Hourglass have done it again with three new wow palettes

Symbolising supernatural wisdom and strength, Dragon Ambient Lighting palette features the most neutral shades in the collection, so it’s perfect for lighter skin tones. The palette features the best-selling finishing powder in Divine Light, alongside a new shade called Dream Light. It also includes two fresh blushes – Peach Fusion and Mauve Haze – as well as a new bronzer, Soft Bronze, and a strobe lighting powder in Sunlit Strobe Light.

Evil Eye Ambient Lighting palette is undoubtedly the warmest and most versatile of the three. The shades are light enough to complement fairer skin tones – including neutral, cool, warm and olive undertones – but can be easily intensified to enhance medium to deep skin tones. This palette features Soft Light finishing powder, alongside three new blush shades: Pink Fusion, Oasis Glow and Vibrant Coral. There’s also a new bronzer, Natural Bronze, and a strobe lighting powder in Rose Gold Strobe Light.

Symbolising self-growth and resilience, the Lotus Flower face palette offers the deepest hues in the collection. Like all of Hourglass’ powders, they can be applied lightly to offer a whisper of colour or layered to achieve a bronzed, berry-toned look. This palette includes two new strobe lighting powders in Gilded Strobe Light and Radiant Rose Strobe Light, alongside one best-selling finishing powder in Eternal Light. Additionally, it features two new blush shades – Desert Flush and Red 0 – and one new bronzer in Bronze Heat.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting palettes dominate my social feed every winter, so I was intrigued to finally find out what all the fuss is about. I was really impressed by the shade range upon first application – the bronzer is a perfect mix of cool and warm tones, the blushes are peachy in hue and the highlighter delivers a blinding glow. The finishing powders do blur imperfections to give an airbrushed effect, but be warned, they are quite cool, almost pearly on the skin.

A domed, fluffier brush is your friend when working with these powders. Although exceptionally smooth, they do have a little fallout so the Hourglass No.2 blush brush will help pick up the excess dust and diffuse the product evenly across your skin. The secret to creating Hourglass’ famed, multidimensional glow is layering these formulas. They blend beautifully together; melting in to leave a natural radiance with zero harsh lines and patchiness – a major plus for my dry skin.

They are also delightfully lightweight in texture, and it barely feels like you have any makeup on your skin. I skipped my usual setting spray to test the staying power and was thoroughly impressed, the blush, in particular, refused to budge without settling into any creases. While it’s quite an investment, it’s well worth it if you’re an enthusiast of Hourglass’ individual Ambient Lighting powders or seeking a versatile all-in-one palette.

I’m a true blush fiend. I have creams, powders, shimmers, mattes and tints in my treasure trove, but the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders is one that’s been on my to-do list. This year, Evil Eye captured my attention as it’s the most vibrant and versatile of the three palettes. Notable highlights include Pink Fusion, a burst of rosy brilliance, and Oasis Glow, a warm apricot laced with flecks of gold shimmer.

Typically, I prep my skin with a cream blush and bronzer to amplify the final finish and staying power of powders, but each shade in this palette is enriched with enough pigment to perform alone. Like Olivia, I was thoroughly impressed by the formula’s longevity; even through the wet and windy conditions of a trip to the seaside, the blush didn’t fade and the highlighter maintained its luminosity.

Since each powder is the same size and quite small, it can be tricky to prevent excess dust from drifting into neighbouring pans and staining other shades. It may be more convenient if each powder was sized according to usage – a larger pan for bronzer and a smaller one for highlighter.

That said, for me, the shade range is perfect to use year-round – warm enough to create a sun-kissed glow in the summer, yet cool enough to add a kiss of frost to the cheeks during the winter months.

Of all the beauty treasures unveiled each autumn, I eagerly anticipate the launch of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked palettes the most and have now amassed quite the collection. I was thrilled to add Lotus Flower to my lineup – it’s a stunning selection of deep berry tones, warm golds and rosy shimmers that will enhance and sculpt the complexion of many skin tones.

As someone with oily skin, it’s hard to find powders that don’t accentuate my skin texture or enlarge pores, but Hourglass’ finely-milled formulations are a welcome exception. Velvety-smooth and featherlight on the skin, these powders blend easily, delivering a soft flush of rose that can be seamlessly layered for a richer, more intense glow that’s never shiny.

Don't be deceived by the size of each pan either, these formulas are packed with pigment and a little goes a long way, just one dip into the powder and you have the perfect pinch of blush. I also like to use them as eyeshadow – the matte bronzer is great for contouring the eyes, while the cranberry shimmers are gorgeous for an autumnal eye look. The timelessness and colour payoff make it well worth the price tag for me.