Hourglass’s brand-new new product, Ambient Lighting Blushes, has promised to be “a groundbreaking hybrid that combines the customized lighting effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with a spectrum of breathtakingly modern hues for seamless, soft-focus, and multidimensional color.”

::drool::

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few of these much anticipated beauties when they became available to VIB’s during Sephora’s online preview last week. These blushes will be available in stores starting 2/21/14, but I just couldn’t wait until then. I grabbed the two lighter shades, Dim Infusion and Ethereal Glow, hoping sight-unseen that they would be suitable for my pale skin.

Ethereal Glow arrived first, coming to rest on my doorstep last night (which is funny, since I actually placed the order for it second, after deciding I just needed to try that one too). Dim Infusion is on its way and, if the tracking information is to be believed, should be arriving today. I will put up my thoughts on and swatches of that one in a separate post, as soon as it arrives.

This review is all about Ethereal Glow, so let’s get into it!

Discover a new way to blush. Hourglass has fused Ambient Lighting Powder, the cutting-edge collection of finishing powders, with an array of vivid cheek colors, creating a hybrid product that is unique, contemporary, and revolutionary. Unlike traditional blush, which tends to be flat, Ambient Lighting Blush uses Photoluminescent Technology to exhibit depth and dimension. The airy, lightweight powders contain optically transparent particles that amplify the colors to a multidimensional level—effectively reinventing the way you view blush.

~ Sephora.com

Ethereal Glow is touted as being “a cool pink blush fused with Ethereal Light for a moonlit luminosity.” (For reference, the Ethereal Light Ambient powder is a described as being an “opalescent sheer, cool white powder” or “a sheer, cool tone that eliminates shine and mimics a moonlit glow—even in broad daylight.”) Sephora also tells us that “each hand-made blush is formulated using an advanced miscelare technique—which means “to mix” in Italian—creating the perfect balance of pigment and powder, and no two look alike. The six shades ranging from soft coral to cool pink are a wardrobe of captivating accent lights for cheeks. They deliver a radiant, natural finish and offer build-able color to imbue the entire complexion with an otherworldly glow.”

These blushes come housed in a very reflective bronze plastic casing, with a nice, large mirror on the inner lid. The blush itself is absolutely gorgeous in the pan. The cool, baby pink color is swirled with the luminous champagne-white ambient lighting powder, giving it a marbled appearance. It is very finely milled and feels buttery soft on the skin. It is just a touch on the powdery side; my brush kicked up a tiny bit of powder in the pan when I swirled it.

I am not normally a fan of pink blushes, as they pull far too much rosiness from my rosacea, but this color is exquisite. The cool, almost lavender base of this pink is incredibly flattering on my fair skin. The actual color of the blush is on the minimal side; it leaves a very pale pink flush on the apples of my cheek, layered with a pearlescent glow that gives my skin an enchanting “lit from within” quality. It isn’t sparkly or glittery; it isn’t even all that shimmery–it has the perfect amount of sheer luminescence. It doesn’t look like I’m wearing blush when I wear this color, instead it just makes me feel as if like I look fresh and radiant.

Swatches

This was a very hard shade for me to swatch. I tried taking pictures at different angles, in different lighting and was still unable to catch the true beauty of this shade. If I layered it on, it started to get chalky and the lavender undertones really came out. Since that didn’t give a fair example of how lovely this color could be, I kept it on the lighter side and settled for weaker “on the hand” swatches, in order to keep it more natural and true to how it would appear when applied on the face.

I even tried capturing it on my cheeks (prepare yourself for my ugly mug!), but it is just such a subtle effect on my skin that I’m afraid the camera (when paired with my fledgling photography skills) just couldn’t quite capture the true beauty of this shade their either!

Verdict

I do not yet own any of the Ambient Lighting Powders. While I’ve been lusting after them for awhile now (and still cry over having missed out on the palette they released last holiday season), they are on the pricey side. I have yet to feel that I would use them often enough to justify the cost.

This blush, however, is a wonderful alternative. While it still has a a high-end price tag (retailing for $35.00 each), it is not so much higher than my normal NARS blush that I balk at that cost. Having the dual effect of adding a touch of color with the diffusing, softening effects of the Ambient Lighting Powder mixed into it is a wonderful idea. This shade really did live up to its promise of giving my cheeks a natural, yet otherworldly glow. I am very happy to have purchased it.

I can’t wait for Dim Infusion to arrive, so stay tuned for a review and swatches of that shade soon!