Currently Obsessed: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat

Hi, everyone! Wanted to start with a brief and exciting announcement- Vibrant Beauty Blog is now on Twitter! I'd been a hesitant tweeter for ages, but figured that joining the platform could be a fun new way to interact with all of you. Have been having a blast with it so far! You can follow me via the button to the right or search me @VibrantVVBeauty. Hoping to see you there!

Now onto the main attraction! There has been much buzz in the beauty blogosphere about the release of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes and I was eager to jump on the anticipatory bandwagon due to the overwhelming loveliness of Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Powders. I strategically innocently stopped by Sephora over the weekend to see if the blushes had come in (I knew they were available online) and I was over the moon excited pleasantly surprised to see that they had! After a brief beauty nerdgasm, I inspected each of the shades and ultimately selected the colour that had been tempting me most, Diffused Heat. Here it is in all its glory:

For the sake of a thorough review, let's take a brief step back. The Ambient Lighting Blushes come in a reflective, glossy taupe box with pale gold lettering:

The box highlights that the formula is free from talc, fragrance, parabens, nanoparticles, and gluten.

The box also includes instructions for application, including the fact that the powder is fragile and must be handled carefully. The back of the box describes the product, stating that the blush offers "seamless, soft-focus colour and a natural radiant finish".

The box also includes a full list of ingredients, which is always a bonus for the informed consumer and those with sensitive skin:

The compact itself is gold, light-weight, and reflective, about two-thirds the size of the Ambient Lighting Powders.

I know I say it a lot, but it's upon opening the compact that the angels start singing. Can you hear them? ;) The Ambient Lighting Blushes have a marbled colour pattern, which mixes a bolder, colourful hue with a more neutral, glowy tone. The pigmented portions represent new, unique blush shades, and the neutral portions are the inclusion of the corresponding Ambient Lighting Powders, which offer various effects on the skin. The product itself is slightly domed and is quite solid in texture.

Hourglass describes Diffused Heat as "a vibrant poppy blush combined with Diffused Light for a subtle halo effect". I would label it the perfect cheery blend of pink, peach, and coral with subtle gold iridescent finish. 

Here are swatches of Diffused Heat on my inner arm (MAC NC15 skin tone). The swatch on the left shows the blush layered heavily, while the swatch on the right is a lighter, more blended application:

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat (L) swatched heavily and (R) swatched lightly

And here are some shots of me wearing the blush! I applied it to the applies of my cheeks, blending up towards the temples. I layered it rather heavily for the sake of demonstration and because I love a heavy-handed blush look!

Under artificial lighting:

In natural sunlight:

Given the title of this post, I'm sure you've gleaned that this blush is a goody, but I have to say this is one of the most flattering blushes I've ever tried! The texture is sheer, fine, and buildable, which allows for a subtle look or a more vibrant flush, depending on your mood! It also means that it's difficult to over-do things with this blush. Yes, the colour is on the bolder side, but the elegant formula is forgiving of heavy handedness. Diffused Heat imparts a lovely glow to the skin, without any evident shimmer or glitter. Not an easy feat! It applied effortlessly and required minimal blending, plus the wear time was mighty impressive. An all around winner!

I have to really credit Hourglass with this one; they could have rested on the laurels of their Ambient Lighting Powder success, but instead they released a line of blushes every bit as beautiful as their powder counterparts. Well done! I can see myself reaching for Diffused Heat over and over again, especially during the Spring and Summer. It really is a perfect pick-me-up! The only downside I can see is the price, but if you're going to splurge on anything this season, I'd say one of these babies should be it!

Have you tried any of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders yet? Is Diffused Heat  a shade that would catch your eye?

Thanks for reading! xo