THE HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING EDIT GHOST PALETTE
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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders rank at the tippy-top of my holy grail, can’t-live-without makeup products. The pressed, light-diffusing powders revolutionized my makeup routine by blurring imperfections, softening fine lines and brightening my complexion in one, fell swoop of a fluffy brush.
Each year, Hourglass blesses the makeup-obsessed masses with a limited edition face palette to kickoff the holiday season. The stars aligned and I somehow stumbled upon the the Ambient Unlocked palette last year. I decided to treat myself to the luxe, fine-milled finishing powder, plum blush, golden bronzer and a shimmery champagne highlighter. And let me tell you, friends, it was worth every last penny I spent.
AND THEN SOME.
So, when Hourglass released their Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette to jumpstart the holiday season, I bought it immediately.
Zero hesitation and zero regrets, friends.
Which, admittedly, is saying a lot because the Ghost Edit is a splurge. The treat-worthy palette rings in at $80.00 and comes in a sleek compact that boasts a metallic, silver-mirror finish and includes six pans of pressed powder products that work in tandem to make you appear fresh-faced and fierce.
I layered the lightweight finishing powders over my full coverage faves: Estée Lauder Doublewear Stay-in-Place Foundation and Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. The powders blew me away by blurring my textured skin, brightening discoloration and adding an enviable warmth and glow to my complexion. The best part? None of the products led to an acne flare-up.
Here’s the Breakdown—
I’m happy to report that the Ghost Edit is just as amazing as the Unlocked palette from last year and adds a new set of seasonal hues and dreamy dimension to my everyday beauty routine.
Get the scoop on every shade below, starting on the top row moving from left-to-right. Shop individual shades in the links listed below each pan description.
1) DIM LIGHT - finishing powder
Blending is important, this much we know. The secret to ensuring your face is blended-out and beat to the gods? The Hourglass Dim Light finishing powder.
Once your complete your base makeup, use a large fluffy brush to apply Dim Light to the entire perimeter of your face. Sweep it over your blush, bronzer, down your neck and up into your hairline to create a seamless, airbrushed effect along your face.
My secret? I love to dip a tapered brush into my Dim Light pan to blend out my nose contour and highlighting. The neutral, light-reflecting powder diffuses the harsh lines I create down the bridge of my nose and creates a natural, blended finish for a believable nose transformation.
2) DIFFUSED LIGHT - finishing powder
Okay, if I had to pick just one, single product to purchase from Hourglass it would be the Diffused Light powder. Guys, this stuff is everything.
I use it on every square foot of my face but specifically to set the concealer under my eyes. It’s not technically formulated to be used as a traditional under-eye setting powder and it may not work for you if you have especially oily skin but if you have normal-to-dry skin — this magic dust does everything you could hope for, and more.
It brightens dark circles, it lifts the eye and it carves off a few years by diffuses the appearance of any, pesky fine lines. Best part — cakey-ness is a total non-issue.
SHOP: Sephora, $48.00
3) IRIDESCENT STROBE LIGHT- highlighter powder (new!)
Who doesn’t want an effortless and ethereal, glow from within look, right? The new Iridescent Strobe Light offers just that with an ultra-delicate shimmer that provides a pretty, winter-ready finish to your MOOTD. You’ll adore the Iridescent Strobe powder if you prefer a natural, glow-from-within highlighter or want to add dimension to your face without accentuating fine lines or textured skin.
I’ll admit, I was nervous about how this highlighter would perform on my warm-to-neutral, olive complexion because the iridescent tone tends to lean towards a cooler finish. I quickly realized that my concerns were unfounded, though, because the soft powder offers such an understated and natural application that it doesn’t clash against my skin but rather brightens the natural darkness around my eyes and enhances my bone structure— without creating an oily or foil-y look to my face.
SHOP: Sephora, $40.00
4) ETERNAL BRONZE LIGHT - bronzer
On the hunt for a true neutral bronzer that works overtime to warm and sculpt your face? Allow me to introduce: Eternal Bronze Light. The buttery bronzer formula glides effortlessly onto the skin to create an impossibly natural and flattering finish that will enhance your features and create a sun-kissed glow — without an ounce of orange in sight.
SIMILAR: Sephora, $52.00
5) IRIDESCENT ROSE- strobe blush (new!)
Coral-meets-berry tones to create this vibrant and energizing strobe blush. The richly pigmented blush formula adds a wash of punchy, shimmery color to your cheeks to give you a sweet, wind-blown blush effect with just one swoop of a fluffy brush.
This is my first pick of the two, new blush shades within the palette and I find myself reaching for it every day. Bonus: The bright blush color equally fit for the bronzed summer months as it is for the sequin-clad holiday season.
SIMILAR: Sephora, $40.00
6) SUBLIME FLUSH - blush (new!)
Looking to elevate your everyday, natural look? This pretty, pale pink blush adds the perfect dose of rose to your cheeks to yield a barely-there, fresh-faced finish that’s ideal for gals on the go.
NOTE: If you have a medium-to-deep skin tone, you may not find much use from this soft pink shade. I found that this shade works best when paired with the Iridescent Rose blush or another, bolder blush in my collection.
Sublime Flush only seems to show up when worn solo under the very specific prerequisites that 1) I do not wear liquid foundation and 2) am simultaneously about 5+ days past due on self-tanning my face.
