Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit

I was surprised to be browsing Net A Porter's beauty section a couple of months ago and see the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit pop up as 'back in stock'. It was a limited edition palette for Christmas 2015, and by the time I'd decided it must be mine, it was out of stock in both the UK and US. The six-pan palette caused controversy for being small in size, but not in price (£65), with the total contents not even amounting to one Hourglass single (around £38). This didn't put me off though, it would only be a bad thing if the palette had six pans of the same product. Edit palettes provide a chance to try a selection from one brand, and if something doesn't work out for you, it's just as well you haven't wasted your bucks on a bigger size. They're also great for trying out a brand for the first time, and if you haven't used Hourglass before I suggest you get right on board; beautiful face powders, blushers, bronzers, highlighters and more. I love the subtle glow the powders give, the brand might as well be called Radiance R Us. 

Here's how the palette looks on pale skin. The top row are all Ambient Lighting Powders, and although they barely show up in swatches, they work like magic on the face. Sorry to confuse you, but the top swatch is actually the third pan on the top row - Diffused Light, a soft pale yellow that reduces redness, making it an ideal setting powder for me. I find Dim Light (second swatch) is too peachy to wear as a setting powder, though for darker skin tones I've heard it gives a beautiful glow. I sometimes use it for subtle warmth in place of bronzer. Irridescent Light (third swatch) is a beautiful pinky glow that gives a hint of shimmer - the perfect highlighter for those who don't want a stripe of full-on silver in their everyday makeup. The bottom three swatches are in the correct order (thumbs up for managing to do some simple swatching right, Sarah). Mood Exposure is described as a soft plum, and looks purple in the pan, but on my skin it's a highly flattering pink glow, and Luminous Flush is a brighter pink - both are perfect for pale skin tones. Luminious Bronze Light is actually a nice, pale bronzer - perfect for fairer skins, though it can be built up for darker skin tones. The gold glitter isn't chunky, and it blends out to give a shimmery gold bronze glow. 

It might be hard to get hold of the Ambient Lighting Edit now, but if you're thinking of getting any of the shades as singles I hope these swatches help. You've probably heard great things about Dim Light as a setting powder, and although it's too warm for pale skins, it's definitely one of Hourglass' top sellers, so quite probably worth a try if you have medium to dark skin. Luminous Flush is one of the most flattering blushes I've tried, and I love pairing it with Iridescent Light as a subtle highlighter. Hourglass rarely disappoints, it's one of the best formulations of face powders known to man. And it sure looks pretty in and out of the pan.