The Hottest Thing in Blush

For a brief moment, I thought I'd be a rare specimen among beauty bloggers: someone that didn't succumb to the monstrous hype surrounding Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush. Who was I kidding — even if they turned out to be hideously expensive and overrated, I just wanted to join in on the fun. When these rolled in Mecca Cosmetica, I was quick to slap some of the testers on my cheeks and examine closely. Was the effect that special and unique that I'd fork out $50 a pop for them? Probably not. I wasn't convinced with Radiant Magenta on me, as incredibly attractive it looked in the pan, the subdued browny peach of Dim Infusion seemed a touch too dusty and light, Ethereal Glow was out of the question and Mood Exposure didn't appeal to me. It wasn't until I spotted Luminous Flush and Diffused Heat at another Mecca store that I was tempted to buy. Luminous Flush was a bit too reddish/rosy, but I was drawn to Diffused Heat, particularly the swirls of Diffused Light (the one Ambient Lighting Powder that I kind of wish I'd purchased instead of Dim Light) mixed into the "vibrant poppy" colour.

l-r: NARS Orgasm, Hourglass Diffused Heat, NARS Deep Throat, theBalm FratBoy

I'm of the view that the single most important factor in ensuring satisfaction with these Ambient Lighting Blushes is picking the right shade that best suits your blush preferences and skin tone, since the application takes care of itself and the quality seems uniform across the board. They definitely have good colour payoff, but I don't find Diffused Heat ultra pigmented (which is a good thing), especially if you use a fluffy brush like the Real Techniques Blush Brush or Multi Task Brush. The inbuilt highlighter works to soften and add dimension to the coral/pink pigment so it's not just a block colour.

Predictably, I have several very similar shades in my blush collection. I guess I just can't stay away from my brightening coral/peachy pinks. I was actually more surprised that NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat aren't as similar to Diffused Heat as I'd anticipated, in that both are lighter and noticeably more shimmery, Orgasm more than Deep Throat. I thought Diffused Heat would have a comparable amount of shimmer, but it doesn't have the same characteristic golden, glowy sheen of Orgasm and Deep Throat. It's closer in colour to theBalm FratBoy, though FratBoy is slightly redder, darker and earthier in tone, with a more powdery texture and matte finish.

As most reviews have pointed out, the texture of the Ambient Lighting Blush is very close to the Ambient Lighting Powders: soft, bordering on a touch powdery, and incredibly smooth. It's a breeze to pick up pigment with your brush and blending on the skin is effortless. I've found the lasting power to be better than average, though not as good as NARS. If anything, as much as I've enjoyed Diffused Heat since I purchased it, and I'm truly impressed with how foolproof it is to apply, this whole frenzy with the Ambient Lighting Blushes has reinforced my love for NARS blushes. They might lack the eye-catching marbleisation of the Hourglass, but I feel they are the superior product, and prettier in action.