Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush Palette

Raise your hand if December is kicking your ass 🙋🏼.

But I have so many things to review for you guys! I just have to find the time (and energy!) to fit it in…

For today’s review, I am bringing you the new holiday edition Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush Palette! 

The Product:

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush Palette, available at Sephora for $62. This set contains: 3 x 0.09 oz/ 2.55 g Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra, Brilliant Nude, Euphoric Fusion.

It is the exact shape and size of the Ambient Lighting Palette, which is the same price.

The Claims:

What it is:
A limited-edition blush palette with the illuminating effects of Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder fused with blush pigments for glowing color and a natural-looking, radiant finish.

What it does:
Ambient® Strobe Lighting Blush is an innovative blush in three shades that are fused with the illuminating effects of Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder. Its ultra-fine pearl particles are in varying sizes and refraction levels, with on-trend hues to provide glowing, lit from within color.

Swatches & Application:

Number one- this palette is SO PRETTY. 

They look like they are going to be so pigmented and glowing and I could NOT wait to swatch them.

Well..

These shades are nothing like you want them to be. The powders, because of the marbling, I understand, are unique to each palette. No two are really alike in pigment or shine. Apparently mine got more of the ‘shine’ marbled in, because these are just not pigmented enough for me.

Not only are they lacking pigment, but those “ultra fine pearl particles” are straight up glitter. It’s not chunky glitter, no. But it is glitter and shimmer and not pigment.

Keep in mind for the swatches, I rub the crap out of the product. Any pigment you can see, is basically nothing when applied to the cheeks with a brush. It’s really hard to tell from the swatches how glittery they are, and I honestly had a hard time getting great swatch photos of this. Because its just not…good.

The Wear:

The only one I actually wore throughout a full day was Incandescent Electra. This one has the least amount of pure glitter, but this is still TOO shimmery for me for a blush, and NOT pigmented enough. And I can’t report of if the pigmentation lasted because…it wasn’t that pigmented!!

The Verdict:

Maybe this is buyer error, maybe I should have known by the ‘Strobe’ aspect that this would be glowing. But this has straight up glitter in it. I have other blushes with glowing or shimmering properties that flatter me well. But at this point in my life, I don’t want glitter on my cheeks. And I don’t want to pay $62 for said glitter.

If you are thinking about getting this guy, do some swatches in store and see what you think for yourself! If you don’t mind glitter, this could totally work for you! It is still a beautiful palette from a fabulous brand.

-LH