Hourglass Cosmetics

The Hourglass Cosmetics Sculpture Holiday Collection launched recently with two new palettes and a lipstick duo. I have a review today with some beauty looks to share! The new launches are beautiful and perfect for giving you that gorgeous lit from within kind of holiday glow. However, if you’ve been a long-time Hourglass collector and still have a lot of product left in your palettes, I think you can shop your stash to get the same look. The collection is available at Hourglass Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Sephora and all other Hourglass retailers.

In today’s review:

• Ambient Lighting Edit Sculpture Palette ($80)
• Ambient Lighting Edit Mini – Sculpture Unlocked ($58)
• Sculpture Confession Refill Lipstick Duo with shades At Dawn and At Dusk ($48)

Ambient Lighting Edit Sculpture Palette

The Ambient Lighting Edit Sculpture Palette has quite a few repromotes from the existing Hourglass lineup. In the palette we have:

• Dim Light – a soft finishing powder in a pink beige satin
• Diffused Light – another finishing powder in a pale yellow
• Glistening Strobe Light – a smooth metallic warm peachy champagne (new)
• Natural Bronze Light – a satiny warm neutral bronze (new and limited to this palette)
• Vibrant Flush – a coral shimmer blush (new and limited to this palette, deeper than Incandescent Electra)
• Mood Exposure – a soft mauve rose satin

I ended up liking this one a lot more than I had expected! Part of my initial disappointment was that it’s half repromotes – I have more than enough of Dim Light and Diffused Light to last me several lifetimes. I do understand they are versatile finishing powders to soften the look and add a glow to the skin but I really hoped they would create new colors – especially tones for medium-tan to deep skin tones.

Quality-wise I think the palette performs exceptionally well. Even though I’m medium-tan all the colors show up on my skin and the days I’ve been wearing this palette I’ve gotten tons of compliments on how good my skin looks. It makes you glow in a very natural way. I hope they consider adding the new shades in full size. For those who haven’t tried the Hourglass powders before – these blend into the skin beautifully without emphasizing fine lines or pores. They add a really stunning glow without looking frosty.

Ambient Lighting Edit Mini – Sculpture Unlocked

The Ambient Lighting Edit Mini – Sculpture Unlocked is a 4-pan version of previous Unlocked palettes (reviewed here). If you missed out on the palette last year it’s a good time to try this one in a more compact version. If you’re like me you might be a bit disappointed they didn’t come out with a different variation. I’ve seen a number of other beauty bloggers say they wished they had launched were more options for different skin tones. I 100% feel the same. Quality and color-wise the colors in this year’s version perform the same as last year’s.

Sculpture Confession Refill Lipstick Duo

The Confession Refill Lipstick Duo has two new shades in At Dawn (a soft neutral-warm pink rose) and At Dusk (deep cranberry red). I think both shades are going to be versatile on a wide range of skin tones. They have full opaque smooth coverage with very good lasting power. Formula is ultra creamy and has a natural shine to them. I do think they are over-priced given the size. Quality-wise they are really good.

Dupe-wise At Dawn is similar to their individual lipstick I’m Addicted. At Dawn is warmer and a little bit lighter. It’s also a warmer version of Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk on my skin. If you found Pillow Talk too dusty/ashy on your lips you might want to give the At Dawn color a try.

Three looks below wearing:

• Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation in Sable 6.5 (I’m half a shade darker than I was when I initially reviewed it)
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light all over to set (I have this in the full size, but it’s also in the 2020 palette)
• Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
• Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette (review here)
• Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow in Aura (swatches here)
• NARS Climax Extreme Mascara*
• Victoria Beckham Kajal Eyeliner in Black

Look 1: Hourglass Sculpture Palette in Dim Light, Glistening Strobe Light, Natural Bronze Light and Vibrant Flush + Confession Lipstick in At Dawn

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Look 2: Hourglass Sculpture Palette in Dim Light, Glistening Strobe Light, Natural Bronze Light and Mood Exposure + Unreal Lip Gloss in Prose (part of the regular lineup)

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Look 3: Hourglass Sculpture Palette Mini Quad all 4 shades, Confession Lipstick in At Dusk

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Overall a solid collection of beautiful launches. Quality-wise and color-wise everything performs well and I think they give a beautiful natural glow you can wear all seasons. If you already have a lot of Hourglass palettes and still have plenty of product left, I think you can safely shop your stash if you want to avoid dupes. That being said I do love the look of the Ambient Lighting Edit Sculpture Palette given the number of compliments I’ve gotten wearing it – it works for everyday and I also think it photographs well.

Have you checked out the holiday Hourglass launches yet? Or are you waiting for other collections? I’m really excited about the new Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury launches this year.

