Tag: hourglass

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

I’m pretty sure Hourglass Ambient Powders hit the beauty blogger / beauty editor world with an epic splash (don’t miss the review here). A little beauty blogger meet-up this last September in New York City (hi, Maree!) actually consisted of about 15 minutes of love for this revolutionary face powder / highlighter / bronzer / blush. I think we all issued a collective gasp when hourglass announced they were releasing a limited edition palette with two shades of their ambient powder along with a new limited edition Incandescent Light.

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo

As I’ve come to know Hourglass Cosmetics, the brand more and more just screams sexy to me. Their packaging, products and luxury send me directly to a sultry place. So I wasn’t surprised to see their newest launch “Notorious Nudes” Femme Nude Lip Stylo is particularly seductive.

This set of six nude lip crayons have a creamy, medium to full-coverage formula and satin finish. The texture is close to lipstick and not unlike the NARS Velvet Lip Pencils. Like other Hourglass products, the packaging is nothing less than ultimate luxury. The heavy metal tube is modern and robust. There is no sharpening this guy – the actual product is retractable making precise application a breeze. Even on my dry lips, the vitamin E packed formula doesn’t cake or flake. It is also paraben, phthalates, fragrance and sulfate free and not tested on animals.

The six shades span quite a range, ensuring all skin tones can find their perfect match. I’ve been wearing Nude No 4, a pink beige nude with a touch of deep rose. It looks like a very slightly lighter shade than my natural skin tone with more pink. Other available shades:

Nude No 1 – A pale pink nude, the lightest of the collection.
Nude No 2 – A honey beige nude with a warm tint.
Nude No 3 – A medium rose nude with a hint of pink.
Nude No 5 – A golden peach nude with luminosity.
Nude No 6 – A mauve nude, the deepest nude of the collection.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Summer Favorites From Opinion Nothing

What better way to round out my week of guest posts than the fabulous JM from OpinionNothing.com. This girl has style not to mention is always up on what’s new in beauty living in the fabulous New York City. I asked her to share some of her favorites to beat the crazy heat this summer in the Big Apple:

When temperatures soar and humidity caps off at 100%, my favorite summer beauty products rise to the occasion. Whether I’m headed to the office or out to brunch with my girlfriends, these warm weather essentials keep me looking my best!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder ($45) – This magic face powder comes in six shades and uses photoluminescent technology to soften light as it reflects off the skin. I like using Dim Light with a big, fluffy brush to set my foundation. It’s not a traditional mattifying powder, but I don’t mind a little bit of healthy shine.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation with SPF 15 ($45) – I love Vitalumiere Aqua because it gives medium, buildable coverage yet still feels light like a tinted moisturizer. I can apply it with my fingers or an array of foundation brushes and my dry-to-combination skin looks great every time. BONUS: travel-friendly packaging and a luxurious scent.

NARS single eyeshadow in New York ($24) – Red eyeshadow is difficult to wear without looking like you have pinkeye, but New York is rich enough to pull off. It’s perfect for adding dimension to a neutral, summer-appropriate smoky eye or simply smudged along the lash line for a grungy pop of color. It pains me to say that New York is no longer available as a single eyeshadow, but you can still find it in the splurge-worthy NARS Loves New York palette.

Lipstick Queen in Hello Sailor ($25) – My number one lipstick pick for summer! Hello Sailor looks bright blue in the bullet, but the sheer, moisturizing formula works with natural lip color to create a shade of berry unique to every wearer. It makes teeth look whiter too! Literally my lips, but better.

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park ($25) – Red lipstick instantly perks up a simple look, but not when it’s melting off your face, or worse, in your purse. The latest Stalin Lip Pencils from NARS pass the test in both categories and Hyde Park, a gorgeous rosy red, is perfect for day or night.

Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover ($4.59) – No one appreciates a good at-home manicure like I do and step one is using the right tools. Resist the urge to use cuticle scissors. After five minutes wearing the gel, my cuticles are soft and trim. A quick wash with some soap and my nails are ready for bright colors!

Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Cleansing Mask ($5.49) – Before we go crazy thinking our pores are filled with dirt, let’s remind ourselves that blackheads are most often caused by oxidized oils, not filth. This cleansing mask contains both silica and salicylic acid to remove excess oils, leaving skin clean and blackhead-free in between facials. I like to apply it with a synthetic flat foundation brush for a spa-like feel at home.

I leave for summer vacation in less than two weeks (bonjour, Paris!) and you can bet I’m making room in my carry-on for everything on this list. With great skin, a perfect pout, and groomed nails, I’m ready to beat the heat on both sides of the Atlantic.

NEW: Hourglass N° 28 Lip Treatment Oil

Oil is no longer a dirty little word. We use it after showers, to cleanse skin and to hydrate. Oil’s properties make it particularly well suited to the delicate lip area. So no wonder I am loving the Hourglass N° 28 Lip Treatment Oil so much.

