Spotlight: Hourglass Cosmetics

Today's post is about the luxury brand Hourglass Cosmetics. This brand was founded by Carisa Janes who noticed a need in the market for a luxury cosmetic line that bridged "style and substance" while focusing on ingredients that were good for the skin. First available at Barney's, this cruelty-free brand made it's way to Sephora in 2007*.

I'm thankful for this brand, because while most people have an image of animal lovers and vegans as non-makeup wearing hippies, that is not always the case.  Animal lovers and vegans come in all forms, and yes, even animal lovers and vegans want a little luxury in their lives sometimes!

While I admit this brand is pricey, that is the market they serve. I personally love the line, and their Mineral Veil Primer is a holy grail product for me. 

Here is a closer look at some of my favorites from the brand:

My introduction to the brand was (of course) their brushes. True to the brand, these brushes are extremely luxurious.  The bristles are soft, yet functional, and the sleek metal handles are as much a work of art as they are a makeup application tool. They are nicely weighted and feel comfortable in the hand. I've also found these extremely easy to clean. These hold their shape nicely, even after many washings.

 Above: Hourglass Brush #2: Foundation/Blush Brush

 Above: Hourglass Brush #2: Foundation/Blush Brush and Brush #4 Crease Brush

Above: Hourglass Brush #8: Concealer Brush

The Hourglass Foundation brush is unique because it is neither a flat paddle foundation brush, nor a flat topped buffing brush. Instead, I use it in gentle patting motions on the skin.  The concealer brush, I actually use to apply my primer. 

The primer I can't live without is Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (vegan). However, in the winter my skin tends to be on the dry side, so I mix it with Hourglass No 28 Primer Serum, a little trick I learned from Makeup Artist and YouTube Guru Josh Collier.  You can view his videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JoshCollierMUA

The Foundation I wear from Hourglass is their Veil Fluid Makeup which is completely vegan. I wear shade 0 Porcelain or 1 Ivory depending on the time of year. This foundation comes in several different shades

Here are swatches of both shades. You can find your shade here: http://www.hourglasscosmetics.com/index.php?type=complexion&item=complexion_fluidMakeup

This foundation does run a little on the darker side, so if you are unsure between 2 shades, go with the lighter. Pictured above on the left is Porcelain, and on the right is Ivory.

Good quality matte eyeshadow can be hard to find.  The Hourglass Vol. 6 Neo-Classic Eye Palette contains 5 high quality matte shadows and 1 shimmer shade.  The eyeshadow palette is a little smaller than a smart phone and comes with the Hourglass signature 360 degree swivel top lid.

Here is a closer look at the palette, including swatches:

 The colors are not named, but they are (from left to right above): champagne shimmer, matte bone, matte brown, matte coral, matte navy and matte black

In the summertime, I was looking for a waterproof bronzer. I decided to try this one from Hourglass called Superficial Mirage:

I tend to use a self tanner in the summer, so this bronzer worked well for me. However, if you are super fair, I recommend you skip this one, or use a super light hand. I think this would work better on medium to medium dark skin tones. The brush it comes with is excellent.  I honestly toss most of the brushes that come with compacts. However, this brush is of the same quality as the rest of the brushes in their line and is made with the same PETA-friendly synthetic fibers.  I also really like the shape of this brush for contouring. It's the perfect size and shape for hitting the hollows of the cheek.

Hourglass also makes some beautiful glosses in a variety of finishes. they are pigmented and moisturizing, never sticky. These can be worn alone or layered over you favorite liner or lipstick.

Hourglass Extreme Sheen Gloss:

 Pictured Above (From left to right): Child (nude), Imagine (metallic gold), Reflect (clear pink with shimmer), Primal (oxblood)

The gloss pictured above on the far left is a mini version of the new packaging. The three glosses pictured on the right above are the old packaging.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my Hourglass collection. I understand not everyone can afford this line, but if your budget allows it, or you are looking for a splurge then I highly suggest checking out this brand.








*Source: http://www.hourglasscosmetics.com/about.php
All products in this post were purchased by me