Hourglass Immaculate Foundation; Review & Swatches of Shades

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation

(Mattifying Oil Free Makeup)

Price: $60 per ounce

CRUELTY FREE!!!

Hourglass is a brand that is popping up more and more in recent years having carved out their corner of the luxury cosmetics market with their Fluid Veil Foundation, their great primers, and more recently, the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation Oil-Free, Mattifying Makeup!

That name just sounds great doesn't it? Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation. It paints such a sophisticated, eloquent picture of what can be achieved by using Immaculate, the only negative side effect could be that it sets unrealistic expectations...

Liquid-Powder Foundations are a relatively new sub-genre of foundations. The utilize advanced silicone technology and instead of forming a single layer of foundation over your skin the micro-milled particles form very thin, almost undetectable, layers of product that mesh with your skin seamlessly. Well formulated liquid-powder foundations are definitely a shining example of how far foundations have come and Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder is no exception.

The problem with Liquid-Powder foundations is that it's very easy for cosmetic companies to cheat and add large amounts of alcohol to aid in blendability, (L'Oreal Magic Nude, Maybelline Dream Wonder, and YSL Fusion Ink are all prime examples.) 

Hourglass chose the liquid to powder road less traveled and decided to make a well formulated liquid-powder foundation that won't harm skin and will provide flawless coverage and all day perfection. Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation is the finished product and its a great one.

Hourglass says that Immaculate-

• is an Oil-free formula transforms from liquid to powder and dries down instantly to a longwearing velvet matte finish that never looks dull, flat or cakey.
•includes the ingredient Cashmere Kaolinite Clay plays an integral role. The advanced new clay has been shown to absorb 75% of its weight in sebum while retaining moisture in the skin.
• has an Unparalleled velvet matte finish eliminates the need for powder, blotting papers or constant touchups throughout the day.
• has a weightless, airy and mousse-like texture

Hourglass Immaculate is certainly a unicorn in the cosmetic world- if for no other reason than each of the 4 claims are actually true! 

1. Immaculate IS an oil-free formula which DOES instantly transform from a (thick) liquid to a powder with a long-wearing velvet matte finish that really doesn't look dull, flat or cakey.
2. The inclusion of Cashmere Kaolinite Clay may or may not be the cause, but Immaculate does do a fabulous of absorbing oil. I personally think that the inclusion of superstar silicone Polymethylsilsesquioxane (the main ingredient in trend-setter Mally Poreless Face Defender) helps quite a bit with the matte, powdery finish.
3. The finish is a fabulous matte finish and I can't see anyone actually needing blotting papers or powder, but if someone does need them, it will surely only be a fraction of the amount they would typically use. Hourglass says you won't need "constant" touch-ups throughout the day, which is certainly true. Any touch-ups you do need will depend on how much you apply and your skin type. Those with normal-dry skin will likely need some sort of hydration for their skin at the 3/4 mark of their day, but that's to be expected since this is really a formula designed for normal/oily/combination skin types.
4. The texture is absolutely weightless, airy and mousse-like. The initial texture is on the thicker side, and you do need to work quickly.

Because of the unique texture and formula of Hourglass Immaculate Foundation, it does take a bit of practice getting the hang of the application process, but once you get it- you've got it, and you'll likely never look back. Here's some tips from Hourglass about how to apply Immaculate Foundation-

1. Remove black cap from bottle and discard. Insert pump and screw on tightly.

2. Prep complexion with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

3. For best results, apply Immaculate with the Hourglass Nº 2 Foundation Brush or Retractable Kabuki Brush. Apply one pump to the back of the hand, and load product evenly onto the brush.

4. Using circular strokes, apply and buff the product onto the face, loading the brush as needed. Work quickly, as Immaculate immediately transforms from liquid to powder as you blend.

5. Sponge application is not recommended.

This is another rarity in the cosmetic world- the company How-To is actually worth listening to!

You certainly do want to prep before using Immaculate. You can use Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer but you don't have to use Veil Mineral Primer. You want to use a moisturizer or primer with sunscreen obviously, and you certainly can use Veil Mineral Primer, but if that's your only source of sun protection you must apply liberally and applying too much may not provide the best results. The key here is, unlike many foundations which require that you prep with a drying or powdery primer if you have oily skin, with Hourglass Immaculate you are doing the precise opposite and you are prepping with an emollient primer or moisturizer to aid in blending Immaculate. Believe you me, that extra few seconds of blending time you'll get from prepping will be needed- especially if you're seeking medium or full coverage which is easily achieved with Immaculate!

