Temptalia

Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:22:13 +0000

Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder ($45.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “soft, sheer lavender pink powder.” It’s a nearly-matte, pale pink with neutral undertones. The aim of this powder is to imitate the “softest, most forgiving light and [to brighten] the complexion.” Like the other Ambient Lighting Powders, the effect is subtle, natural, and it is the, “Did you change your skincare regimen?” kind of product. Mood Light has a softening, lightly luminous effect that’s hard to really pin down. I can see this particular shade working well on all skin types, because it’s subtle and won’t make oilier skin appear oilier.

The texture of the powder is very, very soft and silky, but it can be a little powdery–which does work well for minimizing or absorbing oil for those who have normal to oilier skin. Even though my skin can be dry, I didn’t notice this powder emphasizing dryness either. The powder is very soft, so a soft brush and light hand will be key to minimizing excess product getting dislodged from the pan. It’s designed to work as a finishing powder, but I’ve found it helps just as well to set and prolong my base makeup (by about two hours) as it does to finish it, so I usually use this as my setting and finishing powder.

The Glossover

	Mood Light A+
	Mood Light softens the appearance of the skin's natural texture, giving it a smoother, refined appearance with a lightly luminous quality. It worked well to both set and finish my base makeup, as it prolonged the wear of my foundation by almost two hours, and it helped to minimize oiliness that can sometimes occur (on my skin) after a full day of wearing makeup.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5

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Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder (left) / No Powder (right)

Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:00:59 +0000

Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder ($45.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “champagne pearl.” It’s a light peach with a white shimmer but really goes on mostly colorless on the skin. This shade is designed to “create a soft, incandescent candlelight glow.” It seemed just slightly brightening but added a fine sheen all-over the skin. When blended, I did not see any shimmer particles actually on the skin, though swatched heavily on the arm or hand will show some–but these seem to really blend and sheer out. The effect is, indeed, luminous. I would describe it as a step above glowy or a sheen, because I think the effect is a bit more obvious as a result of the sheen of the powder overall.

The texture of Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powders is incredibly finely-milled; so soft that there is a tendency for excess powder to kick up and around the product. I did not experience powderiness on the skin, but it was enough excess to see it disperse in the air and get all over the compact. Though, on the plus side, I think that powderiness will work well for those with oily skin types, as it will help to mattify a bit during application. Luminous Light seemed to yield a rather luminous sheen, not so over-the-top that it acts like a traditional highlighter but not quite as subtle as other finishing powders. It may be touted as a finishing powder, but it worked well to set my makeup, too, and helped prolong the wear of my foundation by an hour or so.

The Glossover

	Luminous Light A+
	Luminous Light seemed to yield a rather luminous sheen, not so over-the-top that it acts like a traditional highlighter but not quite as subtle as other finishing powders.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5

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Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder (left – Hourglass Luminous Light; right – no powder)

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:00:23 +0000

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder ($34.00 for 0.24 oz.) is described as a “weightless, translucent powder” with a “soft matte finish that looks luminous in any light.” It has the exact same description as the Pressed Powder.

I actually found the two to look surprisingly different when swatched. The Loose version is a similar stark white, but it looks nearly matte with very, very fine shimmer sparsely found when blended out–but nowhere near the same sheen as the Pressed Powder. As a result, this mattified skin better and had a very subtle sheen–really barely-there. Like the Pressed Powder, the Loose version softens the skin’s appearance; texture and lines blur, while pores soften and smooth out. Can you really tell the difference between the two? At a glance, no, definitely not, but if I look at myself in the mirror, I like the way there’s a noticeable but natural sheen to the skin all-over that the Pressed seems to generate more so than the Loose powder. I think if you have oilier skin, you may prefer the Loose.

Since it is a loose powder, the texture feels different, as it is an extremely finely-milled powder that’s soft and blendable on. I found it was easier to apply, because you’ll have no trouble getting enough product on a brush or pouf with this. I recommend only opening a few of the holes in the powder, because it will be easier to contain the excess that you aren’t using. Of course, because the pot tends to expose more product than you need, it can be easy to over-apply the product. The Loose version is more like Hourglass Diffused Light, though Diffused Light has a warmer tone, so it is also a color corrector.

