Hourglass launched new blushes in a cream stick formula called the Vanish Blush Stick. I hauled the neutrals during the Sephora sale and was really surprised they sold out almost instantly! I hope they will restock soon because I think the formula is really good!
The Vanish Blush Sticks are a cream blush with a satin finish and powdery dry down. Colors are quite intense right out of the tube but are really easy to blend. On my medium tan skin they blend out to a truly natural blush. If you don’t want a lot of bold or bright color on the cheeks but want a nice neutral tint of color you will really love these.
Colors I hauled + swatches straight out of the tube:
Devoted – a medium rose pink
Loyal – tan rosewood color
Sacred – a warm coral pink peach
Wonder – a soft peach
The colors blend out easily with fingers. I also tried blending with a few brushes including the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Brush, Vanish Foundation Brush and Wayne Goss Brush 12. Since they blend out the color to a more natural finish the difference is subtle if on my skin tone but you can definitely layer on more product without it feeling too heavy. Out of all the colors I felt Devoted was the sheerest, I had to pack it on more to have the color show up.
Lasting power is pretty good. In general I am not a fan of most cream blushes because they don’t last, they get greasy looking and often don’t work with my skin type especially in Florida. I really like these new ones from Hourglass though! Since I don’t own a lot of cream blushes I can’t compare them to a lot of other brands. I would say the dry down is similar to the Cle de Peau Cream Blushes with similar pigment levels. Compared to Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks the Hourglass formula has a more satin feel with a more emollient texture while the Westman Atelier blushes feel thicker with a slightly waxy finish. Westman Atelier blushes have a bit more color payoff and pigment.
A closer look below, details of what I’m wearing on the face below:
Hourglass Vanish Blush in Sacred + Unreal Lip Gloss in Prose (more swatches here)
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Hourglass Vanish Blush in Wonder + Unreal Lip Gloss in Horizon (more swatches here)
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Overall these are a win for me. I like that they have a powdery dry down and don’t emphasize or sink into my pores. If I had been able to test in person I don’t think I would have ordered all 4 though. I really love Loyal and Wonder.
Have you tried these yet? What did you think? Are you a cream blush fan? What are your favorite formulas?
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.
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.
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.
Hourglass launched a few new things recently and I have a new Hourglass haul roundup featuring products for eyes, lips and cheeks. Everything is available at Sephora and Hourglass Cosmetics. In today’s roundup:
The latest addition to the Ambient Lighting Powder line is the new Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder. This has a mix of two Ambient Lighting Powders and a Strobe Highlighter in one swirled compact. I wasn’t exactly sure what this was intended for – is it a highlighter? Setting powder? Blurring powder? On my medium tan skin I found it to be a good finishing powder to use after my foundation and regular powder. It acts like a soft glow powder to add some radiance all over.
Color is sheer – it looks like a beige yellow with some pink swirls in the compact. On the skin I think your mileage will vary depending on skin tone but for me it’s sheer and subtle enough to use all over the face. The effect is subtle but still noticeable on my skin. I don’t think it’s different enough from the Diffused or Dim Light to justify owning but I do like how it looks on the skin.
I’ve read a few people said this made their skin look dry. This was not the case at all for me. However I do think some shimmer powders can emphasize dry patches or lines if the color is either too light or too matchy. Sometimes pale pink or pale champagne highlighters look terrible on my medium skin because the shimmer emphasizes lines.
Product is sheer so this will look different on you depending on your skin tone and undertone. Swatch comparisons below for reference:
Ambient Lighting Blushes
There are two new Ambient Lighting Blushes in Sublime Flush which is a soft pink shimmer (this was in Ghost 2019 palette) and At Night which is a brick red mixed with pink champagne. Both are really lovely! Pigment is medium but easy to build or sheer out. On me lasting power is very good – they stay put all day. Swatch comparisons to a few other blushes, they look really similar on my arm but they definitely look different on the face:
Sublime Flush is not quite as deep or flushed on my medium tan skin but definitely shows up. Since I’m a bit darker than normal it is almost light a highlighter.
