Hourglass Butterfly Ambient Light Edit Unlocked Palette Review & Swatches

Hourglass Butterfly Ambient Lighting Edit Palette ($85) is one of three six-pan Ambient Lighting Edit Palettes that launched for Holiday 2022. I didn’t realize that Hourglass would be keeping these on. I thought they were limited editions. They kept selling out and coming back in stock and the last time they disappeared I was pretty sure that was the end of that. But they are back, still around, and on sale during the Hourglass Friends and Family Sale. Because ouch on the $85 price tag and yay on $68 (that’s a little more easier to choke down).

I ended up purchasing my palettes during a sale a few months ago and I truly am glad I did because I’ve used them quite often which is highly unlike me as although, I do love Ambient Light Powder I happen to not be a huge fan of the Ambient Blushes but I think somehow, someway I’m starting to appreciate them more. I still think the Elephant Ambient Light Edit Palette is my favorite but the Hourglass Butterfly Ambient Lighting Edit Palette is definitely gorgeous as well. It’s the lightest of the three palettes and has some very nice, vibrant blushes.

When I purchased these I really thought about it hard because I have a few already and I feel like I don’t use them enough. But I did end up indulging and I’m glad I did. I just seem to appreciate these a lot lately because they give me a very elegant finish.

I’ve always been a fan of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder from day one and felt the glow was subtle but beautiful and gave the skin a smooth, perfect finish. The blushes, however, just weren’t as glowy. I remember when they launched I expect a beautiful glow from them but they sort of fell flat. That being said, combining them in palettes like this make for a better experience because it comes with a few options to add that glow you might be wanting from the Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder as well as the Strobe Powder.

Before indulging in this palette you should know it contains three new shades and three repromoted. Check your stash and make sure you don’t have the original three if you’re considering as a purchase.

The new items you’ll get are the two blushes and the Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder. The three repromotes are two of the Lighting Powders and one of the Strobe Lighting Powders. Here’s the breakdown:

• Ambient Lighting Blush in Soft Flush (New)
• Ambient Lighting Blush in Sunset Glow (New)
• Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder in Celestial Strobe Lighting (New)
• Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light (Repromote)
• Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light (Repromote)
• Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent Light (Repromote)

You might recall when Hourglass Ambient Light Edit Palettes launched for the Holidays they tyically included three shades and cost $58 for 0.35 oz of product. In 2015 and they started doing palettes that include six shades which cost more at $80 and this year an extra $5 was tacked out making them $85 with 0.4 oz of product. I can’t really say I’d recommend purchasing these at full price because $85 is a lot but on sale, they do indeed become a bit more tempting.

The palettes feature artwork from illustrator, Katie Scott and as per the name the Butterfly Palette has pretty monarch butterflies. I think I like this palette the most out of the three as the butterflies are very pretty. The compact is a metal tin with a generously sized mirror inside and six powder wells. The pans are small but my brush fits into them perfectly with no issues.

Butterfly is the lightest of the three palettes and that’s reflected in the Lighting Powders and Strobe Lighting Powder. That being said the two blushes pop! They are very pigmented and a little goes a very long way. The Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder is equally pigmented and should work great on medium to darker skin tones likewise for the blush. I’ll readily admit the main reason I wanted this palette was for the blush!

The textures on all soft, silky, and apply with very little effort. They melt into the skin without adhering to drier areas. The blushes are the gem in the palette! Such beautiful colors that look so pretty and sophisticated on cheeks!

Hourglass Butterfly Ambient Light Edit Unlocked Palette is on sale now during the Hourglass Friends and Family Sale if you want to snag. Do you already own it? Do share your thoughts on it!

Where to buy

Hourglass