Makeup Monday: Hourglass Aura Lip and Cheek Stains Spring 2011

I'm still super behind on all my reviews... Who knew that two weeks off would put me so far behind? I have tons of stuff still waiting to be posted (and emails to answer, eep)... I'm guessing that the only way to catch up is to just post as much as possible, and I'm thinking that I'll try to make Monday my makeup reviews day, hence the "Makeup Monday" in the title.

So! Here's the latest creation from Hourglass Cosmetics.

There are two new stain products: a cheek stain and a lip stain.

The Aura Sheer Lip Stain comes in such a pretty box. Reflective metallic packaging always catches my eye.


The product packaging itself is gorgeous, too. A heavy, luxurious feeling dark metal tube.


When the cap is removed, you can see the color of the stain through a clear plastic section in the neck. It's a click pen style dispenser with a fuzzy plastic applicator.

If you look closely, you can see the little holes that the product comes through. Though the tip looks soft, it's actually just a fuzzy coating over solid plastic.



It takes quite a few twists/clicks, but once you get the product flowing, it comes up through the tip of the pen.


The Aura cheek stain comes in similar packaging, just on a bigger scale:


A big, chubby tube with a soft cotton domed applicator.



Like the lip stain, it looks soft and spongy but it's really just a cloth coating over plastic. The cheek stain applicator is different from the lip stain one because the cotton covering absorbs the stain to help you blend and disperse it.

Twist the base of the tube and the cheek stain comes up through the top.


Here is what they look like swatched heavily on the skin, directly from the tubes, no base. The shade is Flush in both the cheek and the lip stain. Flush cheek stain is on the left, Flush lip stain is on the right.

The lip stain has a very light texture. It's thin, but thick enough not to be runny, which I suppose could be considered a gel texture. It's not thick or sticky at all. When you apply it, it feels cold and wet with a slight menthol tingle, and within seconds it's completely dry. It leaves almost no residue on the lips, it just sinks in and disappears.

It lasts a super long time. That's the beauty of a stain. You apply it once and it just stays there. No touchups. It doesn't transfer at all. The only thing it doesn't last through is eating.

The lip stain has a subtle minty scent and a very slightly bitter flavor. It's a taste typical of every lip stain I've ever tried.

It's not moisturizing and it's not glossy. It's just a matte natural tint on the lips. Because of this, you may need to apply balm afterward, or if you want a glossy look, apply some gloss on top.

As for the cheek stain, it's extremely similar in almost every aspect. Same light, cool water-based texture. Same super fast dry time. It only lacks the minty tingle of the lip stain.

The light texture feels really nice, but being so light also has a downside. It dries so fast that it can be hard to blend. You have to work very quickly. It stays wet longer if you apply and blend straight from the applicator, but you get better color and control if you blend it with your fingers.

The cheek stain is easiest to blend over bare moisturized skin. It blends well over tinted moisturizer or over a tinted primer. It gets harder to blend over traditional liquid foundation and almost impossible to blend over a powder mineral foundation. The slicker and smoother the base, the easier it is to blend and apply.

Once it's on, it lasts all day and looks extremely natural. Because of the water-based formula, it sinks into your skin and looks like a natural flush. The shade I have- which is actually called Flush- is a pink with coral tint, and in my case, looks a little too natural: it's the exact color my face is when I get sunburned.

It's nothing like a creme blush or a Tarte cheek stain, so it took me a few tries to get the hang of applying it. It's not slick or oily, not creamy, not sticky, not powdery. It's very light and thin and wet like water, unlike any cheek stain I've used before. It dries very very very fast. It doesn't look shiny and there's no sparkle or shimmer. It's sheer and lets your skin show through, but at the same time, the color is intense.

Though, I think my favorite part has to be that gorgeous packaging. The shiny metal tube that feels cool and heavy.... It feels expensive. Because, well, it is expensive. The Aura Cheek Stain is $45 for .27oz and the Aura Lip Stain is $26 for .1 oz. Just for reference, here's the ingredient lists for both products:

Aura Sheer Cheek Stain
All shades contain:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopherol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Diisostearyl Malate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Mica (Ci 77019), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Red 30 (Ci 73360), Barium Sulfate (Ci 77120).

Aura Sheer Lip Stain
All shades contain:
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Capryl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Flavor, Tetrasodium Edta, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Fd&C Yellow 5 (Ci 19140), Fd&C Blue 1 (Ci 142090), D&C Red 33 (Ci 17200).


I have one more Hourglass product to review and I think you'll freak when you see it. I know I did.

(These were sent to me for review.)