Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder ($38.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a light peach with a hint of rose tones and a luminous sheen. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Highlighter (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). bareMinerals The Brilliant Sunset (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). NYX Narcissistic (P, $9.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Surratt Beauty Duchesse (P, $32.00) is lighter (90% similar). Cle de Peau Sand Beige (13) (P, $55.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Hourglass Euphoric Strobe Light (LE, $40.00) is lighter (85% similar). ColourPop On Tempo (PiP, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
FORMULA OVERVIEW | According to Hourglass, the Strobe Lighting Powders have a “sheer base” paired with “ultra-fine pearl particles” that give a “naturally luminescent highlight … without a heavy metallic finish.” They are wet/dry powders with dry application for less of a highlight and damp application for a stronger highlight. If you find most highlighters “too much” for your tastes but find the Ambient Lighting Powders not enough, then you may enjoy the Strobe Lighting Powders. Hourglass also launched a slanted, sponge applicator designed to be used with this product, which is what I used to apply the highlight in the photos below, but I prefer regular brushes for more even application and easier blending. The powder definitely intensifies with damp application–you can see how it gets brighter, lighter, and more shimmery.
This is supposed to be the same as shade in the holiday palette (it is confirmed on Hourglass’ website), so if you were after the new-but-exclusive shade, it can now be had individually, though I found the standalone to be more shimmery. It was the most shimmery out of the four shades, but I would still classify it as a subtler highlighter than your average highlighter formula. It definitely highlights with a luminous sheen that catches and reflects the light beautifully without emphasizing pores, and I find it is hard to “overdo” it, which makes it easier to work with and can be used on better and worse skin days. The texture was soft and silky, blendable and sat well on the skin without looking powdery. It is more pigmented and keeps its coverage/intensity when applied damp than dry, which is as intended, and the level of highlight is more reflective with damp application. The highlighter wore well for eight hours before fading on me.
Iridescent Strobe Light
PPermanent. $40.00.
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder (Dry)
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder (Wet)
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder (Dry)
Hourglass Iridescent Strobe Light Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder (Wet)
What do you think the odds are of a Strobe Lighting Palette this year for the holidays? It seems so far away but I need more highlighters like I need a hole in my head, so maybe I’ll try to wait it out. It would be so great since I never finish anything anyway!
There’s certainly a chance!
Just wowwwwww..!! Don’t know when we can get these brands in India 🙁
Awww 🙁
Not a surprise with your peachy complexion, this one looks fabulous on you.
Thank you, Wendy!
Really pretty. So sheen/shimmer-wise, are these on par with the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance highlighter? Less of a sheen than LM? More?
Less of a sheen used dry.
Yep, this settles it. I will be purchasing this shade. Thank you so much for your swatches and reviews.
No problem, Valerie!
I’m starting to feel like once you’ve seen one of these you’ve seen ’em all. I mean, they are VERY pretty, but the differences between the shades seem very minimal.
If you are fairer or have stronger undertones, you may find the difference more noticeable. Sorry – my skin tone is pretty terrible for showing those nuances unfortunately!
Aw, no, don’t say sorry for having a gorgeous skin tone, girl!
I see 3 A s and a B+. I don’t feel closer to a decision… yet. Can you tell me one of these most resembles my fave Luminous light? And do any dupe for LM matte radiance?
Laura Mercier is more shimmery.
Oh man, it’s going to be a hard choice between Iridescent and Incandescent for me! I really love the gleam this one! I have Nyx Narcissistic, similar shade, but it totally lacks this nice but still more refined gleam. Whereas Incandescent is basically different, shade wise than anything I already have. Like I said; this won’t be easy!
NYX Narcissistic has larger for shimmer/sparkle for sure.
This is very pretty, but I think that Incandescent is the one for me. I wish that one of them had cool undertones, though! They all lean at least slightly warm, I think.
I wish they were lighter/darker/cooler/warmer in contrast/range. It’s a pretty short range – disappointing to see, from a diversity standpoint!
I would definitely like to see a cooler/whiter-leaning one, and they certainly could add some darker ones for people with deeper skin tones. They do seem to go for a certain subtle, sophisticated look, as part of their brand, which I think can feel pretty limiting to some of us (such as, those of us who are disappointed by their new eyeshadows!)
These are all so pretty! I have enough highlighters for now, so I think I’m going to wait to see if they come out with a value kit, with a selection of different colors.
Here’s hoping they do a set!
I think this is may be the THE ONE for me. Christine, any chance you plan to doe a side-by side comparison of the four?
Sorry, I didn’t do anything like that, but you can pull up any two swatches you’d like through the side-by-side comparison tool 🙂
No problem! Thanks for reviewing them so quickly. The store near me doesn’t even have them yet!
