Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette ($58.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a trio of Hourglass’ blushes, including one shade (Incandescent Electra) that’s exclusive to the palette. Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure were very similar to the individual, permanent versions I have, though they varied slightly as is the nature of the product (swirled, so yours may be lighter or darker, depending on how much the blush and illuminator portions are). The Mood Exposure in the trio has more of the illuminator showing, but the general composition, look, feel, and so forth, are in the line with the standalone shades. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes have a very soft, finely-milled feel that’s silky and a little powdery in the pan, but they don’t look powdery applied. They have good color payoff that’s buildable as well as blendable, so you can always take it down a notch if you prefer or go for full-coverage.

Full-sized blushes are $35 for 0.15 oz. or $233.33/oz., and each blush is 0.11 oz. in the palette for a total of 0.33 oz., so the palette contains $77 worth of blush. The Ambient Lighting Powders are $45 for 0.35 oz. or $128.57/oz. The Ambient Lighting Palette is $58 for 0.35 oz., so only a $45 worth of the Ambient Lighting powders, so the blush palette is actually a value-packed palette in comparison. If you rarely finish blushes, you may also consider that $58 for three blushes compared to $105 for three full-sized blushes (and similarly with the powder palette, $58 for three compared to $135 for three full-sized powders).

Everything about this palette is nice with regards to quality, wear, and color payoff, but I really wish the blushes had more variety in their undertones/colors–I think if you are very fair, you will notice the most difference between the three. On my medium skin tone, they look very similar with Incandescent Electra being the lightest and pinkest, followed by Luminous Flush, which is slightly warmer, and finally by Mood Exposure, which has a warmer, redder tone applied. I would have loved to see a cool-toned pink and more mauve-berry shade, because they could really be mixed and layered for even more variet (and that makes more sense to me for a trio format). This is how I felt about the permanent range when it initially launched as well. I hope Hourglass will consider adding more differentiated shades in the future.

Luminous Flush is described as a “champagne rose.” It’s a pop of light-medium, pink-coral with warm undertones and a satiny sheen. It had good color payoff with a soft, silky texture that was a bit powdery in the pan but looked soft, luminous on without emphasizing pores or skin imperfections. The color wore well for eight hours before fading slightly. Urban Decay Streak Blush (P) is warmer. Dior My Lady (003) (LE, $60.00) is pinker. NYX Apricot (P, $5.00) is warmer. MAC Petal Power (LE, $27.00) is more shimmery. Hourglass Diffused Heat (P, $35.00) is lighter. Tarina Tarantino Feather (P, $25.00) is similar. Tarte True Love (P, $26.00) is darker, pinker. Tarte Crave (LE, $26.00) is darker. NARS Day Dream (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker. Physicians Formula Warm (P, $11.99) is darker. theBalm Frat Boy (P, $21.00) is darker. NYX Summer Peach (P, $5.00) is slightly pinker, brighter. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Incandescent Electra is described as a “cool peach.” It’s a light-medium pink with subtle warm, yellow undertones and a satiny finish. It had nice pigmentation, and the texture felt soft and smooth, though it was slightly powdery in the pan. It wore well for eight hours before fading, and it looked luminous without being too shimmery on the skin, so it didn’t emphasize skin imperfections or pores. MAC Lesson in Love (LE, $21.00) is slightly darker. Makeup Geek Spell Bound (P, $9.99) is darker, warmer. MAC Cheeky Bugger (LE, $21.00) is darker. Chanel Sakura (87) (LE, $45.00) is a touch darker. Charlotte Tilbury Love Glow (P, $40.00) is darker, more shimmery. Giorgio Armani Eccentrico (LE, $88.00) is more shimmery. Edward Bess Filled with Desire (P, $43.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Launch Away (LE, $21.00) is slightly cooler-toned. MAC Easy Manner (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Mood Exposure is described as a “soft plum.” It’s a medium-dark, plummy pink with warm undertones and a soft, satiny shimmer-sheen. The one in the pan seemed to have slightly less shimmer this time around, but it was within what I’d consider a normal variation for this type of product. It didn’t seem to impact the overall look of it once applied, which was softly luminous but not shimmery, so it didn’t emphasize pores. It wore well for eight hours on me. Surratt Beauty La Vie En Rose (P, $32.00) is very similar. MAC Corol #2 (LE, $21.00) is slightly more shimmery. Becca Raspberry/Opal (P, $27.00) is more shimmery. Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Blush (LE, $26.00) is darker. NARS Lovejoy (P, $29.00) is darker, more shimmery. bareMinerals The Indecent Proposal (P, $22.00) is darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hourglass Luminous Flush Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Luminous Flush Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Luminous Flush Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Incandescent Electra Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Incandescent Electra Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Incandescent Electra Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Mood Exposure Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Mood Exposure Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass Mood Exposure Ambient Lighting Blush