The New Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss: Swatches of Canvas, Child, Provoke, Prose, Fever and Horizon

Quick take

I’m not completely sold on the plumping…because I don’t really see it, but if you don’t mind the $30, check out these new glosses. I think they’re pretty. They’re also borderline moisturizing, highly pigmented, super smooth and easy to apply. Canvas is my favorite. It’s the perfect “just throw it in your purse and forget about it” color. You can see them all now at Sephora and the Hourglass website.

Even though Tabs will always be “the people’s cat” — that scrappy ragamuffin who strutted and clawed his way off the mean streets of Mill Valley — I’ll always remember his edgy fashion sense and impeccable style.

The fashion gods didn’t simply sculpt his glorious tum-tum from Carrera marble. They also imbued him with the gift of sight and the ability to recognize quality high-end makeup, like these tubes of Hourglass plumping gloss.

They’re from the new Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss line, which just launched today.

Thoughts and first impressions…

• Not to worry. If you’re a fan of the Hourglass Extreme Sheen glosses, I believe Hourglass is still keeping them around. I don’t think they’re being phased out (which is always my first thought when new things are released).
• Some of the Unreal High Shine shades are similar to the Extreme Sheens (Child, Canvas, Ignite and Icon).
• The medium-weight formula doesn’t feel sticky. The texture reminds me a lot of the Chanel Glossimers.
• I feel a slight (not painful) tingle when I apply them, but the tingle disappears within a few minutes.
• They taste and smells faintly of mint for about five minutes.
• They are CRAZY, STUPID OPAQUE (!), which you might think would make them tricky to apply, since full-on glosses will often slip beyond your natural natural lip lines, but these are actually easy to apply. They go on smoothly (the paddle-shaped applicator is fool-proof) without settling into vertical lip lines or breaking the boundary around my lips.
• Wear time is from 2-3 hours.
• Also, I don’t find these drying at all. I’d almost call them moisturizing!
• Are they volumizing? Eh…I can’t tell. Maybe a little. Regardless, I like the way they look.

From the Hourglass PR:

Features & Benefits

• The ultimate lip glass that breaks all the rules. An innovative formula infused with powerful active ingredients for instant hydration and long-lasting volume. Lips appear fuller without the sting in traditional lip plumpers. Light-reflecting shimmer and brilliant luster give multi-dimensional shine that’s unreal.
• Silky, cushiony lip gloss formula without the sticky feel
• Infused with powerful active ingredients, Volulip and hyaluronic acid that deliver intense moisture to amply lips’ natural shape — resulting in long-lasting volume
• Contains a nourishing blend of shea butter and avocado oil for instant hydration
• Custom designed applicator delivers a precise amount of product for the perfect one-swipe application
• 18 shades, including…
  • Halo, a clear with gold shimmer
  • Child, a peachy pink
  • Provke, a mauve nude
  • Sublime, a pink nude
  • Truth, a beige rose
  • Canvas, a true rose
  • Dusk, a deep mauve
  • Strike, a deep peach beige
  • Ignite, a peach with gold shimmer
  • Solar, a coral with gold pearl
  • Horizon, a coral pink
  • Prose, a warm pink
  • Enchant, a soft pink
  • Fortune, a pink with gold pearl
  • Cosmic, a fuchsia with pink shimmer
  • Fever, a magenta
  • Impact, a berry shimmer
  • Icon, a blue red

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen