Makeup Monday: Hourglass Aura Lip and Cheek Stains Spring 2011

I'm still super behind on all my reviews... Who knew that two weeks off would put me so far behind? I have tons of stuff still waiting to be posted (and emails to answer, eep)... I'm guessing that the only way to catch up is to just post as much as possible, and I'm thinking that I'll try to make Monday my makeup reviews day, hence the "Makeup Monday" in the title.

So! Here's the latest creation from Hourglass Cosmetics.

There are two new stain products: a cheek stain and a lip stain.

The Aura Sheer Lip Stain comes in such a pretty box. Reflective metallic packaging always catches my eye.


The product packaging itself is gorgeous, too. A heavy, luxurious feeling dark metal tube.


When the cap is removed, you can see the color of the stain through a clear plastic section in the neck. It's a click pen style dispenser with a fuzzy plastic applicator.

If you look closely, you can see the little holes that the product comes through. Though the tip looks soft, it's actually just a fuzzy coating over solid plastic.



It takes quite a few twists/clicks, but once you get the product flowing, it comes up through the tip of the pen.


The Aura cheek stain comes in similar packaging, just on a bigger scale:


A big, chubby tube with a soft cotton domed applicator.



Like the lip stain, it looks soft and spongy but it's really just a cloth coating over plastic. The cheek stain applicator is different from the lip stain one because the cotton covering absorbs the stain to help you blend and disperse it.

Twist the base of the tube and the cheek stain comes up through the top.


Here is what they look like swatched heavily on the skin, directly from the tubes, no base. The shade is Flush in both the cheek and the lip stain. Flush cheek stain is on the left, Flush lip stain is on the right.

The lip stain has a very light texture. It's thin, but thick enough not to be runny, which I suppose could be considered a gel texture. It's not thick or sticky at all. When you apply it, it feels cold and wet with a slight menthol tingle, and within seconds it's completely dry. It leaves almost no residue on the lips, it just sinks in and disappears.

It lasts a super long time. That's the beauty of a stain. You apply it once and it just stays there. No touchups. It doesn't transfer at all. The only thing it doesn't last through is eating.

The lip stain has a subtle minty scent and a very slightly bitter flavor. It's a taste typical of every lip stain I've ever tried.

It's not moisturizing and it's not glossy. It's just a matte natural tint on the lips. Because of this, you may need to apply balm afterward, or if you want a glossy look, apply some gloss on top.

As for the cheek stain, it's extremely similar in almost every aspect. Same light, cool water-based texture. Same super fast dry time. It only lacks the minty tingle of the lip stain.

The light texture feels really nice, but being so light also has a downside. It dries so fast that it can be hard to blend. You have to work very quickly. It stays wet longer if you apply and blend straight from the applicator, but you get better color and control if you blend it with your fingers.

The cheek stain is easiest to blend over bare moisturized skin. It blends well over tinted moisturizer or over a tinted primer. It gets harder to blend over traditional liquid foundation and almost impossible to blend over a powder mineral foundation. The slicker and smoother the base, the easier it is to blend and apply.

Once it's on, it lasts all day and looks extremely natural. Because of the water-based formula, it sinks into your skin and looks like a natural flush. The shade I have- which is actually called Flush- is a pink with coral tint, and in my case, looks a little too natural: it's the exact color my face is when I get sunburned.

It's nothing like a creme blush or a Tarte cheek stain, so it took me a few tries to get the hang of applying it. It's not slick or oily, not creamy, not sticky, not powdery. It's very light and thin and wet like water, unlike any cheek stain I've used before. It dries very very very fast. It doesn't look shiny and there's no sparkle or shimmer. It's sheer and lets your skin show through, but at the same time, the color is intense.

Though, I think my favorite part has to be that gorgeous packaging. The shiny metal tube that feels cool and heavy.... It feels expensive. Because, well, it is expensive. The Aura Cheek Stain is $45 for .27oz and the Aura Lip Stain is $26 for .1 oz. Just for reference, here's the ingredient lists for both products:

Aura Sheer Cheek Stain
All shades contain:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopherol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Diisostearyl Malate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Mica (Ci 77019), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Red 30 (Ci 73360), Barium Sulfate (Ci 77120).