The great thing about Immaculate, especially in the summer, is that if your favorite Sunscreen has a wet or greasy finish that doesn't agree with your oily skin, that problem is virtually eliminted and you can use almost any prepping product you want-(provided it has enough moisture!)

Hourglass suggests applying Immaculate with their No 2 Foundation Brush or Retractable Kabuki Brush, both of which work well, but again, you don't have to go spend $60 on an Hourglass brush. Any Full Kabuki or Flat Top Brush will work equally well as long as it is full enough and has synthetic bristles. Your standard stippling brush probably won't be enough because Hourglass Immaculate is just too thick for it to get the job done, but any of the brushes from brands like EcoTools will be fine and those are only $6 each.

I have used my fingers as well in a pinch and they work decently. They don;t deliver the airbrushed look you get with a brush, but its a far superior finish to many foundations on the market so its really all relative. Do be sure to NOT use a foundation sponge with Immaculate. The just don't work well for this kind of formula and when you're spending this much on a foundation, you probably want it to end up on your face instead of a $.10 sponge!

In addition to proper prepping, your best friend when using Immaculate is speed. Work quickly and start in sections until you get the hang of application. Hourglass Immaculate isn't the most forgiving liquid to powder foundation in that regard and it does morph into a powder exceptionally fast so you don't want to buff over the same area more than once.

The shade range of Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation is similar to that Hourglass Veil Fluid Foundation and will suit light-deep skintones. If you have very porcelain skin, you may find that it oxidizes a bit too much once it sets, but if you have pink undertones, you may find Vanilla workable.

The shade range is not necessarily listed by Hourglass in order from Light-Dark so you do want to look closely at the swatches or ideally, test in store before purchase & get a sample. The lightest shade pearl is not actually the lightest shade but its close to it. Because Hourglass did such a good job accommodating different undertones, its hard to tell if one shade is lighter or just brighter than another.

I would say Vanilla is the lightest and brightest shade but it has very strong pink undertones.

Pearl and Porcelain would have to be tied for the next slot. Porcelain has VERY yellow undertones where as Pearl has more of a neutral undertone.

Shell initially appears to be the lightest shade when its still wet, but it quickly dries down to its respective position of about 4th lightest shade with neutral undertones.

Natural is deeper than Shell but they have the same undertones.

Ivory is just about anything but ivory in color, although it does have yellow undertones.

The same pattern of undertones continues for the remaining 10 shades but they get more consistent and less extreme so you have a little more room to play around. Just keep in mind, that the pictures below were all taken when the swatches were wet and each shade does dry considerable darker (which is standard for this type of formula.)

I know the price of Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation isn't exactly an attraction, and believe me, I was really hesitant to spend it, (especially since they really don't have a shade light enough for me), but I wanted a bullet-proof matte finish foundation that would last all day in the summer and work well with any sunscreen, and I found that with Immaculate. It really is one of the ultimate foundations for those with oily skin and if you fit in that category or you work outside and sweat in a hot, humid, climate, you have to try Immaculate as it's truly one of the ultimate foundations for your skin type.

If you have normal or dry skin you may find that Immaculate is too much of an "extreme" and you may want to consider Hourglass Veil Fluid Makup Oil-Free Foundation which is a bit more balanced. Both Hourglass Foundations work very well with Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer Stick and no matter which formula you try, remember not to feel too guilty because Hourglass is Cruelty Free!

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation; Swatches of Shades;
Pearl, Vanilla, Porcelain, Shell, Natural, Ivory, Nude, Golden,
Light Beige, Sand, Tan, Honey, Beige, Warm Beige, Sable, Chestnut

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation Swatches of Shades;
Pearl, Vanilla, Porcelain, Shell, Natural, Ivory, Nude, Golden,
Light Beige, Sand, Tan, Honey, Beige, Warm Beige, Sable, Chestnut

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid-Powder Foundation Swatches of Shades;
Pearl, Vanilla, Porcelain, Shell, Natural, Ivory, Nude, Golden,
Light Beige, Sand, Tan, Honey, Beige, Warm Beige, Sable, Chestnut