In beauty, no product is more timeless than a matte lipstick. But when a viral brand such as Hourglass adopts the format, you know you'll never use the words ‘chalky’ in the same sentence as matte lipstick again.
Housed in a sleek gold magnetic case, the real draw of the Hourglass Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick lies in what it calls a ‘soft matte’ formula. In other words, it's a full-coverage lipstick but one that feels airy and velvety rather than heavy and opaque. It also doesn't completely press mute on shine, as lip conditioners including synthetic beeswax ensure the pigment glides on smoothly; think comfortable while still being budge-proof.
The Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick ticks both vegan and cruelty free boxes, but there is another very good reason to shop the collection. Hourglass will donate 5% of the net profits from all Unlocked products to the Nonhuman Rights Project – an animal welfare organisation dedicated to ‘unlocking’ the cages of wild animals in captivity. And if you're a fan of red lipstick, Hourglass' iconic shade Red 0 is formulated with an animal-friendly carmine replacement to obtain the punchy scarlet hue.
To see if the lipsticks truly are all that we hope them to be, our GLAMOUR staffers put five of the 12 Unlocked Soft Matte Lipstick shades to the test. This is what they thought…
The Product:
The Verdict:
Camilla, GLAMOUR's European Beauty Director
Shade: Currant 362
The power of a punchy, polished lipstick is a beauty staple I rely on regularly, so when I saw the new Hourglass Soft Matt Lipsticks I was keen to dig in. The hardest decision was which of the 12 shades to go for, from beautiful pinky nudes to deep intense berry tones and a stunning deep red. The lineup feels chic and contemporary and the lipstick'oholic in me literally wanted them all!
I plumped for Currant 362, a deep-berry-verging-on-purple shade, so maybe not the easiest to pull off, but it suited my midwinter mood. The creamy formula makes it super easy to apply in one slick and the angled edges of the bullet mean you can shape the Cupid's Bow without the need for a lipliner. The pigment pay off is brilliant and the colour feels lightweight, although it did dry a little more on my lips than I had expected.
I tested it over a work dinner and was slightly scared I'd be left with a dark ring on my outer lip line, but I am pleased to report it faded out as a whole. I guess my only wish is that the packaging was refillable.
Rating: 8/10
Lian, GLAMOUR's Audience Development Manager
Shade: Lush 360
Being honest, I'm not typically a lipstick girl. That said, I'm a big fan of other Hourglass cult favourites, so I was keen to give this a try.
First off, I loved the luxe gold packaging: sleek, simple and easy to use. The colour of the lipstick was 'Lush', a warmer, more orangey shade of red than I'd expected, with the product itself applying smoothly. Colour payoff was immediately strong, with the product being light while still feeling like it would stay put without worry of it smudging.
As someone who compulsively applies Vaseline through the day, though, I found the formula a little drying, as I often do with any lipstick. While this is definitely a silky and relatively weightless formula, I'd be after more of a gloss hybrid on the daily, although I could see this being a useful lipstick to put on for a special occasion.
Rating: 7/10
Luca, GLAMOUR's Social Media Manager
Shade: Tigerlily 354
As someone who is actively trying to get back into lipstick, this Hourglass number came at a perfect time. I tried the shade 'Tigerlily', an orange-toned nude colour, which morphed into a your-lips-but-better shade when I applied it. I added a layer on top of lip balm to give it a glossier-than-usual finish, which I surprisingly really liked.
I prefer more of a lived-in finish, so I dabbed the colour onto my lips with my finger after applying it to give it a bit more of a lived-in finish and make it look more subtle with my lack of face makeup. The finish was super lightweight – I could barely feel I was wearing lipstick at all. I have a feeling this will be making its way into my nude lip rotation.
Rating: 9/10
Georgia, GLAMOUR's Senior Commerce Writer
Shade: Foxglove 356
For me, Hourglass is one of those no-brainer beauty brands that can do no wrong and this lipstick falls perfectly within that category. I'm partial to a lipstick, especially a matte one, but I find them quite drying sometimes (especially in the midst of winter when my pout is already chapped), so I was pleasantly surprised at how buttery this one remained. It didn't settle in any of the fine lines on my lips, in fact it actually blurred them, and it lasted a good few hours before I needed a top up. My only qualm is that I now want every shade and, at £37 a pop, my January bank balance will not be pleased.
Rating: 9/10
Sophie, GLAMOUR's Senior Commerce Editor, Europe
Shade: Poppy 346
I love a matte lip. A peach-toned pink, nude lipstick is my jam, so Hourglass' new Poppy shade could do no wrong before I even lifted the cap of this very-chic bullet.
My lips are quite dry at the moment - mid January and all that - so I was a little nervous they'd be left looking even worse. But actually, the creamy formula glided over my lips and left me looking so much less dishevelled. Complexion: lifted. The formula stayed put for a solid few hours and faded evenly, which I appreciated, and the angular tip made it super easy to apply. Top marks from me.
Rating: 9/10
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