How come I always take the longest time to review my favorite products? I simply seem to enjoy using them so much that I forget. That is definitely the case with these two products: one of these is an ultimate favorite product. The other product took some getting used to, but now that I have, I have come to love that too. 
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Mood Exposure
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Light Powder Iridescent Strobe Light
Or perhaps once of the reasons why I held off reviewing these was their price tag. Hourglass products do not come cheap and that always makes me hesitant to talk about them and it’s also the reason why I don’t own too many of their products. At $38 a piece these powders have one hefty price tag. So the question to ask is of course: is it worth it?
The Packaging
Hourglass packaging looks stunning, but it is about as far as it goes. The outer boxes and compacts themselves look chic, but feel cheaply made. Where you might expect a hefty metal case, especially considering the price, these are in fact made out of plastic. Bummer, but it’s true. These come with a nice mirror though.
Mood Exposure
Let’s start with blush first. Mood Exposure is perhaps their best selling shade and just looking at it, you may wonder: why? The funny thing about Hourglass products is that you cannot truly see the worth until you start applying them. In the pan this looks looks like a boring shade, but to me it is one of the most perfect blush shades I own. It is that barely there blush shade that I love to wear in the winter.
Mood Exposure is a blush that combines a colorful pigment with the Ambient Lighting Powder Mood Light. That’s the concept behind the Ambient Lighting blushes: it’s a combination of a shade with one of their face powders. The result: the easiest to blend, most wearable blush shades you will ever find.
Iridescent Strobe Light
Is it a highlight? No! Is it a face powder? No! This is a strobing powder as the name suggests. This powder is supposed to draw light to the face, but in a subtle way. At first I found this looked quite glittery, but it’s almost as if the glitters have gotten less over time and I really enjoy the final result I get now: a glowy, natural look.
Iridescent Strobe Light has a cool pink, almost lilac undertone. It blends in perfectly with my skin and is easy to apply. Where I have to be careful with most of my highlighting products that I don’t go overboard, this nicely lights up the face without looking crazy or over done. I own many highlighters that are cheaper than this, but I don’t have a single one that does what this does: create the most natural and healthy looking highlight.
The Swatches
Also swatched these products may look a bit meh. Like I said, the magic of Hourglass products doesn’t come to light until you apply them. These are some of the softest, yet non-powdery products I have ever come across. They blend seemlessly into the skin and make the skin always look a million times better than it actually is. It is like applying an Instagram filter to your face.
The Application
Before | Blush | Highlight
And when I say natural, I mean natural. Hourglass products are great if you work or go to school where wearing lots of makeup isn’t tolerated. Also if you have more mature skin, these products can help to brighten up the face. That is why I love them: they transform my otherwise dull looking skin into a healthy, natural look. It almost looks airbrushed! A great find for those no makeup, makeup days.
The Conclusion
They may not seem that much in the swatch or in the pan, but the Hourglass formula is quite superior when it comes to blendability and naturalness. So to answer the question: are these worth it? The blush gets a fullhearted yes. The strobing powder takes some getting used to and may not give the effect most people are looking for. This is why I can see why people won’t rate it as highly. However, after using it consistently, I have found no better foolproof highlighter that I can slap on no matter the occasion.
Have you tried Hourglass?
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