Let’s talk blushes: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes!

Who hasn’t seen one of these Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes yet?!  One must have tried very hard, put on the Sensory Deprivator 5000 or something, to have missed one of these beauties that are being flaunted left, right, and center.

But what exactly is the big deal really?  I mean, apart from PREEETTY?!  The marbling on every single blush is different, which makes the whole experience all that much more unique.

You know how sometimes we apply too much blush, ‘fess up, we all have done that.  Maybe it was a bad day and you just took it out on the blush; or woke up blurry-eyed and couldn’t really see, etc…  So what do you do?  Take some finishing powder and buff it into the blush and try to tone down the intensity right?

Well, some genius at Hourglass must have figured, since they are so well-known for their finishing powders, why not solve the problem once and for all by creating a 2-in-1 product!  Or maybe they had some excess in the factory and decided to experiment by mixing in some colored pigments as well.  Who knows.

The new class of blushes incorporates Hourglass’ signature Ambient Lighting Powders (reviewed here), which is known for diffusing and softening light as it hits the skin, to create a more flattering finish.  Personally, I am not a full convert of the Ambient Lighting Powders, but any good finishing powder should achieve the same.  The idea of mixing both blush and finishing powder together is novel, and certainly helps prevent the too-much-blush conundrum.

These Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes may feel like they are less pigmented than traditional blushes, which is true considering that whatever you pick up on your brush, is only half colored pigments with the other half finishing powder.  They also feel much more powdery than is usual for blushes, and again remember, finishing powder.  So if you were hell bent on re-creating Strawberry Shortcake, you may have to pile on half the pan on your face.

I was completely superficial when I picked these shades with the over-riding consideration of PRETTY.  I skipped the lighter shades as they didn’t appeal to my sensibilities, and I suspect they will not show up well on my skin tone.  The shades I picked were (from left to right above):

• Radiant Magenta – a cool-toned pink that is incredibly wearable despite its rather scary name
• Luminous Flush – a neutral coral pink which was unexpected as it looked rather pink in the pan
• Diffused Heat – a warm-toned reddened coral

To use these blushes effectively, I suggest a slight tweak on your application method.  Given you do need to pick up a bit more than usual, and the blush is more powdery, I suggest a denser, fluffier brush.  And instead of sweeping your brush in 1 smooth continuous line along your cheekbones; I prefer smaller, semi-circular buffing motions.  This way, I was able to achieve a very nice flush that is both noticeable and natural.  I loved that they do give a softer, diffused look without having to do an extra step of buffing and powdering!  And these lasted me all day even in the blazing heat that we experienced over the past few weeks!

xoxo