Below wearing the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Sublime Flush with the No. 28 Lip Oil in Adorn. Beauty breakdown:
At Night is a really pretty soft almost diffused brick red on the skin. It’s very wearable and for me one of the more unique colors. I think this is the perfect transition to fall. It’s not too dark or dramatic.
Below wearing the At Night Blush with At Night Lip Oil
No 28 Lip Treatment Oil
I’ve been a huge fan of the No 28 Lip Treatment Oils even though I think they are crazy expensive. At Night is a medium-sheer brick red with blue tones on my skin. I believe it was a limited-edition release a while ago but it slipped my radar until now. The color itself will fade within a few hours but since it’s an oil it fades evenly and nicely so you don’t have that dark ring around the edges. This is a nice red option that isn’t too bright or deep – it’s the perfect red for those who feel like they can’t pull off reds. It’s what I had hoped the Victoria Beckham Bitten Lip Tint would be (which turned purple on my lips).
Mascara is a category I just don’t get excited about. I feel like most of them are hype but in all fairness I have wimpy lashes which will rarely holds the curl and since they are very straight it often looks like I don’t have any. The Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara is a tubing mascara which I found ok for a tubing formula. It takes 2-3 uses to get it going for me. I found it did lengthen and added nice volume but it had zero holding power for the curl and it made my lashes straighten out. I prefer the Caution Extreme formula from Hourglass, but out of all the new formulas that have launched this year I feel like the best ones are the new Pat McGrath Dark Star and Kosas Big Clean. A lot of you have mentioned you love the Ilia Limitless Lash which I did try and like the look of, but think I’m allergic to (my eyes got terribly itchy with this one).
Bottom line I think it’s ok. Didn’t work for me but most formulas don’t. If your lashes can hold the curl and you don’t mind tubing mascaras then I do think it’s worth a try.
Voyeur Waterproof Liquid Liner
The Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Liquid Liner isn’t a new launch but it’s been on my radar for some time. I had high hopes as I love their 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Liner. My feelings are mixed – it does give a super deep glossy black finish and is indeed waterproof on me. Cons for me are the dry time isn’t quick so it smudges if I blink without letting it dry. Once it sets it does stay put. The other downside for me is the brush. It’s like a felt tip which is very delicate and after one use already looks like it will wear down. Since the applicator is kinda essential I don’t think I will be repurchasing. The Tom Ford Eye Defining Liquid Liner Pen and Cle de Peau Intensifying Liquid Eyeliner are far superior and 100% worth the splurge.
I think there are some winners with the new launches! I really love the look of the At Night blush and lip oil. Sublime Flush is a pretty pink but still a little light for me unless I pack it on. The Infinity Powder ended up working for my complexion but I don’t think it’s unique enough to get super excited about.
You can find the Hourglass launches now at Sephora and Hourglass Cosmetics. Have you checked anything out yet? What did you think?
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:
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
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.
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!
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!
There are some new items from Hourglass that just launched! I hauled three of the four new Scattered Light Eye Shadows ($29 each) in Ray, Rapture and Burnish along with the Nordstrom Eye and Lip Duo ($48, Nordstrom Anniversary Sale exclusive).
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New Scattered Light Eye Shadows
I’ve been such a huge fan of the Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows. I bought all five original colors reviewed here and use them on a weekly basis. They make for the prettiest shadow toppers to add some pop and dimension. Sometimes I’ll mix a couple together or just layer on top of powder shadows. In case you missed the original review, these are glittery pigments that adhere well to the lids. They’re ultra sparkly I was beyond excited to see new shades make their appearance online. I bought three of the four (skipped the green one):
Rapture is a cranberry with gold shimmer
Burnish is a shimmery gold bronze
Ray is a medium smokey bronze champagne with loads of glitter
Out of the three Ray is the most sparkly and glittery. Rapture and Burnish seem to have smaller finer sparkles, even smaller compared to the original five shades. I tested all three and absolutely love them. There are similarities between some of the original shades. Burnish is less yellow than Foil. Rapture is more red/pink than Blaze.
