Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick I’ve Never, When I’m Alone Review

Hey Lovely Ladies,

A new day and some more lipstick reviews for you. So, let us get started with two more shades from the Hourglass Confession Vault!

Product Description:
What it is:
An ultra-slim, refillable luxury lipstick that delivers saturated, long-wearing color with a satin finish.

What it does:
Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick delivers creamy, saturated, long-wearing color with a satin finish without smudging or feathering. Each lipstick is encapsulated in a sleek gold applicator to provide the ultimate control to precisely accentuate, contour, and define the lips. Featuring the ultimate luxury lip accessory, the gold applicator can be used interchangeably with the full collection of Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick Refills (sold separately).

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates
• Gluten
• Silicone D5
• Talc
• Triclosan
• Mineral Oil
• Not tested on animal

What else you need to know:
Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick blurs the line between beauty and accessory. It’s the ultimate luxury lipstick that discreetly fits in your pocket or clutch. The sleek gold applicator can be used interchangeably with the full collection of Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick Refills.

Hourglass products are 100 percent cruelty-free.

Suggested Usage:
-Twist the ultra slim lipstick to reveal product and apply. Retract product down before recapping.
-Hold pointed end of the gold applicator, remove gold cap and pull out lipstick barrel.
-Remove black cap of refill shade, firmly pull lipstick barrel out from the cylindrical black base.
-Reconnect refill black cap and base with remaining lipstick.
-Hold pointed end of the gold applicator and insert new refill shade into opening until it clicks into place.
-Secure gold applicator cap after each use.

Price:
Refillable Lipstick US $34 for 0.9gm
Refill $22 for 0.9gm
Yes, you read that right – 0.9gm of product. That’s actually less than some lip pencils or even deluxe size sample of lipsticks! 😉

My Experience with Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick I’ve Never, When I’m Alone:

Packaging:
Refer to the pictures and I will try to explain the packaging here. I am sharing pictures of both – the Refillable lipsticks and the individual refills.

The Refillable Lipstick: The refillable lipstick is this elegant and extremely questionable (coming to that in a minute) golden applicator. The applicator has a lot of heft and screams luxury. You separate the cap from the pointed end of the applicator to review a twist-up lipstick. The lipstick is a thinner version of a regular lipstick with a slant tip. Normally, I have issues with application – especially on the cupid’s bow – with a rounder slant tip lipstick.

However, in this case, it isn’t an issue because the lipstick itself has a smaller diameter and it hugs the cupid’s bow nicely. The shade name is written on the side of the lipstick barrel. So, if you have more than one of these, you will need to open it each time and check the shade. The shade name is thoughtfully put on the side of the lipstick barrel and not the golden applicator, since the same applicator can be used to fit in another shade of the refill lipstick. The mechanism to change is extremely easy – the refill detaches easily and can be replaced quickly.

Coming to the questionable part – the golden applicator is reminiscent of the cigarette holders used by Western world – mostly women -from 1910s to 1970s. They were made iconic by Audrey Hepburn (in Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and Lucille Ball (in I Love Lucy). Having said that, I personally wonder how ethical it is for a brand to glamourize smoking! Anyway.

Refills: The refill consists of a black plastic lipstick case with a proper fitting cap. You pull out the cap to reveal the lipstick barrel. The lipstick shade is written on the side of the barrel as well as at the bottom. This bottom plug will actually need to be pulled out of the barrel to fix the lipstick into the golden applicator. While the Golden applicator adds to the luxe feeling and the whole charm of the collection, you do not NEED the golden applicator. The refill can easily work on its own. The case is no way cheap plastic and is quite secure to use on its own.

A quick brief about the collection: This is like the naughty collection from Hourglass. All shade names reflect a “confession statement.” Like “I Desire” “If Only”, “I’m Addicted”, etc.

I’ve Never: Described by the company as a “Nude Rose”. I’ve Never is a light, fleshy rose nude shade with a creamy finish. Unlike the last 2 nudish shades that I reviewed, this one isn’t pastel or milky. So, it is actually a nude shade that I can carry off. The fleshy rose tones make it a wearable nude for light to medium skin tone too. So, not only is it a shade that can be worn to balance more dramatic eye makeup. But, this could well be a shade of choice for someone who just likes to wear nude lips. It does not make you look washed out or ill. This will definitely work on fair to medium skin tone – however I am not sure if it will flatter deeper skin.

When I’m Alone: Described by the brand as a “Dark Berry.” When I’m Alone is a deep, slightly warm toned berry shade – dark and vampy!! It is quite a dramatic shade and may not be a colour of choice for everyone. But, the good news is that this line does have some amazing variations of purples and berries – so, it is easy to find a shade more up your alley. The shade itself will work across skin tones – you just need to be comfortable with the depth and boldness of the shade.

Texture: I was happy to see that both shades had formula consistent with the line – satin finish, creamy, lightweight texture which glides smoothly over the lips without being too slippery. Once applied, it does not slide around and adhere well to the lips. So, even the n*de shade performed well – unlike the last 2 nudes that I reviewed from this line. Both shades are comfortable to wear and mildly hydrating. Being a satin finish, it transfers easily to any surface it touches – cups, spoons, etc. It does not smudge outside the lip lines or feather or bleed.

Pigmentation: The shade When I’m Alone was super saturated; while the shade I’ve Never needed a second swipe for fully opaque pigmentation. The arm swatch consists of 2 swipes drawn parallel to create a broader swatch than the lipstick bullet. However, there was no need for me to build up the colour. That should tell you how good the pigmentation is.

Lasting Power: The shade, I’ve Never gave about 5 hours of wear but left no stain. Th shade When I’m Alone lasted almost the whole day – about 7-7.5 hours and left a pink stain. Both shades wear off evenly, without getting or looking patchy.

Fragrance: There is a slight fragrance which seems like an added perfume but it isn’t unpleasant to the nose. Having said that – do note that I could smell it only when I actually sniffed the product. I did not register it during application.

To sum this up for you:

Pros of Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick I’ve Never, When I’m Alone:

Two very different shades – but both are flattering for our warm, medium skin tone.
Lightweight texture.
Excellent pigmentation
Very comfortable to wear -no feeling of dryness or clinginess.
Easy to apply and get clean lines.
It applies smoothly and evenly with no tug or pull.
The pigment does not sink into the fine lines of the lips.
Does not flake or bleed.
Luxurious packaging (though I have shared my contrary opinion on this too).
Decent wear time.
Cruelty-free.
Free from Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates, Gluten, Silicone D5, Talc, Triclosan, Mineral Oil.

Cons of Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick I’ve Never, When I’m Alone:

The amount of lipstick is distinctly lower than what any other slim lipstick offers. But then, Hourglass isn’t really a drugstore or even mid-priced brand. They have positioned themselves consciously as a luxury brand and make no apologies for it.

IMBB Rating:
I’ve Never – 4.25/5
When I’m Alone–4.5/5
Do I Recommend Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick I’ve Never, When I’m Alone?
Both shades are beautiful. Yes, the shade When I’m Alone performed a bit better (in terms of longevity) – however, it isn’t the most unique shade. Every range would have a shade in this ballpark. On the other hand, the shade I’ve Never is actually quite pretty for a nude shade and is flattering!! So, basically it’s a nude perfect for our warm medium skintone! Definitely recommended!