It took me several months to form my opinion about the Hourglass Illusion Tinted Mositurizer. But I am finally ready to share my thoughts.

‘Illusion’ comes in a gorgeous shimmering golden bottle which is pretty heavy and looks properly luxurious which is always a bonus.

I have a shade called Ivory which is a second lightest shade which has a yellow under-tone to it. There are six shades in general and each retails for £45/ $55.

The brand promises a visibly tighten and lifted skin within an hour, intense moisturising and hydration (thanks to hyaluronic) which minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This product is also water-resistant and free of oils, fragrance, paraben, gluten, sulfate and phtalate.

As you know, I love Hourglass so was  hoping to love this product, too!

So here is my opinion…

Although I have the second lightest shade, it is a bit dark for my skin tone in winter and is a bit to yellow but I find that it adapts to the skin tone and  you can’t see the difference in some time. That really impressed me.

It does feel

I can honestly spend hours looking at the close ups of the makeup from the red carpet. It gives a lot of inspiration! This is why I was very excited to look at all the MET Gala photos.

I actually have details on how to get the look of Mary-Kate Olsen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Bosworth and Kirsten Dunst.

It does not mean that you have to copy their looks but you can use it as your inspiration.

Kate Bosworth

Makeup by Pati Dubroff for NARS

“We created really glowing skin with a strong matte brow, and matte lip. It’s all about the lip!” said Dubroff.

 Face

•  Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF30/PA+++
• Penny Lane Cream Blush
• Douceur Blush

 Eyes

•  Panama Eyebrow Pencil
• Rue Saint-Honore Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner
• All About Eve Duo Eyeshadow
• Blue Bayou Eyeliner Stylo

Lips

• Volga Pure Matte Lipstick

Mary-Kate Olsen

“Mary-Kate wanted her makeup to look tonal, earthy and utterly feminine,” says makeup artist Molly R. Stern. “It’s very modern and matte. The secret to pulling it off is imbuing the cheeks with a spot of color.”

Skin

Molly first hydrated the skin with Natura Bisse C+C Vitamin Cream and primed with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer to ensure the longevity of her makeup. She followed with Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup in Ivory for light, sheer coverage and created a matte finish with Oxygen Mineral Powder #2.

 Cheeks

To create contour and warmth in the cheeks, Molly first applied the bronze shade of Hourglass Illume Crème-To-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset to the base of the cheek bone. She then used Hourglass Aura Sheer Cheek Stain in Petal on the apples of the cheeks and blended the two products. “With a look as neutral as this you need to give the cheeks some life,” she says.

 Eyes

Molly combined the two shades of Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy with the taupe shade from Hourglass Vol. 6 Eye Shadow Palette to add depth and shadow to the eye crease and top and bottom lash line. For more intensity, she lined the inside of the upper lash line with Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eye Liner in Cognac, a chocolate shade. For an understated lash look, Molly applied Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer to the bottom lashes only, leaving the top ones bare. “I wanted to subtly tint the lower lashes,” she says, explaining why she used the lash topcoat.

Lips

To create a berry stain, Molly pressed Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick in Nocturnal, a plum wine shade, into the center of her top and bottom lip. “The goal was to make it look like she had been eating berries,” says Molly.  She added, “Mary-Kate is an amazing collaborator who likes to push the boundaries.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

Makeup artist Emma Lovell drew inspiration from Gwyneth Paltrow’s dramatic Prada dress and her tight chignon when devising the star’s luminous look.

“We focused on the

Remember my post with a preview of Hourglass’ 28 Primer Serum?

Here is what Hourglass say about it:

“It’s a hydrating oil blend that nurtures skin as it prepares it for makeup. The “28″ refers to the many beneficial botanical ingredients (Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus & more) – it’s pretty much heaven in a bottle!Water resistant and it’s suitable for all skin types! ”

“It is a silky, luxurious oil blend that glides on to create a retexturized surface for foundation, hydrates the complexion and triggers a sensory experience with a host of fragrant essential oils. Suitable for all skin types. Formulated with 28 beneficial ingredients (14 essential oils, 10 lipid-rich oils and 4 vitamins).”

Sounds amazing to me. In the US it should be available in May (at Sephora). I assume the price will be around $50. So  we may get it before summer, too (Zuneta or Liberty).

I  know that a lot of readers love to know the details about the red carpet looks, and so do I actually, so I am happy to share on how to get the looks of Shailene Woodley, Claire Danes, Anna Paquin and Amy Adams at the Oscars.

 Shailene Woodley

Makeup artist Stephen Sollitto used products by Hourglass Cosmetics to create a suitably polished look that complemented the actress’s chic updo and elegant Valentino gown, and evoked big-time allure.