Swatches of all the scattered light eye shadows I own. 100% worth the splurge.
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Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Eye and Lip Duo
The Nordstrom x Hourglass 2019 Anniversary Sale Set has an exclusive lip gloss called Spark and I was really interested to see what it looked like (my Nordstrom did not have this in store). It’s a pale milky peachy pink cream that’s high maintenance for my pigmented lips. If you’re light or fair skinned or can wear ultra light colors you’ll have no issue with this. Since I have a darker natural lip this ended up being super streaky on me. It will blend out and smooth out with a pencil underneath or mixed. I feel like this one would have been amazing had it been a shimmery color (kinda along the lines of Impact or Cosmic). For me Sublime is easier to pull off without the streaks.
I tried the Caution Extreme Mascara again and this round find that I really like it. I wasn’t 100% thrilled with it when I first tried it a year ago. I feel like it’s working a lot better for me this try.
For foundation reference I’m wearing Armani Luminous Silk in Shade 7. For the Hourglass Foundations I’m in between shades, closest match in the Vanish Seamless Liquid is Beige (review here). Spark is swatched below on bare lips.
If I could do this over I would have passed on this set and just bought the mascara. The gloss is too pale for me and too similar to Sublime/Child in the same formula and for me the best neutral nude in this color family is still Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Faux Real or Bobbi Brown Lychee Baby.
Overall love the new Scattered Light Eyeshadows and hope more come out. The Spark Lip Gloss is a pass for me. It’s one of those shades that will streak after I apply if I touch my lips together or drink from a cup. I am willing to try to make it work with lip liner and extra blending, but for me I think there are easier to wear colors that are similar.
The new Scattered Light Eye Shadows should be available at all Hourglass counters soon. Available now at Nordstrom, Sephora and Hourglass Cosmetics. The Eye Lip Duo is exclusive to Nordstrom for the Anniversary Sale.
Hourglass launched their new Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss ($30 each for 0.20 oz/ 5.6 g) in 18 shades. I hauled 11 of them during last month’s Sephora Beauty Insider Event. I’ve really loved all things Hourglass for so many years I felt like these could possibly be holy grail material. After testing these for a week I think they’re really beautiful and definitely worth looking into.
The Unreal Lip Gloss is a plumping lip gloss with medium to full coverage. Creams tend to be more opaque and for me the shimmers I tried are medium-sheer. The glosses are hydrating and have a nice smooth feel to them. There is a soft minty scent and slight cooling sensation when you apply. The plumping effect is noticeable after it sets for a few minutes and as one who has ultra sensitive lips I’m thrilled to report there is no tingle and no stinging. I can still feel them plumping my lips but it’s in a gentle way. Since these are hydrating and lush they aren’t weightless. At the same time they aren’t super heavy even though they do have a semi-thick lush feel.
Color selection right now for the most part runs on the neutral side with a few bolder options. The finishes range from creams, shimmers and sparkles. Pigment is medium to me for most of the shades but you can layer for a more opaque finish. As mentioned above the shimmer sparkly options tend to be a bit more transparent (except the plum one).
I initially bought 5 and loved them so much I quickly ordered more to take advantage of the discount last month. At $30 each they are pricey but I’m happy with all the colors except two of them. These come with a flattened sponge tip applicator which makes for easy application. I like that they’re sturdy vs flexible. Sometimes the bendy wands make it hard to get gloss on my lips.
A closer look:
The colors I bought with descriptions below:
Ignite is a sheer shimmer with gold, this is the only one I didn’t like, it’s too sheer to have any color payoff on my lips so it’s basically clear, if you want a similar color to what you see in the tube I think Charlotte Tilbury Ibiza Nights is a much better option
Child is pale peach cream, this one applied streaky on my pigmented lips, I can blend to smooth out, but for me it’s a tad too pale
Provoke is the most beautiful neutral cool mauve nude, most colors like this look like death on me, this one works perfectly!
