Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

If you’re looking for the Ambient Strobing Powders, sorry to disappoint. I haven’t tried one.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder line launched a couple years ago, and since then many have adopted them as their holy grail powders. They were firmly out of my reach, however, at $45 a pop. Lovely though they may be, are they worth almost fifty bucks? I’m skeptical.

Some months ago, a travel size of Dim Light (what appears to me to be one of the bestselling shades) came available at Sephora for only $22. I was lucky enough to win a wishlist-based contest in which the winnings were your choice of items of up to $X amount, so I chose the small (only 0.049oz) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder to give a shot, for science and curiosity and, well, I don’t own any highlighters (really!).

If nothing else, Hourglass gets their packaging so right. I’m having a hell of a time nailing the name of the color of the case, but this is kind of gunmetal-ish, but not quite that dark or cool. Alas, I should have taken photos when it was brand new. I’ve had it for several months now and certainly could have treated the luxe packaging more gingerly, but it’s still in good shape, still looks lovely.

It opens and latches closed on the front right with a satisfying click. Inside, there’s a wee mirror and the pan of product pressed into a shallow dome.

As a finishing powder, I love it. I frequently find that finishing powders are too mattifying; as someone with an oily T-zone, some mattifying properties can be nice, but I hate to look too flat – it looks very, “made up,” and that’s not a look I’m fond of on myself. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light, however, can set product and remove excess shine without making you look flat. It leaves a flattering, very subtle sheen – the color of the powder (on my skin, anyway), is undetectable alone or on top of foundation. It’s just a nice, subtle, lovely glow.

As a highlight, however, I think the Dim Light shade of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder falls short. While it leaves a nice sheen as a finishing powder, it isn’t quite enough to highlight with – not the browbone, cheekbones, or elsewhere, I think. It’s a beautiful finish, but it isn’t quite enough to bring other features to prominence, even used selectively.

The Bottom Line

Would I repurchase? Honestly, I still don’t know. The volume of the full sized product is definitely a better value for the money, comparatively ($22 for 0.049oz vs. $45 for 0.35oz). It’s a nice product, surely – but not something I would consider, “vital,” in my kit. It definitely gives a prettier finish than my go-to, inexpensive Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder, $5) , but for $40 difference, I don’t know that I can justify it for myself.

So I guess I’ll put it this way – I will GLADLY use it, it’s wonderful, and would be giddy to receive as a gift – but I’m not sure I could justify buying it for myself. That said, if you’re comfortable with the purchase, don’t let my inescapable frugality color your perception of the product. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light is lovely product, packaged beautifully, and a little goes a long way.