“Today is a special day for Shailene and so I wanted to use a little more makeup than what she typically wears,” says Stephen. “Her look is about luminous skin, defined eyes and a sophisticated palette of coppers and bronzes. She looked exquisite yet still young, fresh and fashionable.”

 Skin: Stephen began by prepping Shailene’s skin with Hourglass’s best-selling Veil Mineral Primer to create a smooth canvas for makeup and ensure a flawless finish with real longevity. He followed with Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Shell, which imbues skin with luminosity, and Hidden Corrective Concealer in Fair, an undetectable cover-up.

Cheeks: To add warmth, he contoured Shailene’s cheekbones with Hourglass Superficial Waterproof Bronzer, a silky powder that withstands high humidity, sweeping the product to her temples, hair line, nose and chin. He then applied a dusty rose blush and finished with the highlighter from Hourglass Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Bronze Light for a gorgeous glow.

 Eyes: Stephen lined her eyes with Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eye Liner in Cognac, a rich brown shade. Before adding eye shadow, Stephen applied Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara to gauge the darkness of her eyes. He also swept Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer at the roots of the lashes for drama, thickness and inky black sheen. Stephen then covered the entire lid of the eye with the cream shimmer shade of Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Suede to reflect light. Last, he applied the copper shade from Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy for a dose of dramatic color.

Lips: Stephen lined the lips with Hourglass Trace Lip Liner in Bare, and followed with Hourglass Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss in Eden for a peachy beige sheen.

And as for the hair style, it was created by Campbell McAuley for MATRIX

 INSPIRATION: To compliment her Valentino Couture gown, stylist Campbell McAuley wanted to give Shailene a simple, glamorous hairstyle that would really pop. The high neckline and pattern of the fabric inspired a 70’s style textured chignon with a Moroccan twist. The wrapped pieces of the chignon were intended to mirror the textures of the dress.

STEP-BY-STEP:

•   Starting with wet hair, applied MATRIX Total Results Amplify Wonder Boost Root Lifter to give the base of the hair volume
•  Blowdried hair with a round brush to smooth the texture
•   Set hair in Velcro rollers for one hour
•  Removed rollers, brushed out curls and worked MATRIX Total Results Sleek Silk Wonder Smoothing Oil from roots to end for shine
•  Gathered all hair into a textured ponytail at the crown of the head
•  Twisted small sections of the ponytail and wrapped them up to the base of the hair to make a round shape
•  Half way through, wrapped remaining sections around the round shape to give it a criss-cross texture
•  Finished with MATRIX Design Pulse Hard Lock Hairspray to hold the style in place

And here is also how you can re-create the looks from the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Anna Paquin

True Blood star Anna Paquin’s dramatic Pucci dress was the catalyst for her equally compelling makeup. “For me the retro dress, with its mini hemline, open back and swirling gold print, brings to mind the 60s,” says makeup artist Amy Nadine. “So we embraced the idea with smoldering eyes and heavy lashes.” Before attending the Vanity Fair event, Anna was at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Viewing Party.

Skin: Amy began by moisturizing the skin with Kate Somerville Oil-free Moisturizer. She followed with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer to prep Anna’s skin for makeup. She then evened out her skin tone with Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation in Shell, applying it to her face and neck. She concealed under the eyes with Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Fair.

Cheeks: She applied the bronze shade of Hourglass Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset to the hollows of Anna’s cheeks to contour the face, and then dusted the pink shade lightly on her cheekbones. She then blended the foundation back over the cheek shades to create a flush of color effect.

Eyes: She used CoverGirl’s Smoky Eye Shadow Blast in Bronze Fire on the lid and crease, then defined the lash line with Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eye Liner in Cognac. She gave Anna’s lashes two coats of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara and applied individual medium lashes for a 60s-like lash effect. Last, she coated the lashes with Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer for extra drama.

Lips: She lined the lips with Hourglass Trace Lip Liner in Secret, and then added Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick in Edition, a soft pink shimmer. Anna also carried the lipstick in her purse for touch ups.

 Claire Danes

Homeland star Claire Danes just back from a vacation, looked radiant in a lacy, Valentino gown. “I wanted Claire’s makeup to be a fresh counterpoint to her gorgeous dress,” says makeup artist Jenn Streicher. “Her hair was in a loose bun, her skin was golden and the makeup was

I really like the  High Shine Lip Gloss from Hourglass Cosmetics.

The shade that I have is called  Fortune and it’s a very unique colour, or at least I don’t have anything like that. I would describe it as a warm duochrome metallic peachy pink.

The gloss comes with a brush which, as I find, applies the gloss evenly and precisely.  The brand promises  hydrating formula and it does glide on the lips easily and smoothly without enhancing the dry patches, lips definitely feel and look better. And it is a great bonus for winter!

I don’t find the formula to be  sticky but it does have a rather strong scent which some lip products have; but I personally don’t mind at all.

I hope you can see how beautiful and