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Good morning, class! I have a huge announcement for you! Hourglass now lets you customize your own Ambient Lighting Palette!

I know, I know – I may sound a little too excited. But this is a big deal. Let’s discuss why.

First of all, the ambient lighting powders are amazing. They are basically finishing powders that mimic different light sources and blur imperfections. The original Ambient Lighting Palette contains Dim Light (neutral peach), Incandescent Light (opalescent pearl) and Radiant Light (golden beige). That palette was one of my first Sephora purchases! However, over the years I’ve decided that Dim Light is not great for my skin tone and Radiant Light only really works for me in the summer.

Enter the new custom Ambient Lighting Palette. For just $8 more on Hourglass’ website, you can choose three out of these six powders:

• DIFFUSED LIGHT: A soft, warm, pale yellow powder that conceals redness and gives skin clarity—like a soft ray of morning light.
• DIM LIGHT: A neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones.
• ETHEREAL LIGHT: An opalescent sheer, cool white powder that mimics a moonlit glow—even in broad daylight.
• LUMINOUS LIGHT: A champagne pearl powder that creates a soft, incandescent candlelit glow—day or night.
• MOOD LIGHT: A soft, sheer lavender pink powder that mimics the softest, most forgiving light and brightens the complexion.
• RADIANT LIGHT: A sun-kissed golden beige that enhances overall complexion with believable, subtle warmth, and also extends a summer glow.

Naturally, I had to try this out.

I chose Ethereal Light, Diffused Light and Mood Light. These seemed like the best options for my coloring and I am very pleased with the way my custom palette looks.

I have used the powders a few times and they perform just as you’d expect – fabulously. Stay tuned for swatches of all my ambien lighting powders at a later date!

What do you think? Would you create a custom Ambient Lighting Palette for yourself?

More Hourglass favorites:

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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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Hello, class! I was surprised to see this product in Sephora without having seen any Instagram posts about its release. I am talking about the Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio, a three-pan palette containing cream bronzer, blush and highlighter.

According to Sephora:

This versatile trio provides everything you need for sheer definition and color. This multitasking palette gives you all the essentials to define, brighten, and highlight your face. The improved cream formulas provide a more even application, making it highly blendable and mistake-proof for a soft, natural look.

Create a subtle tan with the neutral Bronzer, subtly bronzing and defining the face. Bring soft and universally flattering color to the cheeks with the sheer rose Blush. The champagne Highlighter formula provides a luminous glow without heavy glitter or shimmer. All three sheer formulas can be blended together to achieve custom shades and are buildable in color without feeling heavy on the skin. They’re encased in a sleek, signature Hourglass compact that’s portable for touch ups on the go.

As you can see, it is a beautiful palette:

swatches

The cream products are incredibly easy to apply and blend. I would say that the shades, especially the bronzer, may be a bit dark for the most fair tones.

Overall, I think this palette is perfect for a beachy summer look. Have you tried the Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio?

more Hourglass favorites:

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I mean, it snowed on Monday, but that’s fine…
Let’s talk about some of my favorite spring blush options for the [ever-so-slightly] warmer weather!

For the springtime I really enjoy a pink or coral hue for the cheeks. One of the sheerer options I like is the MAC Mineralize Blush in Petal Power. This coral pink blush has a subtle shimmer that eliminates the need for any extra highlight.

The other spring blush from MAC I’d like to recommend is from their recent Flamingo Park collection. The shades is called Let’s Be Friends and is part of their normal powder blush line. If you like a good blue-toned hot pink cheek, get on this before it’s gone!

Speaking of hot pink, the left side of the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Panic is the most perfect bright pink. It can also be combined with the orange shade on the right for a more coral hue. Or the orange can be worn alone (though, I prefer this in summer). So many options.

Finally, an old favorite is Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush. The rose pink is swirled with a champagne highlight, creating a beautiful color and luminosity on the cheekbones.

swatches

indoor light

top to bottom: MAC Let’s Be Friends, Hourglass Luminous Flush, NARS Panic (right), NARS Panic (left), MAC Petal Power

indirect sunlight

Of course, there are many other options out there for spring blush. I hope you will share some of your favorites in the comments! And if you are looking for some lipstick recommendations for the spring, click here!

Blushes I want to try:

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