Aura Sheer Lip Stain
All shades contain:
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Capryl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Flavor, Tetrasodium Edta, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Fd&C Yellow 5 (Ci 19140), Fd&C Blue 1 (Ci 142090), D&C Red 33 (Ci 17200).


I have one more Hourglass product to review and I think you'll freak when you see it. I know I did.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Fyrinnae Velvet Vampire Look

Remember the other day when I said that Fyrinnae's Velvet Vampire was a must have? I meant it. It is one of the greatest eyeshadows I've ever seen. It's a burgundy based duochrome; if it were a nail polish I'd call it a glass fleck. It has little pearls of iridescent crystal-like shimmer that shift colors and sparkle even in really low light. I did this look with it the other day and I couldn't get over how amazing Velvet Vampire looked. I wore Kat Von D Lightning Sheer Lipgloss in Stormy (smoky red shimmer) with it, but my pictures of that didn't turn out. My lip pictures never turn out... But anyway, I took a bunch of pictures of the eyeshadow. Gah, I love it so much.

Natural light:




Flash:


This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Fyrinnae Velvet Vampire applied wet on lid
The black half of the Hourglass Prism duo in crease and lower lashline
MAC Reflects Blackened Red glitter on top of the black in the crease
Fyrinnae Cheeky to highlight
Black liquid liner (I don't remember which one I used)
Cover Girl Lash Blast

I know I didn't capture the full beauty of this color, but you can at least get an idea of how it looks. It shifts colors when you blink! It's so sparkly and sexy and vampy, it really does look like velvet. I couldn't have picked a more perfect name for this color myself.

On a sidenote, Cheeky is my new favorite highlight color. I'm going to have to order a full size soon. It's close to the color I would normally use on my browbone, but it's special 'cause it has a hint of red shimmer to it. Subtle, but really special. Makes a nice neutral lid color, too.

Hourglass Cosmetics Prodigy Lipgloss and Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo

Hourglass is one of the newer brands to hit Sephora and I've been pretty curious about their products. What catches your eye about Hourglass is the really interesting packaging. Their lipgloss comes in a flat tube that is about the size of my cell phone! I'd heard good things about them so I'm really happy to be able to test them out. Here's what I tried:

This is the Prodigy Hyrdating Lip Gloss in Legend and the Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Prism.

Check out that packaging! Have you ever seen anything like it? It's so futuristic looking.

One of the unique features of the Prodigy lipgloss is that it's flat. Here it is on the right- it's actually thinner than the eyeshadow duo. It's flat and thin, perfect for carrying in your pocket without creating a bulge. It's also unique because it has a soft plastic section that holds the gloss and it sits in a solid frame with a cap that snaps off. Can't say I've ever seen anything like it in my life. Here's a closeup:


Note the curved molded applicator. No wand or sponge type applicator, which I like because it seems just a little bit more sanitary. The cap doesn't twist or screw on at all- it just snaps on. In fact, removing the cap feels a little bit like snapping the gloss in half, but that's how you're supposed to remove it- twisting will actually break the tube. I feels wrong at first, doing something that seems like it will break the item, but you get used to it after the first few times. The cap is also so shiny and reflective that you can use it as a mirror. It seems like a lot of thought went into making a completely different type of tube because it's really nothing like any other gloss I own.


And if you think that's cool, take a look at the Visionaire eyeshadow compact!


It has a mirror and contains a brush that is actually useful. Not one of those wimpy plastic-bristled mini brushes like in some eyeshadows. This one is just like a mini version of a full-sized shadow brush, similar to the brushes that come in the MAC holiday shadow palettes.

But what's so cool about this? Check it out:



The mirror will swivel into any position you want! You can turn it completely backwards, you can stand it straight up, lay it flat, anything. Now, I normally apply my makeup in front of a mirror to begin with so it's not terribly useful for me, but I can't say it isn't interesting and innovative. It may be more geared toward people who travel or carry a makeup bag.