Sublime is what I envisioned Child to look like, it’s a much better neutral peach pink nude
Truth is a medium beige nude
Canvas is a nude beige rose, this is really similar to Truth, on me they’re so close I can barely tell the difference
Prose is a baby rose pink cream
Cosmic is a sparkling sheer pink fuchsia glitter, this is smooth without any gritty texture, I think this is one of the more fun shades
A number of you wanted to know how these compared to my favorite Pat McGrath LUST Gloss (review and lip swatches here and here) and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs (all three worn in this post). Both of these formulas have a softer more cushiony feel. They also run sheerer. The Hourglass Unreal by comparison doesn’t quite have that same soft feel but are still glossy and smooth. The pigment is richer and more opaque with the Hourglass shades as well. All formulas are really nice. I’ve swatched some of the Pat McGrath LUST glosses next to similar colors of the Hourglass options.
I cannot decide which of the three is best. All are excellent for different reasons. I love the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs for their lush sheer shimmery glow. The Pat McGrath LUST Glosses have been among my favorite for color selection and formula. Hourglass is more opaque but some of the colors settle into my natural lip lines (this is also the case with some Pat McGrath colors).
If I had to live with just one gloss formula the rest of my life though, right now I’d have to go with the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss. That being said a number of you felt they were too sheer for your liking so if that’s the case then you’ll most likely be happier with the finish of the Hourglass Unreal.
Overall thumbs up. I think they’re beautiful glosses although I don’t know that I would call them truly innovative like their description suggests. To me truly innovative life changing products are more along things like the Hourglass Scattered Light Shadows, Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipsticks and Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter. Still the Hourglass Unreal Lip Glosses are really nice and well made. I’m thrilled to find a nice plumping gloss that doesn’t have a tingle or sting. My top three favorite colors are Horizon, Fortune and Canvas. If I could do the haul over again I’d skip Ignite and Child and would also pick either Canvas (slightly more pink) or Truth (more beige) but not both.
You can find the Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Glosses out now. Available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Hourglass Cosmetics and all other Hourglass retailers.
Finding a good makeup base is something I always get questions about and I have three newer formulas to review today. It’s taken me a while to try some of them because I’ve had several allergic reactions to product this year. Testing a number of things on my face on any given week can be tricky so I had to wait for skin to recover and retest just the foundations to check it all out. The good news is that none of these foundations caused my allergic reaction. If you have sensitive skin check the ingredients and do a patch test first. For those curious I was allergic to some of the Dr. Bronner liquid soaps that I used to wash my sponges in and a couple sunscreens I put on my face (more on the sunscreens later because I have a dedicated roundup for those). The three I’m reviewing today include:
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation ($56) launched earlier this year. So many of you have loved the Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick and were excited about the liquid version. It has very mixed reviews online and I also have mixed feelings. The Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid is an opaque full coverage foundation with a velvety matte finish. I feel any time a foundation is a full matte + full coverage it’s not forgiving because you need an exact match and often times it can emphasize imperfections. This is not an easy foundation to wear but it is workable if you can find a good match. The trick to applying is to use very little and buff with their Vanish Foundation Brush. Most of the time I really prefer sponges but with this one even a damp sponge will pick up too much product. Color matching was tricky for me because a lot of the shades run really yellow/olive. I consider myself yellow/golden but many of the shades are too yellow for me. My best match is Nude which you can see below blends and darkens slightly to give a perfect match right now.
It’s described as a base that doesn’t need primer, but I 100% think it needs one. It works well with the Hourglass Veil Primer and less than 1 full pump is enough to dot my face and apply all over. Once buffed and blended with their brush it covers my skin entirely. Most of my sun spots and freckles aren’t visible. It looks seamless but matte. Setting with a power is essential and the best one to use with this is their lightweight Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Since it’s opaque and matte adding some other matte powders can make it look too matte.
For me it lasted all day without budging – I did need to use a primer and buff with the brush. Without a primer or applied with a sponge it started to look very cakey within a few hours.
