The limited edition holiday face palette includes 2 blushes (Surreal Glow & Surreal Effect), 1 all-over face powder (Surreal Light), 1 strobe powder (Surreal Strobe Light), and 1 bronzer (Surreal Bronze Light). One of the most interesting claims about Hourglass powders is their "Photoluminescent Technology" which imitates the effects of a filter and makes the skin appear smoother in texture. This palette is ideal for those who want to sample a few of Hourglass' Surreal Light powders rather than those who are looking for a value set.1. Longevity 4/5
Overall, the lasting power of most of the powders was good, however, the all-over face powder and the paler blush shade definitely faded quicker on me than I would have preferred. After layering the blush a few times, I found that the color did not look as vibrant as it did when I first applied all the layers originally. Unfortunately, the setting powder didn't seem to keep up as well as a setting powder should. By the end of the night, my oils broke through and I was a bit too shiny for my liking. The other blush, bronzer, and highlight shade lasted pretty well on throughout my experimentation with this palette.
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Unfortunately, the paler blush, bronzer, and strobing powder fell short of my original expectations for this palette. It definitely depends on your preferences, but in my personal opinion, I thought that the colors were a bit bland for even a natural flush of color, luminescence, and warmth on the skin. The blush and bronzer are definitely buildable so you can adjust the vibrancy of the powders to your liking, but for the price of this palette and the amount of product you get, layering the powders might not be an efficient application technique to do often. To me, the brighter blush is pigmented enough to where you can achieve a natural, flushed look.
3. Consistency 4/5
Hourglass powders are known for being some of the most finely-milled cosmetic powders on the market, regardless of whether it's a blush, bronzer or a finishing powder. The powders in this kit definitely follow this formulation with the exception of the strobing powder, which I found to be slightly more gritty. For this reason, I usually prefer to apply that powder with a brush that has been sprayed with a setting spray (I use Urban Decay's All-Nighter Setting Spray, but any will work).Then I use a damp beauty sponge to go over the area I applied the strobing powder because its texture tends to emphasize any texture on my skin. Despite this, all the other shades are very smooth, light, and blendable on the skin, just like Hourglass' single compacts.
Other thoughts:
Price point: It's steep for the amount of product you get in the palette, though this is probably related to the fact that it's a limited edition holiday palette.
Packaging: Aside from being beautiful to look it, it also is travel-friendly and has a snap closure so that you can be sure that none of the powders will get damaged or end up all over your makeup bag. The palette is compact, small, and contains almost all of your face makeup staples so it makes a great palette to take with you if you're trying to cut down the contents of your travel makeup bag.
Shades: Unfortunately, the shade range in this palette may not be suited for medium or deeper skin tones, which is a huge bummer. I have light skin with neutral undertones and some of the colors did not show up as vibrantly as I would have liked myself. This palette would be ideal for fair-skinned individuals.
If you have more of a medium or deep skin tone, a great, if not slightly better alternative to this palette would be one of the new Nars' Narsissist (try saying that five times fast) Unfiltered Cheek Palettes.
Finish: As the claim suggests, I do see a smoother, more airbrushed appearance to my skin with these powders (aside from the strobing powder). I appreciate the look of the finishing powder, but I wish it would last longer on my skin to prolong that finish.
This palette is available on Sephora's website for $80 USD.
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