hourglass cosmetics

Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara: [WARNING] Your Lashes Will Love This!

August 6th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

hourglass caution mascara — Please note the lashes stretching out *TO HERE* in this pic, and that’s after just one coat of Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara!

Lash drama: I has it.

Rather, I’m going through it.

Have I already mentioned this before? Only a million times, you say? Yeah, well…I promise that if the Fabulous Fringe Fairy materializes at the foot of my bed one night, waves her Wand of Winsomeness and bequeaths me with naturally lush lashes 4LIFE, I will happily STFU about the Grand Canyon-sized gap along the lash line of my right eye, and you will never have to hear another sordid tale of my lash woe again. 😉

(Believe me, I want this as much as you do.)

Until then, there’s new Hourglass Extreme Lash Mascara.

hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara in Ultra Black ($29 for a 0.33-oz. tube)

So, what makes this mascara so fancy? — I mean, other than the intensely black color (it’s darker than a supervillain’s heart) and the tapered brush (it’ll grab lashes you didn’t even know you had)?

Answer: Caution lets you just. Keep. Adding. More. Layers. No matter how many you apply, it won’t go full-on Tammy Faye, at least I don’t think so. I haven’t seen a single clump when I wear it. Like not one. And, honey, no matter how many layers you use, your lashes will still feel light and soft. Not crunchy or flaky at all!

An all-in-one mascara that delivers endless length, intense volume and sky-high lift for extreme, dramatic lashes. The combination of the innovative 4D Amplifier™ brush with the continuously buildable formula create lashes that defy the boundaries of traditional mascara.

4D Amplifier™ brush combines 2 brushes in 1 to deliver volume, length, lift and definition for extreme lashes

Saturates lashes from root-to-tip for the most volume in a single stroke

Perfectly coats the bottom lashes without smudging onto the lower lashline

Tapered end reaches even the smallest lashes in the corners of the eyes

Smooth, buildable, ultra-black formula creates dramatic but weightless lashes that don’t smudge or flake

— hourglass.com

OK…but that’s not even the best part. Remember the catchphrase, “Extreme Lash”? It’s so accurate. My lashes are long, thick, curly and lifted to the N-th degree. Shout-out to the lab geniuses who knocked this one out of the park.

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Try Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder for a Non-Powdery Powdered Face

May 21st, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Because I don’t particularly enjoy having my foundation and concealer move around my face like a team of synchronized Solid Gold Dancers, I wear powder. That said, I don’t like my face to look too powdered, if you know what I mean.

Apparently, I’m not the only one out there who likes a non-powdery face, because this new loose powder from Hourglass has already sold out a couple times on their website since it launched earlier this spring.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder ($46 for a 0.36-oz. jar of loose powder)

I really like it. I’ve had it in rotation for a few weeks with different bases and concealers on my combo skin, but I’d slow ya’ roll if you’re ultra oily, because it breaks up the foundation between my eyebrows, which is the oiliest area on my face, by the end of the day.

“The magic of Veil transformed into an ultra-refined loose powder designed to give skin a naturally flawless finish. This finely-milled, weightless powder is formulated with soft-focus light-reflecting particles to instantly blur imperfections and minimize the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles for effortlessly smooth skin. The translucent formula can be used on all skin tones for an invisible, natural skin finish.”

— hourglass.com

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Will Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid Be Your Concealer’s New Best Friend?

May 17th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

**BEEP** **BEEP** **BEEP**

We interrupt this blog post to bring you this very important announcement: Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid is NOT a full-on concealer. It may look like one, but it’s not. If you apply it by itself on top of dark circles, those bad boys won’t disappear. They’ll be like, “What’s up, lady? HOW YOU DOIN’?” ?

Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid ($32)

But, if you apply it on top of another concealer you already happen to be wearing — in other words, you retouch — you should see a slight difference…

“Meet your concealer’s new best friend. Veil Retouching Fluid is a multitasking complexion enhancer that you won’t want to leave your house without. This weightless, oil-free fluid adds just the right amount of brightness, coverage, and hydration that your skin needs during the day. It’s like your morning cup of coffee, your 3pm piece of chocolate, and your post-workout glow all rolled into one.”

– sephora.com

When I dab and blend it on top of Make Up For Ever Ultra HD, which has been my under-eye concealer du jour lately, and by “lately,” I mean the past couple years, my dark circles look a little brighter.

Bonus: it doesn’t get cake-y or break up the concealer, either.

It would be pretty innovative if you didn’t know about Trish McEvoy’s Instant Eye Lift, which has been around a hot minute.

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The Hourglass Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2: A Brush With Greatness (Too Bad It Also Brushes Budgets Aside)

August 30th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

hourglass foundation blush brush no 2 closeup

Before I left for Tahoe this morning, I triple-checked to make sure that my Hourglass Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2 was snug as a bug in a rug in my makeup bag.

I wasn’t taking any chances…not with a tool as terrific as this.

A medium-sized face brush with a round, domed head and synthetic fibers made of high-grade Takelon, this $58 beast is one of my top tools because of something it doesn’t do, instead of something it does.

So…I know, $58 is a lot of tacos, but this brush never, ever streaks. It delivers a smooth, even, flawless finish every single time. If you’re looking for that airbrushed look, the No. 2 is your gal.

I think I may have mentioned it a few times before…

Okay, more than a few, LOL!

hourglass foundation blush brush no 2 product shot

I this brush so much that it’s one of the products on my “can’t leave home without it” list, both because of how useful it is, and because it’s the only foundation brush I’ve ever used (and I’ve used quite a few) that never, ever sheds.

Never sheds nor streaks? That’s not bad.

I used the No. 2 throughout the summer to apply my foundation and tinted moisturizer, and not once did I have to pick bristles off my face.
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A Foundation Makeup Tutorial With NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder

August 2nd, 2012 by Karen 55 Comments

how to apply foundation tutorial 0

Sir, Mr. Tabs? I think I have an answer for the riddle you gave me.

“Meow?”

Yes, well, it’s obvious, really. I mean, not at first, but I’ve given it some thought, and well…What do good houses and faces have in common?

“Mrrrow?”

It’s foundation, sir. Houses and faces should start with a good foundation.

“Meow! Meow!”

Thank you, sir. It was a good riddle. You’re a very clever cat.

Yup, today we’re talking faces! — namely face makeup, like the combination I’ve been lovely lately, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder.

Together, they deliver medium-to-full coverage in a lightweight blend that looks like real skin, and so far, knock on wood, it hasn’t given me breakouts.

In this tutorial, I’ll describe how I apply ’em for pictures, and/or whenever I have a good chunk of time to get ready.

Just a quick reminder, though — this is just one of many ways to apply foundation, and that includes techniques and brushes. As always, it’s all about what works for you. 🙂

Before we get started, let’s gather the products we’ll need…

how to apply foundation tutorial products
From the left: Hourglass Oxyen Foundation Powder in No. 4, Tarte Foundation Brush, Hourglass No. 2 Foundation/Blush Brush, Laura Mercier Finishing Brush, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz and Cuba

how to apply foundation tutorial swatches
Swatches from the left: NARS St. Moritz, NARS Cuba and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder No. 4

And because there’s nothing else you really can do but smile when posting bare-faced pictures of yourself on the Internet…

how to apply foundation tutorial 0a

Yep, that’s me without makeup. 🙂 Not a drop!

As you can see, I have a few dark spots around my chin and mouth left over from a gnarly breakout last spring and some darkening beneath my eyes… Hopefully, after we’re done here, most of it will be covered.
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