Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass launched a new matte lip formula called the Phantom Blur Balm ($38 each) and shade extensions for their Shape and Sculpt Lip Liners ($29 each). They sent the new items for review and I think there are some shades definitely worth checking out.

Phantom Blur Balm

I’m please to report the Phantom Blur Balms are ultra smooth on the lips and for me they don’t emphasize lines. The colors did darken a little on my lips but I think the tones on most of the shades are smooth and great for everyday wear. I am not always a fan of matte or velvet lip formulas but the Blur formula and tones are beautiful for sure. Since I’m a gloss girl at heart, I still prefer the Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balms for that lush glossy shine.

Spell is a warm nude beige

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Whisper is a mauve pink

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Echo is a pink neutral (my favorite)

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Enigma is a tan brown rosewood shade

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Mirage is a brown berry (this one pulls a little uneven on my lips)

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Also wearing:

• Foundation – Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Shade 9
• Powder – Veil Translucent Loose Powder
• Blush – Unreal Liquid Blush in Scene (review also here)
• Eyeshadow – YSL Couture Mini Clutch Luxury Eyeshadow Palette 710 Over Brun
• Eyeliner – Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Obsidian
• Mascara – Hourglass Unlocked Mascara
• Nail Polish – OPI I’m a Bubble Bunny

They don’t seem to have the same volumizing plumping factor the glossy version does yet for some reason the blurred matte finish makes my lips look full. Coverage is medium but layerable. They have a comfortable weightless feel on the lips, almost like a whipped airy texture but in a balm form.
I tried these over the lip liners which definitely extend the wear time as the pencils are very long wearing.

Shape and Sculpt Lip Liner (New Shades)

When the Shape and Sculpt Lip Pencils originally launched I wasn’t a fan of the shades I bought (review here). I have naturally darker pigmented lips and most lip pencils simply don’t show up on my lips. Also the shades I originally picked up all pulled very warm and I am really happy to see a few more neutral colors. These are ultra long-wear on the lips. I swatched Phantom Lip Blur + Lip Pencil pairings on the lips on Instagram here, but for the blog here are the swatches of the new shades alongside a few from the current lineup.

• Tease 1.5 the perfect pink rose
• Obsess 4.5 a deeper berry mauve
• Strut 8 is a deep brown

You can find the new lip launches now at Hourglass Cosmetics, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty and all Hourglass retailers.

Hourglass added four new shades of their Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm ($38 each) and they are incredibly beautiful. Three of them are shimmers and one is a new red. Out of all the Hourglass lip formulas this is probably my favorite, especially since I love a glossy lip.

Above left to right:

• Secret is a rose with gold shimmer (think MAC Sophisto vibes, but not as frosty)
• Invite is a medium tan brown with gold shimmer
• Wander is a light peachy pink with golden shimmer
• Red 0 is the most perfect wearable red for those who don’t like to wear red

Below also wearing:

• Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5
• Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium
• Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush in Scene (review + swatches here)
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude (discontinued, but RMS Crystal Slipper is similar)
• Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette + Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow in Ray
• Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
• Nail Polish is Olive and June Quick Dry in Sandy

Secret

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Invite

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Wander

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Red 0

Every single color of the new Phantom Glossy Balm is wearable and even though Wander is on the lighter side it still shows up on my lips – the pigment is perfect. The regular non shimmer shades are very soft and almost melty feeling once they’re on the lips. The shimmer version is smooth without texture but they have a slightly stiffer feel which I actually like better.

Since these are glossy balms lasting power isn’t going to be long, but they don’t slide off easily and I really like that the finish is forgiving so it fades nicely. They are nicely hydrating and smooth without feeling thick.

The Hourglass team sent a beautiful press box with the new shades and also included three from the permanent lineup. I’ve reviewed them here, here and here but thought I’d add them here too including Desire (rose mauve), Lure (plum) and Sense (the best nude pink).

Overall love. Every single color is one I think could be universally flattering. I’ve finally found my new holy grail red. I was hoping the peach orange shade Mystic in the Holiday 2024 Duo would be out individually but it looks like it’s only available in the set (still in stock). I might end up buying the set before it sells out since I love peachy coral shades.