Christine, Do you think this one is a dupe for the MAC Faerie Whispers Beauty Powder in Sparkling Rose? I am in love with the MAC powder and am afraid since it’s Ltd, I won’t have a replacement when I run out. Thanks!
MAC’s has a deeper base color.
Thank you! I suppose I’ll need to keep searching for a good dupe or buy a few backups.
Wow this looks beautiful! I usually prefer a more pronounced highlight but I actually love the way this looks dry too. I can’t wait to see these in person!
Awesome!
Does this one compare to the Bobbi Brown pink glow colour-wise at all? I missed my chance to buy that one and definitely regret it because I loved the colour.
It’s hard to say, because Pink Glow is metallic so the way it looks to me is much brighter.
Pink Glow was re-released! (At least if you’re in the US. Don’t know about other countries.) http://www.sephora.com/highlight-powder-P401602?skuId=1786698
It seems almost like a blush for us pale people!
It could be!
This one is really pretty.
It is!
I have to have this. I really do, Christine!
Enjoy, Deborah! 🙂
Lovely!
It is!
I am a fan of the Hourglass powders (and the blushes), and really, I don’t NEED more highlighters, but I have a feeling a few of these are going to make their way into my kit
Your poor wallet!
I really like this! But I already have the Surratt dupe. Looking at them side by side, I find it so hard to believe that the tiny tiny Surratt blush pan has more product (0.20 oz) than these Hourglass highlighters (0.16 oz) or the Hourglass blushes (0.15 oz). I hold my Hourglass blush next to the Surratt pan and think, the Hourglass packaging must be very deceptive? 🙁
Also to add to my confusion, on Sephora’s website they list the Surratt blushes as being “0.14 oz” when on the back of the packaging of the Surratt blushes, they say “0.20” oz. =/ What the heck! Haha.
A lot of the baked typed products fill more volume but weigh less. You have to keep in mind that heavier doesn’t always equate to more uses, too, so it really depends!
I think this is my favourite of all the Strobe highlighters, it’s so pretty!
Awesome to hear 🙂
I have nw20 skin and although this looks gorgeous on you, the dry swatch is just so sheer and I don’t like using things wet. My fav highlight is nars albatross so I’m afraid this might be too subtle. I do have some larger pores and combo skin (t-zone) but I just remedy that by only applying on my cheekbones and don’t go in far enough where you would be able to see pores beside my nose with any shimmery highlight or blush, and I set my (depends- semi) matte fdn with powder. Do you think any of these hourglass powders are for me? I have thought about getting one of the original ones to set my fdn and evoke a glow. I tried a guerlain compact but the smell was too strong.
I don’t think that they’re so sheer that you have to pack it on dry at all. They are not going to be as shimmery as say, Becca’s highlighter applied dry, but they certainly show up on me! But I find Albatross to be fairly metallic and noticeable, so you may find these are too subtle!
Hi Christine,
How would you compare these to the new Dior spring 2016 highlighters. How do they compare in texture, sheen and which do you prefer? I ordered both Dior highlighter shades but they are currently back ordered. I am thinking about purchasing the hourglass highlighters in iridescent and euphoric. Thank you in advance and thank you for such a wonderful review as always!
These are softer and sheerer, and they are less metallic. The Dior ones are more pigmented (generally speaking) and can look metallic with more noticeable shimmer particles overall. They’re both nice, but Hourglass is subtler! I actually think they’re a nice complement to each other if you don’t have any highlighters – something subtler, something richer. The Dior ones also impart more color in the base.
Of all the shades which one do you think is the more suitable for an olive light to medium skin toned? Oh and what is the difference between these and the new Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits? Thank you!!!!
I think they all work on light to medium skin tones, actually. Perhaps Incandescent if you had to pick one.
Anastasia’s formula is very metallic. This is a subtle to moderate highlighter, whereas Anastasia’s is specifically metallic – very reflective and obvious.
Hi Christine! How do you think it compares to MAC beauty powder in pearl sunshine?
http://www.temptalia.com/side-by-side?sbs_1_search=Hourglass+Iridescent+Strobe+Light&sbs_1=218554&sbs_2_search=MAC+Pearl+Sunshine&sbs_2=104595
Hi Christine
I’ve been seen a lot of buzz around this hourglass products, and I was wondering how do you think they compare with the MAC skinfinishes that are more highlighters like by candlelight?
I really like those, and I do have a few of them, so I can’t decide if I can skip these because it’s similar or if i need them because they are so pretty .
I think these have more shimmer than By Candlelight in the sense that the shimmer is larger. By Candlelight has more of sheen.