The Glossover

	Translucent Crystal A+
	The Loose version is easier to apply, as the texture is less particular. It did seem, to me, slightly more matte, though, which may or may not be what you're looking for.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5

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NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder (left)

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose (left) / Pressed Setting Powder (right)

Foundation Only (Guerlain Parure de Lumiere) / Loose (left half of second photo), Pressed Setting Powder (right half of right photo)

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:00:46 +0000

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder ($34.00 for 0.24 oz.) is described as a “weightless, translucent powder” with a “soft matte finish that looks luminous in any light.” It looks stark white in the pan, and there’s a definite sheen; a pearly finish that certainly reflects light. The texture of the powder is very unique; I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like it. It almost feels like a cream and powder hybrid–not just a cream-to-powder product–but the texture has the smoothness of a cream but the thinness and dryness of a powder. Because of this texture, you really need to swirl and swish your brush across the surface (if you use a brush) to loosen the product.

I primarily used a powder brush to apply the product (I liked the results of MAC’s 134 best), and the powder, while it can swatch more heavily and look white and almost chalky, disappears and holds true to its translucency claim applied to the skin. There’s no powderiness in the pan or as seen on the skin. It absolutely softens and smooths out the skin’s texture and appearance. There is a faint reflective quality as an overall glowing sheen but doesn’t translate as visible sparkle or obvious particles. It extended the wear of my foundation by an hour or so–I have normal-to-dry skin.

Even though it’s titled a setting powder, it feels more like a finishing powder, though the category is, frankly, one that I always feels blends together/overlaps where the two are often more alike than not. In that vein, Guerlain Wulong has a similar sheen and coloring, but Wulong has a stronger shimmer-sheen finish, so it gives skin a more luminous (“glowy”) appearance. We are talking degrees, not canyons, of difference, though. It has more of a sheen to its finish than Hourglass Diffused Light, which I reviewed yesterday.

One thing I noticed about the Pressed version is that you have to be really good about the brush or tool you use to apply it, because the surface of the powder doesn’t seem to react well to anything liquid/moisture/cream. It was really imperative to wait for my foundation to dry before brushing this on, because any smidgen of foundation caught on the brush (which I only used for applying the setting powder) would slightly harden the surface of the pan. There’s a very thin sponge included with the powder, and it works for application, but I found it dirtied very quickly and resulted in far more foundation transfer into the pan than preferable.

I will be reviewing the Loose version shortly after this, and while I prefer the look of the Pressed over the Loose, I really don’t like how touchy the surface of the pressed powder is and find the Loose one is easier to apply and maintain. Also worth noting: the pan of this is on the smaller size at only 0.24 oz., though physically it seemed rather large (even the Loose version has 0.35 oz.).

The Glossover

	Translucent Crystal A
	There's no powderiness in the pan or as seen on the skin. It absolutely softens and smooths out the skin's texture and appearance. There is a faint reflective quality as an overall glowing sheen but doesn't translate as visible sparkle or obvious particles.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5

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NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder (right)

NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose (left) / Pressed Setting Powder (right)

Foundation Only (Guerlain Parure de Lumiere) / Loose (left half of second photo), Pressed Setting Powder (right half of right photo)

Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:30:29 +0000

Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder ($45.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “soft, warm pale yellow powder.” It’s a pale, pale white with subtle yellow undertones and a barely-there sheen. This one didn’t have any sparkle or shimmer. I’m not an expert on finishing powders, as I’ve only tried a dozen or so on the market, but you can see my past reviews, which may be helpful. From what I’ve tried, I felt like MAC’s Sheer Mystery Powder may have been the most similar in terms of feel, look, and composition (pressed, soft, no sparkle), but I wouldn’t say they’re dupes for each other.

Diffused Light is supposed to “reduce redness and give skin clarity.” Like all of the shades within the new range, it is supposed to be suitable for all skin tones. The larger idea behind the Ambient Lighting Powders is that they help to make your skin look like it’s been lit by soft, diffused light; think having a bit of a photographer and his lighting crew follow you around, except in powder form.

I applied Diffused Light over Hourglass’ Veil Fluid foundation using the Ambient Powder Brush to the right half of my face (see photos below), and I think the effect is exactly as anticipated: something that’s nigh on invisible to the eye in terms of seeing the product but that it does soften the way the skin looks. The natural textures and imperfections of the skin, including some unevenness, pores, and the like, look softer and smoother. Because it is a powder, too, it will take down any shine and does help to prolong the wear I get out of my foundation by an hour or so.

It didn’t look heavy, caky, or obvious on; there’s no residual powderiness that’s there as it sits on the skin, because you can’t see what you’ve put on. This is exactly what a finishing powder should be; and really, it’s what base makeup is all about: your skin but better. I have a medium complexion, and this did not look chalky or ashy when I applied it to my face, though it did look potentially chalky when I did a heavy swatch on my arm–so if you do the same in-store, you might try seeing it blended and applied on the face.

