Hourglass Blush and the Soft Glow Blushes Beside It

Hourglass Blush and the Soft Glow Blushes Beside It

Every hourglass blush starts from founder Carisa Janes's idea that light should do part of the work. Here are the Ambient Lighting Blushes and Unreal liquids, plus the glowy powders and natural liquids I would wear next to them.

Carisa Janes launched Hourglass in 2004 after working in product development in the early days of Urban Decay. The idea behind her Ambient Lighting Powders came from her mother, who kept pink light bulbs in the house because the glow was so flattering. She has said she wanted the powder to work like a personal lighting technician. That thinking is the reason an hourglass blush feels different from a plain pigment: the color and the light are one step.

The Ambient Lighting Blush Collection is a hybrid of that finishing powder and a modern range of colors, and each shade is named for its light. At Night is a brick red with a fireside gleam. Sublime Flush is a soft pink fused with lilac. Dim Infusion is a subdued coral that adds warmth, Diffused Heat is a vibrant poppy with a subtle halo, and Mood Exposure is a soft plum. I would start with Dim Infusion if you are unsure.

The Unreal Liquid Blush is the other side of the brand. It is hydrating with hyaluronic acid, buildable, natural in finish and lasts up to 12 hours. Scene is a soft warm pink and Imagine is a rich terracotta. The Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick is here too, for anyone who would rather swipe than dot.

A quick test: tap a liquid onto the cheekbone with a finger, then blend outward before it sets.

Comparison chart of Hourglass Blush by formula, from liquid at the top to powder at the bottom, with every shade of one product on the same row and spread from cool pink to warm coral, featuring Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush, Ambient Lighting Blush and Vanish Stick
Hourglass Blush

Hourglass blush

Glowy powders with soft focus

If you like the lit-from-within look of Ambient Lighting, these powders are the closest neighbors. What they share is a soft-focus finish rather than a flat matte.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Blurring Natural Glow Powder Blush in 52 Ecstasy is a cool baby pink with a radiant finish and light-reflecting pigments. Laura Geller Blush and Brighten Marbleized Baked Powder Blush in Pink Buttercream swirls raspberry, bronze and neutral pink, and the brand says it will not cake or settle into fine lines. Saie SuperSuede Radiant Talc-Free Baked Powder Blush in Mia is a soft rose that is lightweight and non-comedogenic. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush in Truth is a mauve maroon with a radiant finish, and it is a lot of color for a small pan.

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Divine Powder Blush in Fleurtatious is a soft beige pink with a demi-matte finish. Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion Duo in Strawberry is a cool pink, talc-free, with encapsulated ceramides and up to 16 hours of wear. CHANEL Joues Contraste in 2 Rose Bronze comes from a blush that first launched in 1980 with seven shades. Guerlain Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder Blush is here for anyone who wants a healthy glow powder.

Pairing tip: sweep a glowy powder on the top of the cheekbone only, and use a matte powder lower.

What I would skip: Rare Beauty Truth with a heavy hand on bare skin. It is pigmented, so tap the brush off first.

Soft-focus powders with a lit-from-within finish

Natural liquids like Unreal

Not every glow has to come from a powder. These liquids look like skin, which is the same idea as Unreal. Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush in Future is a warm coral, and Craft is a deep berry. Both share the natural finish and the hydrating formula, so a little goes on like a serum.

Yves Saint Laurent Make Me Blush 12H Blurring Liquid Blush in 37 Peachy Nude is a warm pink nude that starts creamy and dries like powder. CHANEL Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush in Warm Pink is made mostly of water, 75 percent according to Chanel, with tamarind seed extract, and it leaves a barely-there finish. The CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Fresh Liquid Blush is a name-only description from me. Laura Geller Serum Blush in Beautiful Blossom is a soft pink serum tint with hyaluronic acid and a cooling feel, and it is fragrance-free and vegan.

Saie Dew Blush Liquid Cream Blush in Chilly is a mauve with a chunky doe-foot applicator, and Armani Beauty Cheek Tint in 50.5 Rosy Peach is a peachy pink with a natural finish that lasts up to 12 hours.

How to wear them: dot on the back of the hand, tap on the cheek with a fingertip, and blend upward toward the temple.

What I would skip: applying a liquid over a powder foundation. It grabs and dries in patches. Use it on a cream or bare base, then set the rest.

Natural-finish liquid blushes like Unreal

How to choose your glow

Pick the powder if you like a soft, diffused glow and the liquid if you want skin that looks bare. An Ambient Lighting Blush suits people who like a bit of light on the cheek, and Unreal suits a routine that is already about skin. Undertone helps: cool skin tends to like Sublime Flush or Ecstasy, and warm skin tends to like Dim Infusion or Imagine. Start with less than you think, and blend until you cannot find the edge. If you own one hourglass blush, the day you wear it will feel like a lit room.