In recent years makeup wasn't too high on my list of priorities, putting on my "face" in the morning meant that it was relatively basic and so my look was a kind of no makeup, makeup look. One step I've never skipped has always been powder because of my shiny t-zone and eyes where I use concealer as an eyeshadow base. Last spring when I started my quest to find a new job I went to Sephora looking for an everyday powder compact and I remember seeing Hourglass Ambient Lighting but I was somewhat puzzled about them. Intrigued, I remember trying each one on my arm and then walking around the store looking at the swatches liking what I saw but still not sure enough to go for one and so that day I got my little Givenchy Le Prisme Visage compact.
Not long after it would seem the entire blogosphere was talking about Hourglass and since then these Ambient Lighting powder appear to have become almost essentials to those looking to achieve a flawless complexion. Unlike Le Prisme which tones down shine and lightly evens out the complexion, Hourglass' Ambient Lighting powders create a gentle diffuse light effect on the skin, in other words it softens the way light reflects on one's skin.
When I saw the first pictures of this palette last summer I knew I just had to have it. Having the chance of trying three was just too irresistible considering they are $52,00 each, the palette although still not cheap at $67,00 offers a great opportunity to experiment.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette comes with a small size of the
well loved Veil Mineral Primer which will get it's own review.
well loved Veil Mineral Primer which will get it's own review.
How important is the effect of ambient lighting on one's skin? A lot according to Barbara Cartland!
Who the heck is Barbara Cartland you ask? A romance novel writer, considered to be the most prolific of the genre and in my late teens and early 20s I admit, I read several of her books. They were a guilty pleasure and a step up from the Harlequin books one can still find on newspaper stands at any metro station. Set in the 1900s the premise was often a young virginal ingenue with no money taken in by more fortunate family or acquaintances. She would meet a young super rich nobleman who often kept a mistress, either an actress, a widow or a woman married to a clueless older man. The funny thing about Cartland's portrayal of these secondary characters is that they were usually in their early thirties and were often described as being on the verge or old age!
Old age at thirty, looking for their last chance at love and for some, marriage! This is so laughable but I guess one could say that Cartland was from another time.
The link with Ambient Lighting?
In almost all of her stories there was always a reference to it. Remember, these mistresses were more often than not in their thirties and so Cartland would sometimes go so far as writing that a lady didn't want to see her lover early in the morning because the lighting was too harsh for her complexion making her appear "older". In other instances she would describe how a lady would redecorate her boudoir so that the color or the walls and furniture would be more flattering to her skin tone especially in the evening, with candlelight... So funny! I guess had Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders existed back in those days, they would have been Cartland's favorite cosmetic essentials!
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette...
This is a beautiful compact and depending on the lighting you can really see the velvety surface of the powders. These pictures were taken outside at about 3:30 pm the day before we turned back the clocks. I had to wait an entire week before I could caress these beauties with my powder brush because ever since I purchased this palette, clouds were preventing the sun to shine through.
On the picture above the colors are more true. Dim and Radiant are part of the regular collection and Incandescent was created especially for this palette. Needless to say I couldn't take pictures of swatches. For some reason my arm looks too pink which is kind of a mystery to me because this is not the color of my skin! I'm quite sure I have no family ties to Miss Piggy!
How do I use them?
Oh I'm having so much fun with these! I like Dim as an all over powder. Incandescent is quite nice for a light luminous effect on top of my cheeks and Radiant, well that one looks fabulous over Guerlain Terracotta on my cheeks and temples. It may appear a little dark in the pan but I don't find it to be the case on skin. It's not a bronzer, it simply gives skin a natural light healthy glow.
They can be used right over foundation or as finishing powders and you can use one or all depending on the desired effect. I use a soft blush size brush for more precision but some may prefer a large powder brush. I guess with these the rule is that there are no rules. Simply use as you please.
The texture of the powders themselves? Beautiful! Finely milled and tightly pressed I experienced no fall out. Remember that I used a soft bristle brush and mine is nothing fancy and comparable to Real Techniques.
Today I did my makeup at 8:00 am and used all three! 8:30 pm I can still see the softness of the finish but I must say that at the moment my skin is pretty normal so I can't honestly say how these would work for oilier complexions. They may have to be reapplied during the course of the day.
Availability...
It's a limited edition so if you want one you better act fast! I was lucky that my local Sephora received another batch because the week before they were out. You may even have to get it online and I must admit that in this case I may have forgo my personal rule of never buying online. I wanted it that badly!
Have you ever read a cheesy romance novel? If so what was the last one?
