Product Review -- Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent and Strobe Light Sculptor

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder and Strobe Light Sculptor

I am all about looking glowy, so I love everything related to highlighters and highlighting.

Which is probably why I have a drawer full of more highlighters than I will ever be able to get through in my lifetime.

However, because I'm such a big fan of Hourglass products, I couldn't resist picking up one of their Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders.

I love my Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light, which I'm pale enough to use as an all over finishing powder, so I figured that a product from the same line designed specifically to leave the skin luminous was right up my alley.

I purchased the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent, which I believe is the lightest shade, because I figured it would be the best fit for my fair skin.

The powder comes in a silver mirrored compact that's similar in shape and design to the Ambient Lighting Powders' and Blushes' compacts. There's a small mirror inside that's big enough for touch-ups.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder

The powder has a very thin, silky texture that blends easily into the skin. There are no big chunks of glitter or shimmer, but there are very fine "micro pearl particles" that do provide a pretty glow.

Incandescent is an extremely pale pink shade that's actually fair close to my skin tone, so its effect on my skin is fairly subtle. I think it would likely make a bigger impact if you have medium or darker skin because the contrast would be greater.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent

The powder is $38, which is fairly expensive for a subtle highlighter, but I suspect that if I choose a deeper shade (the powder comes in 4 shades), it would offer a bolder highlight.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent

And honestly, I kind of like the subtle effect that it offers. I can wear during the day without every worrying about looking over the top, I don't have to worry about it emphasizing my pores or fine lines, and it goes with basically every makeup look that I've gone.

Still, because it's pricey, I would recommend testing out the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders in person to see if you like the degree of glow that it provides. It is a lot of money to spend if you're not getting what you really want out of it.

On a whim, I also picked up the Strobe Light Sculptor, which is a sponge designed specifically for applying the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders.

It has an angled side that is meant for applying the powder to the high points of your face, and a flat, flocked side that is for blending the powder in.

Hourglass Strobe Light Sculptor

Hourglass Strobe Light Sculptor's flocked bottom

The sponge is extremely soft, and both ends work well for their intended purpose.

But it costs $22, which is very pricey in my book for a sponge that you're only using to apply one type of product. I think you could probably use the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to get a very similar effect, too, and you can get a set of four for them for just $18.

You can purchase the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders and Strobe Light Sculptor at Sephora and the Hourglass Cosmetics website.

Have you tried the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder and/or Strobe Light Sculptor? What is your favorite highlighter powder these days?