Beauty

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

hourglass powder palette review

Every once in a while, I come across a product that exceeds all my expectations blows my mind away. This is one of those products. Please meet the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, my new best friend.

Hourglass ambient palette picturess

My skin is far, far away from perfect. I still breakout once in a while, have bad acne scars on my cheeks and temples and over all rough texture. Any chance I get to try something that can help me enhance my complexion, give it a nice glow and take away the dullness, I take it.

Most of the time when I hear about a product that is overly popular and very much hyped about, I get a bit skeptical. That is why I was a bit hesitant to buy this palette. That, and its price: $58.00. As soon as I received my $20.00 Sephora VIB gift card few weeks a go, I knew right away what I was going to spend it on.

This is what Hourglass says about this product:

Ambient Lighting Powder is a groundbreaking collection of finishing powders that capture, diffuse, and soften the way light reflects on skin. Unlike traditional powders, which merely cloak imperfections, Ambient Lighting Powder utilizes photoluminescent technology to filter out harsh light and refine the appearance of the complexion. The powders deliver a multidimensional luminescence to every skintone, making it appear softer and lit from within. The finishing powders enhance skin in any type of light, including flash photography. With three universal shades available in the Ambient palette, you can create any desired effect.”

hourglass ambient palette review

The Ambient Lighting Palette comes in a sleek, mirrored compact. Three shades included in this palette are Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light. Dim Light is a “natural peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights the complexion“; Incandescent Light is an “opalescent pearl powder that brightens the complexion with a celestial glow“; Radiant Light is a “sun-kissed golden beige powder that enhances the complexion with believable, subtle warmth“.

hourglass ambient palette swatches colors

Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light. As you can see, Dim Light is such a perfect match for my skin tone that it’s barely visible, that’s how beautifully it blends in. Incandescent Light is gorgeous for subtle highlights, and Radiant Light is a perfect way to get that sublte, bronzed look. I always try to stay away from dark bronzers because they tend to make my skin look a bit blotchy and often enhance those deep acne scars that I have on my cheeks. It’s one of the main reasons for which I stay away from heavy contouring-it just doesn’t work for me and never looks natural on my skin. As soon as I applied Radiant Light in the hollows of my cheeks I fell in love. This shade just works great with my skin tone, it gives me a subtle contour that looks incredibly natural. One thing that I have to mention, is that even though these are compact powders, they are very delicate and fragile. These powders are not one of those powders where you can dip your brush in and swirl it while collecting the product. You have to be very careful as they act act almost the same way loose powders do. Definitely have to be gentle with these, otherwise you’ll end up wasting A LOT of product. Expensive product, at that.

hourglass ambient palette swatchesAll three blended together.

ambient palette review

Hourglass ambient powder palette

The Ambient Lighting Powders also come in individual packaging (0.35 oz $45.00 each) so this palette is a pretty nice way to try out all three. It’s also a great palette to take with you when traveling; it has everything you need to finish any makeup look. I actually don’t apply these directly on my foundation; I first set my foundation with a mattifying powder, then follow with this trio (that’s mainly because even though I have combo skin, most of the time it tends to get very oily). At first, I was afraid that all this product-layering can give me the cake-face effect, but nothing could be further from truth. The finish is still smooth and very much natural-looking.

hourglass palette Another reason for which I was hesitant about this purchase, was the fact that I wasn’t sure these shades would work with my light skin tone, but they work beautifully.

 I have these mega-bright mirror lights in our master bathroom that I always avoid using. Whenever I look in the mirror I always turn those lights off, because I just get so sad looking at my skin, with all its imperfections out in the open :D  (my husband always makes fun of me because of this, he keeps saying I act like a vampire that gets burned by sunlight lol ). When I wear these powders and go to the bathroom to wash my face at the end of the day, I first put the “vampire lights” on and just admire how beautifully my skin looks (once my face is washed I turned them off, before even looking in the mirror haha!). These powders are very unique, because they enhance the complexion in most unflattering lighting conditions. How awesome is that?

I think I’ll end it here, because I seriously could keep going on and on and on about this palette. I’m very, very impressed and definitely consider this to be one of the best makeup purchases I made this year. Love, love, love!

12 Comments

  • Reply
    Brenda BusyBee
    December 19, 2014 at 5:51 am

    This is such a gorgeous palette! Just looking at it makes me feel giddy! I have yet to try any of the hourglass blushes or highlighters but they are definitely on my wishlist! :) x

    Brenda BusyBee

  • Reply
    Nabihah
    December 19, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Those highlights look so beautiful on their own and blended together. Highlighters are usual silver and I love that this is more golden since I have darker skin!

    thesundaywardrobe.blogspot.com

    • Reply
      Paula
      December 21, 2014 at 9:02 am

      I think they’re more of a finishing-highlighting-powder type of product rather than a straight up highlighters, I think that’s why they looks so beautiful on the skin.

  • Reply
    Mandy S
    December 21, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    I’ve been eyeing up this palette for the longest time but I’ve always stopped myself from buying it. I already have Dim Light and I love it! I think I might pick this palette up soon though. x

    FARFROMPERFECTIONXO

  • Reply
    Bethany Davies
    January 18, 2015 at 11:27 am

    Ah I’m so indecisive about this palette! I keep stopping myself but I think I’ll take the plunge and buy it in the summer when I’ll get the most use out of it. Good review, thank you!x

    http://bethinvogue.blogspot.co.uk

  • Reply
    Natasha
    January 31, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    Might have to try this, it looks so pretty! Your photos are beautiful x <3

    FloralsAndCoralsx // Our Blog

  • Reply
    kaley
    February 18, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    This looks like a beautiful palette! I hear you with acne.. been a struggle for me since I was 10. Ugh!

    xoxo

    Kaley

    My Closet Life Blog

    • Reply
      Paula
      February 19, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      It really is! Ughhh I know… that stuff sucks!

  • Reply
    charityhitchhikers
    March 10, 2015 at 11:56 am

    I’m dying to try this palette! I have the blusher palette and it’s so gorgeous, this just looks so dreamy and perfect for my skin. Amazing photography and such a great post! xx

    • Reply
      Paula
      March 10, 2015 at 11:59 am

      Ohh I want to get the blush palette too! Thank you so much! ;)

  • Reply
    Suzy
    March 13, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    LOOKS GREAT!

    I hope you have a wonderful weekend! ♥
    http://www.thekawaiiplanet.com

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