[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Honestly, I think I got caught up in the hype of the Hourglass Ambient range when it first started. If you don’t know the products, they are complexion ‘lights’ in that they give a – I suppose I would use the beauty term halo glow – a sort of softening, uplighting look to the skin. Except, a few years on and many similar products from other brands later, I’m not sure quite that they’re as all that as I thought they were at the beginning.
I’m not particularly a fan of powder blush and this sort of proves why – skin lustre needs movement and life to it which is something I think powders delete from your face. So, the gleam might be there in the pan, and you can see it on your face but you can’t really see any life under it, if you see what I mean. The only way that this works, after having played around with it, is on very, very well moisturised skin which will counteract the dry look. It’s not, in my view, something you could shove on and get the best from without some serious skin prep first.
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Even the swatch looks so unimpressive and dry that I’m not showing it but can say that over the top of Wishful Honey Balm the light pink colour looked more intense and light-catchy. I know that this range from Hourglass became a huge success – particularly the ambient lighting palettes – and has many fans, but it’s just not for me any more and I’m questioning whether it ever really was or I just wanted it to be. I mean, time has passed and as skin gets older (as mine has) I think it can lose capacity to take the best of this kind of product so maybe that’s all that has happened here. All I know is that I wouldn’t pay £38 for it! It’s HERE, non affiliate HERE.
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24 comments
I tend to agree with you about the blush Jane, although i do lash it on from time to time, but you will have to claw my Luminous Light Ambient Powder out of my cold dead hands 🙂 It is hands down the best “natural” highlight I’ve ever used in my life, definitely gives the lit from within glow that I’ve just not managed to find with other highlighters, either liquid or powder. This is coming from a very dry/dehydrated skinned girl!
Wow, well that’s an accolade – I know people love it but it’s just not for me … same for Laura Mercier’s Candleglow powder .. I used to ‘get it’ but don’t now!
I don’t understand the Laura Mercier love either, I tried the loose glow powder and really didn’t like that either, way too metallic. Luminous Light is definitely an HG product for me. I originally bought it for my wedding nearly 2 years ago and have just opened a new one and i’m already panicking that they’re going to stop making it haha.
Urgh I hate it when things get discontinued! Fingers crossed but I think its a popular product so you should be fine x
Have you tried Essence’s Pure Nude highlighter? That is apparently absolutely fantastic as a natural highlighter (it is a little too warm for my skin tone). It’s annoyingly part of their US range but I’ve seen it sold online via import sites for about £12, which is still pretty reasonable I think even if that would be extortionate for Essence sold here! My skin tone is very pale and cool and personally find that pink or lavender tints to highlighter looks better than one that matches my skin tone more ‘naturally’.
that’s a great tip, thank you x
Which is your favourite blush now? I am just on the verge of running out of Becca and I’m so upset! It’s lasted me years and years! I could do with an amazing new brand to try xxx
I prefer creme blush – at the moment I’m using MAC but like Stila Sheer Peony x
The Max Factor Creme Puff Blush has a similar effect and has such a lovely satin finish on the skin – it looks very shimmery in the pan but isn’t at all on skin, just natural and glowy. Might be a better value alternative.
Great suggestion, thank you x
Hourglass do some nice items and I use one of their brushes No4 for eyeshadow a lot. But they just seem so caught up in these blushers and the highlighter palettes which just seem like an on going version of the first they brought out. All so boring now.
It does feel like it needs an update – creme formula or bouncy formula of same would be good.
I love a powder blush and I’m on the look out for a change. Something’s gone wrong with my hitherto favourite. My brush won’t pick up any product and I have to scrape the pan with the wrong end of a cuticle pusher to get it into powder form. I’ve repurchased over many years with no problems and don’t know if this one is a duff pot or they have changed the formula. So I would love to see the swatch. In this weather my face goes shiny so anything to damp it down is welcome.
Inserted at the bottom of the post for you x
Thank you.
Lots of interesting suggestions to investigate from your readers as well.
If you have Instagram I used it in a glowy skin look yesterday (@britbeautyblog) and I think that does it more justice than the swatch does.
I love cream blushes but I haven’t found one that doesn’t disappear into my skin after an hour or so.
Yes, that can be an issue – there’s a big difference in texture, so the more liquid it is the more likely it is to disappear…you need something that’s midpoint between powder and creme. MAC’s new blushes are pretty good, as would be something like Benetint that stains the skin (apply very quickly and sparingly with a brush). x
Finally, someone like me :). On my 42-year old skin, no powder blush looks nice. I have the Hourglass Ghost Palette, but as you say, it takes the life out of my skin. Into cream blushes now. I am using one from Colorscience because it has SPF in it. It is okay, but I wouldn’t repurchase it. So still looking for the IT cream blush. xx
Have a look at the Stila sticks – they’re lovely.
Thanks Jane, that’s a good top, I haven’t tried them yet. x
Tip… x
Totally agree on the powder blush front for my 51 year old face. Also wanted to love Hourglass powders so much when they were first released – gorgeous to look at in the pan but just sort of sit on the skin for me.
As regards cream blush, also love Stila but highly recommend Cle de Peau, especially shade 4. Eye wateringly expensive but really lasts and becomes one with the skin!
That’s a good recommendation, thank you x