the highlighter chronicles: hourglass strobe lighting powder

I’m going to start this post off with some really exciting news: Hourglass is finally launching coming to Sephora Singapore on the 14th of April! I can confirm that they will be bringing in quite a wide range of products, including these Strobing Light Powders and (my favourite) Ambient Lighting Blushes.

But back to the review:

Considering Hourglass’ reputation as THE brand for illuminating powders, the addition of highlighters to their line may not have come as a surprise, but it sure made me happy! The moment they were announced, I knew I’d love them – all the Hourglass powders I own are a joy to use due to their wonderfully luxe texture. Naturally, their Strobe Lighting Powders are of equally high quality. The powder is super finely milled and feels almost silky to the touch.

Today’s beauty is Brilliant Light, but I’ll be doing a review on Incandescent Light soon.

Now before we go on let me just say that I did take proper product shots of this prior to using it, but somehow I managed to delete them and had to re-take. So this doesn’t look as pristine as it should. Oops!

According to Hourglass these can be applied damp as well as dry for a more intense finish, and they make an angled sponge for exactly that purpose. I swatched these dry and damp on my forearm:

Though the dry swatch barely showed up on my arm, it more than did the trick on my face. With a flat brush, I was able to build it up easily to the sheen you see here.

In my opinion, this is probably the most foolproof powder highlighter for people who are interesting in strobing but kind of want to work their way up to it. You can dust this on gently with a fluffy brush for a subtle glow, pack it on with a flat brush (as I did here) for an obviously highlighted look, and when you’re ready you can experiment with a damp application for a strong strobed effect. I think it’s very well-designed to grow with someone who is new to highlighting, but thanks to its refined texture it’s also a product more experienced highlighter lovers will enjoy.

P.S. I’ve gotten a few queries about this lip colour. It’s YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick in #29 Opera Rose, a goes-with-everything fresh, girly pink. I love the formula too – it’s very hydrating and has SPF 15 – and am right now really mad at myself for leaving it in our LA home. I might have to buy a replacement!

This post contains affiliate links.