Surreal Light

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Oh hey there, class! Are you overwhelmed yet by the astonishing number of holiday makeup releases? (side note – can we talk about the fact that now “holiday” releases happen starting in September? Like.. really?) One product that I was convinced I would never get, but did get anyway, is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit. Based on the theme of “Surreal Light,” the five pans in this palette sit in a case of marble. Well, marble-colored plastic. Let’s take a look!

As stated on Sephora:

This palette contains:
– 0.14 oz/ 4 g in Ambient Lighting Powder in Surreal Light (sheer nude)
– 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g in Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Surreal Bronze Light (neutral tan with Surreal Light)
– 2 x 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g Ambient Lighting Blush in Surreal Glow (pale peony pink with Surreal Light), Surreal Effect (cool, pink rose with soft, warm peach)
– 0.04 oz/ 1.4 g in Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Surreal Strobe Light (glimmering peach)

I believe these are all new and limited edition shades. That being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if one or two made their way into Hourglass’ permanent lineup.

Overall, the powders are soft and blendable. As in the past, I had a little trouble doing decent swatches on my arm (as I am a ghost) but here’s what I have for you:

top to bottom: Surreal Strobe Light, Surreal Bronze Light, Surreal Glow, Surreal Effect, Surreal Light

At $80, the Ambient Lighting Edit is not a crazy good deal, but it is a nice collection if you could see yourself using these peachy-toned colors. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

more from Hourglass:

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Let’s start off 2016 by taking a look at some of my favorite beauty products from 2015! For the sake of brevity, I’ll try to keep my descriptions short and sweet. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you’d like more information! Where possible, I have included links to the product from websites I have used in the past. I have also linked to previous reviews, if I have one.

• Favorite Primer: Marc Jacobs Invisible Under(Cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer – This is my favorite all-purpose primer. Having used it in both warm and cool weather, I can safely say that it is great for dry skin, yet does not over-grease oily skin. I especially love it under the serum foundations that are becoming popular.
• Favorite Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (I use Chantilly)- This concealer is amazing over blemishes; a tiny dot can cover the biggest zit. I’ve also used it under the eye, and I have to say that it creases less than some products marketed as dedicated undereye correctors.
• Favorite Foundation: MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation (I’m shade NC20) – OK, so this one is a big deal because my skin does not normally get along with MAC foundations. However, this product has been a game changer. I use it especially on days I know are going to be very long, as well as any time I have to be on stage, because I know it will last. We reviewed this foundation here.
• Favorite Eye Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance – I got this one because everyone raves about it. I now understand why. It is very easy to apply and does help shadow last on long days. I notice significantly less creasing when I use this versus other popular eye primers.
• Favorite Eye Liner: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (shade Trooper) – The applicator on this is so interesting; lying somewhere between brush and felt tip, this product makes winging eyeliner a breeze.
• Favorite Mascara: L’Oreal Miss Manga Rock Voluminous Waterproof Mascara (side note – our only “drugstore” product today!) – I have issues with many high-end mascaras, so to find a drugstore mascara that I love is fantastic. I am on my third tube of this because I love the way it lengthens and volumizes dramatically, without being overly clumpy.
• Favorite Brow Product: It Cosmetics Build-A-Brow (shade Blonde) – I didn’t think anything could trump the popular ABH dipbrow, but this cream is by far more forgiving and easier to manipulate.

• Favorite Eye Shadow Palette: Kat Von D Shade+Light Eye Contour Palette – It’s amazing how much you can do with a neutral palette, especially when it’s a good one. The shadows are exceptionally pigmented and easy to work with.
• Favorite Single Eye Shadow: Charlotte Tilbury Nocturnal Cat Eyes to Hypnotise (shade The Huntress) – There’s really something special about this shadow. The golden brown pigmented has little flecks of glitter than enhance the eye without being overwhelming.
• Favorite Contour Product: Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder – A fantastic option for fair skin. We took a look at it here.
• Favorite Highlight Product: Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed (shade Moonstone) – The ever-popular “Opal” was too dark for me, but this option from Becca works for me in both summer and winter. It provides a subtle sheen that is good for everyday use.
• Favorite Blush: Urban Decay Afterglow Powder Blush (shade Rapture) – These blushes are crazy pigmented. I love the plum tone of Rapture, especially for the fall and winter. It can be sheered out to become very natural and pretty.
• Favorite Face Powder: Besame Brightening Violet Powder – This translucent powder has a hint of violet that really brightens the fair complexion. I like to use it as a finishing powder. It also smells lovely, so that’s an added bonus.

• Favorite Lip Gloss: Dior Rouge Brillant (Hollywood) – I hated lip gloss until I found this. It is thick but not tacky and lasts quite a while for gloss. Also, the color is fantastic.
• Favorite Cream-Finish Lipstick: Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick (Cava) – This is my all-time favorite nude because it is cool-toned and pigmented. The cream finish has decent staying power and the formula is moisturizing.
• Favorite Liquid-to-Matte Lipstick: Lime Crime Velvetine (Bleached) and ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip (Trap) – Similar formulas and colors, I had to have a tie happen. Bleached is a peachy nude and Trap is a gray-toned nude, but both are fantastic and can be altered by using a liner beneath them.
• Favorite Matte Lipstick: ColourPop Lippie Stix (Pinch) and Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lipstick (Barberry) – ColourPop Lippie Stix are some of my favorites, and Pinch takes the cake as the best slightly-darker-than-nude shade. I believe Bite Beauty Barberry was a limited release, but I suggest pouncing on any matte lipsticks that Bite comes out with.

For fun, I’ve included swatches of the above-mentioned lip products:

top to bottom: Bite Barberry, Bite Cava, ColourPop Pinch, ColourPop Trap, Lime Crime Bleached — left: Dior Hollywood

My favorite part of starting the new year is seeing everyone else’s favorites from the previous 12 months. Please, share your lists in the comments so we can all see!

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