Hourglass

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

September 9th, 2015 by Karen 37 Comments

Geez, it’s September already!? Wow, we better get a move on. It’s time for another bad-@ss holiday palette from Hourglass.

Yup, Hourglass has released a new holiday palette in each of the past couple of years, and they’re doing it again. The new one arrives next month — well, technically, there are a whole bunch of complicated release date machinations, but I’ll get into that in the video.

The latest palette is also Strunk & White-approved!

Har-dee-har-har, kidding. 🙂 Sort of. It’s called Edit. It’s the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette, and it’s the biggest one so far (it’s also $80, which isn’t a bad deal at all considering the quality and price level of Hourglass products). It has six pans, one of which is a brand new shade called Iridescent Strobe Light.

Three of the six pans are Hourglass’s awesome Ambient Lighting Powders (including the one brand new shade). The other three pans house two blushes and a bronzer.

All but one of the colors are re-promotes, so if you’ve been hoarding (LOL!) Hourglass for a while — hey, nobody can blame you — you probably already have them in your collection.

The Ambients are gorgeous, though, particularly if you like that “glowy” look, and I mean, who doesn’t?
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5 Best Highlighters

September 9th, 2015 by Karen 40 Comments

The Tragedy of Tabby, Prince of Novato
Act III, Scene I

Enter Prince Tabby, Queen Karen, Left Turn the Black Cat, Thug the Russian Blue and Lords.

TABS: To highlight or not to highlight — that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the condo to suffer the humiliating pets and chin scratches of outrageous fortune, or to raise paws against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. To eat, to nap — perchance to dream; ay, there’s the tummy rub.

Wait, what the heck is Prince Tabby talking about!? I don’t know about him, but speaking for myself, there is absolutely NO question about it. I am always, ALWAYS down for highlighting, and here are my five top picks for “Best Highlighter.” These are the ones I wear the most. 🙂

Best Everyday Highlighter: Hourglass Ambient Powder in Luminous Light ($45)

It’s amazing to me how this champagne pearl pressed powder barely looks like I’ve made a dent in it, when I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently — sometimes for weeks on end — for the past few years.

That’s a pretty good thing to know, that a single pan of anything could last until forever, or until Skynet eventually takes over (whichever comes first).

What I love about Luminous Light — I mean, other than the name, because don’t most gals like the idea of being bathed in luminous light? — is the finish. On the skin it looks like expensive, plush velvet bathed in the light of a buttery late summer afternoon.

Ah…

The sheen is unlike anything else I’ve seen before. Soft and subtle, yet still noticeable, and it’s oh, so forgiving of large pores and fine lines (hallelujah!).

All told, this one’s my favorite everyday, all-occasion highlighter in the world!

$45; available now at Hourglass counters and online.

Best Highlighter for a Dewy Finish: MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush ($22)

Hush!

No, you can talk. I was referring to MAC Hush, which I love for its flexibility. It’s a soft peach with subtle shimmer, and I like it just about any which way/any how — on bare skin, on top of tinted moisturizer, foundation, even on top of powder. Whenever I’m aiming for more of a dewy, wet look, out comes Hush.

All I do is use my fingers to apply and blend it, usually on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow, and it takes all but a minute to use.

I also think it looks amazer-ing in pics.

Oh! — and you can also use it as an eyeshadow base. Score! 🙂

$22; available now at MAC counters and online.

Best Highlighter for Dramatic Looks: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal ($38)

Good ol’ Opal. How many pans of it have I gone through over the years?

Three? Four…? I’ve lost count.

BECCA has many marvelous Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed options, but Opal is the one I wear most, by far. It’s a super shiny golden opal pearl, and for dramatic highlights, it’s unbeatable. Unlike standard-issue high-shine highlighters, of which there are many, it’s the very definition of luminous, and the complete antithesis of harsh and metallic, so skin glows seemingly from within with magical eldritch power without appearing oily.

It’s so friggin’ good that when I had to pick a single highlighter to wear on the red carpet to the Emmy’s last year, I went with Opal. There was no question about it.

