Skin Smoothing Brush in a Compact: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light Review, Photos, Swatches

February 20, 2013 | 41 Responses

There’s a new kind of powder out in the beauty world that’s causing a lot of buzz. Six Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders ($52 each at Sephora) claim to diffuse light to mimic different lighting effects on the skin.

Diffused Light: A soft, warm, pale yellow powder. Reduces redness and give skin clarity – like a soft ray of morning light.
Ethereal Light: An opalescent sheer, cool white powder. Mimics a moonlit glow – even in broad daylight.
Radiant Light: A sun-kissed golden beige powder. Extends a summer glow, or enhances the overall complexion with believable, subtle, warmth.
Mood Light: A soft, sheer lavender pink powder. Mimics the softest most forgiving light and reveals your brightest complexion.
Dim Light: A neutral peach beige powder. Blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones.
Luminous Light: A champagne pearl powder. Create a soft, incandescent candlelit glow – day or night.

According to Hourglass, the powders use soft-focus particles to create an appearance of younger, event-toned and radiant skin. Their transparent quality makes them suitable for all skin tones. They are also formulated without parabens, talc, fragrance, nano-particles and gluten.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

I received the shade Dim Light. The powder is meant to be applied with the new Hourglass Ambient Powder Brush (sold separately, $41 at Sephora). I use shu uemura natural brush 20h ($50) to sheerly apply Dim Light across my forehead, down my nose and chin, and high points of my cheeks.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light — swatch

In my before and after photos, the effect of Dim Light is apparent. It tones down shine while keeping the skin radiant with a soft focus finish. It blurs pores and any unevenness on the skin. It’s like taking a skin smoothing brush in Aperture or Photoshop, and applying it to the skin. It is Magical Elven makeup. My friend Tracy – who has fair skin – concurs.

Galadriel for Hourglass
I bet Galadriel wears Ethereal Light. Hahahahaha!

Before Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

After Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Before and After Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

It is meant to be sheer and subtle, but I can definitely see a difference. I also notice a slight tint to my skin, where my strong yellow undertones are reduced. Very flattering, don’t you think?

Those who are very fair with pink undertones should try this before they buy. When applied with a heavy hand (even on my skin tone), the powder builds into a dirty/muddy colour. Again it is meant to be used with a light hand, but this shade will be more obvious on someone with a lighter skin tone than mine.

Let me know what you think of Dim Light! I think makeup fanatics will definitely love this. It costs a lot of Fancy Feasts (sorry Scherbs!) but it sure makes my skin look fantastic.

Read more about Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders in my favourite beauty blogs:

Luminous Light and Ambient Powder Brush Reviews @ Beautezine
Luminous Light review with many swatch comparisons @ The Beauty Look Book

Welcome the Year of the Dragon with MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit and Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque.

January 23, 2012 | 48 Responses

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond

We’ve all heard about the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD foundation from beauty junkies all over the world. It has made a permanent home in many a girl’s foundation arsenal. Many makeup artists have it in their professional kit. Now I am here to tell you that, well, I believe in the hype. I adore this foundation.

I guessed my shade to be #128 Almond using MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Shade Finder, and I am glad to say that it is a great match. For reference, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona is also a good match for my skin at the moment.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond — Swatches

The MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit ($89) really does make a difference with the performance of this foundation. The HD primer smooths out fine lines and big pores to prep the skin. I like that it doesn’t have that heavy silicone-y feel of other primers I’ve tried in the past. The foundation itself has a beautiful skin-like, semi-matte finish. It does an amazing job covering up any redness and evening out my skin tone, allowing me to walk around with really good looking skin. It doesn’t cover up everything; I have dark bumps on my upper lip area that I have developed from waxing (!!!) and they are still visible in my after photo. To finish off the base, the powder creates an angelic soft-focus effect to the skin. What’s not to like, eh? By the way, I took a photo with flash and the white powder was nowhere to be seen.

Here’s a before and after shot. In the before I wore brow powder, mascara and lipstick (absolute necessities for this kind of thing). That’s it. I did not wear under-eye concealer in either photos, which to be honest, I am really regretting. Anywho.

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion Starter Kit in #128 Almond — Before and After (click to enlarge)

On its own, I like the foundation applied with a brush instead of my fingers. With the latter method, I find myself using more product. I do have one problem with the foundation though: who the heck came out with the numbering system? It is totally all over the place and definitely needs work. May I suggest breaking them up into undertones, i.e., pink #1, #2, #3, yellows, olives, and so on?

Oh yeah, for those who are celebrating, Happy Lunar New Year! Of course, I had to use the new year — the Year of the Dragon — as an excuse to pull out the amazing Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon ($42). In my opinion, it’s totally worth the kidney I sold to buy it. Why do I always get in some sort of trouble when I buy Chanel?

Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon — Swatch

Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon

Along with a little kitten eye flick (YSL Shocking liquid liner) and a little blush (Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed), my Year of the Dragon look is complete! Oh, and the rumours are true: the size of my smile is directly proportional to how much I love a lipstick. Can you tell I love Dragon?

Have a great week, pretties!

P.S. If you fancy being a model, don’t forget to enter the MAKE UP FOR EVER open casting call.

The Ultimate Natural Multi-Tasker: Pure + Simple Pure Foundation.

May 31, 2011 | 21 Responses

It’s no secret that I’m a liquid foundation kinda gal, but there are days when lazy happens. On these days, I can’t be bothered to put on several products just to even out my complexion. Even though I’m meticulous about my eye makeup, I prefer my skin regimen to be quick and easy. That’s where powder foundation comes in. It’s my foundation and setting powder in one, and the one that I’ve been using lately is Pure + Simple Pure Foundation in Marzipan ($39.95/compact and $29.95/refill in all Pure + Simple spa locations and online).

Ingredients: Mica, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated coconut oil), Olea Europaea Fruit (Organic Olive) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Seed Oil, Zinc Stearate, Zinc Oxide, Tochopherol (Vit. E). May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Pure + Simple Pure Foundation

I have it in the old refillable plastic packaging. Now they are actually housed in an adorable refillable cardboard packaging:

To use it, I swipe the compact with my elf kabuki brush, then I buff it in using circular motions all over my face. On areas where I have redness, I go back with a sponge to get more coverage. This foundation gives me coverage that I’m comfortable with (sheer-to-medium coverage). You can definitely get a lot more coverage with a sponge, but I find that it can get powdery when you layer more. A light dusting with a fluffy brush gives an even matte, fresh look.

No foundation (left) / Wearing Pure + Simple Pure Foundation (right)

I like my foundation to look like skin. When I’m in a hurry I just brush this on and go, but on most days I spritz it with a setting spray like MAC Fix+ for a less matte and more natural finish.

Wearing P+S Foundation only / Wearing P+S Foundation and MAC Fix+

I really like this foundation because it feels weightless and looks very natural, which are my top two reasons why I would stick with any foundation. It’s great for normal-to-oily skin as it helps keep the oilies down to a minimum. The colour lasts an entire work day on my face, but it certainly doesn’t look as fresh. I’d say it holds up for about 6 hours before needing a touch up.

Pure + Simple Pure Foundation also provides the added benefits of natural sunblock with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. With the hot Toronto sun we’ll be getting this summer, I’m glad to know that my makeup is working double time by making me look good, and keeping me covered. Gotta love that!

What’s Your Preferred Foundation Formula?

Are you a liquid, cream, or powder foundation kinda guy/gal? I still like liquid for my special occasion face, but for everyday I like a sheer tinted moisturizer or powder to even out my skin.