Product Review - Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation is a mattifying foundation that has been designed to absorb oil and last all day, in order to minimize the need for touch-ups. This is exactly the type of results that I look for in a foundation, however, I've never really tried anything that has been able to do this for me. I don't want to say this foundation is perfect, but it is currently the best product that I have ever tried for controlling shine throughout the day. 

I purchased this foundation at the end of last year, however, I have to admit I didn't use it at first. Now that I have been using it, I wanted to give it a good test period before writing a review. Foundation is a tricky subject for a lot of us, and since everyone's skin is so different, everyone has their own preference. As I've mentioned before, I have oily skin that needs blotting by lunchtime, or about every 3-4 hours. I also prefer a medium to full coverage foundation that can be built up, or layered with concealer without looking too cakey. 

When I first purchased this product, Sephora did not have it stocked in my local store. I had to order it from their website. Of course this made me nervous, but I had swatched a few shades when vacationing in the USA, and I generally select the lightest shade in any range, as long as the undertones are on the yellow side. I do have a fair amount of pink in my face, but my neck and body are more yellow, so I tend to try to match my face to my neck. For your reference, I'm a shade 117 Marble in the Makeup Forever HD foundation.

I selected the shade Porcelain, which the Sephora website describes as "very fair with yellow undertones". When I got it home, my initial reaction was that it was not the right shade - much to yellow, and made me feel a bit orange. I did not return it, however, but put it aside, until recently when I tried it again. Now that it is the summer, and I have a bit of colour, it seems to be a much better match. I think in the winter, I will try either Vanilla (pink undertones) or Shell (neutral undertones). 

Now that it is summer and my natural skin colour matches the shade of the foundation a bit better, I have been wearing it pretty much everyday, since the beginning of June. One of my favourite things about this product is the finish. It dries down to a powder finish, like the name suggests, which leaves your face feeling really natural and un-sticky. There really is no need to use a setting powder, which is nice. I have been layering concealer over the foundation in the areas I need it, and haven't had any issues with this.

As for oil control - it really does help with the shine. I can still use a blotting tissue, but there is a noticeable difference between when I am wearing this foundation versus any other foundation. Even if I did not blot, I could actually go through the whole day without feeling disgusting, so that is a major selling point.

I have tried pretty much every matte primer, or mattifying gel, etc. that I have come across, but have never had results like this. I'm very excited to have this product in my life. I should note that I have not yet tried Estee Lauder Double Wear, and have been meaning to for a while now. I know a lot of people with similar skin types like this foundation. I wish I could compare the two, but for now, I'm going to stick with the Hourglass.

If you read my April Favourites post, you may remember that the new Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation is something that I have been enjoying using. It also provides a matte finish and dries down to a powder texture. I do stay matte longer with Hourglass, but the Cover Girl foundation is a really good option as well.  Both are really good foundations, but of course Cover Girl is the much more affordable option.

Neither Hourglass in Porcelain nor Cover Girl in Classic Ivory are perfect matches for me. I can make either work, but for me, 117 in Makeup Forever is still the best colour match for my skin that I have found so far.

In natural lighting, top to bottom: Makeup Forever #117,
Cover Girl Classic Ivory, Hourglass Porcelain

Bottom line

This should go without saying, but shade selection is crucial. Unless you are very golden, I would not select the shades with yellow undertones. 

If you have oily skin, I think you need to at least get a sample to test this product out. This foundation really does wonders with controlling the shine, and so it will remain a constant in my routine for this summer, and I'm going to try out another shade once I go back to my winter colour.

Have you tried this product yet?

Thanks for reading!