Enough about the fascinating packaging, let's talk about what's inside.


Please enlarge these images if you so desire. I keep them huge so you can see the detail close up. The Visionaire eyeshadow duo in Prism contains a smoky grey shimmer on the left and a very pigmented black with rainbow shimmer on the right. It's imprinted with the image of an hourglass- that actually took me a few minutes to figure out. It's the hourglass logo. These shadows are 0.10 oz each (0.20 oz total).


These are the items swatched over bare skin- no primer or anything. Check out that shimmer in the black shadow- it has prismatic qualities to it- it reflects a rainbow of colors when the light hits it just right. At first I thought it was just plain silver microglitter, but then when I saw it in sunlight I was amazed.


The Prodigy Hydrating lipgloss is very nice. While the shade I received, Legend, isn't quite right with my pale cool skintone, I am in love with the formula. Legend is a warm sheer shade with a good amount of shine and no shimmer. They claim that the gloss formula is long-wearing and water resistant, and it really is. It lasts longer than most glosses, even after drinking.

The texture of it is so nice. It's plush and thick and slick feeling without even a hint of stickiness. It's not thin and oily like non-sticky glosses tend to be. It feels so soft. While I am frequently complaining about the prevalence of mineral oil in practically every beauty product, I must admit that it gives lipglosses a really nice texture. The first four ingredients are Polybutene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil/Paraffinum Liquidum. And, just for thoroughness sake, here's the full ingredients list:

All shades contain:
Polybutene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil/Paraffinum Liquidum, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Trihydroxystearin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Tin Oxide May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 33 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).

The gloss itself has no perceptible flavor or scent. It barely even smells like gloss. This is a downside for me because I prefer everything to be scented, but I know a lot of people who prefer an unscented gloss.

I would love to try this in a shade that compliments my skintone more because I really enjoy the formula.

As for the Visionaire eyeshadows, they're just as nice.

The texture is so dense and velvety. The packaging describes them as "sheer" but that couldn't be farther from the truth. They're so pigmented you barely have to apply any at all! The black half is quite honestly, the best black shadow I own. The pigment is just amazing and it blends so well without getting streaky or losing intensity. Both the shades apply effortlessly and blend perfectly. They seem to have a bit of a sticky or creamy texture to them that helps them adhere to the lid.

Here's a look I did using the Prism duo:


I used the black in the crease and the grey on the lid over a base of Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

They are a joy to apply. I'm really impressed with the texture and pigmentation.

Despite the amazing pigmentation and formula, there were a couple of issues that I experienced with these.

The black shadow, after blending, loses most of the rainbow shimmer. This is a minor issue as it can be easily remedied by gently patting on a little more shadow after blending. That's what I did when I wore this look. It sticks really well so the shimmer/glitter particles won't fall off all over your face.

The other issue I had was with the grey half. I wore this exact look three times, each time over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and each time I experienced significant fading and creasing on the grey. On two occasions, the grey color was completely gone after about 9 hours while the black still looked freshly applied. This is very puzzling to me. I almost never experience fading and I can't even remember the last time my shadow creased. Is it not compatible with my primer? Is it reacting with my body chemistry? Is it a problem with the shadow itself? Like I mentioned before, the black shadow still looks absolutely pristine and not the least bit faded or creased after the same amount of time. Does anyone have any insight as to why this is happening or have you experienced the same thing?

Here are the ingredients on the eyeshadow:
Dune, Gypsy, Lagoon:
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Nylon-12, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090:2), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Black 2 (CI 77266).
Exhibition, Suede, Prism:
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Triethylhexanoin, Boron Nitride, Lauroyl Lysine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Tin Oxide (CI 77861).

