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The Perfect Face Palette: Hourglass Surreal Light Ambient Lighting Edit Review & Swatches
17:11Alice Grace
Hourglass is one of those brands that causes a frenzy of excitement every time they release a new product. Add in a whisper of the words limited-edition and beauty-obsessives far and wide immediately reach for their purses, no questions asked. It may sound a bit OTT, but their products are so worth the hype that I can totally understand the buzz that their makeup line generates. Out of their entire range, the beautiful, exclusive palettes that are released at Christmas time are by far their most coveted. Most recently, we've all been caught up in a flurry of eager anticipation for the Hourglass Surreal Light Ambient Lighting Edit to hit the shelves and yes, it really is as good as it looks.
If you haven't sampled the delights of Hourglass's face powders before, then you're missing out. For me, they're the absolute stand-out products in the luxe brand's collection. Known for their amazing ability to impart a lit-from-within radiance thats undetectable on the skin, there's no other brand that has even come close to producing powders as flattering. Guaranteed to create a believably natural illumination, they'll never let you down whenever you fancy ramping up the glow factor.
They never leave you covered in chunky flecks of glitter, never blend out to a patchy mess and never powder down the skin to the point it looks dry or chalky. Being heavy-handed and applying too much of these powders is impossible. Effortlessly, they even-out the skin tone, blur imperfections and leave the skin with an almost airbrushed, ethereal finish. Honestly, they're magic. As soon as I purchased one, I purchased another and the pattern just seemed to keep repeating itself. Now, there's never a week when I don't have at least one finishing powder, blush, highlighter or bronzer of their's in my makeup bag.
As I'm such a fan of the Ambient Lighting formula, I've bought all of Hourglass's previous palette releases, except for the edit released last year. I had the majority of the shades included already, so it seemed wasteful to buy it, no matter how tempted I was. So, when this season's offering was announced, I was especially excited to hear that it would be jam-packed full of exclusives. Straight away, I knew I had to have it. It's only a bonus that the case has a marbled finish, even if doesn't feel that luxurious due to being so lightweight!
The Surreal Light Edit consists of one finishing powder, two blushes, one bronzer and a highlighting powder. For anyone who travels a lot, likes all-in-one options or is simply addicted to all things Hourglass, then this palette is the one. Currently, all of these shades are only available within this palette, but fingers crossed a few, if not all all, make the permanent collection. Sometimes the quality of palettes can be questionable, compared to the individual versions of products included, but these powders are just as silky, smooth and easily blend-able as the originals.
The tones in the palette are perfect for my taste, but a couple of the shades could lean too warm for very fair complexions. Overall, though, it's definitely more suited to lighter skin-tones. I know quite a few bloggers with olive complexions or darker have commented that the shades don't show up too well on their skin, so definitely bear that in mind if you're thinking of purchasing. As always, I'd recommend swatching the shades in person if possible, before taking the plunge.
The shades that make up the Surreal Light palette are:
Surreal Light Powder - A sheer, peachy nude finishing powder that adds a soft-focus, candle-lit glow to the skin.
Surreal Bronze Light - A neutral tan bronzer fused with the Surreal Light powder, for a soft, subtle warmth.
Surreal Glow - A pale peony pink blush swirled with Surreal Light for a delicate, neutral flush of colour.
Surreal Effect - A cool pink rose fused with a warm orange/peach blush for a pop of flattering colour.
Surreal Strobe Light - A glimmering peach highlight for an alluring radiance. This is quite a warm-toned highlight, so may be too dark used as a highlight on alabaster skin-tones.
Just a warning, if you haven't seen the Ambient Lighting Edits in person, then you may not expect them to be quite so miniature (the larger pan holds 0.14oz of product and the smaller four pans only hold 0.04oz each). The compact size is especially hard to swallow when the palette is priced at a whopping £69. As you get so little product, this palette doesn't work out as amazing value, but it makes a great introduction for anyone wanting to dip their toe into the brand and try a nice selection of powders, without having to buy the full-sizes.
Even at an eye-watering price, these palettes are always bound to sell like hot cakes, so it's best to snap them up quickly to guarantee that you get your hands on one. Last year's edit sold out so quickly, had a quick resurrection during the summer and then finally disappeared for good after selling out everywhere once again! Basically, act fast to avoid disappointment, particularly if you want to buy one as a Christmas gift!
The tones in the palette are perfect for my taste, but a couple of the shades could lean too warm for very fair complexions. Overall, though, it's definitely more suited to lighter skin-tones. I know quite a few bloggers with olive complexions or darker have commented that the shades don't show up too well on their skin, so definitely bear that in mind if you're thinking of purchasing. As always, I'd recommend swatching the shades in person if possible, before taking the plunge.
The shades that make up the Surreal Light palette are:
Surreal Light Powder - A sheer, peachy nude finishing powder that adds a soft-focus, candle-lit glow to the skin.
Surreal Bronze Light - A neutral tan bronzer fused with the Surreal Light powder, for a soft, subtle warmth.
Surreal Glow - A pale peony pink blush swirled with Surreal Light for a delicate, neutral flush of colour.
Surreal Effect - A cool pink rose fused with a warm orange/peach blush for a pop of flattering colour.
Surreal Strobe Light - A glimmering peach highlight for an alluring radiance. This is quite a warm-toned highlight, so may be too dark used as a highlight on alabaster skin-tones.
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| Swatches L-R: Surreal Light Powder, Surreal Bronze Light, Surreal Glow, Surreal Effect & Surreal Strobe Light |
Just a warning, if you haven't seen the Ambient Lighting Edits in person, then you may not expect them to be quite so miniature (the larger pan holds 0.14oz of product and the smaller four pans only hold 0.04oz each). The compact size is especially hard to swallow when the palette is priced at a whopping £69. As you get so little product, this palette doesn't work out as amazing value, but it makes a great introduction for anyone wanting to dip their toe into the brand and try a nice selection of powders, without having to buy the full-sizes.
