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Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder ($45.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “golden beige powder.” It’s a subdued, light-medium peach-orange with golden shimmer. Because of the type of product it is, it sheers out considerably to mostly translucent powder that adds warmth and radiance. NARS Miss Liberty has a similar coloring but has larger shimmer/sparkle. Chanel Lucky Stripes is more pigmented and works as a bronzer/highlighter. See comparison swatches.

The texture is very soft and finely-milled; feels like silk and blends out smoothly, but it is a very soft powder so there is some excess powder that gets dislodged while brushing against the surface. Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powders are supposed to mimic different types of light, generally giving skin a softer, smoother look with subtle glow Radiant Light is supposed to “[enhance] the overall complexion with believable, subtle warmth.”  That’s exactly what it does:  it gives skin a gentle warmth while having a soft-focus effect that makes skin appear smoother than it actually is.  Because this is a powder, for my normal-to-dry skin, it also sets my foundation and prolongs the wear of my foundation by an hour (like a setting powder), even though it’s not claimed to do so. I suspect on very fair skin that this may be like a soft bronzer.

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Foundation / Foundation + Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Lighting Powder

32 Comments

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Wwendalynne Avatar

Found another use for my DIM hourglass powder: I use it to level out the skintone between my face and neck/chest area. I’ve mentioned this before, but the skin on my face is warmer and darker than my body which leans pink. The DIM powder is perfect for warming up my neck and chest area ever so slightly to create a uniform tone. This way, I do not have to wear bronzer or makeup on my neck and chest. I hate the bobble head effect of a head that does not match the body.

Kate Avatar

I love this. I have Luminous Light, which I love and which will do me for now, but I intend to get more. Trying to decide between this and Dim Light.

abigailod Avatar

Loving this on you, Christine! And it’s so subtle but it’s there. Did you just use a fluffy brush for all over? You think the Guerlain Meteorites brush is too stiff for this? Thank you!

shelley Avatar

I have this in “dim” and I absolutely love it!!! It works very well with my Garnier BB cream for oily/combo skin and with my Armani Maestro foundation without oxidizing or creasing as I use it all over my face. I just hope that this never gets discontinued.

Helena Avatar

I just love the concept of these powders, as a photography enthusiast. If I were a trust fund baby I would totally have a different finishing powder for every lighting situation…

Julie Avatar

I have this powder and found it so confusing. My skintone is probably a touch darker then yours. I thought it looked a little too shiny, like I had put a subtle highlighter on my face. Which leads me to my questions. Can you tell me what brushes you’d recommend and any application tips? Thank you so much!

tzwiggy Avatar

I can’t believe how smooth and nice yours look. Mine has large shimmer chunks which makes unwearable for anythink but a late night time look. It also look way more pink on you, but I assume that’s because of your yellow undertone.

hanna Avatar

I used the dim light and I have very oily skin. I used it with my regular foundation that doesn’t make me look oily and by the end of the day I felt like this gave too much shine on my cheeks 🙁

Sandra JT Avatar

I bought this product in Dim before seeing this review. I’m not at all impressed Doesn’t seem to do a damn thing. Super disappointed. I’m returning it this week. Just for reference, I’m medium to tan toned during the summer, light to medium the rest of the year, with warm undertones (Bobbi Brown foundation in Beige suits my skin tone perfectly during the fall/winter) & I’ve got oily skin. Can’t tell the difference with or without this product.

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