New to the Ambient Family: Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder + Sculptor

This post contains PR samples

Hourglass makes some of my most cherished powder products in my collection, so forgive me for drooling a lot bit when I saw they had released their new Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders ($38) and Ambient Strobe Light Sculptor ($22) to apply them with. The new range includes four shades, and I am featuring two in today's post: Brilliant and Iridescent.

Brilliant is a pale, beigey yellow gold and Iridescent is a peachy, soft pink. I was afraid that these were going to perform just like any other highlighter, but leave it up to Hourglass to create a product that goes above and beyond. Unlike most highlighters on the market, the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders have a sheerer base with a combination of fine shimmer and an incredibly sparse amount of micro-glitter particles. Because the base shade has only soft pigmentation, when applied dry, these powders impart the most delicate glow upon the skin - "lit from within," if you will. The unique formula also allows the powders to be used wet, and when a bit of moisture is added into the mix, the pigmentation is turned up a few notches and the overall effect is more dramatic and reflective, yet still very refined. For comparison purposes, when applied wet, these are about as glowy as what was previously the most natural and subtle highlighter in my stash, Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders in Brilliant (L) and Iridescent, pictured with the Ambient Strobe Light Sculptor

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Brilliant

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent

Ambient Strobe Light Sculptor

I like the Ambient Strobe Light Sculptor, but I don't think it's a must-have. The slanted end is meant to contour the high points of the face better, and the bottom  edge has an interesting velvety surface meant for softly blending out the powders (it can be seen in the second photo from the top; the velvety edge looks like a white line at the bottom of the sponge). The sponge comes in handy when applying these powders wet, but I prefer using my usual highlighter brushes for dry application.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders in Brilliant (dry, wet) and Iridescent (dry, wet)

Wearing Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders in Brilliant (top) and Iridescent (applied dry in both photos)

These new strobing powders are the same size as their blushes and have the same finely milled, silky smooth texture as the original Ambient Lighting Powders. I thought for certain Brilliant would be my favorite of the two I have, but after having given them both a fair shot, Iridescent is the one that comes in just a touch ahead. The peachy undertone keeps the primarily pink shade from leaning too cool, and I find that because it has a pink tone to it, it actually looks more cohesive with more of my blush shades and almost elevates the appearance of my cheekbones because it acts as a glowy extension of my cheek color. I'm contemplating adding Euphoric to my collection, as that was the shade that initially struck a chord with me, however, I'm not sure if it will be too dark for my skin tone, so I'll most likely wait for the range to hit stores before making a final decision. 

For now, I can say that Hourglass did not disappoint with these babies. If you've been a fan of the original finishing powders, their bronzers and blushes, then I have no doubt in my mind you'll fall in love with these just the same. If you're looking for a subtle and refined, lit-from-within-glow that allows you to adjust the degree of drama it imparts, I haven't tried a powder that can achieve it quite as effortlessly as these Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders.

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Disclosure: These products were sent to me for consideration for a review. I am not affiliated with the company, nor am I getting paid for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are based solely on my own experiences with the products.

Posted in: Makeup-2