Hourglass

The New Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette: Chic Cheeks Are Just a Couple Swipes Away

September 19th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette blushes from the left: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure — Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Hello, gorgeous. Good afternoon. I don’t want to keep you from the fun I hope you’re having (it is Friday, after all), but do you have time for a 2-minute review? I hope so, because this is one I think you’ll like. 🙂

Are you ready? OK, I’m turning over the hourglass now…

The new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette: 2-minute review

A limited edition palette containing three Hourglass blushes, two of them re-promotes and one brand new blush shade.
Price: $58 US, $67 CDN
Coming October 2014 to Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Sephora and Space NK stores, as well as online to hourglasscosmetics.com.
The two re-promoted blush shades are Luminous Flush (a champagne rose blush fused with Ambient Powder in Luminous Light) and Mood Exposure (a soft plum blush fused with Ambient Powder in Mood Light).
The single new shade, exclusive to the Ambient Lighting Blush Palette, is called Incandescent Electra, a cool peach blush blended with Ambient Powder in Incandescent Light.
Handle with care! Even the packaging indicates that the palette is fragile, so this beauty may not be fit for whirlwind travel.
Incandescent Electra, the new peach shade, is much more pigmented than I thought it would be at first blush/glance. One layer is enough for a natural-looking flush.
Go really easy on Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure, because you’ll probably only need a bit of either one.
All three of these are, unsurprisingly for Hourglass, a breeze to blend, and the powders don’t appear heavy at all on the skin.
I think they also look great in pics. Skin doesn’t look oily, and pores don’t look extra-large.
Wear time clocks in around 8-9 hours.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A (an A+ if the packaging felt more fit for travel, but I’m nervous about the blushes breaking!)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette Luminous Flush — Luminous Flush

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette Incandescent Electra — Incandescent Electra

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette Mood Exposure — Mood Exposure

Hourglass Blush Palette Swatches — From the left: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure

[Continue reading…]

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipstick in Vintage

August 28th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Ironically, my favorite lipstick (this week) is a modern twist on a traditional idea. It’s called Vintage, and I think of it as a modern twist on a traditional nude lipstick for fall.

I’m kind of loving that idea, the idea of lips that are slightly richer, and maybe a few shades darker, than your natural lip color.

Tom Ford’s fabulous new rich, rosy brown Lip Color in Negligee has some of that same vibe.

The whole idea is just so different from what I picture in my head when I think “nude lips,” which over the past few years have meant a lot of light peach, pink and beige.

Barbie lips, so to speak.

I was digging around in my lipstick collection last weekend for something modern and nude when I re-discovered this old friend’s charms — Vintage ($30), a shade in the Hourglass Femme Rouge lipstick line, and one of my unsung makeup heroes.

[Continue reading…]

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat

August 7th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

I can’t believe it’s already August… Can you? No! I refuse to accept it. I’m in a state of denial.

I’m not even going to entertain the possibility that summer could end until at least October.

Or late November.

I want to go straight from summer to Halloween, back to summer, and then wake up on Thanksgiving night, LOL! 🙂

Oh, well. Sooner or later, probably when it starts cooling off, I’m going to have to accept the inevitable…and somewhere along the way, I’m sure I’ll feel a hankering for rich, red fall lips.

To help me through this difficult time and ease the transition, I’ll turn to Hourglass Ambient Blush in Diffused Heat ($35).

Hourglass Diffused Heat Ambient Lighting Blush closeup — A closeup of Diffused Heat Ambient Lighting Blush

Talk about your beautiful blushes, babe. It’s one of my favorites to wear with warm-toned and/or vintage pin-up red lipsticks like MAC Lady Danger.

I dunno… There’s something about the way this blush works with warmer yellow-based reds (and corals).

Me likey.

Hourglass Diffused Heat Ambient Lighting Blush — Diffused Heat

Orangey poppy mixes with warm pale gold in the marbled pattern, and blended together on cheeks, they look natural (see: no crazy clowns).

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

When I apply one layer, it looks like RyGos just chased me around my condo (because, obviously, he takes time out of his busy schedule to play hide and seek with me).

Noticeable, but not hella distracting, which is great when you don’t want your cheeks competing with your lips when you wear a bold red.

[Continue reading…]

Exercise Your Right To Look Good While Sweating With the Hourglass 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Liner

August 7th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner in Obsidian ($45)

Hellooooo, freckles and dark circles! The bare-faced/no makeup action in some of the pics below was necessary to demonstrate the waterproof-ness of the new 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner in Obsidian by Hourglass ($45 for a pack of three).

Here’s from last weekend, before and after a 7-mile run. I’m wearing Obsidian on my lash and water lines.

Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner before a workout and after — Before and after Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner

Please ignore the haphazard lining, LOL! I wasn’t heavily invested in precision, although the skinny 1.5 MM twist-up tip definitely allows for it. I’ve really been loving it for getting between the roots of my lashes and for doing precision work in the inner corners (like in that pic at the top).

7.25 miles — Nike Women’s Half Marathon, Oct. 19…I’m comin’ for ya!

After seven miles, buckets of sweat, and one complete run through MJ’s Xscape album, Obsidian looked great. With the exception of some very minor transferring to my lower lash lines, I didn’t see any movement up into my crease, any creasing or smudging — basically, no malarky.

Then, I jumped into the shower while still wearing the liner and took this pic after.

Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner after 7.25 miles and a shower — Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner after 7.25 miles *and* a shower

[Continue reading…]

New Hourglass 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner: For Cat Eyes and Cannonballs at the Pool

August 1st, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Hourglass 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner (1)

Anyone else love mechanical pencils?

My favorites are the ones with the super long twist-up erasers (I have an old teal one that I’ve had for a zillion years), and I’m partial to .5mm lead.

.5mm lead is small.

Like REALLY small.

But it’s not much smaller than the tip on these new 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner by Hourglass ($45).

I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to get between the roots of my lashes, LOL!

They come three to a pack, and you get from 17-20 uses each.

These were recently added to the permanent line for fall, and I’m taking them for a spin this weekend (cat eyes and cannonballs at the pool). I hope they’re just as waterproof and long-lasting as they claim.

New Hourglass 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner

The precision 1.5mm tip ensures effortless control, and allows for lining in between lashes.

The unique formula, poured into a slim mechanical component, has the malleability, intensity and staying power of a traditional gel. No pot, no brush, no clean-up required.

The waterproof, transfer-proof and long-lasting formula delivers extended wear.

The supple, moisturizing formula glides on smoothly and dries quickly.

Two clicks is all you need to line the eye. Each advanced mechanical pencil lasts for approximately 17 to 20 uses.

Only dispense product as needed – mechanical pencil does not retract.

Free of phthalates, sulfates, talc and gluten. No animal testing.

Ophthalmologist tested.

You can find them now at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter.com, Space.NK, Sephora and online at hourglasscosmetics.com. Single liners are also available available at select retailers, including the Hourglass website, for $16.

P.S. In other news, Guardians of the Galaxy tonight? 🙂 I’m obsessed with Rocket Raccoon!

Better Together: Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset and Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

June 2nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset + Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

This cheek combo saw a lot of action last weekend. So easy, fresh and summery.

What I do is sweep the rosy side from the Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset on the apples of my cheeks (it layers so easily on bare skin, foundation and/or powder), then dust the Mood Light Ambient Powder on the tops of my cheekbones using a Louise Young LY20 Super Fan Brush.

One word: OBSESSED!

Try it sometime, and if you do send me a pic.

Ideally with your cat.

A cat selfie. 🙂

Both products are available now at Hourglass counters and online (hourglasscosmetics.com, sephora.com).

Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset, a sheer bronze and a sheer rose

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood, a sheer, subtle lavender pink

From the left: Mood Ambient Powder, the rosy shade from the Sunset Duo and the bronze shade from Sunset

Hourglass Welcomes Four New Shades to Their Panoramic Lip Pencil Line in Raven, Muse, Empress and Eden

May 2nd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

The new Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencils, $28 each

More lip love coming at’cha from Hourglass Cosmetics.

The luxury makeup line (which I lurve) recently added four new shades to their Panoramic Long Wear Lip Pencil line — orangey red Raven, coral-red Muse, deep aubergine Empress and true nude Eden.

These smooth, creamy pencils glide along my lips like makeup figure skaters and remind me a lot of MAC’s Pro Longwear Lip Pencils.

No tugging at all, and they don’t dry out my lips, either.

They last for me from 4-5 hours.

What Hourglass says about ’em…

The creamy formula glides on smoothly and resists smudging and feathering.

Polymers adhere to the skin and have water-resistant qualities.

Intense color payoff delivers continuous all-day wear.

Equipped with a blending brush to perfect and evenly distribute product.

Free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and gluten. Not tested on animals.

Note the caps on both ends down below… The pencils come with a blending brush to buff and distribute the liner after applying.

Sweet. 🙂

They’re available now in the Hourglass permanent collection at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Sephora stores, and also online at hourglasscosmetics.com for $28 each.

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencils from the left: Muse, Empress, Eden and Raven — Panoramic Lip Pencils from the left in Muse, Empress, Eden and Raven

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil 5 — The blending brush

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil Swatches clockwise from the lower left corner: Empress, Nude, Muse and Raven — Swatches, with love, clockwise from the lower left corner in Empress, Eden, Muse and Raven

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil in Nude Swatch — Eden

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil in Muse Swatch — Muse

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil in Raven Swatch — Raven

Hourglass Panoramic Lip Pencil in Empress Swatch — Empress

I feel like Hourglass is totally having a well-deserved moment right now.

I’m Inspired by Muse: The New Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Muse

May 2nd, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Oh, happy day!

Hourglass Cosmetics recently added three new shades to their Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss line — coral Muse, dusty rose Canvas and vibrant pink Ballet. Muse in its lipstick form has been one of my favorite Hourglass products for a while, so yay! Happy dance. 🙂

I’ve been deeply enamored with the Extreme Sheens and their bomb-dot-com, hella moisturizing formula. Not only do they shine like diamonds, but they also smell like cupcakes!

That’s like a triple rainbow all the way across the sky.

Pink guava Origami and warm coral Nectar have been my go-to purse gloss jams this spring, but now they face serious competition from Muse…

A potently pigmented coral, Muse is essentially the glossy version of the brand’s Femme Rouge Lipstick and Opaque Liquid Lipstick of the same name.

BAM! — it jumps right out at you.

Muse in Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss form begins bright and bold, slowly fading to a matte reddish pink stain over the course of 2-3 hours.

Very pretty. 🙂

Because Muse packs a lot of pigment, keeping it inside my natural lip line can be a challenge when applying, especially if I’m rushing, so I like to prep my pout first with a lip liner to keep it corralled.

With a steady hand and some patience, though, you could probably skip the liner. Just know that it’ll take some time to apply, because the color’s REALLY INTENSE.

[Continue reading…]