| Review | Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer in Luminous Light and Dim Light

Review:  Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer in Luminous Light and Dim Light 

Welcome the newest addition to the Ambient Light family...the Correcting Primers! Like the Ambient Lighting Powders, the premise of these primers is to recreate the effect of various ambient light on the face. Being a HUGE fan of the Ambient Powders I had to get my hands on these primers.

The Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primers are $44.00 USD for 1oz. and are available at Sephora. Here is the description for this product on Sephora's website:

Ambient® Light Correcting Primer is infused with light correcting pigments that act as a first filter to neutralize, brighten, and soften light. They blurs imperfections and smooth skin’s texture for flawless makeup application. This allows the primer to create a better starting point for makeup or simply be worn alone. Unlike other primers, the oil-free, weightless formula instantly absorbs into the skin, imparting a natural-looking glow without feeling wet or greasy. It’s designed to further enhance the lighting effects of the Ambient Lighting Collection by creating the first layer of light. 

Hourglass developed this formula to prime skin and create the perfect canvas for the Ambient Lighting Collection. The first-of-its-kind formula was developed to create the thinnest layer of light-enhancing particles, which allows for layering without re-emulsifying the layer underneath. This results in the most weightless lighting effect on the skin. This breakthrough primer creates the ideal base for light diffusion and refraction while also prepping the skin for makeup application. 

"This primer is a multi-tasker. I wear it alone on days where I just need a little something to walk out the door, and under foundation on other days when I want to really perfect my lighting. The texture is so different than anything else on the market—it feels like I have nothing on, but it does so much."—Carisa Janes, Hourglass Founder


These primers are packaged in a sleek charcoal plastic tube with a metallic plastic cap. This packaging is not nearly as luxurious as their traditional glass bottle primer packaging. This may account for the significantly lower price of these primers. Although not as luxurious, these are definitely much more travel-friendly and easy to store.


The formula is definitely unlike any primer I have used before.  I was expecting a silica-based primer shimmer, similar texture to their other primers. The primer not only dries down but it does so rapidly. So the two options for application are to work in sections or squeeze a large amount out and work fast. The nice thing about the primer "setting" on the skin is that it wear very well on its own. The product, regardless of shade,  has a lot of fine pearl and shimmer in it. On the skin. the primer sheers out leaving a beautiful sheen and glow to the skin. The primer is also very smoothing. I find it blurs texture and minor imperfections on the skin. However, I do believe the shimmer will enhance highly textured skin. The primer does lightly mattify the skin. I find on my normal to dry skin, even without setting my makeup, it last quite well. I don't see this primer working for very dry skins or very oily skins, the primer seems to emphasize dry patches and it does not control oil enough for oil skin types.

Luminous Light is a very pale champagne pearl shade. I definitely find this primer brightening, if that is the type of "correcting" that luminous light is supposed to provide. Other than brightening and smoothing, I don't find that this primer has any other correcting properties.



Dim Light is a warm peach shade.  I don't feel that this shade is correcting" like it claims. The peach shade does help with some mild discoloration, perhaps it may work better on a fair skin tone with a lot of blue-tones in the skin or a very dark skin tone with more discoloration than I have. It is smoothing and slightly brightening on my medium to tan skin tone but I don't notice a huge difference.



Overall, these are decent primers. If you like a smoothing primer with a little glow, Luminous Light is really nice! If I had to recommend a shade it would be Luminous Light. However,  there are SO many illuminating primers out there, in the same price range. Dim Light really didn't do anything for my skin tone but I think it could work on someone else. Before buying these, I highly recommend testing them in store! I'm a bit disappointed because I don't find these primers particularly special and typically, Hourglass make incredible primers. I know that I am not alone in my love for their primers but I find these only decent. Perhaps I need to use them more or I could be using them incorrectly. If you have these primers let me know how you like them and how you like to use them.

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