The Kosas Tinted Face Oil ($42) has received a lot of attention from you! It’s very fluid as it is an oil so I apply straight to a sponge. Applying on the back of my hand or fingers results in a very runny drippy mess. I didn’t know what to expect from an oil as a foundation, especially living in humid Florida and having combination skin I was pretty skeptical about this. My match is Shade 6. It has surprisingly decent coverage given how sheer and fluid it is. It’s not as sheer as the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, but the Kosas is still sheer-medium. Once on the skin it will look very dewy. I have to set with a powder otherwise it’s too dewy. I like to use this on no-makeup makeup days or for the beach when I need just a little coverage. Most days I feel like I need and want coverage so for me this is not an everyday kind of product. Being an oil it’s not really budge-proof and it will require touch ups if you’re outdoors. On me it will last for hours without issue if I’m indoors for most of the day. I do need to set with a powder and a couple of touch ups are necessary. I can layer concealer on top for more coverage and it does make the skin look very nice and fresh, but I need powder otherwise it’s really too dewy for my preference.
Bare skin on the right. On the left added brows and mascara with Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Jour but the skin has just the tinted oil on it, no concealer or powder.
The Armani Power Fabric Foundation Balm ($64) came highly recommended by several friends. I would like to test it more but I’ve received so many questions I thought I’d give you my first impressions. Initial thoughts are that it is very good, but I think other formulas are better. It’s a solid balm foundation that has a semi-velvety matte finish. Coverage is very good. On me it’s nearly full coverage but still manages to look like skin. I ordered the color 6.5 which is a pretty good match, it pulls a little more on the neutral side versus the Luminous Silk or Power Fabric Liquid 6.5 (both are more golden). I would have preferred it to be a little more golden but it works one blended. Pros are that it makes the skin look really nice, even and smooth with good coverage. I applied with the sponge applicator it comes with and it doesn’t absorb too much product. It looks like skin but a lot better. The downsides for me are that it can emphasize dry patches or texture and after 5-6 hours or so it separates if I don’t set with a good powder. I need to experiment with different primers but with either the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream or Drunk Elephant Polypeptide Moisturizer it looks good on the skin. I really do like the way it looks, covers and blends. All that said I prefer the liquid Power Fabric Foundation a lot more in terms of coverage and lasting power – on me it just looks better. First impressions are that it’s worth checking out. It’s a nice solid formula foundation and photographs well. I just prefer their Luminous Silk and Power Fabric Liquid for lasting power and finish and color.
Two close ups wearing the Balm Foundation on the face, no powder or concealer. On the lips is By Terry Lip Expert Shine in Bare Flirt.
Swatch comparisons:
Ingredients from Nordstrom:
Cyclohexasiloxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isohexadecane, Polyethylene, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Arachidyl Propionate, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Lauroyl Lysine, Aluminum Hydroxide, Parfum/Fragrance, Perlite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, [+/- May Contain Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides].
Quick note on the Power Fabric Concealer. I reviewed it in a roundup earlier but I’m still really loving it! I use Shade 6.5 and it has good coverage and an easy to blend texture. It’s described as a full matte finish concealer but to me it’s not really a full matte and I find it more of a natural middle of the road finish (I consider the Cle de Peau Concealer to be a true full matte). Definitely give it a swatch at the counter as the dry down feel will vary depending on your skin type. If you need something creamy I think the best one is still the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.
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I hope you found this foundation roundup helpful! I ended up liking the one from Hourglass the best out of the three formulas but the shade range makes it challenging for me to find a good match since it pulls very yellow and colors oxidize/darken. Nude works for me now and I’m hoping Beige will work as spring/summer progresses and I tan. I try to stay covered as much as I can but there’s no avoiding the sun in Florida! The Kosas Tinted Face Oil is a nice product that gives the face that fresh dewy glow but if you have oily skin it will most likely make you look too dewy. I’m still undecided about the Armani Power Fabric Balm. I really want to 100% love it and think it’s a good one, but it did emphasize some dry patches and I feel like the Power Fabric Liquid is better in terms of how it blends and sits on my skin.
Kosas Tinted Face Oil and Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Liquid provided for review.
