Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer : Luminous Bronze

I was planning to write this review last week but I just wanted to give it a proper test run as it is on the much pricier side at £42.

This is the new Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze from Hourglass.

Before the Ambient Blushes and Bronzers, came the Ambient Lighting Powders which were designed to mimic the effect of soft focus lighting on the skin. 

A lovely idea no?

The blushes and bronzers are infused with these ambient powders in order to create that same airbrushed finish.  

Enough waffle, onto the Bronzer. 

One thing that I found a bit of a let down was the shade range; there are only two.
I just think it's a bit disappointing as we have 7 beautiful blushers, but only 2 bronzers. 

This is the lighter of the two, Radiant Bronze Light is darker, but to be honest there isn't a huge difference when blended into the skin.

I wish they had created more than two shades so people with fairer skins and much darker skins could get involved.

Luminous bronze is a warm tan shade with a fine gold shimmer running through. 

The texture of this Bronzer is one of its best points, it is very smooth to the touch and said smoothness helps it to blend effortlessly into the skin.

Even though it is not picking up in the photos, one of my concerns was that when you look at it in the pan, there is some very obvious shimmer going on.

I am  ALL about that glow, but tonnes of shimmer on my cheeks?
Not so much.

The most important thing with this bronzer is to go slow. VERY slow. 

I swirl my brush ever so gently and then tap off any excess.

Then I apply to my temples, tops of my cheeks and just touching the jaw, in a 3 motion.

If I need more, I just repeat the process.

When I have achieved my preferred level of bronzing, the result is absolute seamless luminosity- the name does not lie. If you can be light handed with this I am sure you will love it- I don't end up with sparkling tinkly cheeks (which was my preferred look about 14 years ago at school discos) I end up looking warmer and healthier.
This honestly is beautiful. Just beautiful. Well done Hourglass. 

Here is where I want to add a little warning, as when this is used incorrectly you will end up orange and super shimmery.

Here is a swatch to show you what the colour actually looks like

You can see there is some serious pigmentation going on here, which is a good thing. 

However, here is that heavy swatch in bright day light:

BAM. Shimmery.

If you are heavy handed and don't blend properly and then walk out into bright daylight, it can look pretty darn obvious. 

Bottom Line : I love this bronzer and it is a pleasure to use.

I couldn't really believe how luminous it looked without looking like I had doused myself in highlighter. For those glow-getters out there, I think you should look into this one. 

Just take your time with application, that is all. 

If you do tend to be heavy handed, perhaps use a duo-fibre brush (Real Techniques makes one of the best) so it does most of the hard work for you.

If you are looking for an alternative that is a bit lighter but still brings some glow (though perhaps not as much as Hourglass) and kinder to the purse, maybe look into Liz Earles Radiant Glow Bronzer which I reviewed here.