Second look: Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

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A few things happened yesterday that made me want to have another look at this foundation. For one, I saw that my original post on it is still getting lots of views, even though the photos are fairly awful. Two, I had already decided to pick up a new bottle of it now that the heat and humidity are cranking up.

Also, I heard (via Belly at Wondegondigo) that Gilt City had half off vouchers for Space NK, and a 20% off code (WELCOME20). So I used that to snag the $100 voucher for 40 bucks, then used the voucher to order my foundation plus the Hourglass retractable foundation brush. Usually the best deal you can get on Hourglass stuff is during Sephora’s fall 20% off sale, so I thought that was a bargain too good to pass up. Note: SpaceNK doesn’t accept returns of opened products, so bear that in mind.

So after a whole year and a whole bottle, here are some updated thoughts.

Packaging

The heavy glass bottle for this foundation feels super-luxe, though that does make it a little less travel-friendly (but it’s 1oz, so the TSA shouldn’t mind). It’s really sturdy, and I’ve dropped it many times with no ill effects. It does end up being a ‘display piece’ though, because it’s too thick to fit in a slim Muji drawer. Once you get toward the bottom, the bottle needs to be standing up in order to get the product out anyway.

Colors

It still comes in 16 shades that range from pretty pale to quite dark. The one shown above is Sand, which is left over from my last bottle. I’m much less tan now than I was at this time last year, so Sand is a bit too dark for me; I re-matched myself over the weekend and settled on Natural as my new color. For reference I’m about NW25/Chanel B30.

It’s also worth a mention that this foundation does tend to oxidize on me, and that’s a pretty common thing according to the Sephora SA who made a sample for me. On me it gets dark, not orange, but your mileage may vary. I’d strongly suggest getting a sample if you can before you fork over the cash for it.

Texture, application & wear

No makeup, to show you what we’re working with these days

Wearing the shade Natural, with Guerlain Meteorites

My opinions on the formula are still pretty much the same as they always were. It’s a thick, almost pudding-y consistency but feels very light on the skin. It’s sort of a tricky foundation to apply, since it sets so quickly. You need to work in sections, blend quickly (I like to dab it on with the Shiseido foundation brush) and any coverage-building needs to be done before you move onto the next section of your face.

Once it’s on, it’s totally worth it. The finish looks very natural, and is really a true matte foundation. If shine is your enemy, this is for you. I usually add a bit of finishing powder (either Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder or Guerlain Meteorites in Clair) since I like to have a little bit of glow. True to their word, this stuff really does stay shine-free all day. The picture above? That’s about 13 hours after I put my makeup on. No touchups (except to lipstick), no blotting. This is on a day that was 87 degrees with 74% humidity. My skin isn’t as oily as it used to be, but it does still get pretty shiny if I leave it on its own, so that’s quite a feat. It doesn’t get powdery as the day wears on, and it doesn’t dehydrate my skin the way some oil-absorbing products do.

In Short: Still the best foundation I’ve found for controlling oil.

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation ($55) is available at sephora.com and spacenk.com