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| Above: The freshly-released Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint…this tinted moisturizer is magnificent. |
I have loved the Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer (also featured HERE) for years. Early on in my foundation journey (well before starting this blog), I was delighted to discover that this formula, which I wore in the shade Ivory, offered supreme medium to full coverage while still looking entirely natural. After dealing with standard tinted moisturizers that offered little to no coverage, stumbling upon the Hourglass version was a delight. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical when I heard that this gorgeous formula was to be repackaged. Would it be as good as the original? I am pleased to confirm that the Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint is indeed as good (if not better!) than the first installment, if only now because it comes in new shades and is housed in a terribly purse-friendly (as opposed to a luxe, but heavy, glass bottle) tube!
Kindly scroll on for more details, swatches of every shade, images of the formula in action as well as the Bottom Line…
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| Above: The new packaging feaures a slender, purse-friendly tube. |
Official details…courtesy of Sephora:
What it is:
A travel-friendly foundation that reduces the appearance of fine lines and hydrates to leave skin glowing.
What it does:
Fortified with Hourglass’ Hyaluronan Complex, Illusion® supports skin by plumping fine lines and wrinkles and relieving dryness. Formulated with an advanced form of hyaluronic acid, this foundation disguises deep wrinkles over the course of a day, and its pearlescent pigments leave the complexion with an ultravibrant glow.
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates
What else you need to know:
Carisa Janes wanted to create a supremely hydrating, firming, and illuminating foundation that was an instant remedy for lackluster skin.. This fall, it is reborn in a lightweight, travel-friendly tube, and new shades have been added to accommodate a wider range of skin tones.
A travel-friendly foundation that reduces the appearance of fine lines and hydrates to leave skin glowing.
What it does:
Fortified with Hourglass’ Hyaluronan Complex, Illusion® supports skin by plumping fine lines and wrinkles and relieving dryness. Formulated with an advanced form of hyaluronic acid, this foundation disguises deep wrinkles over the course of a day, and its pearlescent pigments leave the complexion with an ultravibrant glow.
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates
What else you need to know:
Carisa Janes wanted to create a supremely hydrating, firming, and illuminating foundation that was an instant remedy for lackluster skin.. This fall, it is reborn in a lightweight, travel-friendly tube, and new shades have been added to accommodate a wider range of skin tones.
Ingredients:
-Octinoxate 7.0%: Sunscreen.
-Octisalate 4.0%: Sunscreen.
-Titanium Dioxide 4.0%: Sunscreen.
Alumina, Butylene Glycol, Calcium Carbonate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 DImethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gycerin, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton), Hexyl Laurate, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Mica, Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl, Tetraisostearate, Pheoxyethanol, Polyethylacrylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Carbonate, Quaternium-90, Bentonite, Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Tribehenin, Triethoxylcaprylylsilane, Water. May Contain (+/): Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
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| Above: The squeeze tube tip allows for precise dispensing of the formula…no waste! |
My Thoughts: As aforementioned, this tinted moisturizer is unlike any TM formula I have ever experienced, even after years of product trials! The coverage is just so effortlessly medium to full; there is no need to “build it up” and, despite having a brilliant ability to diminish imperfections, it does not look (or feel, I might add) obvious.
I prefer to buff a pea sized amount onto my face with a dampened Beauty Blender and am always stunned by the coverage this small quantity imparts. The formula feels slightly “fluffy” but blends like a dream, smoothing over the skin and becoming one with the canvas. Its cushiony texture makes the skin look impossibly smooth, banishing fine lines, pronounced pores and other undesirable skin issues. The end result is perfectly even skin with a slightly glowy natural finish.
There is absolutely no added fragrance with this tinted moisturizer (excellent!) and it has in no way irritated my extremely sensitive skin. Despite the formidable coverage, this does not feel heavy…my skin actually feels like it can breathe, even on days when I wear it from dawn until dusk.
Also, I believe the wear time of the new formula to be significantly improved. The lasting power of the original formula was respectable, clocking in a between five and six hours of wear before requiring a touch up. However, with the new skin tint, I easily get seven to nine hours of comfortable wear…exceptional!
In sum, this is a marvelous option for someone looking for the ease and utility of tinted moisturizer coupled with the coverage and performance of a luxurious foundation…highly recommended.
