The Italian Rêve – Hourglass Ambient Palette in Surreal Light: Review!

Hey it’s Valentina here, I wanted to tell you something about the latest Hourglass Ambient Palette in Surreal Light that I’ve been enjoying this fall!

If you are looking for a product that is multi-purpose, perfect for traveling and with an unique packaging or you’re looking for an excuse to make you a nice present, well we have you covered!

Hourglass Cosmetics just launched the Star piece of its 2016 Christmas collection: the Ambient Palette in Surreal Light, a light and bright palette of powders that recalls all the colors of sunset.

The Palette, in limited edition, presents an illuminating setting powder, a bright blush, a nude one, a bronzer and a strobing effect highlighter. All shades are new and exclusive and, despite the bright pink blush, you can certainly classify it as a Nude Palette.

I also wanted to match the palette with the new stick foundation “Vanish Foundation“, which for those who have dry skin like me, is really perfect, especially during the colder seasons.

First of all I applied the well know “Veil Mineral Primer” by Hourglass that has some sort of skin perfecting filter but at the same time moisturizes without leaving any residue or traces. Therefore perfect even for those with oily skin.

As for the foundation: despite being in a stick form, I found that the formula has a very good balance between covering and not being too heavy. Indeed for this reason I applied a small amount on the cheeks, chin, nose and forehead, and I blended throughout the rest of the face with my beauty blender for a fresher finish.

The great thing about this product is that, given its high pigmentation, you can also use it as concealer both for imperfections and dark circles.

I have then fixed the foundation/concealer with the “Surreal Light Powder“. Another beautiful filter to the skin: not heavy, light and free of glitter despite its lightening effect.

Then it’s time for the bronzer, the “Surreal Light Bronzer“. I’ve applied it on the cheeks, forehead and temples. It isn’t a very warm shade, and for that reason it’s suitable for most complexions, even for the fairest skin. The bronzer, infused into a mix of illuminating powders gives a natural and luminous effect to the skin, never exaggerating.

As for the Blush, I made a mix between the two “Ambient Lighting Blush”. First the one on the left, “Surreal Glow“, a natural mauve that I applied all over the cheekbone and a touch of the most vibrant “Surreal Effect” (a cold bright pink) to revive the complexion, but only applied to the central part of the cheeks and slightly blended back.

Both blushes are a mix of also peachy shades that warm up the complexion. It’s in these shades where we can find the colors of the sunset that the Palette wants to capture.

Here we go with the highlighter! I decided to apply it with a lightly wet brush to ensure a more accentuated effect and to fix it better on the skin. Here I used Fix Plus by Mac Cosmetics.

The highlighter “Surreal Strobe Light” is a delicate shades of gold and, if used not wet, it gives an even more natural effect. I applied it on the cheekbones, nose, and then on the entire eyelid as if it was an eyeshadow.

In the crease of the eyelid I used the bronzer to obtain a subtle definition on the eye.

And to finish…a little bit of black mascara!!

I’m currently loving the Surreal Light Palette and the stick foundation. I use them almost every day when I go for a natural and simple look. I love also to match the super natural look with a burgundy or red brick lip color.

Both the Palette and the foundation are perfect for those who travel a lot because with only two products plus some lipsticks and eyebrows stuff, you’re ready to go!

I think that this is an investment worth making!