November 25, 2013

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder 3

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder ($45) is a new finishing powder that captures and creates the perfect lightening on face for a beautiful soft focused, airbrushed finish on skin and face.

Unlike traditional finishing powder, Hourglass Ambient Lighting filters out harsh light and refines the appearance of your complexion for a beautiful, luminous glow. Giving skin that lit from within glow with a soft, smoother, more youthful finish.

The powder is available in six shades to fit a variety of different skin tones.

Take a look!

I tried out the Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder which is a golden beige with subtle golden shimmer. It was created to add warmth to the complexion of your face. On my skin this gives a faint peach tint to my skin and creates a smother, softer appearance. It has a hint of peachy orange to it with a finer golden shimmer. The powder is very, very soft and feels like silky. It blends easily and doesn’t accentuate my drier skin in the least.
It has a soft, translucent powder texture and adds warmth and a soft glow to my cheeks and face whenever I wear it.

It isn’t completely without color because anytime I wear it I feel like it gives extra depth and intensity to my blush shade and adds a glowing warmth to my skin. I use a bushier brush or a fan brush to gently sweep it across my face after I apply BB Cream and Blush. It sets makeup to a perfect finish and allows my base foundation or BB Cream to wear a little longer.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder swatches

I’m not typically one for recommending highlighting powders because I find them difficult to use but Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder is actually a no brainer. Simply sweep it on for warmth, radiance, and a luminous soft glow on skin without any no how, fall out, or mess.

Beautiful!

Very worth picking up.

It’s the ideal way to complete your makeup look!

Muse Approved.

Available now at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Tried it?

Do share your thoughts!

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • CatG

    My Hourglass Lighting Powder (I got the Dim Light one) is easily my new favorite product. Probably the product I love the most out of all the products I purchased during the VIB sale, it’s just sooooo beautiful! I’m so in love with it I have been considering buying Diffused Light also… but we’ll see 😛

  • Fatima

    Hey, How do you compare this one with Ben nye Banana powder? The claims are the same for both the products. However, I feel its a lame question 🙂 ?

  • Catriona

    I want one of these so bad but I have no idea what would look good on my face, and if it will play well with the Hourglass Immaculate foundation which only tends to look powdery if any type of face powder is used on it. Every time I go to the brick stores they’re out!

  • Lacy

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this powder. (with the exception of the dislike I had for the palette with feeling two shades being too dark for me) I have it it in Luminous light and I am fair skinned and it is fabulous. It adds just the right depth and warmth to my face, and I’ve actually thrown it on solo right over top my moisturizer as an all over powder/foundation when I’ve been in a rush and it’s amazing how fresh and radiant it makes you look. I’ve even gotten compliments on my skin when wearing it solo vs as a highlighter/finishing powder. And this color works great as a bronzer for me. I actually prefer it by itself or bronzer as it can get a little too dark if I use it to finish all over on top of my foundation.

    I love it so much I just ordered it in Diffused and Mood light and they should arrive tomorrow! I tried to grab them up during the VIB sale but by the time I woke up and logged in to check out they had already sold out. Def worth every penny in my opinion!

  • Melissa

    I absolutely love this shade! I decided to pick up the ambient lighting powder palette during the friends and family sale and this is one of the shades in it and it has become my favorite! I use it the same way you do, over/under blush and it just gives my skin such beautiful warmth!

  • Gwen

    As I age…(I am 50 now), I am thinking more and more I need one of these “soft focus” powders, I like the fact that this one has a little color to it. The white ones scare me and I’m afraid I am going to miss blending and look like I popped my head in a flour barrel.

    I’ll think I’ll try this one, even if it means another trip back to Sephora…I’ll suffer through….

    xoxoxo 🙂

    • the Muse

      I think you’ll love it gwen! It’s a beautiful powder especially for aging skin! 🙂 P.S. you look all of 35 in your photos! Hope I look as amazing at 50!

      • Gwen

        Sweetheart, you sure do know how to make a girl’s day! xoxoxoxo

        Happy Thanksgiving! <3

          • Gwen

            The “Dim Light” shade is on its way to me as we speak—-I will report back. Happy Chanukah and Thanksgiving, or as we like to call it around here, Thanksgivukkah!!!

            xoxoxox

          • the Muse

            LOL same to you gwen same to you and yours! I hoping you’re loving the powder 🙂

  • Dana

    I have all six permanent powders & the LE palette- I absolutely love them all!! Because of them, I’ve become addicted to Hourglass products 🙂

    • Majick

      Dana, since you have all six would you be able to enlighten me on which one would be the best for (I wear light or medium CC cream from IT, lit/med smashbox cc, I have yellow undertones with a bit of pink in the cheeks)? HOpe I explained that right.

      IT’s hard to buy online because the colors could look so different when I get them. Do they all do something a bit different?

      AND, finally, would it be worth it to get the palette one instead?

      Thanks for your time.

