Hello Everybody, in my previous reviews, I’ve talked about the Becca Apres Ski Glow Face Palette (HERE), which I am still very madly in love with. But, there’s another face palette that I just couldn’t resist. It’s been on my radar for quite a while now, but I just can’t seem to make my mind on it unless I’d see it in real life. Given its price, I almost skipped on it, but when the Sephora Beauty Insider Event Sale came and I caught a glimpse of it immediately, I knew it’s going be another one of those love at first sight palettes. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80) is such a beaut and it’s probably one of the most beautiful palettes I’ve ever seen. As I placed one in my shopping basket, guess what I saw? another OMFG, those Hourglass Confession Lipsticks! Jesus, my uncle, I had to stop myself, but I heard Amy Winehouse singing in the background saying “They told me I should go to rehab, I said, no…no…no…” so yeah, the damage was done, I got the Ambient Lighting Edit V3 Palette plus two Hourglass Confession Lipsticks. Mery me.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 ($80): Currently sold out at Sephora, but I’m pretty sure this will be restocked soon. This rose gold palette is shiny and luxurious looking. A real eye-catcher containing three of Hourglass’ bestselling shades, plus three new exclusives with a total of six different shades; two are setting powders (upper left and right shades) that color-corrects and blurs imperfections, while the upper middle shade is a universally-flattering highlighter. The lower left shade is a bronzer, while the remaining middle and right shades are blushes with different intensities.
To me, this face palette has it all. I love that I can use the finishing powders after applying my foundation, then I proceed into using the bronzer shade for contouring, while I use the sole highlighter to focus on the high points of my face where the light could hit. I then choose which blush I’d feel like using for that day, depending on the occasion and my mood, or I could just blend the two. For me, this palette is not only gorgeous, but I love its very soft texture, its natural effect on the face which is sheer but buildable, and it also gives that “lit from within” effect. I’ve tested the shades several times already, and while it’s no surprise how well pigmented they are, I’m really impressed with their lasting power. I applied the colors in the morning and I came home in the evening still with the same intensity of pigments on my face. There are two Holiday face Palettes that I think are worth having; one of them is theย Becca Apres Ski Glow Face Palette (reviewed HERE) and the other one is this Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3. I might be a bit more biased towards this Hourglass one because it has more colors to choose from, and I love the fact that there are 2 finishing powders included in it. It has everything you’ll ever need in a face palette, and on top of that, it’s very compact, handy, and perfect for traveling. This is a must-have.
Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick ($34): These uniquely-packaged lipsticks will make you happy and sad at the same time. Oh well, first, let’s talk about the good news first. These lipsticks are housed in luxurious slim golden tubes with one pointy end. A bit like golden pointy cigarettes. These lipsticks scream luxe. What I love about these are their bold pigments. You can’t be heavy-handed while applying these. I find that I only have to apply this to some portions of my lips (sometimes dab), then I can just spread the shade all over without a problem. The formula is creamy and it settles into a satin-like finish. The lasting power is pretty good, probably around 4 to 5 hours on me, with some staining left on my lips. I love the fact that they’re refillable and the refill’s price is a bit cheaper. They’re pretty much easy to refill and it’s a no-brainer, although I tried to practice it at Sephora and I almost dropped the lipstick. But it’s just me, you know, because I’m clumsy. Anyways, these lipsticks are tiny and really slim. They’ll fit anywhere without a problem and I love their catchy “confess and fill in the blanks” kind of name. They’re almost pretty much easy and precise to apply on the lips. But here goes my beef on these. What a price for such tiny and slim lipsticks! It’s hard to justify collecting the shades, even though the range of shades is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. I feel like having one or three of these are probably enough. So you really need to carefully pick which color suits you.
Here are my two faves:
I’m Addicted: Terracotta Rose. My favorite everyday medium muted rose shade. Reminds me a lot of my other favorite everyday shade, the one that’s always in my purse, the YSL #66 Bois de Rose.
I’ve Been: Deep Rose Brown. A pretty perfect for Fall rosy brown shade. Very alluring.
Overall, I think these are such gorgeous makeup must-haves not only for the holidays but for the whole year. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit V3 Palette is a must for me, but I think any of Becca’s Face Palettes especially the Apres Ski would be a good alternative. If you can stomach the price on the Confession Lipsticks, given its size, then it’s good to have at least one.
Have you tried any of these?
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 is currently available at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, & Net-A-Porter
The Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Hight Intensity Refillable Lipstick can be purchased at Sephora, Nordstrom,ย Barneys NY, Space NK, Bergdorf Goodman, & Net-A-Porter
Buh Bye
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