Hourglass Vivid Flush Ambient Lighting Blush Review & Swatches

Christine — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 15:00:00 +0000

Vivid Flush

Hourglass Vivid Flush Ambient Lighting Blush ($35.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a bright, medium pink with warmer undertones and a luminous sheen. It seemed to have a warmer, yellower pink base with slightly cooler, rosier pearl and fine shimmer, which gave it more nuance, though some of that got lost a bit against my warmer skin tone once blended out. It was rather pigmented–less buildable (as described) as it was soft and yielding enough to apply with a lighter hand for a more buildable application of color. The consistency was silky smooth, blendable, and very easy to work with, while the finish was luminous and didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. It wore well for eight and a half hours on me before fading slightly.

Neiman Marcus is still taking orders for the product, but it is backordered with no ship date listed. Hourglass has a “join waitlist” option.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Blush (Original) (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
MAC Perfect Bronze (Left) (LE, $29.00) is cooler (95% similar).
Clinique Heather Pop (P, $21.00) is cooler (95% similar).
Milani Bella Bellini (P, $7.99) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Lissome (Bottom) (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Laura Geller Peach Delight (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Mented Cosmetics Pinky Promise (P, $22.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Black Opal Nectar (P, $8.95) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
NARS Come Hither (LE, $30.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Tarte Culture (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$40.00/0.15 oz. - $266.67 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have “depth and dimension” unlike traditional blush, be “lightweight and airy,” and have the “perfect balance of pigment and powder.” Hourglass says it uses “an advanced ‘miscelare’ technique,” which means to mix in Italian (per Sephora) and is how the marbled effect is achieved. The blush is also supposed to have “buildable color.” It does bring to mind the concept of a lot of baked formulas on the market, but I think the texture is softer and more finely-milled than most.

The texture is very soft and delicate; it feels exactly like the Ambient Lighting Powders. In an all-over powder, I don’t mind what can sometimes veer on powderiness, but in a blush, it can be easy to overload color onto the blush and then onto the skin. I wish it was slightly firmer or less powdery, which would minimize waste and make it more foolproof to apply.

Browse all of our Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush swatches.

Ingredients

Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Boron Nitride, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Octyldodecanol; Benzoic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Diamond Powder, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Sorbate, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Tin Oxide, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, May Contain: (+/-): Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Carmine (CI 75470), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.