Hourglass

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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Unsung Makeup Heroes: The Hourglass Visionnaire Duo in Prism

August 12th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

Hourglass Prism — Wearing the Visionnaire Duo in Prism by Hourglass…and wondering if I remembered to shave my ‘pits

As a lifetime member of The S.O.S.E. (The Society of Smokey Eyes), I pledge…

To acknowledge my fellow sisters/brothers with a fist bump (the standard S.O.S.E. greeting) and by saying our motto loud and proud, “Smokey eye ’til I die.”
To wear smokey eyes whenever I damn well please! — and not just when it’s considered seasonally or otherwise appropriate (fall, winter and evenings out on the town).
To never, ever withhold sensational smokey eye accouterments, like the $38 Hourglass Cosmetics Visionaire Duo in Prism, from my beauty brethren, and to always spread the gospel of smokey eye love and truth to the best of my abilities.

I’ve been stuck on this duo big time, babe, and the main reason is that black eyeshadow on the right…

It’s SO KILLER.

Imagine the darkest, deepest, truest black shadow that haunts your makeup dreams. Then make it smoother than Jeremy Renner singing in a smokey jazz bar, add powder grains that refuse fallout, and give it the cutest flecks of silvery blue glitter.

And not just a lame sprinkling of glitter, but a perfect amount — just enough to wink at you without venturing into tween makeup territory.

Swatching it on the back of your hand is like looking into a night sky filled with twinkling stars…

I fall asleep thinking about this eyeshadow, no joke. 🙂

Oh, but it gets better. The other half of this duo rocks just as hard.

It’s a shimmery slate, like a combination of periwinkle Crayola crayons and thunderstorm clouds, that buffs and blends into beautiful, smooth gradients.

Neither color leans too cool nor warm, so this is truly one of those smokey eye duos that almost everyone can wear.

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A Look at the Six New Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylos and a Tip for a Heart-Stopping, Life-Changing Coral Lip Combo

August 1st, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Muse and Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Nectar — Back in the Bay Area, and wearing a coral combo that will change yo’ life!

Guess who’s back in the Yay Areaaa!

Yup, when I got back from Hourglass Cosmetics headquarters in Venice Beach this afternoon, I arrived home to find a furrious feline employer demanding immediate lurvies.

Gimme Kisses, Woman — Gimme kisses, woman!

Tabs didn’t even ask how the trip went! — not even after a deep-tissue scruff massage and 10 minutes of rigorous chin and jaw scratching.

Rude.

Outside the Hourglass Cosmetics offices in Venice Beach, California

Hourglass Cosmetics office inside — Inside the Hourglass cosmetics offices

Hourglass cosmetics office upstairs — The view of the entryway from upstairs…

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Mineral Primer

August 1st, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Rae of The RAEviewer.com. You can also find Rae on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.

The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15 ($52) is worth fighting for. The sleek lines of the frosted glass bottle make this primer hard to resist, but the addition of the naturally derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sun-blocking agents make this Holy Grail material in my beauty book. Sunscreen in face makeup products tends to smell funky, but the Veil is oil-free and truly fragrance-free. I adore how this unique mineral-based, water-resistant formula manages to even out my open pores without irritating my sensitive skin, and it also calms the redness on my cheeks and around my nose, though I do recommend topping with a concealer for more coverage.Â

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Setting a New Gold Standard for Lip Luxury That Actually Includes Gold, the Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil

April 16th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Hello, obsession. 🙂 Well, to be more precise, “the luxury lip treatment obsession I’m keeping on call for when Bruce Wayne shows up at my doorstep and offers to fund my lavish cat lady lifestyle, no strings attached (’cause he’s nice like that).”

Gold. Luxury. $42.

This new No. 28 lip treatment flat-out exudes luxury, and it wants to share that luxury with your lips.

Like, literally.

Hourglass outfitted it with a 24-karat gold-plated tip!

Recently added to the company’s permanent line for summer, it contains a blend of vitamins and 28 cool plant compounds and essential oils.

Oh, yeah. And then there’s the gold tip.

Gimmicky? Why, yes. Yes, it is. But it sure is bright and shiny! — and it feels like love on my lips. Cool, refreshing (and mildly addictive).

Of possible interest to germaphobes and Purell enthusiasts, Hourglass also says the gold-plated tip is anti-bacterial (interesting).

Something about it reminds me of The Hunger Games…but maybe that’s just because Cinna’s been on my mind. I can totally see him pulling one of these out of his man purse to moisturize Katniss’s lips between events (more on that in a sec).

Hourglass claims that their proprietary blend of 28 plant-based essential oils and vitamins helps to condition lips, reduce wrinkles and improve overall lip shape and volume.

“Like No. 28 Primer Serum, this product is enriched with 14 essential oils: Bois De Rose, Lavender, Geranium, Petitgrain, Lemon, Rosemary, Vanilla, Clove, Amyris, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, Cedar and Rose Geranium; 10 lipid-rich plant oils, including Hazelnut, Kukui Nut, Rose Hip, Borage, Olive, Green Tea, Cherry Pit, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, and Evening Primrose; and is fortified with 4 Vitamins, A, B5, C and E. The 28 ingredients create a protective barrier for lips.”

— From the official PR

I’ve been swiping the clear treatment, which has a light sheen to it, on my pout throughout the day and right before bedtime, and my lips have felt a little softer lately.

The medium-weight, comfy formula has a slightly sticky feel and a strong lavender and eucalyptus flavor and scent. The formula lasts on my lips from 1-2 hours, and I’ll wear it by itself or layered atop a nude lip liner.
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Muse Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

February 21st, 2013 by Karen 38 Comments

Wearing Hourglass Muse Opaque Liquid Lipstick ($28) on my lips

Ever dig into your makeup bag and rediscover something you absolutely love but kindasorta just forgot about for a month or two or 12?

