Hi everyone!

I apologize for the lack of reviews lately. Summer got the better of me.
In the month coming up, I'll be back with some new reviews and will try to update this blog more.

Thanks for tuning in :)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Review

Hey lovelies! I hope everyone's having a great day, it's not the warmest here in Canada but at least the sun is out. I wanted to share one of my holy grail blushes, the infamous Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush.

Hourglass has these highlighter/blush hybrids using Ambient Lighting Powder and are available in 7 shades. They use Photoluminescent Technology to create depth and a soft focus. I've bought 2 shades from Sephora: Diffused Heat and Mood Exposure.

Similar to the Ambient Lighting Powders, the blushes are very finely milled with a soft powder texture. All the shades are very pigmented and a little goes a long way. I've been applying these blushes with a blush brush from 3CE's Mini Brush Kit and generally need 2 light swipes. I swipe a bit from the highlighter area then the blush area.

All the blushes come in these gold, plastic containers that I'm not a big fan of, they're very light and I would've preferred them to have a bit of weight.

Diffused Heat 

Diffused heat is a vibrant, poppy coloured blush combined with the Diffused Light ambient lighting powder. It's my absolute favourite and my holy grail blush for every day use! It looks intense in the pan but with a light swipe, you get a soft coral pink on your cheeks. It doesn't look as bright, warm or sparkly once applied! This shade should be flattering for most skin colours, I've tested this on my friend who's between NC40-50 and it looked great on her. Diffused Heat is pinker than Nars Orgasm Blush (another cult classic), which is far peachier.

Mood Exposure 

Mood exposure is a soft plum blush mixed with Mood Light ambient lighting powder. It looks a bit flat in the pan, but mixed with the highlighter gives a soft, bright complexion. This shade can look very different on various skin colours. It may be more rosey for some, or look more bronze/plum for others (like myself). This is definitely a gorgeous shade, but I would try it on at your nearest Sephora before buying it.

Swatches

Both swatches are done with a heavy hand and look different on my face. Diffused heat is less pink and mood exposure is less bronze. You can enlarge the photos by clicking them.



Here's a close-up of the swatches:

Because they are handmade, each pan will have different amounts of blush and the lighting powder mixed together. I recommend going in store and finding one with an equal amount of both. The lasting power from both shades is phenomenal. I get a nice glow throughout the whole day and usually don't have to retouch (I'm really lazy).

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush retails for $41 CAD. It also comes in 5 other shades: Dim Infusion, Ethereal Glow, Luminous Flash, Radiant Magenta and Incandescent Electra (which was previously only available in the blush palette and I will probably end up buying).

They're available at Sephora! :)

Le Blanc de Chanel Multi-Use Illuminating Base Review

Hey guys, this is my first post so I figured I would review a product I've recently purchased! I'm a huge fan of most Chanel makeup and wanted to try out a foundation base.

Le Blanc de Chanel Multi-use Illuminating Base is an emblematic foundation base, described by Chanel to "instantly illuminate the complexion with a subtle halo of light and perfectly evens out the skin's texture" and "facilitates the application of foundation and prolongs its hold". 

The bottle is typical of Chanel's sleek and monochromatic packaging. It's a frosted bottle with a pump, which is great for me since plastic bottles tend to crack/explode for me. The pump also makes it so much easier to control the product.

The base is a white, semi-thick liquid that is very easy to apply and blend with my fingers. There's a satin-like finish that lets my skin breath. After using this, I get a lovely glow that blurs/evens out my skin and even whitens it a little. There's is a strong floral scent but it doesn't irritate my sensitive nose which is a big plus. 

How it looks blended into my hand:

I have combination skin (normal with a dry t-zone) and I find this doesn't accentuate any flaky areas, but I would still use a light moisturizer to dry zones beforehand. Unfortunately I didn't notice any significant increase in my foundation's longevity after using this, but I do get a nicer finish. I paired this with the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in "Beige", and the Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in "Soft Sand".

I purchased Le Blanc de Chanel Multi-Use Illuminating Base for $52 CAD, and honestly it's not worth the high price point. It's nice to have if you're a sucker for packaging like me or if you're looking for something to splurge on and you're into glowy skin, but it's definitely not a necessity.