Hey there, I’m Jess ✨. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.
Disclaimer: this content is not sponsored nor affiliated - I pay for everything that I use myself. This independence allows me to tell you what I have been loving the most with unbiased honesty.
There is nothing I love more than entering a department store at its beauty level, stroll past a brand and have a makeup artist ask me if I'd like to know more.
This is what happened when I was at Le Bon Marché and I discovered the Victoria Beckham Beauty brand. A few months later, the same happened when I was strolling by the Hourglass counter in the same department store.
Hourglass Cosmetics was founded in 2004 by beauty industry veteran Carisa Janes. It is a luxury cruelty-free beauty brand specializing in high-performance, science-backed makeup. Known for its innovative, skin-loving formulas and sleek gold and dark burgundy packaging, the brand became fully vegan in 2020 and is acclaimed for its brushes, powders and primers.
I had tried an Hourglass mascara many years ago but I could not say I was truly familiar with the brand. I also knew Andreea Ali, my makeup muse, loved their brushes, as well as Alexandra Leclerc.
At the counter, I was approached by the lovely Melanie, a gorgeous Parisian makeup artist who wanted to know if I was interested in their Veil skin tint, a lighter foundation that I would soon find would melt on my skin. I sat at the counter and I told Melanie to try anything she wanted on me and she took on the challenge.
Hourglass Glow Foundation and Veil Skin Tint - I shade matched and tried the Veil Skin Tint
What is unique about Hourglass's Curator Eye Shadow Palette?
For my eyes, Melanie introduced me to the Curator collection from Hourglass with a palette you can customise with the shades that suit you best, out of 40 shades available. You can opt for a 1-, 3- or 5-pan refillable palette and I chose the 3-pan, to create a dégradé gradient palette with my favourite nude hues but mindful I already have several eye shadows back at home (these creamy ones are my favourite).
What else is worth a try at Hourglass?
I took the opportunity to go beyond foundation and try their powder highlighters, blush and brow products. I fell completely in love with the Ambient palette shades, the instant glow and sculpting was beyond. I also loved their lip products, as I only started paying attention to my lip wear while looking at my dull lips in countless videocalls. I started wanting them to pop and have been loving the lining + lipstick combo.
Melanie convinced me to try their Phantom volumizing gloss and I am not used to seeing my lips glowing. It's amazing how your whole look immediately looks more vibrant with a bit of shimmer in your lips. I guessed my matte lipstick days would be over...
Everything I tried at the Hourglass counter at Le Bon Marché in Paris
Last but not least: let's talk about the Hourglass brushes!
Andreea Ali was right - as always. The Hourglass brushes are beyond! They are soft, comfortable and make product application an exquisite experience. And I am saying that knowing I apply most of my products with the tip of my fingers - I just learned it that way and it's easier for me. But Hourglass changed the game for me and I just can't imagine applying my concealer without my Ambient Soft Glow Foundation brush anymore. Yes, you read that right. I love its biseauté - angled - side and I feel it's so comfortable and soft to gently tap the concealer under my eyes. And yes, I got the concealer brush, but prefer it that way. When I shared this with Melanie a few months later, she said we should use the brushes we love the way we see fit for us, not what the packaging tells us to do. Love it!
My final haul at Hourglass
As I picked all the products and Melanie passed them on the scanner, I just could not believe the total amount. But it was too late and I was committed. I took it all home and I have been playing a lot with the products and the techniques Melanie showed me.
After checkout, Melanie offered me a gorgeous Hourglass leather pouch with mirror in a protective velvet case and mini makeup to take on a future trip. The products are gorgeous and yet another chance to try more about the brand.
What I brought back home from Hourglass
- Foundation: Veil Tint hydrating skin 9
- Concealer: Vanish shade Dune 7.5
- Powder: Veil translucent setting Medium
- Palette: with highlighter, blush and bronzer: Ambient light unlocked fox
- Eyeliners: in shades Chestnut and Cave
- Mascara: Instant Extense in shade Ultra Black
- Eye shadows: the Curator palette with three shades: doe, pro, lux
- Brow Pencil: Sculpt in shade Dark Brunette
- Brow Gel: shade clear
- Lip products: Sculpt and Phantom Gloss duo shade 125
The brushes:
- Tapered blender n°6 brush
- Foundation ambient soft glow brush
- Smudge n°11 brush
- Concealer seamless finish brush
- Veil powder brush
In the pouch they offered:
- a mirror in a velvet case
- a mini Vanish airbrush primer setting spray
- a mini Equilibrium Intensive Hydrating Eye Balm
- a mini translucent setting Veil powder
- a mini Unlocked mascara
- a mini Unlocked matte lipstick
In my latest trip to Paris in 2026, I went back and saw Melanie again. She told me about the liquid highlighters they were about to launch and I just purchased another Phantom Gloss - this time in the shade Invite 80, a gorgeous rosy brown with a pearl finish. I have been using most of the products every day and they are an integral part of my daily makeup rotation.
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