The powder itself is incredibly finely-milled and soft, which is great for application and blending of the product on the skin. However, a downside to that is that it does kick up a fair amount of excess powder (and I used Hourglass’ own Ambient Powder Brush) as the bristles disturb the surface of the powder. Again, none of this excess turns up on the skin, but there is some waste, I’d say. It is more “pigmented” as a result compared to other products in the category, like Guerlain Pressed Meteorites. The excess is, ultimately, wasted product, and it does get into the nooks and crannies of the compact and some disappears into the air. That’s really my only complaint!

The Glossover

	Diffused Light A+
	Hourglass launches another great product, and it's easily a line I can see becoming holy grail material for some. It's impossible to over-do, and it definitely makes skin look better without looking like you've patted powder all over.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5

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Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder (right half)

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:00:49 +0000

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

The Secret to No Makeup Makeup is Makeup

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette ($39.00 for 0.65 oz.) includes a bronzer, cream blush, powder blush, concealer, luminizer, and brightener.

Bronzing Veil is a beige-brown with a soft shimmer; it’s definitely not even close to being orange. For very fair complexions, it’ll be well-received. For medium to dark, it will hardly show up (better as a highlighter than anything else). It has a soft, finely-milled feel, but it is a little powdery. On its own, it wore for six and a half hours. MAC Sun Dipped is warmer and browner.

Creme Blush is a cool-toned, blue-based cotton candy pink with a semi-matte finish. There’s very little sheen/shimmer in this, so it looks natural on the cheeks, and it does blend out well. The cream blush only lasted four hours on me, and I have normal-to-dry skin (and I was on the drier side at the time of testing). MAC I’m the One is darker and powder-based. NARS Gaiety is a touch bluer and powder-based. MAC Peony Petal is darker and powder-based.

Blush is a cool-toned, bule-based cotton candy pink with a light dusting of silver shimmer over a matte finish. It is very, very close in color to the cream blush in the palette. The pigmentation was good, and it blended well on the skin. It wore for seven and a half hours. MAC I’m the One is darker. NARS Gaiety is a touch bluer. MAC Peony Petal is darker.

Conceal is a light beige with subtle warm undertones. It’s very creamy and wet, and it’s thin with semi-sheer coverage. The dry down time was a little long, and it tended to get caught in fine lines and settle there. For anyone who regularly uses concealer, I don’t think this will be your go-to; if you rarely use concealer or only in emergencies, it might work. Because of the lighter shade, it will be better for lids and under eyes for more complexions, whereas light-medium complexions may find it works all over.

Luminize is a shimmering beige. It’s very, very sheer and more of a faint, dustnig of sheen/shimmer. I tried wearing it on cheeks as well as on the brow bone–you couldn’t really see the brow bone getting highlighted. It seemed a little better on the cheek.

Brighten is a pink-toned, very pale beige. It has a thin, creamy consistency. I used this lightly on the lid and patted over the concealer (that I used beneath my eye). This had more impact on brightening/covering my under eye area more than the concealer.

This is a palette that would be best suited for lighter complexions; I think darker skin tones will find the bronzer to be better as a highlighter, while the concealer and brightener may not be useful at all. Similarly, if you don’t like cool-toned blushes on you, both are very, very blue-based. As a comment for all, I wasn’t overly impressed by the concealer, luminizer, or brightener–I think there are definitely better standalone products on the market that will do a lot more for your complexion. Sometimes palettes knock it out of the park because you get a ton of fantastic products for the price of just a few, and other times, palettes perform decently, but individual products out-perform them. With staples like concealer, brighteners, and the like–I would spend my money on the right shades for your skin tone in excellent formulas.

The Glossover

	Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette Review, Photos, Swatches B
	The bronzer and two blushes are the better part of the palette, but the concealer, luminizer, and brightener are really so-so. They're best for someone who rarely uses these types of products and doesn't have standalone versions.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 7/10 Application 4/5

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Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette

Temptalia

Hourglass Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

The Glossover

Mood Light

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

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Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

The Glossover

Luminous Light

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

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NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

The Glossover

Translucent Crystal

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

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NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

The Glossover

Translucent Crystal

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

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Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

The Glossover

Diffused Light

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

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Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

The Secret to No Makeup Makeup is Makeup

The Glossover

Too Faced The Secret to No Makeup Makeup Face Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

See more photos & swatches!