You can find the Hourglass Cosmetics Sculpture Holiday Collection for 2020 out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Hourglass Cosmetics and all other Hourglass retailers.

I hauled the four of the five items from the Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection and have swatches of everything today. There are two new Ambient Lighting Palettes and they’re absolutely gorgeous but I have some mixed thoughts about them. Right now there are two Confession Lip Duos and I opted for the one with a neutral nude pink + plum. For the eyes Hourglass has a Scattered Light Trio with minis of their scattered light shadows (two repromotes and one new shade). Overall I find the launches easy to wear for my medium-tan skin, if you’re swatching in store note that the powders can look more glittery than they are in normal everyday lighting. The store lights emphasize the tiny sparkles and make them look like they could be a glitter bomb. Rest assured that while they are indeed glowy – both palettes are wearable for everyday even for those who are super conservative on the shimmer. In today’s post:

• Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette ($80)
• Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad ($58)
• Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo ($36) I Cherish and You Inspire
• Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection ($46) Ray, Foil and Molten

Hourglass Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

The Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette has three repromotes and three new shades. I ended up loving it more than I thought I would, but I think at this point most of us can agree that we would like to see all new shades and more options for tan to deeper skin tones. I’m more on the tan side and find the colors show up well. The palette as a whole gives the skin a soft diffused glow. I really love the concept of Dim and Diffused Light as soft light reflecting setting powders but have always wanted those powders in darker color options. I was surprised to find that both still work for my tan skin to set and they did not make my face look chalky even though they are pale. Shades include:

• Finishing Powder in Dim Light – pale peach pink with a satin shimmer
• Finishing Powder in Diffused Light – ultra pale yellow finishing powder
• Strobe Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light – pale shimmery pink
• Bronzer in Eternal Bronze Light – the softest bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, a satiny soft non-orangey bronze
• Strobe Blush in Iridescent Rose – the prettiest iridescent healthy looking pink glow, I would LOVE this in a full size individual option
• Blush in Sublime Flush – soft light-medium rose pink shimmer

Below wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Application is smooth, soft, easy to blend and stays put all day. For the three new shades the Eternal Bronze Light bronzer is the most neutral soft bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, it can double as a neutral contour. The Iridescent Rose is a beautiful shimmering rose it’s on the sparkly side with tiny gold flecks. Sublime Flush has a similar but paler/cooler compared to Surreal Effect (in the Ambient Quad and also in Surreal Light 2016). Overall I think it’s a beautiful palette complete for a full face look. I would give it 10 out of 10 stars if it did not have Dim/Diffused Light. They’ve repeated these shades in so many palettes and have them available individually, I would have really liked to see new colors.

Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad

The Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad is a new format which I really like! It’s small and more compact – I really like the concept. It’s still fairly expensive but I think the colors are gorgeous.

• Blush in Surreal Effect is a repromote from the Surreal Light Palette 2016, it’s a medium soft pink shimmer swirled with a deeper magenta pink
• Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude is a repromote, available individually, this is a shimmering champagne swirled with a tan bronze sparkle
• Strobe Blush in Lucid Glow is a shimmery coral swirled with a soft gold
• Infinite Flush is a soft pink swirled with a mauve

Below I’ve swatched with a heavy hand to show the color but they apply sheerer on the face and blend out easily for a soft glow.

Wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 Sable / La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad with Lucid Glow + Brilliant Nude mixed / Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette / Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil / Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss in Truth

I like Lucid Glow the best in this palette, I’m a sucker for any coral peach blush because I think it brightens up the complexion beautifully. The other shades are also lovely, I do like Brillant Nude for a nice highlight that isn’t your traditional pale champagne. Application is smooth and easy to layer/mix.

Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo

I bought the Confession Lip Duo as an impulse buy and kinda regret it mainly because I have similar colors already. The colors are beautiful and easy to wear though. I Cherish is a pretty nude pink and You Inspire is a beautiful deep plum that doesn’t turn red (a lot of plums look too red, blue or pull too vamp on my skin). I really have nothing to complain about as the colors are wearable, require no tweaking and glide on the lips beautifully. I feel like I could have definitely shopped my stash.

Wearing on the left: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Wearing on the right: same base, on the cheeks Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with just Eternal Bronze Light / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in You Inspire

Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection

The Scattered Light Trio has miniatures of the Scattered Light Eyeshadows. I already own two of them but did not mind having repeats as I plan on regifting the minis to friends. The trio shadows are smaller at 0.07 oz each versus the 0.12 oz of the full size. I don’t normally don’t mind minis but I like to apply these with my finger and found the smaller size a little bit tricky to stick my finger in without getting product under my nail. It’s not impossible and you can definitely get a brush in there. Foil is a beautiful gold shimmer, Ray is a sparkling taupe and Molten is a beautiful shimmering plum. I really wish they had Molten individually in the full size because that one is beautiful!