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| Above: Shades of Illusion…so lovely. |
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| Above: Swatches of the lighter shades in natural indoor lighting (by a window). |
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| Above: Swatches of the lighter shades in direct sunlight. |
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| Above: Swatches of the lighter shades in the shade. |
Shade Descriptions (per my experience):
- Vanilla: Very light beige for fair skin with neutral undertones (@N/NW/NC 10-15)
- Shell: Light beige for fair skin with neutral to pink undertones (@N/NW 15)
- Ivory: Light beige for light skin with neutral to yellow undertones (@N/NC 20)
- Golden: Light beige for light-medium skin with neutral to yellow undertones (@N/NC 25) **My current match
- Nude: Light beige for light-medium skin with neutral to pink undertones (@N/NW 20-23)
- Warm Ivory: Light beige for light skin with neutral to yellow undertones (@N/NC 23) **Likely my match for the winter
- Light Beige: Medium beige for medium skin with neutral to warm undertones (@N/NW/NC 27-30)
- Sand: Light-medium beige for light-medium skin with neutral to pink undertones (@N/NW 23-25)
- Honey: Medium-darker beige for medium-darker skin with warm peachy undertones (@N/NW/ 35-40)
- Beige: Medium beige for true medium beige skin with neutral undertones (N 30)
- Golden Tan: Darker beige for medium-dark skin with warm undertones (NC 35-40)
- Sable: Darkest beige for deep skin with neutral undertones (N/NW/NC 45-50)
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| Above: Swatches of the darker shade in natural indoor lighting (by a window) |
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| Above: Swatches of the darker shades in direct sunlight. |
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| Above: Swatches of the darker shades in the shade. |
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| Above: Components of the Hourglass look. |
When creating the look featuring the Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint, I decided to integrate other favorite Hourglass products for a cohesive result that demonstrates how well the line creates harmonious results.
Products used include:
- Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint in Golden (buffed on with a damp Beauty Blender
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (reviewed HERE) for contouring, highlighting and mitigating any unwanted shine.
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow (reviewed HERE) to add a soft pink flush to the apples of the cheeks.
- Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Child (reviewed HERE) mixed with a touch of OCC Lip Tar/Matte in Lament
- Hourglass 1.5MM Mechanical Gel Eye Liner (reviewed HERE)…applied along the lower waterline.
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| Above: Nude lip mix…Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss in Child + OCC Lip Tar/Mattte in Lament |
Below: The following images reflect the usage of Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint in Golden + the products pictured above…all in various lighting situations…
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| Above: In natural lighting (mostly shade). |
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| Above: In direct sunlight…the glow from this TM cannot be beat! |
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| Above: In direct sunlight. |
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| Above: In direct sunlight…extreme close up! |
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| Above: Direct sunlight with a flash (note the nominal to non-existant flashback). |
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| Above: Almost sunset…the golden hour, indeed. |
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| Above: In direct sunlight. |
–Shop the Post–
Bottom Line: The Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint is, in my opinion, the best tinted moisturizer on the market. The natural, medium to full coverage, immense skincare benefits and gorgeous glowing finish (that lasts for hours!) collectively make it a must in my rotation. Now that it has been reformulated with even more skin-friendly ingredients and is housed in a perfectly pragmatic tube furthers its value in my eyes…love this!
Have YOU tried the Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint? Thoughts?
xx and much more soon,
–The Beauty Professor
**PR sample provided for review (the majority bought by me) however, as always, all of my opinions are expressly and unequivocally my own.
© 2012-14 Beautyprofessor® All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, reprint or republish content and/or photos without author’s written permission.
Comments (38)
Could I be swayed from my beloved NARS tm? I use tinted moisturizer daily. I either use it alone when I want a 'better than my naked skin but bare' look or as a base followed by foundation just in the small red prone areas on days when I want a bit more coverage. NARS tm has been my daily staple for a loooong time. I've strayed a few times only to come back tail between legs. Here is what is tempting me with the Hourglass: I like the expanded shade options. The NARS tm in Alaska is a pretty good match for me, slightly too dark for winter so looking at swatches here, I'm thinking Warm Ivory could be a comparable option. I also like the idea of the added Hyaluronic acid heading into the deep freeze of winter. Yes, I could definitely use a little extra 'plumping'. On the moisturizing side of the equation, I think the NARS tm falls down a bit, but I have mature skin and require a little more TLC. This might be a great choice for my winter tinted moisturizer.
p.s. Really nice natural lip on you, Rachel! Looking lovely as always!!
Hello Wendy!
