Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Brilliant Nude Blush

This Hourglass Blush has been a staple in my makeup bag for years. I recently re-discovered it, and it truly is brilliant! And by the way, the pic at the top was taken before I grew my hair color out. 🙂

When some people think of brilliant nudes, they might think of Venus de Milo or the statue of David… I think of a blush from Hourglass, LOL! Brilliant Nude Strobe Lighting Blush by Hourglass, you guys, is so, SO good, especially if you love a fresh-faced look where your cheeks glow without looking overdone.

Can’t-miss fresh-faced color that isn’t obnoxiously obvious

It’s the same effect you get from NARS Madly Blush or the Kevyn Aucoin Neo-Trio, you know, where you have a hint of color, a whisper of shine, and your face and skin look livelier and peppier, like you just took a brisk walk or somebody sneaked up and started tickling your ribs.

Your cheeks will have that beautiful flush! That’s what you get from Brilliant Nude.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Peachy amber mixed with a shimmery highlighter

Brilliant Nude is a peachy amber blush mixed with a gorgeous golden shimmery highlighter. It’s one of the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes, which is the blush family in the Hourglass permanent collection that has a more obvious and visible highlight (there’s also the Ambient Lighting Blushes, like the shade Diffused Heat, which are great, too, but they have a quieter highlighting effect).

Not to say that the Ambient Strobe Blushes like Brilliant Nude have an obnoxious highlight. Ya know, it’s Hourglass, they handle their finishes with a very refined touch. It’s softly reflective and luminous, but it isn’t metallic or garish or harsh, so women of all ages (and pore sizes!) can wear it.

A healthy glow on all shades of skin

When you mix the highlighter and blush together you have that perfect combination of color and shine that’s just a little something but not too much. I’m a tan gal, an NC42 in MAC, but I’ve seen this on both lighter and darker ladies, and it’s beautiful across the board. On lighter skin, you get more of the blush effect. On darker skin, it functions more as a highlighter, but in either case cheeks have a healthy flush and glow.

Long lasting

One 0.15-ounce pan is $38, which is pricey (as most Hourglass products are), but all you need is a little bit, and that little bit won’t need a touch-up halfway through the day.

Easy to apply

For a fresh-faced look, I’ve found the best way to wear this blush is to use a blush brush — no fancy techniques or moves needed! Just swirl it in the pan to mix the blush and highlighter together, and then just use a light, sweeping upward motion on the apples of your cheeks.

I use one layer, maybe two at the most, and that’s all I need. Simple and easy.

Color goes with everything

Another brilliant thing about this blush is that you can wear it with any color combination on your eyes and lips, and it seems to flatter most everything. In this pic I’m wearing it with a cooler-toned brown eye, but it also works with warm browns, or brights, or nudes. Basically everything and any color combo you can dream up, Brilliant Nude will go with it, and the same goes for lips. Peach, pink, purple, red, orange… Doesn’t matter. All colors look good.

The take-home message

When I wear this blush, I look like I’m wearing a little makeup, but I don’t look like I’m wearing a ton, and that’s what I love about it. And it goes with almost everything!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen