Hourglass

A Chic Cheek Combo: Hourglass Illume Creme-to-Powder Duo in Sunset and Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood

February 11th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

Houglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset and Ambient Powder in Mood — A lovely cheek combo to try from Hourglass

Back from the hospital! The surgery went well (I had a bump on my elbow that had to be removed). I was in and out of there in about an hour, and everything went smoothly…except for the part where I freaked out a little right before it started. 🙂 So what else is new?

Ah, it’s good to be home…

Now let’s talk awesome cheek combos while my sutures heal, shall we? Here’s one I wish I could take credit for because I love it so very much, but I owe it to someone else. I got it when I visited Hourglass Cosmetics headquarters in Venice Beach last summer.

One of the makeup artists I met while I was there grabbed the company’s Illume Creme-to-Powder Duo in Sunset ($40), defined my cheeks with the bronze shade and blended the rosy shade on the apples of my cheeks for color.

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

Then she dusted sheer lavender Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood ($45) on my upper cheekbones as a subtle highlighter.

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

I love this combo for “lit from within” cheeks. Here’s a shot of it in action last summer, and yes, I was super tan.

Last summer at the Hourglass offices with the fabulous Stef from We Heart This

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipstick in Muse

February 10th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Got ~~milk?~~ coral lipsticks on the brain?

Why, yes. Yes, I do. But what else is new?

Maybe it’s a genetic thing. I don’t know… But last night I was chatting with my mom on the phone about coral lipsticks and my 86-year-old godmother in the Philippines.

My godmother, whom I call Ninang (pronounced knee-nung), is the most glamorous gal I know, and my mom was telling me last night about how Ninang is apparently obsessed with coral lipsticks right now, LOL!

I guess it runs in the fam. 🙂

I think Ninang would thoroughly approve of Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipstick in Muse, the creamy coral lippie I’m wearing in these pics.

My heart fluttered the first time I saw it. No joke.

Then when I slipped it on — oh, my goodness! — I may have hyperventilated a little. The intense pigment, shiny finish and bright color were all too much for me (but in a “I’m perfectly OK with this” kind of way).

Now, Muse looks pretty dope on its own, but if you want to turn up the drama even more, try layering a reddish coral gloss on top, like MAC Star Quality Cremesheen from the A Fantasy of Flowers collection.

Looks phenom! — as does Hourglass Nectar Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss. (Do I need to post pics of these combos? Let me know. I’ve been all about the combos lately.)

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I’m Carisa Janes of Hourglass Cosmetics, and This Is My Makeup Life

January 31st, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

The My Makeup Life series asks beauty biz insiders, bloggers, makeup mavens and artists to share their holy grail products, tricks, tips and favorite beauty tools. Is there anyone you would like to see featured in My Makeup Life or questions you think I should ask? Let me know here.

Name: Carisa Janes
Location: Venice, CA
Day job/current gig: CEO and Founder of Hourglass Cosmetics
Hangouts online: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and hourglasscosmetics.com
Current favorite Product: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
Beauty inspirations: Creativity in any form, art, architecture, photography, technology, film & design. I’m also inspired by different locations — Venice (CA), Tokyo, Stockholm.
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Insatiable

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

Veil Mineral Primer — I forget how important it is until I neglect to use it. Veil Fluid Makeup has been my go-to foundation for many years, and Ambient Lighting Powder is hard to resist. Over the course of a day, I use Dim Light, Radiant Light and Luminous Light, in that order. It’s my personal lighting technician.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette ($58), a limited edition item from holiday 2013

When did you start getting into makeup?

All the women in my family, including my grandmother, my mother and my step-mother, were beauty enthusiasts. As a teenager I’ll never forget my mother taking me to the Chanel counter of a department store in California. The fact you could express yourself with makeup has long inspired me. It still does.

Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Lush (bottom) and Origami (top), $28 each

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

I always wear a primer, so that my makeup has longevity. I use multitasking products, such as a foundation with anti-aging ingredients and SPF. And, like most women, I can apply mascara in my car while stopped at a red light.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes in Radiant Magenta (left) and Diffused Heat (right), $35 each US and $41 CDN

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Dear Hourglass Cosmetics Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Glosses, You’re My Obsession

January 30th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Ever go through phases where you become totally obsessed with one makeup line? I’m going through one of those right now with Hourglass. 🙂

Soooo, along those lines, I’ve been looking for springy shades to wear with the new Ambient Blushes.

Feast your eyes upon these two Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss pretties! Lush and Origami.

I love how they look by themselves (and atop lipsticks and lip pencils).

The Extreme Sheens ($28 each and available in 13 shades) are among of my favorite glosses. What a formula. So moisturizing, and they have that high-shine, non-sticky thing going for ’em, too. Throw in a light cupcake fragrance, and we’re talking major win.

