Review update: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders

I know I’ve already done reviews of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (here and here), but I picked up yet another one during the Sephora VIB sale last month. I thought a swatch roundup of all of them might be nice, and some notes on how I use them. Without further ado:

From left to right we’ve got: Mood, Dim, Incandescent, Radiant and Ethereal. I haven’t gotten Diffused or Luminous yet, but I’m starting to feel like it’s only a matter of time.

Swatches left to right: Mood, Dim, Incandescent, Radiant and Ethereal

The swatches are very heavy to show the color. You only need a very light dusting when you use it on the face, so of course they won’t show nearly such a strong color cast. These are my favorite ways to use them-

Mood – this one is a pale, luminous pink that doesn’t show a huge contrast against my (slightly cool) skin, even with a heavy swatch. I use it all over for a glowy look, with a little extra above my cheekbones for a highlight. I’ve heard of some folks using it as a blush, but it definitely won’t show up enough on me for all that

Dim – Dim is a luminous peachy beige. Like Mood, it doesn’t really have any visible shimmer particles, but it still gives a really nice glow. I use this one all over as a finishing powder. It doesn’t leave a color cast on my skin, but might on very light skin tones.

Incandescent – the cool, pearly color of this one works really well as a highlight. It has a bit of visible shimmer, but it’s subtle. Used lightly it’s fine for daytime, but I use it more for evening.

Radiant – Radiant is a golden beige with some visible shimmer. I actually haven’t used this one quite as much as the others – the color is too deep to be a highlight, and too shimmery to use all over. It’s nice as a very light bronzer, so I can see myself using it a lot more once the weather warms up.

Ethereal – this is the most matte powder of the ones I have. It’s very nice as an all-over finishing powder, though I’ve noticed it can look a tiny bit powdery if my skin is extra-super-duper dry. I use this a lot if I want to tone down a foundation that’s a bit too dewy. Again, it doesn’t leave a color cast as long as I just use a light dusting, but it might show up a bit chalky on deeper skin tones.

How do you use the Ambient Lighting Powders? Share with us in the comments!