  • Emily

    How heavy would you say feels on the skin compared to other highlighters and finishing powders? It’s gotten such great reviews, but I like my makeup to feel very light!

  • Katy

    I have this powder in Dim Light, and I love it. My only question is, Muse, after reading your and Temptalia’s reviews of Guerlain Les Voilettes, I’m worried I made the wrong decision. I wanted a finishing powder, which I know HG’s powders can be used for , but perhaps I should have gone for Les Voilettes because it is matte? Or maybe they’re different enough that investing in both wouldn’t be an exercise in vanity? Hahaha. Please share your thoughts if you have a chance! I believe I asked a similar question on your review of the Les Voilettes, but it probably got lost among many others.

    • the Muse

      sorry katy I didn’t see the comment to be honest, could be on a busy day where I was just approving but failed to reply 🙁 Happens rarely but does happen! There are two vastly different things in my experience. Do you want a matte brightening finishing powder or are you looking for something that acts as a finishing powder and adds glow and a bit of shimmer to your face?

      • Katy

        Eeeerrrrm can I have both? Hahaha. As far as I know, Guerlain’s is a “luminous” matte, but because I already have the Ambient powder, I’m hesitant to get the Voilettes in case I end up neglecting one or the other (that would be a total waste; my wallet would scold me!) I guess my question is, do you use both? I have fairly young skin, so I’m less concerned about “fixes” than the overall effect/long-term benefit. I really like the Ambient powder, and I apply it with the HG brush, but I worry sometimes that it’s not meant to finish my face, even though they say it is.

        • the Muse

          I feel like the powder isn’t meant to completely finish my face..I mean I wouldn’t apply it the way I would a normal translucent powder, typically I sweep it on my face with the brush they created to use with it but never with a sponge and never as much of an amount as a finishing powder. I do…I typically use Guerlain’s powder in the Summer and pat it on with a puff to mattify and I follow up with my blush and perhaps this if I want to add a little glow. I feel like this is more of a highlighter versus a finishing powder which is why it is like comparing apples and oranges. If you just want a powder to complete your look I’d recommend Guerlain. If you just want a highlight to add intensity to your blush or a soft glow to your face I’d go with this. Hope this helps!

  • Lulubelle

    I love these! I started with Dim Light, then I got Diffused Light, and during the Sephora VIP sale I got the palette.

  • Majick

    I think I’m going to have to look for some swatches. I have to spend $53 more to keep my VIB status. WIsh I knew that when F&F was going on. I thought I spent enough but they count the dollars spent not the price of what you bought so… my bad.

  • Ashley

    I’ve never tried this brand before but every time I go to Sephora curiosity gets the best of me and I’m drawn to the natural models faces and how the accommodate to lots of different skin tones with their foundation line. This powder looks beautiful, too bad I’m trying hard to use up blushes and bronzers at the moment. As a beauty addict there is something really gratifying about using up a product.

  • Meg

    I caved and got the Ambient Lighting Palette a while ago…one of the best beauty purchases ever, I have been using that palette every single day!!

  • cat

    I picked up Mood Light in the store during the crazy haze of the VIB sale because I needed to requalify for VIB. It was one of the only ones left in the store. I have yet to try it out as I’m not sure if it has much of an effect and I’m not sure how to use it. Is it just a finishing powder? What should I be looking for? I wanted it as a highlighter/product to even out my complexion.

    • the Muse

      I dub it more of a finishing powder/highlighter as it adds a nice glow. It won’t really even out your complexion at least in my experience it doesn’t.

      • cat

        OK. I will try and look for a glow. You know Sephora lighting is terrible. Hopefully I’ll actually see something when I apply it at home.

  • Christine

    During the heady rush of the VIB sale, I picked up Ethereal Light and Mood Light. I was initially gunning for the LE palette with the three powders, but I wasn’t lemming for it until the last days of the sale. By then – it was sold out but I did submit an email to advise me when it was back in stock. On Nov. 12, I got the email that it was back in stock and to the agony of my wallet, the VIB20% off code still worked!

    I have all three on my makeup table but I haven’t cracked it open yet to use it. Sometimes when I get a super coveted item, I like to savour and just look at it for some time before cracking it open to use, haha.

    I wasn’t able to get the brush though that was recommended. Is it vital? Or shoudl I just use a duo fibre brush?

    • the Muse

      LOL I do that too Christine! Just kinda savor the makeup 😀 sure, fibre brush is perfect!

  • El

    I think I’m an alien because I feel like I’m the only person on the planet who didn’t see any improvements with these at all. I tried 3 shades, asked friends to check me out in all different kinds of light and saw no “soft-focus” effect or glowy-ness at all. Even when I wore it on only half my face there was still no noticeable difference. I’m tempted to try the Guerlain balls.

  • Patty

    Companies are always sending you the wrong shades to try poor thing lol you handle it better than I ever could 🙂