Hey gorgeous gals,
The review today is dedicated to all the working women who love to look a little polished with a hint of makeup but don’t want to overdo things. Sharing two Hourglass Lip Stylo shades with you which I feel fit in perfectly to this profile. Doesn’t mean that they won’t work for the makeup-crazed you and me! 😉
My first realization that rose shades suit me was with Bobbi Brown’s Rich Lip Colour in the shade Rose Blossom – such a stunning shade. That was my favourite shade for the longest time ever! And both the shades that I am reviewing today are kind of variations of a rose colour. So, I’m super excited to share my reviews and swatches with you today. Let us get on with it.
Price: US $32/HKD 330/SGD 48 for 2.5 g
Product Description:
A lip color with the intensity of a lipstick that’s infused with a blend of hydration for the appearance of softer, fuller lips. The silky, weightless formula blends modern color with luxurious hydration for a lustrous finish. It features a hydrating blend of shea butter, jojoba, mimosa, and sunflower seed to nourish dry lips and give a silky, soft finish. The precision tip allows for easy and precise application throughout the day without the need for sharpening. It is formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates. What else you need to know: “This all-in-one hybrid formula is my go-to, everyday lip color. I can build as much—or as little—color, as I like, while leaving my lips soft, hydrated and perfectly polished.”—Carisa Janes, Hourglass Founder
My Experience with Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Activist, Inventor:
Packaging:
The information about the packaging is repetitive, I know. But it is the same packaging – nothing has changed! 😉 The lipstick comes packaged in the usual Hourglass brown cardboard packaging – very elegant. The lipstick itself has a chubby pencil type of design while the dispensing mechanism is a regular twist up and not something you need to sharpen.
The lipstick tube is again the typical Hourglass brown with gold detailing. It looks quite stunning and classy. And the tube has decent weight which helps in driving home the whole luxe theme. If you had more than one of these, you wouldn’t be able to differentiate the colours except for the sticker at the bottom. For once, the font size is big enough for you to be able to read without squinting.
The lipstick is shaped like a pencil – not like a traditional bullet. While it is still new – it is easy to apply. Being creamy, it isn’t likely to retain the shape. Later, how easy it will be to apply, especially around the outer corners of the lips. The way you can manage this for some extra time is that apply the lipstick to your lip outline with the pointed end of the lipstick but fill in the rest of the lips with the side of the lipstick. This will ensure that the tip remains pointy for longer.
The one con – and, for me, a big one at that – is the fact that the lipstick doesn’t slide in fully once twisted down. Like the tip of a pencil, the tip of the lipstick stays exposed. And when I say “the tip” – it isn’t a bit – it’s a substantial amount. Yes, there is a cap to ensure hygiene, etc., but since the lipstick doesn’t twist fully down, you have to be extra cautious while removing the cap or re-capping it.
One would think that is no big deal, but in daily use, it is a pain to be constantly careful while handling it. What if you nick it while opening or closing the cap? And one of my lipsticks did come with the top portion totally nicked off – cause someone who didn’t know better tried opening the product. Thankfully, I was able to replace it. But what if you yourself end up doing this?
Shades:
Activist:
Described by the brand as a “neutral rose.” Activist is a soft, muted, light to medium slightly plummy rose shade with a glossy sheen. It is such a soft pretty shade. Like a no-brainer shade which you can put on when you can’t figure what lip shade to go for. It makes your lips look like they have a naturally healthy pink tone – instead of a pronounced lip colour. Very pretty! This is the kind of shade that would go into the handbag of working women.
This one is semi-opaque but buildable to full coverage. The texture is quite buttery and glides smoothly coating the lips with even pigmentation. No tug, no pull, no patchiness. This shade has a substantial slip (like that of a gloss). The shade itself is fairly soft and muted and yet the colour seems to last for good 4-4.5 hours before fading evenly and leaving a lovely stain.
Inventor:
Described by Hourglass as a “soft rose.” Another variation of a rose shade. This one is a medium, rose shade, brighter than Activist and does not lean towards plum (like Activist does). The finish of this one is more luminous than glossy. Also, the texture is more creamy rather than the buttery, balm-like texture of Activist.
The colour goes on semi-opaque but is buildable. This should work with a lot of skin tones. It is a more pronounced shade than Activist but still very easy to pull off, everyday type of shade. It applies evenly and has a good wear time of 5-5.5 hours and leaves a lovely pink stain.
Pigmentation:
Pigmentation is good – medium – buildable to opaque – totally in line with what the brand has claimed. They both cover any natural pigmentation of your lips.
Texture:
The texture is gorgeous. It’s smooth, light-weight and glides easily and yet it doesn’t sink into the fine lines of the lips. It does not bunch up when you press your lips together. It’s absolutely stunning. The lipstick is hydrating and has this amazing polished luminous finish. The blend of shea moisture, jojoba, mimosa and sunflower seed actually make your lips look plumper and more attractive.
Despite the creamy texture, I did not see it bleeding or feathering. However, being as smooth as it is, it can smudge around the lip lines when eating. So, if you have lightly dabbed it on to your lips, you should be okay. However, if you have built up the shade, the creamy texture is likely to benefit from a lip liner.
Lasting Power:
Both shades have decent wear time – about 4.5-5.5 hours – depending on what you eat/drink. The lipstick will transfer onto cups and spoons and straws, etc easily. And as it does so, it starts disappearing from your lips. However, it wears off evenly and it does not look patchy. Both shades do leave a light stain.
Fragrance:
There is a slight fragrance, which is not an additive. The fragrance comes from the plethora of seed oils in the product. Do ensure you check this when you buy a lipstick from this range as a couple of my shades had a more pronounced smell. This could be the result of slightly older stock. Do note, this line is fairly new, so it isn’t like the stock is very old. But, the seed oils can start turning depending on how/where these are stored.
To sum this up for you:
Pros of Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Activist, Inventor:
⦁ Beautiful, easy-to-wear shades
⦁ Lightweight texture
⦁ Good pigmentation
⦁ Very comfortable to wear – no dryness or clinginess
⦁ Hydrating formula
⦁ Easy to apply and get clean lines
⦁ Applies smoothly and evenly – no tugging or pulling
⦁ Enriched with seed butters – shea, jojoba, mimosa, and sunflower seed
⦁ Does not flake or bleed
⦁ Luxurious packaging
⦁ Decent wear time – 4.5-5.5 hours
⦁ Cruelty-free
⦁ Gives a lustrous, polished and appealing look to the lips
Cons of Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Activist, Inventor:
⦁ Packaging – lipsticks need to go into the tube. Period.
⦁ The fragrance of the seed oils may get off putting over time
⦁ If built up during application, the lipstick may smudge outside the lip line while eating
IMBB Rating:
Activist – 4.25/5
Inventor – 4.25/5
I really like both these shades. They give me the look and feel of naturally pretty lips and the light-weight texture makes me actually forget that I have these on – till my little one gets super upset with me for having smacked his cheeks with them. These lipsticks are seriously hydrating, which is quite a change from my usual round of liquid lipsticks. Even after trying this range for so long I am still sometimes taken by surprise at how pretty and healthy this product makes my lips look.
Would I Recommend Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Activist, Inventor?
Yes, I do! Very pretty shades!
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