9 Best Hourglass Cosmetics Products, Tested & Reviewed for 2024
<p>I’ve been a fan of Hourglass as early as the 2010s, having discovered the brand while watching YouTubers rave about the near-magical powers of the powders every chance they had—and I still can’t get enough. Nearly every new launch they’ve debuted in the past few years has been a winner in my book. I am to Hourglass what the BeyHive is to Beyoncé. I’ve practically tested every formula. </p><p>According to my calculations, plus reviews from hundreds of customers, the products in the guide below are the nine best Hourglass products you should try. This isn’t to say that the rest of the product line isn’t great; there are many other favorites that I wasn’t able to include. However, if I could only suggest nine products for someone to test first, these would be it. </p>”/>
Pros
- Includes setting powder, bronzer, blush, and highlighter
- Gives a non-glittery glow
Cons
- Not all shades will suit everyone
- Limited-edition
Every year, Hourglass fans wait with bated breath for the brand to unveil its annual holiday palettes. Each has a unique design and contains finishing powders, bronzers, blushes, and highlighters, making them the perfect travel buddies. When combined, the various powder products create a soft-focus finish, kind of like an Instagram filter in real life. Since they’re limited editions, they sell out pretty quickly each year. If you’d still like to test a variety of Hourglass’s finishing powders in one palette, try the Ambient Lighting Palette.
Shades: 3
Size: 0.04 oz.
Ulta rating: 4.3/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Maybe I’m just dramatic, but looking at these palettes every year makes me gasp a little. There’s something so deliciously satisfying about the color arrangements and swirling your brush in them, and any resulting look appears so cohesive and radiant. There used to be only one palette released yearly, so three different intensities are an improvement. However, I do wish the brand would offer an even deeper palette to accommodate more skin tones.”—Carol Lee, ELLE.com associate beauty e-commerce writer
2
Best Glossy Balm
Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm
Pros
- Hydrating
- Non-sticky
Cons
- Some may dislike minty feeling
TikTok adores this glossy balm, and so do I. The moisturizing formula feels like a lip balm, makes your lips look like sunlit stain glass, and gently plumps the lips. Because it’s so juicy and melty, it requires the structure of the tube to keep it intact; as a result, the pen winds up but not down, so be careful not to dispense too much product at once.
Shades: 16
Size: 0.05 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.6/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Even without liner, these balms allow me to slightly overline my lips without looking obvious. Instead of looking messy or overdone, my pout looks just slightly plumper and shinier. The shade selection is glorious, too—my absolute top pick is Trace, a slightly rosy brown, but Rise, a soft beige, is a close second.”—Carol Lee
3
Best Concealer
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
Pros
- Buildable coverage
Cons
- May not be suitable for very dry skin
When you have wrinkles and fine lines, foundations and concealers are bound to crease at some point. Hourglass’s waterproof concealer, however, is as crease-resistant as it comes. Numerous reviewers testify that their under-eyes stay smooth and bright all day long. It also offers plenty of coverage and builds well upon itself.
Shades: 22
Size: 0.2 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.5/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “As someone with dryer skin, hydrating complexion products always get more use from me. I’m always amazed by how seamless this concealer looks on the skin—it never picks up on dry patches and actually creates the illusion that I have less texture on my skin than I actually do.”—Carol Lee
4
Best Powder Blush
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush
Pros
- Easy to blend
- Glowy
Cons
- Some shades may have visible sparkles
This gorgeous compact contains swirls of pigmented blush mixed with an Ambient Lighting Powder, creating a finish that’s radiant, smoothing, and blurring all at once. Depending on how intense you like your blush, you can sheer it out or build it up.
Shades: 7
Size: 0.15 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.7/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “As much as I love cream and liquid blushes now, powder ones were my first love. If given the chance, I’ll go on and on about how easy it is to blend this formula and how it adds a glow without making me look like a Tin Man. Plus, because it’s a baked formula, one of the blushes might just last you forever—I’ve had one for longer than I’d like to admit, and I’ve barely made a dent.”—Carol Lee
5
Best Pressed Eyeshadow
Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow
Pros
- High-shine finish
Cons
- Can cause some fallout
These pressed eyeshadows are so finely milled that they’re almost creamy to the touch. When you apply them, they glimmer and glow on your lids like a diamond tennis bracelet, inevitably attracting a litany of compliments. As for tools, all you really need are your fingers.