Fun tip: to open up the eyes and make them look as big, bright and wide as possible, lightly apply Opal in the inner corners of the eyes, and just above and below the highest point in the arch of your brows.

$38; available now at Ulta, BECCA counters and online.
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Hourglass Fall 2015 Arch Brow Sculpting Pencils

August 21st, 2015 by Karen 21 Comments

I’m not ready for the return of skinny, practically nonexistent ’90s-style brows (when I practically plucked mine into oblivion) because I’m enjoying the current big, bushy brow trend too much.

I JUST CAN’T, HOMIE! I hope the bushy brow trend lasts another two or three decades, but just in case it doesn’t, I’m going to “live in the now!” as they say, and embrace the current state of the brow-o-sphere. Hopefully the newly expanded Arch Brow Sculpting range by Hourglass is a sign that bold brows aren’t going anywhere soon.

Hourglass just added six new $32 permanent collection shades for fall 2015, bringing the total up to nine. There are colors for blondes, brunettes, gingers (I’m lookin’ at you, Chelsea!) and black-haired babes, and you can find them all now at Hourglass counters and online.

Products mentioned

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencils in Platinum Blonde (new), Blonde, Warm Blonde (new), Auburn (new), Soft Brunette, Warm Brunette (new), Dark Brunette, Ash (new) and Natural Black (new), $32 each

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

August 11th, 2015 by Karen 35 Comments

1. Lime-flavored ANYTHING

Forget about lemons. Limes are where it’s at, man.

So sour… So good! I was into key lime pie a few weeks ago (haha, I know, I shift gears often), but now I’m all about lime candies and — OOH! — limeade!

It’s like lemonade but made with limes (obvs). There’s a place in town called Rustic Bakery that makes a GREAT limeade that’s nice and tart with a good bite to it, and sometimes I’ll get one there with lunch.

In fact, I’m drinking one right now. 🙂

Well…I was drinking one, but I just finished it! *slurp*

2. Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop

Current favorite blush right hurr. This pop is a real gem. It’s a $22 peachy brown nude in Clinique’s permanent line, and it buffs out beautifully on cheeks.

Lasts all day, too.

I guess I forgot about it for a while, but I recently re-discovered it while “shopping” in a drawer.

3. Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipstick in Vintage

Another beauty I hadn’t worn in a hot minute, but I’m making up for that now!

Doesn’t this pinkish brown have kind of a ’90s vibe to it? (I wore it in yesterday’s winged liner tutorial). I love how this neutral/nude works with darker skin tones, especially (if you’re a lighter lass, check out Hourglass Grace).
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Hourglass Cosmetics Summer 2015: Introducing the New Ambient Lighting Bronzers and a Full-Sized Incandescent Electra Ambient Blush

April 14th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

The Hourglass Summer 2015 Collection, available now at Hourglass counters and online

Fellow Hourglass fanatic and probable feline porcelain figurine lover, go grab your biggest, fluffiest, pouffiest (wait — I don’t think that’s even a word) powder brush, and hurry back.

You’re going to need that brush when you work with these new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers.

YAAAAAAS GIRL! 🙂 Hourglass totally went there. First, they gave us the glorious Ambient Lighting Powders, then the awesome Ambient Blushes, and now these! — the new Ambient Lighting Bronzers (available in two shades, $50 each).

hourglass cosmetics summer 2015 — From the left: the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers in Luminous Bronze Light and Radiant Bronze Light, and Incandescent Electra Blush

Both bronzers, as well as a new full-sized version of Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra (Remember Electra from the the Ambient Blush palette? I’m a fan.), are new for summer 2015. They’re also being added to the permanent line (available now at Hourglass counters and online).

Notice how the bronzer pans are comprised of two shades, one lighter than the other? Those lighter areas are veins of Radiant Light and Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder running through the Bronzer.

Hourglass recommends the Luminous Bronze Light one for fair-skinned/lighter lovelies, and Radiant Bronze Light for medium/deeper-toned divas.

Now, the darker areas within each of the pans is the actual bronzer. Hourgless figured out a way to combine warm, golden orange bronzers with cooler, ashier-toned taupes.