I feel ya, dawg. I do it all the time.

This week I made a point of rutting around through my makeup stash to look for buried treasure, and woo-hoo! — I’ve been finding quite a few things, like Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Muse. Or “Musey” as I like to call her. 🙂

A vibrant matte coral red — one of those “stop you in the street” shades like Make Up For Ever’s Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in 39 — Muse glows brighter than a neon sign.

You might remember its launch last fall as part of the long-wearing Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick line.

With Muse, absolutely, I love the wow factor, but I also like the wear. Seriously, this shade DOES WORK! It decorates my pout for up to 10 hours (!) without weighing down or drying out my lips — traits not easy to find in such a long-wearing lipstick.

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Unsung Heroes: Hourglass Visionaire Duo in Exhibition

February 18th, 2013 by Karen 47 Comments

Hourgless Visionaire Duo in Exhibition — Wearing the Hourglass Visionaire Duo in Exhibition ($38) on my eyes; available now online, and at Hourglass counters and Sephora

I’m beginning to realize that despite falling in love with a new purple eye shadow single/duo/quad/palette approximately every 6.14 seconds (a side effect of undiagnosed makeup deficit disorder), I could probably function for days, weeks or maybe even months wearing the Hourglass Visionaire Duo in Exhibition.

It’s easily one of my favorite purple duos of all time, and I always feel at least a little better when I get it on my lids.

One side is a shimmery mauve, like a lighter, shinier MAC Shale; the other, a shimmery eggplant with subtle magenta undertones (I notice them more when I apply with a wet brush), which I think give the shade more depth.

Both sides are packed with pigment — enough to please even the most discriminating mulberry mavens, and perhaps hard-core MAC-aholics, too.

The silky, almost creamy rose petal formula makes it easy to build beautiful gradients, and best of the all, the powders completely refuse fallout, creasing and fading.

Wondering how close Exhibition comes to the NARS 413 BLKR duo?

Hmm… I’d say close, but they’re not exactly dupes. The Exhibition shades appear a little brighter and shinier to me, with a corresponding chipper effect on my mood.

I still heart 413 to bits, but I think of it as having a harder edge and more tough-girl zeal.

Hourglass Exhibition Visionaire Duo Picture NARS 213 BLKR — Hourglass Exhibition on the left and NARS 413 BLKR on the right

Hourglass Exhibition Visionaire Duo Swatch — Hourglass Exhibition

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The New Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders Light the Way to a Flawless Face, Casting Their Spell on Complexions This Spring

January 31st, 2013 by Karen 79 Comments

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Dim Light — Wearing the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light ($45)

I tell El Hub all the time that if we ever win the lottery, I’m hiring Heidi Klum’s Project Runway lighting crew to follow me around wherever I go (ever notice how they light her compared to how they light the other judges and contestants?).

He thinks I’m kidding, but I’m COMPLETELY SERIOUS.

I don’t know, though. Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore, now that I’ve found these Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. 🙂

You know how skin looks so warm and buttery and beautiful at sunset? Or the way it looks by candlelight? You’re having dinner at a nice restaurant, they’ve got the lights turned down low, and you reach into your purse for your compact, check your gloss and think, “Wow! Where did my smile lines go?”

The right lighting makes a big difference. This, Hourglass knows, which is why they designed their six $45 Ambient Lighting Powders to make skin appear as if it’s bathed in flattering light.

No need for a film crew or an expensive studio setup. Just pick your powder by its illuminating effect — Diffused Light, Ethereal Light, Radiant Light, Mood Light, Dim Light or Luminous Light.

The secret, Hourglass says, isn’t lumens or wattage. It’s the transparent, color-correcting particles in the powders that filter and manipulate light.

Never mind that I’m thinking that same answer would probably also apply to other products from other brands. I’m more concerned about one thing: how well does it work?

Here in my own little photo studio, also known as the hallway outside of my office, I’ve been testing three of the six — Dim Light, Luminous Light and Radiant Light — I have to say, I’m impressed. What Hourglass does by varying the finishes, shimmer, sheen and pigment does seem to emulate different kinds of light.

No, I doubt Heidi Klum is going to give up her zillion-dollar studio setup for one or two of these, but still — pretty neat!

I love all three. Both for their fancy finishes, and for the way the almost imperceptible grains of powder disappear on my skin.

Dim light

I’d swear that Dim Light, hands down my favorite of the three, takes 10 years off my face. A neutral, peachy beige, it has a soft sheen and a lovely satin finish. With it on, I feel like my pores and fine lines look a little less obvious, and my skin has this certain quiet radiance to it that I remember being there when I was in my 20s and teens (lately, not so much, LOL!). “Siri, remind me to stockpile this before the zombie apocalypse.”

Luminous Light

With Luminous Light, the champagne pearl, Hourglass turned up the shimmer to re-create a soft, candlelit glow. Think angel halos…or a MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder with a softer, finer pearl sheen. This is the one I’d wear when I want to draw attention to my skin. I’d apply it just over the center of my face to highlight and lift my look.

Radiant Light

Radiant Light, a super sheer, semi-matte golden beige/bronze with flecks of golden glitter, is probably the flashiest of these three. Where this one lives, it’s always summer in Las Vegas. Picture the desert sun falling on the faces of Las Vegas Ladies Who Lunch.

Hourglass Ambient Powders closeup — The new Hourglass Ambient Powders ($45 each) and Ambient Powder Brush ($35)

Hourglass Dim Light Ambient Powder — Dim Light, a neutral peach beige ($45)

Hourglass Radiant Light Ambient Powde — Radiant Light, a golden beige ($45)

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