Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Review

I did a lot of research on this powder before I took the plunge and made this purchase (I have this in Dim Light). There are so many video blogs available on what this is, and how to properly use it, I had many a late nights researching because I was so intrigued. I think some people get disappointed by this because they don’t have a clear understanding of what this is: this is not a highlighting powder, rather a powder that’s supposed to soften your face by giving the illusion of professional lighting when applied correctly. Different vloggers will tell you different things: some say to put the powder all over your face, and others recommend applying it in certain places (sides of the forehead, cheeks). You have to sort of play with the application to see what works for you. I tend to be on the oilier side, so it doesn’t make sense for me to apply it in the center of my face (center forehead, nose and chin) because these places will get greasy, and the Ambient Lighting powder is not the type of powder you want to be constantly reapplying throughout the day. 

There’s a vlogger whose makeup videos I’ve been watching called “A Model Recommends” (love her) and she displays how she applies this powder (she uses Diffused Light). Click here if you’d like to watch the video-the Hourglass portion begins at 1:53. Even in the video, the powder and the way she does her makeup really make her skin look brighter. She likes to use this in the daytime, whereas I mainly use this in the PM. I like this powder, but I’m not sure if it makes me look much better (maybe I need to try the Diffused Light?). I only apply the powder for special occasions and for the days I have the time and want to do something extra. It’s not a life changer, but something nice to have. I would recommend trying it first at Sephora before you make the purchase, since it'll cost you $45 each. 

Pros:

-subtle
-has some shine-control capability
-gives face a softer finish

Cons:

-pricey
-kicks up a bit of powder when getting the powder on to your brush

EWG Skin Deep Score: 3

Click here to read the full report. *Note: there were two ingredients that EWG Skin Deep did not recognize and hence, were not added in the report. The score may be skewed a bit without the addition of these ingredients-beware (BENZIMIDAZOLE DIAMOND AMIDOETHYL UREA CARBAMOYL PROPYL OLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE and OLYACRILYMide).