Even at an eye-watering price, these palettes are always bound to sell like hot cakes, so it's best to snap them up quickly to guarantee that you get your hands on one. Last year's edit sold out so quickly, had a quick resurrection during the summer and then finally disappeared for good after selling out everywhere once again! Basically, act fast to avoid disappointment, particularly if you want to buy one as a Christmas gift!
Are you obsessed with the Hourglass powders, like me?
AGB X
AGB X
30 comments
Omg!that hourglass palette is gorgeous
ReplyDeleteBeauty Candy Loves
It's even more stunning in person! You need to give it a swatch if you see it in any shops, as the shades are all beautiful! x
DeleteI am torn about this palette, on one hand it's stunning but it's just way too pricey for my liking. I'm also not sure if the shades will show up well against my skin tone.
ReplyDeleteps: Your swatch is beautiful, one of the best for this palette that I have seen.
Reflection of Sanity | b·liv Skincare Set Giveaway
Thanks so much! It's so frustrating that the shades are all relatively light and won't necessarily show up well enough on darker skin to make it a worthwhile purchase, isn't it? It would be amazing if they brought out a few palettes aimed at different skin-tones, but unfortunately brands are always more interested in making money, rather than catering for everyone! x
DeleteI haven't tried any Hourglass products but I'd like to get at least one powder or a blush! I think I'd rather get a full size than a palette like this, although the shades are really pretty.
ReplyDeletewww.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com
You have to, they're incredible and the finishing powders are holy-grail products for me! x
DeleteOoh this is such a little beauty, I have never splurged on one of the palettes yet as they are quite pricey and I have so many other blushers/bronzers in my collection. The packaging is absolutely stunning though and I love the shade selection x
ReplyDeleteBeauty with charm
They do cost a fortune, but I've picked a few of them up as they're so perfect for travelling. I'm also guaranteed to get a tonne of use out of them as they're some of my favourite powder formulas. I tend to avoid the palettes that contain a lot of shades I already have, but this one was full of new, limited-edition shades, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! x
DeleteThis is so pretty! I have the blush palette from a few years back and I LOVE it! Xx
ReplyDeleteDanielle's Beauty Blog
Snap, it's still a palette I reach for regularly and I'm nowhere near hitting pan yet! This is another palette that doesn't disappoint! x
DeleteI am as obsessed with palette as I was with last year's one :) You really need to try the Hourglass powders to understand the beauty of them, they're amazing! x
ReplyDeleteMummy’s Beauty Corner
Exactly! There's no other powders that even compare for me (that I've tried, anyway). I think once you apply them on your own face and see how much of a difference they make, then the higher price tag is more justifiable x
DeleteThis is indeed a perfect palette. I have it and I am totally in love, especially with the Surreal Light Powder.
ReplyDeleteAnn-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
It just leaves the skin looking so glowing and flawless, doesn't it? I'm totally obsessed! x
DeleteThe swatches are pretty! Although a lot of them look a bit similar for me x
ReplyDeleteCoco | The Beauty Milk
The shades are definitely a lot less similar in person, but they are all on the peachy/champagne/golden spectrum. I personally love that though, as it means all the shades compliment each other and I only need to use the one palette x
DeleteAh there's no doubt it's a stunning palette it I just wish it was better value for money as the pan sizes are so small. I love the packaging though xx
ReplyDeleteI know, it's such a shame that the pans don't hold more product. I couldn't resist picking it up after hearing that all the shades were brand new, though and they are some of my favourite powders by a long way! x
DeleteGreat colors!
ReplyDeleteWhat you think about follow each other? Follow me, let me know and I follow you ^__^
http://astbakay.blogspot.ru/
They're all beautiful, aren't they? :) x
DeleteThis palette is flooding all of my social media feeds! It is definitely beautiful, but I just cannot justify spending that much!
ReplyDeleteLaura x
Laura's Beauty Binge
It is frustratingly expensive, but if you manage to pick it up when there's a voucher code floating around (I purchased mine when Space NK had £15 off a £60 spend), then it's not as much of a blow to your bank account! x
DeleteI absolutely adore the packaging of the Hourglass palettes every time, they're so gorgeous! Really want to try and get my hands on this x
ReplyDeleteAlways, Alice
They get packaging just so right, don't they? It's definitely worth a purchase if you're a fan of the Hourglass powders! x
DeleteI bought the one from last year and it's SO pretty. Even though I have that one, I'm still so tempted to get this as well, haha!
ReplyDeleteOlive & Ivy
Every palette they release is just incredible, isn't it?! I managed to resist purchasing the edit that came out last year, but I ordered this one straight away when I read that it was full of limited-edition shades! x
DeleteI tend to like bolder highlights, so I'm not sure I will ever get into this one, but your swatches and review are lovely!
ReplyDeletehttp://thebookwormbeauty.com
I love bolder highlights for evenings and special occasions, but for everyday wear I prefer more of a subtle sheen and this palette is perfect for that! Thanks so much :) x
DeleteThe Ambient Lighting Palettes always look amazing! I love my Ambient Lighting palette. I use the powders alone & as blusher/bronzer toppers. There are so many effects you can create this way. I think for this reason, I'd rather invest in more of the powders before buying the blushes & bronzers, but I can totally see the appeal of having the blusher or bronzer created for you. Xx
ReplyDeleteTania | Creating A Blusher Using The Ambient Lighting Palette
I've never thought of using them in that way, but I'll definitely be giving it a go! Love your post! :) x
DeleteThanks for taking the time to read this post and leave a comment! I try to reply to each and every one of them within 24 hours! x