[5] Males of the nominate subspecies have bronzy green upperparts with a glittering blue forehead and a coppery neck.

Their underparts are white transitioning to buffy on the belly, and the throat and breast are thickly spotted with glittering green.

H. l. sagitta males have a blue forehead, a bluish breast, and the rest of the underparts and the tail like those of parvula.

Males of H. l. otero have less coppery upperparts than the nominate; females have a brownish belly and little or no glittering on the forehead.

[5] The subspecies of violet-fronted brilliant are found thus:[3][5] The species inhabits a variety of landscapes, mainly in the tropical and subtropical zones.

It mainly occurs in the interior and edges of pre-montane rainforest and cloudforest, but is also found in scrub, clearings, secondary forest, and coffee plantations.

[5] The violet-fronted brilliant forages mostly in the lower to middle strata of the forest, typically below 10 m (30 ft).