An alternative to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes?



Ever since laying my eyes on the ambient lighting blushes from Hourglass it has been hard to keep them off my mind. Baked blushes have always intrigued me yet I was sceptical of spending nearly £30 on something that I may not even like. Don't get me wrong the raving reviews on the Hourglass blushes suggest that I wouldn't be disappointed but I am always willing to try a drugstore alternative.

I discovered that Max Factor had brought out their own versions of a baked blush through another beauty blog and I knew instantly that the next time I visited Boots I would be buying one of these blushes.

Similarly to the Hourglass blushes, these Max Factor blushes are gorgeous just to look at in the pan. The shade I chose is '05 Lovely Pink' and is a mixture of pink and golden tones which also features some shimmer. I think it is this shimmer which gives a highlighting effect when applied to the cheeks as well as a healthy flush of colour from the shade itself. What I love about this blush in particular is that it is so buildable. I love the way that it can be used to add a subtle highlight and flush but I can also see how it could be easily built up to give a stronger look. At first I wasn't sure about the shimmer but it really does give your skin that extra glow without making you look obviously glittery or sparkly. The  formulation of this product is also great as it doesn't feel heavy or chalky on the skin. I find that my Real Techniques blush brush picks up exactly the right amount of product and it applies so well to the cheeks.

Another bonus of this product for me is the no-nonsense packaging. I love the very simple round compact and the fact that the clear lid showcases those beautiful shades. I also like that Max Factor haven't fussed around trying to squeeze a mirror in and has focused entirely on the product itself. Although these blushes are relatively small, I have been religiously using them every day for around a month now and it doesn't even look like I've touched the product aside from the fact that admittedly you can see where my brush has been swirling around the pan.

If anyone I knew was looking for a new blush I would steer them immediately in this direction. There are so many shade variations in this range and the product itself is fantastic. At only £8.99 they are considerably cheaper than the Hourglass blushes and will be a firm favourite of mine as we move into the Spring months.