Available now at Nordstrom, Sephora, Hourglass Cosmetics and all other Hourglass retailers.

New Hourglass Phantom Glossy Balm shades provided for review.

My spring lip testing continues with a look at the newest launches from Hourglass Cosmetics. They launched a new Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick ($38 each), Shape and Sculpt Lip Liners ($29 each) and four new shades of their Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm ($36). I hauled these from Sephora but they’re also available at Hourglass, Nordstrom, Bluemercury, Neiman Marcus and all Hourglass retailers.

Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick

The Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick is a soft blurred matte lipstick with full coverage. They’re very opaque with full coverage and according to Hourglass they’re infused with a primer for smooth application. I found they did indeed apply smoothly but there was some tugging and looked dry on my lips. Granted a matte finish can look dry, but these felt like they sucked all the moisture from my lips making them feel a little tight.

Most of the colors I tried pulled very warm on me. The matte finish made these look a little muted/faded on me, but it could just be the colors I picked out. They swatch beautifully on the hand. On my darker pigmented lips I did not really like any of these shades. Poppy is pretty and right along the lines of a shade I would wear, but in real life it emphasizes my lip lines and looks very dry.

I do think they are long-wearing but they felt so dry & uncomfortable on my lips I couldn’t leave them on long enough to see how long they would last.

• Magnolia is a pale warm nude pink
• Tulip is a cool-toned pink
• Tigerlily is a burnt orange
• Peony is a warm brown beige
• Foxglove is a very warm berry
• Poppy is a muted coral (not shown above because I dropped it and the entire tube was smashed)

Swatches:

For skin tone reference I am a match to the Veil Hydrating Skin Tint in Shade 9 right now (reviewed in this post here). I think the original/regular Unlocked Lipsticks are far superior in terms of formula, comfort and color selection.

Shape and Sculpt Lip Liners

There are seven new Shape and Sculpt Lip Liners. As a neutral lip lover I picked up the four lightest colors. Formula is very long-wearing. Application is relatively smooth. Shades pull very warm and I’m not sure the colors aren’t unique enough to justify if you already own a lot of neutrals.

• Shade 1 Expose does not show up on my lips, but these days I feel like most of the new lighter neutral pencils do not
• Shade 2 Flaunt is a warm pink rose beige
• Shade 3 Tempt is a deeper brown pink
• Shade 4 Undercover is a darker terracotta brown rose

Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm

Last we have a look at the new shades of Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm. I love this formula although in the hot summer months they can get a little melty in the tube. They’re soft, glossy, hydrating and have a slight cooling sensation. Hourglass added the 2 shades from their Holiday 2024 Duo Set and I’m thrilled they’re permanent! These are very balmy so the lasting power isn’t super long, but this is a formula I don’t mind reapplying. Just an FYI price for what you get is pretty high. A number of you have told me to me these were not worth it for you because you used them up in a matter of a few weeks with daily use and re-application. I kinda agree, but I like these enough to splurge on. New Shades include:

• Crave – warm pink
• Rouse – plum brown
• Reveal –  bluer-toned pink (cooler version of Crave)
• Wish a pretty coral color

I swatched these next to some of the other Phantom Glossy Balms I own:

Overall the matte lipsticks are a miss for me. I think there are better matte lip formulas out there like from brands like Pat McGrath, Lisa Eldridge, Charlotte Tilbury and Armani to name a few. That being said I usually do not like or wear matte lips and I have seen a lot of positive reviews on these – I might be the only one who does not love these.

Lip liners aren’t bad. The colors don’t really jump out to me, but formula is long-wearing and I think they could be neutral staples if you don’t have a lot of lip pencils.

I love the new shades of Phantom Glossy Balm. I think they’re fresh, flattering and perfect for year round – they have me looking forward to warm weather months.

Available now at Sephora, Hourglass, Nordstrom, Bluemercury, Neiman Marcus and all Hourglass retailers.

That wraps up my Hourglass lip launch review! If you tried these let me know what you thought!