Like its big sister No. 28 Primer Serum, the Lip Treatment Oil uses vitamins and botanicals to condition, hydrate and protect lips. Three active ingredients help improve the appearance of lips over the long term. Working together they increase moisture levels, improve lip texture and deliver deep hydration to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

I love the smooth gold-plated tip for application. Yes, that is correct… I said 24KT gold-plated. Talk about indulgent luxury. I get an ever so slightly but totally plesant tingle when I apply this treatment. But the overall feel of the oil is nourishing and rich. There is no taste but it does have an herbal smell thanks to the 14 essential oils (Bois De Rose, Lavender, Geranium, Petitgrain, Lemon, Rosemary, Vanilla, Clove, Amyris, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, Cedar, and Rose Geranium).

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Hourglass Foundations and Concealer

I’ve had the pleasure of covering quite a bit of Hourglass makeup on Belle Belle. Some favorites include Ambient Lighting Powder and Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick, among many many others. The luxury brand has a true pulse on classic beauty with serious formulas that flatter so many skin types. But I was remiss in covering one (favorite) product area – foundation and concealer. When I dove in, I was thrilled to find two different foundation formulas. I fell hard for them both – but they are quite different. So, hopefully this will help you decide which is perfect for your skin.

First up, Veil Fluid Makeup. If you have aging or drier skin, this is the formula for you. The formula is packed with anti-aging ingredients like wrinkle-filling peptide Matrixyl Synthe’6, wheat and marine-based Skin Tightener ST PH and Vitamin E. The texture has a moderate weight, but the silicon-based formula is buildable in coverage. The finish is that dewy and glow-y look that I am always drawn to. I like applying with my fingers very sparingly for a sheer, radiant look. Vegan-friendly. Eleven available shades across a wide spectrum.

Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation could be a true godsend for those with oily and acne-prone skin. The formula is liquid powder with a matte finish, allowing a full day wear without powder or touch-ups. The oil-free formula is also water-resistant – can we say perfect beach vacation foundation!? But the exciting part is, after many customer testimonials, Hourglass realized that Immaculate was helping with acne and scarring! They are now conducting clinical testing and the preliminary results are pretty dramatic. This stuff controls oil, improves scars, lessens severity and frequency of breakouts and improves texture and clarity. This development makes me extremely enthusiastic for this foundation for readers who suffer from acne. Also, this foundation is also gluten-free. There are eight new shades for a total of sixteen options.

I’d be remiss not to mention Hidden Corrective Concealer. I’m not terribly surprised Hourglass developed such a luxe, balanced concealer. The stick is creamy but with robust coverage. This allows for both under eye and blemish concealing. I’d liken it to a slightly more creamy version of this. The finish, as it dries down, is slightly matte, but the Vitamin E charged formula keeps it from caking. And there are six shade options.

Available at Sephora and Barneys.

Hourglass Cosmetics at La Perla

On Thursday, I was blown away by the Instagrams from La Perla’s presentation at The Gallery at Dream Downtown. Often so difficult with lingerie, the collection was sexy, sophisticated, feminine and so luxe. And the makeup – swoon. Here are some of the details from Hourglass artist Moani Lee who created two distinct and beautiful looks.

For La Perla’s Black Label collection, Lee focused on the eyes. The look is a “fresh take on the classic smoky eye, featuring a blend of black and brown kohl liner,” she says. “There are no harsh lines, it’s a softer interpretation that showcases beautiful, almond-shaped eyes.” The nude color on lips is a preview of Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo, a collection of neutral lipsticks to be released in the fall (cannot wait!).

For the La Perla collection, focus was on the lips. Lee blended two shades of Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick. “It was one part Icon and three parts Raven,” she says.

For both looks:

Prep with Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum to create a seamless canvas for makeup.
Follow with Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup in three shades: Porcelain, Ivory and Honey. “I use the deepest shade to contour, the lightest shade to highlight and the matching shade for the rest of the skin,” says Lee.
Repeat the process with Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in three shades: Hidden, Fair and Tan.
Finish up with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (reviewed here) in three shades: Radiant (golden beige), Dim (neutral beige) and Luminous (champagne pearl). “Blending the three powders creates an exceptional glow. You can literally become your own lighting technician.”
Augment brows with Hourglass Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette (reviewed here).
Prep lips with Hourglass No. 28 Lip Oil, launching this summer

For the soft eyes and bold lip at the La Perla Collection:

Line the eyes with Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Espresso
Apply the mauve shimmer shade from Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition to the lids.
Finish with a few coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara (reviewed here).
Apply Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick in Raven and Icon.

For the nude lip and bold eyes at La Perla Black Label:

Line the eyes with Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Eclipse and smudge (reviewed here).
Follow with Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Espresso and smudge. “Layering the two shades gives the eyes more depth and intrigue,” says Lee.
Follow with the eggplant shimmer shade from Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition on the lids.
Finish with a few coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara.
Apply Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo, coming this fall. “There are six shades and you pick the one that best suits your skin tone,” says Lee.