After trying Hourglass Primer a few weeks ago, I’ve decided to go ahead and try another product from Hourglass. Today’s review? Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free. First, the name of this product is very long but pretty accurate. I went to Sephora three times to get free samples of this foundation because it runs at about $55 a bottle before taxes. Yes, this price is high. But is it worth it? You’ll see.
I did a lot of research on this foundation before I decided to try it. I have oily skin, so I have always had a problem finding a liquid foundation that I really liked. I’d tried all the other cult favorites and was tremendously underwhelmed. Nothing controlled the oil in my skin and nothing ever stayed looking matte. I always looked shiny, which was upsetting because I am a huge fan of using highlighters (which just made the shine worse!) When I was just about to lose hope, my friend told me that she used the Hourglass immaculate foundation and that it helped her with her oily skin. Without having any thoughts that the foundation would actually work, I went to Sephora and picked up samples (my color is Warm Beige).
In order to apply the foundation, I learned that it must be put onto the skin quickly because, as a mattifying foundation, it dries quickly to a matte finish that feels more like a powder and less like a liquid foundation. Because it dries so quickly, it’s a better idea to apply this foundation with a synthetic brush than with your fingers. In order to apply it to my skin, I dotted the foundation on the back of my hand and then transferred it to my face, then buffed it in using the Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki brush. This brush is great for applying this foundation because it presses the foundation into the skin and gives a very nice, even coat of application. I did not try to apply this foundation with a Beauty Blender because first, I don’t have once since my skin is so oily and second, this foundation has a powder finish, which isn’t the best mix with a Beauty Blender.
In one coat, there’s a light-to-medium coverage and in two coats you’ll get complete coverage. This foundation does cover redness from veins and broken capillaries, but doesn’t do a fantastic job covering hormonal redness around the nose in one coat. However, it evens out blemish and spots very well; it doesn’t crease under the eyes and feels very breathable and lightweight. It grabs other makeup very well, so blush, bronzer and highlighter stay on a bit better. It also doesn’t need a setting powder at all–I found that I didn’t need to blot my foundation at all during the day. I stayed matte but still had enough glow that my face didn’t look flat.
Also, this foundation works better with primer, but primer is not necessary. Since this foundation is made for people with more oily skin, it is made to stay on oily skin, so obviously it works well without primer. However, like all foundations, it does stay a little better and looks a little smoother with primer. I tried this with three different primers and can say it works the best with the Hourglass Primer, as the primer gives the foundation a more even and flat surface to cling to.
A big drawback of this foundation is that it can only be used with people who don’t tend to have dry patches. If this foundation is applied over dry spots, they will look even worse than they already do. It will make them very noticeable. If you get dry spots and still want to try this foundation, make sure to use a heavy moisturizer before bed to prevent dry patches.The only other thing about this foundation that could be bothersome to some people is that it is very waterproof. Many people’s face washing routine is only using face wash and then rinsing, which doesn’t work with this foundation. Even when primer is worn with this foundation, I find that because it adheres so well to the skin, washing it off can be a little bit difficult. My recommendation is to remove this foundation by allowing your pores to open first: use hot water or steam yourself in the shower and then shower to get the foundation off.When using warm water and Cetaphil face wash, I still had foundation rub off onto my hand towel when I dried my face. The next time I used hotter water and splashed my face a few more times in order to make sure my pores were fully opened and had no trouble removing the foundation.
This foundation is heaven in a bottle. It mimics the look of skin, which something that I really like because it prevents cake face. It never looks shiny and it doesn’t contain SPF, so it prevents oily-skinned girls (like me) from an awkward shine in photos. It doesn’t even look like I have makeup on. The packaging is also very nice and it has a pump, which makes it a little bit easier to figure out how much foundation must be applied. I’ve also noticed that it has helped my skin become a little bit more smooth and more healthy. Even without makeup, people have started to ask me which foundation that I’m wearing, and I’m convinced it’s because of this foundation. Immaculate is also transfer free, meaning if you want to cuddle into your boyfriend’s shirt it will stay makeup free. So the answer to my earlier question? The foundation, if you are like me and don’t tend to like liquid foundation and have very oily skin, is 100% worth the $55 it costs (But I may wait until the VIB sale to purchase it).