Shades: 9
Size: 0.12 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.8/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Day-to-day, my makeup looks are nothing to write home about. The most I’ll do is go for a bold lip. But if I’m going out, or there’s a special occasion that calls for some pizzazz, I’ll reach for one of these pressed glitters from Hourglass. They look pretty under sunlight and normal lighting, but they absolutely pop in a dimly lit setting, like a fancy dinner or a moody jazz club.”—Carol Lee
6
Best Stick Foundation
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
Pros
- Creamy and blendable
Cons
- Can run out quickly
The stick format of this foundation makes it easy to control the amount of coverage you get. A few swipes translate to light, tint-like coverage, while a few more swipes give you enough pigment to camouflage everything from active acne to hyperpigmentation.
Shades: 33
Size: 0.25 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.4/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Smooth, silky, and buttery are the words that come to mind when I think of this foundation. You wouldn’t think that a stick foundation would be so hydrating and blendable, but the Hourglass one definitely is. However, it’s not so moisturizing that it feels greasy and ends up melting off of your face.”—Carol Lee
7
Best Liquid Blush
Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush
Pros
- Highly pigmented
- Glowy
Cons
- Packaging can be hard to work with
2024 has truly been the year of blush launches, and when Hourglass revealed this one a few months ago, I didn’t know if it would stand out from the rest of the pack. It turns out it has a formula that appeals to not only me but the masses, thanks to an unusual serum-y formula that somehow instantly lifts and plumps the skin (in addition to adding an eye-catching glowy flush, of course).
Shades: 7
Size: 0.34 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.3/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “I know a lot of people online have complained about the dispenser for this product, but I find it pretty easy to use. I hold it upside down, press gently in the middle of the soft button, and wait for a single drop of the product to land on the back of my hand. Most times, I don’t even use the entire drop—that’s how pigmented the formula is. Also, when I’m wearing this blush, it adds such a dewy glow that I completely skip highlighter. I’ll be an Unreal Liquid Blush defender forever.”—Carol Lee
8
Best Lip Liner
Hourglass Shape & Sculpt Lip Liner
Pros
- Creamy texture
Cons
- Tip may be prone to breaking
If you haven’t already, leave bone-dry, rough lip liners in the past. Jojoba oil helps this lip pencil glide onto your lipline like warm butter on toast. Afterward, it sets down and refuses to feather or smudge, maintaining the shape and level of pigment for hours.
Shades: 7
Size: 0.4 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.7/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Because my lips are so chronically dry, I’d rather wear lip products that are creamier and more hydrating, even if that means they won’t have the longevity of a more drying formula. Hourglass’s lip liner gives me the best of both worlds—here’s to hoping for some shade expansions in the future!”—Carol Lee
9
Best Setting Powder
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Pros
- Avoids emphasizing dry spots
- Subtle glow
Cons
- Hard to get all of the product out
Think of this product as the loose powder sister of the Ambient Lighting Powder. Like its predecessor, this formula softens the look of fine lines, pores, and other types of texture and bestows upon the skin a soft glow. Additionally, it also has the added function of setting your other base products to keep them intact for longer.
Shades: 3
Size: 0.36 oz.
Nordstrom rating: 4.7/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “To tell you the truth, I did not like this powder when I had oily skin. I needed something that would absorb every last bit of sebum, and the Veil Translucent Setting Powder is not made for that. However, because I have more of a normal-to-dry skin type now, this is perfect for me. The lightweight powder sets my skin so that I’m not leaving concealer stains on people’s collars when I hug them. My skin eludes that dreaded parched, tight sensation it sometimes gets from other formulas. Thank goodness this exists.”—Carol Lee
Why Trust ELLE Beauty>
As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, beauty writer Carol Lee tested Hourglass products over the course of several years, perused reviews for dozens of popular options, and evaluated each on their features and customer reviews.
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