They’re available now at Sephora and hourglasscosmetics.com.

Swatches of the Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Lush (left) and Origami (right) — Lush (left) and Origami (right)

Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Origami — Origami

Natural, Yet Complex, Is the Glow I Get From These New Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes

January 27th, 2014 by Karen 60 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat ($35) on my cheeks

Opportunities abound for clever wordplay with the name of these new Ambient Lighting Blushes by Hourglass.

Think about it…

You [Ambient Lighting Blush] light up my life.

These Ambient Lighting Blushes are turning me on!

Stealing the spotlight this spring? These six new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, yea!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush compact — The sleek compacts…

Unfortunately, however, because 1) my brain cells are moving at the speed of belly button lint today, and 2) I feel slightly less creative than an amoeba, I am unable to partake of said wordplay.

Instead, this is the best I can do: issue a grave warning…

DO NOT get within five feet of these things — don’t do it! — unless you plan to bring at least one of them home right then and there, because these things are more charming than the Borg, and by that I mean that resistance is futile.

Because only half of my neurons are firing today (if that), I was going to say that these blushes melt into my skin like butter, but then I thought, “Good grief, Karen! Is that the best you can do?”

No, I think not.

Picture this: your work crush grabs you by the shoulders when no one is looking, presses you up against a file cabinet, kisses you squarely on the mouth, and then quietly, nonchalantly, walks away without saying a word.

That — that right there. That natural flush on your cheeks? That’s the kind of flush these Ambient Lighting Blushes can create.

Hourglass Radiant Magenta Ambient Lighting Blush — Radiant Magenta, so pretty!

So, what are they, and how do they work?

Well, I’m glad you asked. 🙂

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The Fab 5, Vol. 5: Hourglass Cosmetics

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Hourglass may not be a gargantuanly huge brand, but they’re one of my faves (yes, I know, I have many faves).

The luxe little line hails from down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), in sunny Southern California.

I like a lot of their products, but here are five of my “must-haves” from the line. Next time you’re cruising the aisles at Sephora, check ’em out! If you decide to give one (or more) of these Fab 5 a try, let me know how it goes. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Products mentioned in this video…

Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light ($45)
Oxygen Foundation Mineral Powder ($46)
Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Prism ($38)
Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Ballet ($28)
Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2 ($58)
Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil ($32)

Thank you very much for watching, and if you enjoyed this video and want me to keep doing them, please give this one a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe. Because when you get fired up, it fires me up to do more! 🙂

Thank you, as always.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette: Like a Portable Photograhy Lighting Kit That Fits in a Purse

October 4th, 2013 by Karen 38 Comments

Just when I thought there was absolutely no way Hourglass could improve upon the perfection of their Ambient Lighting Powders, they go and release a stunning new Ambient palette and effectively knock my cat lady socks off.

(No, seriously, I wear cat lady socks.)

New for the holidays, the $58 limited edition trio ($67 CDN) comes with three Ambient Light Powders and a travel-sized bottle of Veil Primer.

Be warned — when you open the palette and gaze upon Dim Light, Radiant light, and the new limited edition Incandescent Light, you may experience beauty vertigo and feel the need to sit down, so take care to open it within reach of your fainting couch. 🙂

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Dim Light — Dim Light

If you haven’t partaken of these Ambients before, you’re in for a treat. The line of universally flattering pressed powders was designed to sort of simulate different lighting effects, like candlelight, by diffusing, softening and tinting light on the skin.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Incandescent Light — Incandescent Light

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What’s Nude and Covered Up at the Same Time? Your Lips When Wearing These New Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylos

August 12th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo No. 4, a pink beige — That’s pinky beige Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo in No. 4 smilin’ at you from Novato, California

The last time I was surrounded by this much nudity was last year’s Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, ba-dum bum!

Ha, I jest. 🙂

Well…not really. And that was a little more jarring than the nudity I’m talking about today.

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylos — Oh, hai!

Really, though, when a dude jogs past you in nothing but tennies and a fanny pack at the crack (no pun intended) of dawn, it’s a lot to take in before your first cup of coffee.

But I digress…

These new Femme Nude Lip Stylos by Hourglass ($30 each) are a joy to play with, partly because there are so many different ways a nude lip can go wrong, and this new collection of twist-up, retractable lip pencils gets it right.

Hourglass envisioned all six Stylos working together as part of a wardrobe of nudes — nudes for minimal makeup days, nudes for when you’re feeling artsy-fartsy, and nudes for when you have a hankering for something nude and slightly dramatic.

A satin finish gives lips a sheen while ingredients like vitamin E nourish and protect yo’ pout from the elements.

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo No. 1 — No. 1, a pale pink, and the lightest shade in the collection

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo No. 2 — No. 2, a warm honey beige

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo No. 3 — No. 3, a medium nude rosy pink

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