Thanks for your kind compliment and brilliant TM analysis…I always love reading your detailed comments. This tinted moisturizer is truly wonderful and Warm Ivory seems like a great match for NARS Alaska! I think you'll be pleased with this formula ; )
xo,
–The Beauty Professor
Thanks so much for this review. This has been my HG for years (in Ivory as well) & I freaked when I didn't see it in the Sephora site. A SA at Sephora had said she heard people talking about glitter in the reformulated version so I'm glad to hear you felt they were similar. I don't love butylene glycol as a second ingredient- hope they change that. But I did order this new one and hope the repackaging also addresses the issue that the pump had which is the product got thick toward the end of the bottle.
My pleasure, Missyrocks!
I am so glad that you have been loving this for so long and I hope you are as pleased with the squeeze tube as I am. It just makes it so portable!
xoxo and keep me posted,
–The Beauty Professor
This is gorgeous. Love that glowy sheen. I recently had a sample made for me at Sephora and its definitely a must have if not a HG situation. I do have a thing for Hourglass their products are phenomenal and do just what they promise. Great post and pretty pics.
Thanks, Amanda! Isn't the finish exquisite? I am glad you are loving your sample!! Much appreciation for your sweet words!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Oooo, I was waiting for this one. Love the pics . . . very natural, "California" look. How would you compare this to a light foundation like the Koh Gen Do Aqua? (Which I discovered here and am ever so grateful because it's been my holy grail foundation so far . . . my skin has never been so happy.) Thank so much for your hugely informative posts, a true rarity.
Hi Robyn,
So glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for the "California" compliment! I find that this has greater coverage than the KGD Aqua but it can be sheered out should you desire a less opaque effect. I am thrilled that you are loving the KGD Aqua and thanks for your supportive words!!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
you and your skin look absolutely flawless in those photos! Definitely going to keep this in mind for the VIB sale!
http://www.lilting-grace.blogdspot.com
Wow…thanks, Miss Louise!
This would be a great VIB sale splurge ; )
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hii so you like this better than the tm from la prairie or omorovizca?
Hello,
It all depends on the coverage you desire. If you want light coverage, the La Prairie is incredible. The Omorovicza is lovely for medium coverage and the Hourglass is superb for medium to full coverage with the ease and benefits of a tinted moisturizer.
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
I love your blog! It is the first time i comment! I love that you always have reviews and swatches of high end brands. You make it easier for your reader to choose a shade or even decide on which item of a high end brand to splurge on( i wish i could splurge on all of them but it's imposiible lol)! Now i have to wait for space nk uk ( i live in Europe) to bring this because they still have the old version of Hourglass tinted moisturizer. Thank you
Susana
Hi Susana,
Thank you for commenting…wonderful to hear from you! I am so glad you are enjoying the blog and that my swatches have been helpful for you. Hope you get a chance to try the Hourglass soon!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
I remember testing this out in Sephora and the texture + pigmentation reminded me of Asian BB & CC creams. What dissuaded me from buying was a previous experience with Hourglass Immaculate Foundation, in which my shade, Golden, oxidized into a pink undertone that made me look drunk in Christmas photos. Curious, how much did your shade of the Hyaluronic Skin Tint change over the course of the day?
Hello Tequila,
I am sorry that Golden didn't work out for you. I will say that Golden is a bit more neutral than the name may imply but I don't get a pink oxidation effect personally. In fact, it pretty much remains the same shade throughout the duration of wear. I do wear it over some LMdB Peau Vierge (always my first step) so perhaps that formula helps to mitigate any oxidization.
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hi, I noticed sephora has golden listed as a shade for those with pink undertones and the shade nude is for yellow undertones. I'm thinking they made a mistake as your review shows golden as being for yellow undertones. Can you confirm this? I want to order this but I want to make sure I get the right shade. You look stunning and thanks for this review.
Hello Anon,
Thanks for the question. You are correct…the Golden shade on the Sephora website is described as pink but I don't find it to be the slightest bit pink. It is neutral to yellow! I have the Golden shade in both the Immaculate and Illusion and it is a good match for my NC 25 skin.
I hope that helps!
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Thanks so much for posting an answer. I went ahead and ordered Golden because from your post and your photos I can see it is a more yellow shade which is what I need. Luckily I stumbled onto your both before I ordered the Nude shade as it would not have worked. I am looking forward to trying this stuff out and I will be wathcing your blog….it's awesome (and you look great!)!