All of this incredible packaging and luxurious formula does come at a cost. This is one of the higher-priced brands I've encountered at Sephora. The Prodigy lipgloss is $26 and the Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo is $38 (!!!). While the formula of the products I used was much nicer than anything I've ever used from other higher-priced brands like Chanel or Dior (whose eyeshadows I'm convinced are made of pure sidewalk chalk), seeing those numbers makes me a little lightheaded. Though, if they sold the black half of the Prism duo as an eyeshadow single for $19, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it, it's that good.

I've only seen Hourglass Cosmetics at Sephora, so I'm not sure where else it's available for purchase.

So, what do you think? Have you used Hourglass before?

(These were sent to me for review.)

Holiday Looks

I can't believe Christmas is over. So sad. It's even sadder because all the snow melted right after Christmas! At first I thought it was great because it was 55 degrees (!!!), but the very next day it went right back down to 15. Ugh. If it's going to be this cold, I demand snow!

The holidays were pretty good, though. I got a bunch of awesome presents for Christmas, got to play a lot of Guitar Hero and put together the annual gingerbread house with my family and I didn't get sick at all! I always seem to be sick on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not this year!

I never did end up doing a different mani for Christmas- the snowflakes stayed on. I sorta ran out of time... Didn't need to stay up until 4 am to do my nails!

But I did snap a few pictures of the eye looks I did...


This was Christmas Eve's look. I wanted something super festive and last year I did this combination of red lid with green crease that didn't really work that well... This combination looked much better! Though, I wasn't totally happy with the gold...

This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Aromaleigh Party Dress on lid
MAC Emerald Green pigment in crease and on lower lashline
Pure Luxe OMG wet as liner (I know, I know.)
I don't remember which mascara, but it was either Lash Blast or Grow Luscious

I put some red Aromaleigh glitter over the liner but it didn't show up at all, you couldn't see it at all in real life and I don't see it in the pictures, either.


For Christmas Day I wanted the same kind of look as the last one, but I thought the gold was too shiny. I decided on a matte green instead and I liked it better:

I see specks of mascara on my lid that I didn't notice until I looked at the pictures. Huh. And don't worry, I fixed my brows.

This one was:
Shadow Insurance
MAC Bitter on lid
MAC Emerald Green in crease and on lower lashline
Pure Luxe OMG wet as liner

I love a matte lid. It always looks so smooth and soft focus. Matte lid with glittery stuff everywhere else! Except not much glitter on these days. I did plain red lips. I don't think I can really pull off red lips.

Then, after Christmas was over, I felt all sad and wanted to do black and grey:


This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Fyrinnae Dinosaur Plushie wet on lid
Hourglass Prism (black half) on lid and lower lashline
I don't remember the mascara or the liner... Everything is kind of a blur...

Dinosaur Plushie is really pretty, I didn't really capture it well in the pictures. It's a silver with hologram-type shimmer. It goes on a little... rough? Flaky? But it's so nice and sparkly.


And then, on New Year's Eve, I just wanted to go all out.



This was:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Silver half of L'Oreal HIP Platinum Duo
Black half of Hourglass Prism duo
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy over Platinum
MAC 3D Silver glitter packed on top of Pixie Epoxy
Kat Von D Autograph Liquid Liner in Black Metal Love
Cover Girl Lash Blast with a little Magic Lash between coats
(A little Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray over the glitter to keep it on all night)


I haven't had any luck using Pixie Epoxy as a base for shadows, but it is EXCELLENT for getting glitter to stick. I had almost zero fallout- all the fallout was from the brush, not my lid! And it stayed on without fallout all night. I put the Pixie Epoxy on pretty thick over the silver HIP shadow and immediately patted on a bunch of MAC 3D silver before the epoxy had a chance to dry. Perfection.

And to make it even more ridiculous? I wore OCC Anime lip tar. Anime is the most ridiculous neon pink ever and I adore it. I've been meaning to do a Lip Tar review for ages... I need to get on that.


I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions yet. I'm thinking I'm going to try to spend less time online... Maybe I'll resolve to review more random items from my collection... Or maybe not to wait a year in between haircuts? Hmm... I'm drawing a blank. Did you make any resolutions?