter is pink-based, so I skipped it, but Eva, a nude beige powder with a smooth finish, seemed like the right choice.

Now, despite the name and some of the marketing materials this  Dolce & Gabbana Illuminating Powder is not a highlighter. It's a light reflecting powder that's more of a finishing product than a topical illuminator. Eva works along the same lines of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in the way it diffuses light and creates a soft glow with no visible particles (Hourglass Ambient Lighting comes in several shades, though, and some are more glowing than others). I like the silky softness of this powder, but  it's  colorless and subdued that when it comes to allover sheer light diffusing and a perfect photoshopped finish I much prefer the loose powder from NARS (that I still need to review. I know, it's been months), and for adding a visible glow Hourglass is far superior.

The other side of the shade/illuminate equation is contouring. With my facial structure I do this less on my impossible to find cheekbones (I have none) but more to narrow the nose and define my jawline. Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Color in Tan #22 is a good product for this purpose. This nude tan blush has no hint of orange. It's a very neutral shade, light enough not to require an hour of diffusing but visible and effective. The texture is soft and smooth (Dolce & Gabbana blushes have many fans because of their silky finish), and it's easy to work with.

The packaging of Dolce & Gabbana products is sturdy and detailed. One might not be crazy about the blinding gold, but it's luxurious and nice in its way. The Illuminator's (half decent) brush comes in a separate pocket attached to the compact's velveteen pouch. Blushes are packaged more traditionally with a scratchy little brush inside the compact.

Bottom Line: Tan is definitely worth trying if you're after a nice contour powder. The Illuminator is overpriced for its quality and performance.

Dolce & Gabbana Eva Illuminator ($50) & Tan Blush ($45) are available from Saks and Sephora.