I didn't realize this was meant to be a reformulated/repackaged version of their tinted moisturizer! I just picked this up during the sephora sale, and am excited to use it! 🙂
Marvelous…hope you love it as I do, Joyce!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Hi!
Thank you for the review. I wanna ask you for a little help. I want to buy this product but unfortunatelly I don't have a possibility to check it directly at the store. Could you help me with the shade?Now I have Kanebo Sensai Velvet foundation in Soft Beige shade and Dior Nude BB cream in shade 02). I have light more yellow skin tone, with little redness cell. Which shade in your opinion would be perfect for me?
Hi Anon,
My pleasure. I would recommend the shade Warm Ivory!
I hope that helps…xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Thank you so much. :-))
Greetings
Izabela
I really appreciate you taking the time to swatch all the shades. So many beauty bloggers leave the brown shades out and we like to know too, so thank you :).
Glad to hear it, Jessica…thank you so much for the kind feedback!
The full shade spectrum, whenever possible, is so very important!
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
I received a sample of this in nude from Sephora orders. I tried it today and I just love how my skin looks; flawless and natural. The consistency was kind of thick when I sqeeze it out and I was afraid it might be too chalky. Easy to blended with fingers and the coverage is good. I usually wear BB cream and doesn't get coverage. This is between BB cream and makeup foundation. Better coverage yet the skin looks natural. I can't wait to buy the full size. Thanks for sharing your view.
That is fantastic news, Anon…thank you for sharing yoru positive experience with this exceptional formula!
xo,
–The Beauty Professor
Hi Rachel!
I am beyond impressed with this product. First Wendy introduced me to it's awsomeness, and now after receiving a sample I'm a believer. Find it specially ideal for the winter months when you need a bit of extra moisturization. So far have been using the TM from Nars in Groenland, which is a great match for me specially due to its peachiness, but in the winter seem a tad too dark. I received the Houglass one in Nude, which should be a good match, as is quite similar to Groenland. Maybe a tad yellower. But like I said is slightly darker than my skin right now. As a reference, I'm currently wearing the KGD Aqua foundation in 013, which is a tad cooler than my need, but will fix it adding a minuscule drop of 123. So based on my babbling, could you recommend me a shade for the Hourglass wonder? Thank you!
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for sharing your feelings on this amazing TM! So glad that your experiences have been positive! If Icory is a touch too dark, then Warm Ivory could be good solution…just a touch less deep but still warm in undertone.
I hope that helps…xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hello! Thanks so much for your swatches and thoughts! I always love your blog. I'm a little confused about the shade descriptions. I always seem to have a hard time finding a good shade for me in foundations. I was leaning towards the shade Nude based on the description online, but then you think that Nude is a bit more on the Pink side. I guess I'll just explain what my skin tone is like. I'm Middle Eastern, and notice that I have blue and green vein colors, so I've read that both of those colors together mean that I'm more Beige/Neutral undertone. I'm on the lighter side, but when I go too light with foundations, they look way too pale on me. I guess I'd be like a NC20-25, except I find MAC foundations to be WAY too orange-yellow on me. I don't know if you'll be able to help me based off what I just [tried] to explain, but I appreciate any input! Thank you!
Hi!
My pleasure and thanks for the kind words. I would suggest Nude (which is a great neutral) or Warm Ivory (if you want something a touch lighter).
I hope that helps!
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hello!
I love your blog! Such fantastic info on products and thorough reviews 🙂
Please could you recommend a shade for me in the Hourglass Illusion Tint as i can't get to store near me at the moment. As reference (if you are familiar with the shades) In Bobbi Brown I'm warm sand 2.5. I have a slight yellow undertone to my skin. I prefer to wear my coverage on the lighter than darker side as my neck is so pale.
Any advice would be so appreciated.
Thanks in advance! x
Hello,
Thanks for the kind words!
Based on your match in Bobbi Brown, I think that Warm Ivory or Sand could work for you…I hope that helps!
xx
–The Beauty Professor
Hello!
Thank you so much for your reply! So kind. I love your Instagram feed.
xx
My pleasure and thank you!!
xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hi! Thank you so much for your beauty blog and swatches which I rely on as a constant. The beauty info you share is simply hands down the best! I have finally got matched at Mac and am a true NC-15. Can you recommend what shade of this tinted moisturizer would be the closest match? Thanks!
Thank you so much for this comprehensive review!