Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - Dark Skin

To date this is one of the most confusing things I've had to test out for review, when I heard about the hourglass lighting powders I was super excited (sad right?) and couldn't wait for them to come to the UK. I wanted to see them in person, being a darker skin girl when you hear 'universal shade', you're always sceptical. I called my local Spacenk and was informed the powders were not in store until May and I could join the waiting list (WHAT???), the beauty consultant however reassured me that she had seen them on all skin tones and they were fine. With this information and armed with £5 Ndulge reward I ordered Dim light online, the one that seemed to be the most suited to darker skin tones with minimal shimmer. This powder costs £38 for 10 grams, which for hourglass is not too bad, it's paraben, talc, fragrance, gluten and nanoparticle (whatever that is) free.

Box

Hourglass' claims:
A wardrobe of six universal finishing powders that recreate the most exquisitely flattering light, powders capture, diffuse and soften the way light is reflected on skin, brighten the appearance, and conceal skin imperfections infused with technologically advanced soft-focus particles that help make skin appear younger, even-toned and radiant. Unlike traditional powders that use opaque pigments, Ambient utilizes “photoluminescent technology” – micron-size spherical particles that refract light and create transparent coverage, while each can be worn for day and night.

ETHEREAL LIGHT is an opalescent sheer, cool white powder that mimics a moonlit glow – even in broad daylight
DIFFUSED LIGHT is a soft, warm, pale yellow powder that conceals redness and gives skin clarity – like a soft ray of morning light
DIM LIGHT is a neutral peach beige powder that blurs imperfections and highlights a radiant complexion with the perfect balance of warm and cool tones
MOOD LIGHT is a soft, sheer lavender pink powder that mimics the softest most forgiving light and reveals your brightest complexion
LUMINOUS LIGHT is a champagne pearl powder that creates a soft, incandescent candlelit glow – day or night
RADIANT LIGHT is a sun-kissed golden beige powder that enhances the overall complexion with believable, subtle warmth, and also extends a summer glow.

Compact

The packaging is nice, but not as heavy as I was expecting from the luxury brand, and it's very susceptible to finger print marks. Each time I used the powder I felt differently, sometimes I felt I could really see the blurring and soft focused effect and other times I wasn't so sure. I used it to set my make-up, but also as a finishing powder after make-up had been set with another powder (worst result), it seemed to work best for me as a setting powder. My combination skin is currently normal to dry at the moment and this powder gave a nice satin finish to the skin, not as glowing as I was expecting, but great for all over the face and something I'll appreciate once my skin gets oilier with the changing season. I tried this over different bases, Sleeks BB cream, lancome's teint visionnaire and my maqpro palette (click the links to see reviews), but I really noticed exactly what it was doing to my skin when I tried it on alone.

 

PowderNo Powder

Above is the powder on my skin with no other make-up on whatsoever (Scary!!!), I noticed how it really blurred the imperfections and gave a lovely satin finish to the skin, it doesn't flashback or leave a white cast on my deeper skintone.



 

This is a picture of the powder over my maqpro palette foundation. I am really loving this powder, my first hourglass product and now want radiant light, hourglass also have a brush they are selling with the powders for £30, but I have been using Elizabeth's Arden mineral powder brush (had it a while) and its been fine. The idea is you lay the powder across the skin, rather than buffing it in, so it can reflect light.  

 

Have you tried any of the ambient powders, what do you think, which one did you try.

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

 

Alex.

Lancome's Teint Visionnaire Foundation Review!!!

I'm sure you've heard by now that Lancome have brought out a new foundation called Teint visionnaire, it contains 2% of the active ingredient in there visionnaire serum, which contains 4%.



BoxIngredients


It's a concealer/foundation duo that comes in a sturdy glass bottle, not great for travel, but then I don't tend to carry my foundation around with me on a day-to-day basis. Plus at £36 you want to feel like you are getting a luxury product, Lancome claim this foundation will reduce the appearance of pores, dark spots and wrinkles over time, all while giving you flawless coverage and SPF 20. 

 
 This foundation gives a medium coverage with a slight dewy finish, it lasts all day, although by the end of the day my combination skin is a little shiny in the t-zone area if I don't touch up at all. If your skin is more on the oily side you may need a good primer and setting power, probably touch up's during the day or opt for lancomes teint idole.


The high coverage corrector contains vitamin CG, which is meant to aid reduction of dark spots, dark circles and imperfections. It's a very thick concealer that is best applied with fingers, if you own Benefit's boing concealer its a very similar consistency. Lancome recommend applying the corrector first and foundation over the top, I would recommend using stippling motions with your brush to avoid moving the concealer applied underneath, I have used real techniques expert face brush and buffing brush and both work really well.

  
Concealer, foundation, Teint miracle in 10 and Teint visionnaire in 006 beige cannelle (No flash/flash).

Above I have swatched this foundation and concealer in shade 10 praline, I'm a shade 10 in teint miracle (this is more yellow) and this new foundation comes up slightly warmer in the same shade, I also swatched the shade below 10, 006 beige cannelle (there are no shades in between). The 006 was too light and too beige, so I had to get 10, once applied it blends well and matches great as it is slightly warmer I'll probably get away with wearing this shade all year round.



I really love the finish this foundation gives to the skin, it covers well without looking heavy or cakey, I don't have much to cover, but I do have pigmentation around my mouth that bothers me and can make foundation go ashy as the day goes on, by applying correcting concealer first this is less of an issue. Lancome recommend using the foundation daily for 4 weeks to see results, I haven't used it long enough so can't comment on whether the pigmentation has or will reduce, wrinkles and pores are not an issue for me at present, so I also can't comment on this.

Have you tried this foundation, what do you think, will you be trying it?

Alex