Other individual colors swatched here and here.

Below look wearing Scattered Light in Molten:

Overall I’m pleased with my haul picks. Quality-wise everything performs well. As irked as I am that the 6-pan palette has 1/2 repeats I think it is lovely and I do think it was worth the splurge. If I had to pick one palette between the two I think the 4-pan quad is the more unique option although I’m so smitten with that Iridescent Rose Strobe Blush in the 6-pan palette. The Confession Lipstick is among my favorite lipstick formula for a creamy opaque lipstick. Color-wise the new launches are very wearable but not unique.

I think the Scattered Light Trio is a nice way to try three shades at a more affordable price although I do prefer the individual larger sizes because I can apply them easier with my fingers. I also like picking my own colors. Out of all the colors I own I wear Blaze the most, followed by Ray these days.

You can find the Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Collection out now. I hauled my picks from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? I have some more holiday I’m working on including selects from NARS holiday and I just ordered most of Tom Ford Soleil Neige. There will also be some new lip posts coming up!

 

Reviewing some more Hourglass Cosmetic holiday launches today with swatches and thoughts on their limited-edition Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Volume 4 ($80 for 1.3 g x 6) + Confession Lipstick Duo ($34 for 2 lipsticks). Everything is limited-edition and comes in metallic lavender pink packaging.

I already reviewed the Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Unlocked Edition earlier in the month but received so many requests to compare it to the Volume 4 Palette. The two have a similar luminous feel, Unlocked has all new shades while Volume 4 has mostly repeats. The shades are easy to wear and have a range of setting powder, highlight, bronzer and blush.

Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 4 Colors include:

• Dim Light – nude pale pink with a satin finish
• Diffused Light – pale yellow with a satin matte finish
• Euphoric Strobe Light – shimmering champagne
• Filtered Bronze Light – new, neutral soft light bronze shimmer
• Luminous Glow Blush – new, shimmery peach with champagne (similar to Incandescent Electra, but this one is deeper)
• Euphoric Fusion – swirled champagne highlight with mauve plum shimmer

Because the reflection of the packaging plays tricks on my eyes depending on light, I have two close ups. In indoor lighting below:

In direct sunlight:

The palette performs really well. Part of me wishes it had all new shades. Even the new ones have a similar vibe to existing colors. I do really love this one, I think I prefer it to Unlocked. I find it works better for my skintone and has more of what I’m looking for in an entire look. Unlocked is still very pretty, it just runs darker on my skin. Everything has smooth application. The texture is the same quality as individual products. Skin is left luminous and glowing. Shimmers don’t emphasize pores. Lasting power is excellent.

A look at Unlocked (reviewed here) vs Volume 4:

There are a few lip set options this holiday, I ordered the Confession Lipstick Duo with My One Desire and At Night. I neglected to check my stash and didn’t realize I already had these from previous launches until I swatched them. These come with one case (the pink tube) and the black case is the refill. You can definitely use the lipstick without the metallic case. My One Desire is a neutral cool mauve pink, At Night is a deep brick red. Both perform true to the Confession Lipstick formula – ultra creamy, opaque, smooth and long lasting. I still think these are among the most overpriced lipsticks on the market, but the quality, color selection and finish are truly excellent. A look at the Hourglass Confession Lipstick Duo My One Desire and At Night vs original Gold Packaging. All the existing Confession Ultra Slim Lipsticks swatched here.

Beauty look below with new hair! Also wearing Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 + 7 mixed. Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Volume 4 Dim Light + Diffused applied all over as a setting powder, a mix of Filtered Bronze Light and Euphoric Fusion on the cheeks, Euphoric Strobe Light on the eyes. My One Desire worn on the lips.

Quality-wise everything is excellent. I’m really happy with the palette even though I have repeats. I always find them convenient for on-the-go or travel. All this said if you already own some Hourglass powders or palettes I’d recommend that you shop your stash. If you’ve never splurged on an Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder the palettes are a great way to dive into the line. Quality is great and even though the price of palettes is steep it’s a nice way to try multiple colors and finishes rather than buying individual colors which add up to more. Yes, value-wise price per ounce or gram the palettes are not the smartest buy. I also feel this way about the lipsticks but have mentioned numerous times the quality is excellent.

I bought my holiday picks from Sephora. The limited-edition pink packaging is also available at Hourglass Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Beautylish and Barneys New York. Don’t forget that tomorrow is the start of the Sephora VIB Sale so if you have this on your wishlist you might want to save it for the event! Recs and roundup to go live soon 🙂

Have you checked out any of the Hourglass holiday launches this year yet? What did you think?