««Press Sample»»
And now, for my first actual review in…well, it’s embarrassing. Suffice it to say, it’s been a while. And I’ve had this Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo for a while now so I guess it’s not really “brand spankin’ new” but still…it’s new for fall, right?! Anyway, on to the topic of the day: nude lips. I love a good nude, but I’m also picky about my nudes. I don’t really go nude-nude with my lips because I’ve found that “real” nudes tend to leave me looking a bit…deceased. Sooo, I like to wear my nudes darker and with a healthy dose of pink in them (think Fresh’s Sugar Honey Lip Treatment).
These Femme Nude Lip Stylos were first launched about 3 or 4 months ago. There are 6 shades in all, ranging from a “pale pink nude” (No.1) to a deep “mauve nude” (No.6). Now I know the brand’s press release describes these as “nude” (duh!) and “full-coverage” but still, I couldn’t help it–when I saw the promo photos for these, I imagined a kind of balmy, semi-sheer formula (which has been the norm for chubby lip pencils like these, lately) and a “my lips but better” type of shade.
–click image to enlarge–
Shade No.3 is described as a “medium rose nude with a hint of pink”. I was thisclose to choosing the mauvy No.6 to review since a.) I was a little scared everything else would be too pale and wash me out and b.) I luuuurve a nice, mauvy lip. But ultimately, I decided to just go for a full-on nude for once. Why not?! I have plenty of other mauve lippies in my collection. So I threw caution to the wind and requested No.3.
Since it is described as “medium”, I thought I’d be safe from the dreaded dessicated-lips look. It turns out, however, that No.3 is more what I would describe as being light-medium, rather than a true mid-tone shade like I’d thought it’d be. It is also not a “my lips but better shade”–it is nude and nude to its core. Admittedly, I was pretty disappointed and immediately thought that there was no way in hell this shade would work for me. “That’s what happens when you decide to deviate from tried-and-true shades!”, I admonished myself. BUT, to my surprise, No.3 actually didn’t look all that bad–at all, really–once I’d diffused the edges of my lips (to soften the stark contrast between pale nude and my natural lip color) and blotted the rest of my lips accordingly.
I think No.3 contains the bare minimum amount of pink in it to make it more wearable while still preserving the nude’s integrity. Even alone, it doesn’t render my look completely washed-out or dead-looking but when paired with rosy, flushed cheeks and healthy, radiant skin, the complete package is far from wan.
The lip pencil itself has an amazing texture and feel. It’s not balmy or soft like I had previously imagined; it’s firm and holds its shape very well, lending itself to very precise lip-lining. Yet somehow, the pencil is very, very creamy and glides across the lips like silk, distributing an even dose of color that is completely full-coverage in a single pass. Seriously.
Hourglass describes the finish as being “satin” but I think that it’s more matte than satin (I know in the swatch photos, you can see a bit of that satiny shine but on the lips, it’s hardly noticeable at all). Still, it works beautifully topped over (or under) a light coat of their luxurious Lip Oil, which gives it just a bit more shine and helps keeps the lips moisturized for longer.
The Lip Stylo has a very basic, almost putty-like scent–very “traditional”, if you know what I mean. I personally didn’t really like it that much but I’ve smelled/tasted a whole lot worse. And besides, the smell doesn’t linger on the lips once it’s been applied. No.3 lasted about 3 1/2 hours on my lips before it had faded sufficiently and I felt I had to reapply a balm over top.
As per usual, Hourglass has an impeccable eye for packaging. The Lip Stylo still boasts the same sleek bronzed-gunmetal look but the packaging seems to have much more heft to it. Unlike the plastic packaging of their shadow duos and the Treatment Lip Oil, the Lip Stylo has a metal casing–weightier than, say, something like the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments. It feels (and looks) super-luxe and I like the minor improvement a lot. The thick, chubby pencil is retractable.
–indirect sunlight–
–direct sunlight–
–taken with flash–
All in all, I give the Femme Nude Lip Style two enthusiastic thumbs up. I am super excited that I’ve finally, finally found a true nude lippie that works for me! It’s such a nice change of pace for me–I’ve been having so much fun playing around with it and experimenting with different smoky eye looks to pair it with! I should have known that if any brand could turn me on to a true nude lip, it’d be Hourglass! I swear, if you’re like me and have never been able to find a nude lipstick that works for you, please do try Hourglass’ new Lip Stylo. The brand never ceases to amaze me and all 6 shades are just pure loveliness. 
»»Pricing: $30/0.08 oz. (2.4 g.)
»»Availability: Barneys, Sephora, Hourglass.com, and all Hourglass counters
»»Recommended for: pale to light-medium skin tones. Those with darker skin than that may want to look into No.’s 4, 5, and 6
»»Overall Rating: A
Disclaimer: the product(s) featured in this post were provided to The Beauty Sample free of charge by the manufacturer/PR for review purposes only. Regardless of how the product was obtained, my priority is to you, my readers, and I will always give you my honest opinion.
