Hey gorgeous gals,
Thought I’d share a couple of new shades from Hourglass Lip Stylo range with you. I have previously reviewed the shade Innovator, Visionary and Warrior for you and have liked the formula and the pigmentation. The shades I reviewed earlier were all bold – somewhat medium to deep shades. However, the shades I am reviewing today are quite different. So, let us see how these performed.
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 Creator, Explorer:
Packaging:
The lipstick comes packaged in the usual Hourglass brown cardboard packaging – very elegant. The lipstick itself has a chubby pencil type 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’d 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 – we will see.
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 down completely, you have to be extra cautious while removing the cap or re-capping.
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. This is extremely irritating.
Creator:
Described by the brand as a “Soft Rose”, Creator is a light to medium, soft neutral pink shade with a glossy sheen. The shade itself is actually quite muted and semi-opaque in pigmentation. So, while it is an easy-to-wear shade in itself, it could be an issue for someone who has lip pigmentation. It does not cover lip pigmentation for me and does not work on its own. I feel the need to use a lip liner as a base just to erase any signs of lip pigmentation. If that is not a concern for you, it might actually be an easy to wear shade for you but not universally flattering.
I doubt if it will work for tan to deep skin tones. One can obviously build it up, but this particular shade has a more glossy texture than creamy. So, while the colour can be built up with multiple swipes and can cover the pigment to an extent, it still peeps through. Also, when you build it up, there is more product on your lip, which combined with the texture of the product will tend to move and migrate.
However, the good part is that it does not sink into the lip lines. So, it doesn’t look bad but it will transfer to cups and straws. Also, the light glossy texture makes it quite hydrating. It is very comfortable to wear on the lips. The blend of shea, jojoba, mimosa and sunflower seeds makes your lips look plumper, more hydrated and nourished. It wears off evenly; it does not look patchy. The lipstick being a soft glossy shade gives me about 3.5-4 hours of wear time. It does not stain the lips at all.
Explorer:
Described by the brand as a “soft pink coral”. It is a medium, warm, orange toned coral. This is such a summery shade. I think I wore a coral shade after ages and so thoroughly enjoyed it. The way I am about purples right now, it was the same way with corals not so long ago till I suddenly decided that corals looked very “unnatural” on me. Yeah, I have my weird phases.
It is actually a very pretty coral, which brightens your face, but is not loud or too bright. It is an easy-to-wear shade of coral. The texture of this one is creamy unlike that of Creator, which was more glossy and balmy. The shade has good pigmentation. So, it applies easily and covers all pigmentation on my lips, giving them a uniform, appealing look. It feels lightweight and is moisturizing.
The blend of shea moisture, jojoba, mimosa and sunflower seeds makes your lips look plumper, more hydrated. However, the texture is creamy and tends to transfer onto any surface that it touches. It wears off evenly and does not look patchy. The lipstick gives me about 4-4.5 hours wear time. It does leave a faint stain on the lips but it is too subtle to make an impact.
Texture:
The formula is definitely hydrating and buildable. The texture is very light-weight and moisturizing. The lips look plumped up and youthful. It fills in the lines on the lips and makes them look more hydrated and plump. If you like a soft colour on your lips for everyday wear, this fits the bill. The shades can be built up.
For someone like me who loves the hydrating and plumping effect these have but still likes a bit of definition and longevity, I feel the formula benefits from a lip liner. A lip liner helps it give a defined outline, ensures the product does not smudge outside the lines post meals, gives a bit of longevity and covers pigmentation as well.
Fragrance:
There is no added fragrance. The slight fragrance that it does have is the natural smell of the 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 old depending on how or where these are stored.
To sum this up for you:
Pros of Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Creator, Explorer:
Easy to wear shades but not universally flattering.
Lightweight texture.
Decent pigmentation.
Very comfortable to wear.
No feeling of dryness or clinginess.
Hydrating formula.
Easy to apply and get clean lines.
Applies smoothly and evenly – no tugging or pulling.
Enriched with various seed butters: shea, jojoba, mimosa, and sunflower seed.
No feathering or bleeding.
Does not flake.
Luxurious packaging.
Decent wear time – 3.5-4.5 hours.
Cruelty-free.
Gives a lustrous, polished and appealing look to the lips.
Cons of Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo Lipstick Creator, Explorer:
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 food.
IMBB Rating:
Creator: 3.5/5
Explorer: 4/5
So, looks like the product varies a bit with the shade range. The earlier shades reviewed were brighter and deeper – more universally flattering and consistent in texture. Whereas, the two shades I took up today are both soft, medium shades; one being balmier while the other is creamy and consistent with the other shades reviewed from this line.
While the packaging and look of the product are super luxe, I feel that the appeal is more niche. In a world full of matte lovers, this is a consciously hydrating formula. While I love the look the product gives to the lips, I cannot recommend all shades with equal abandon. Given a choice, I would probably skip Creator, though I do like Explorer a lot.
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