Interestingly, though, the warm orangey bronzer is what shows up in swatches, and also when I apply these on my face, which I do with a big fluffy powder blush, which creates that whole sun-kissed, golden bronzed effect I like.

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The Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes in Exposure, Graphite and Infinity

January 15th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes in Exposure (left) and Graphite (right)

OH, MAH GAH!

I had to do it. After the fun I had with these the other day, I couldn’t resist. Fabulous forces beyond my control made me put these into my Sephora cart, and then the free three-day shipping pushed me over the edge.

It was like when the Enterprise rolled up on the Borg. Resistance was futile.

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Graphite

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Infinity

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Exposure

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Infinity (left) and Graphite (right) — Infinity (left) and Graphite (right)

Make Army Green Your New Neutral: A Fresh Way to Wear Olive and Neutral Eyeshadows Starring the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette

January 12th, 2015 by Karen 59 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids, $58 each

Ten-hut! Members of the neutral eyeshadow makeup army, fall in, and salute the newest member of our ranks. Her codename: army green.

Also known as olive, who, I know, you may have seen around base last summer, but she’s also trained as a fully functional neutral, like agents beige, taupe and tan.

Let’s be real. Woman cannot live on brown shadow alone. At some point, even our favorite neutrals, as classic and timeless as they are, need refreshing, and the brass feels that army green eyeshadow is the new way to go.

My favorite army green finishes are satins and shimmers, but I think some of the mattes are beautiful too. But then, some of them (the mattes) also tend to fall a little flat, or end up being difficult to blend. I’m a mattes girl through and through, but gimme a satin or shimmery army green any day of the week.

The trick is finding the right finish for you. In my case, I like shimmers that don’t showcase my fine lines, and I don’t want a formula that’s going to give me any grief (also known as patchiness and fallout), because oy! — I already get enough of that from mah cat.

(Incidentally, he’s been so naughty lately! At night he scratches the stairs, noisily fiddles with cabinets and knocks things off shelves onto the floor.)

The army greens in the new $58 Hourglass Modernest Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field are so my jam.

The new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field ($58)

One of seven new Hourglass powder eyeshadow quints coming this spring, Color Field has two army greens you need to get on yo’ lids LIKE RIGHT NOW.

The lighter one has golden pearl, and the darker one is richer and filled with flecks of micro golden glitter. Both are so completely forgiving on my lids that they make me feel like 29-year-old Karen, the wee lass she was… 🙂

Color Field also contains a matte beige (which is kind of like a powder eyeshadow version of MAC Painterly Paint Pot), a neutral shimmery gold, and a neutral mid-toned tan.

Last weekend Color Field and I had a blast. Picture a draped dress that effortlessly flows in all the right places, and these shadows are like that.

The shades fluidly transition into each other with hardly any fallout and last all day long with primer.

I’ve already made room in my Hourglass drawer for more of the seven Modernist palettes, which are available now online for VIB Rouge members, and soon to be available for errryone else.
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Velvet Creme Lipstick in Fever

November 21st, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

This is the one Fever that you’d actually be stoked to catch. “But Karen,” I can already hear you saying, “I can’t afford to get sick! Between dating Ryan Gosling (hey, a girl can dream) and pet assisting for five cats, I can’t afford time off!”

Not to worry, friend. 🙂 This isn’t a Fever that’ll leave you in bed, clammy and immobile for 48 hours with sweat between your toes. This is Femme Rouge Lipstick in Fever by Hourglass ($30), a vibrant stop-and-stare fuchsia.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

I wore this lipstick in my review of the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette a while back, and ever since then — kid you not — I get at least one email a week from someone asking about it, and the emails usually start with the words, “I HAVE TO HAVE IT,” or something to that effect.

I totally understand, ’cause the first time I wore the lipstick, I caught it (the Fever). My brow broke out in a cool sweat as I swiped the tube across my lips. I think I may have also experienced a temporarily delirium. Either that, or RyGos really was sitting on my living room couch eating a wedge of gouda…

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