Out of the lovely shades on offer, I decided on one of the more natural options, Rose, which is a pretty, fairly bright, warm rose-pink.
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| Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick: Rose |
The product is housed in a sleek, glossy rounded tube and comes with a doe-foot applicator, which is slightly angled and really flexible. It picks up an adequate amount of product (enough product/colour for my whole mouth with one dip) and allows for precise application.
The formula itself is silky smooth and applies evenly. I'd never tried a matte lipstick before, so I think I was expecting the texture to be quite dry and thick, but it isn't at all. It actually feels very light-weight and silky smooth. The first time I applied Rose, my lips were quite dry and as a result, I found the matte formula emphasized dryness and lip lines. I've been experimenting with different application methods and I found I get the best results when I apply a little bit of lip balm beforehand. Applying balm right before makes for a pretty uneven and patchy application, so I normally apply a slick of balm and let it sink in while I'm doing the rest of make up, then apply the lipstick. This way, I find a get a really smooth, even application. I've also found exfoliating beforehand helps a lot, too, and applying just a thin layer of product. A thin layer is all that's really needed anyway, because only a tiny amount is required for opaque coverage.
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| Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick: Rose |
Rose swatched on my NC15ish hand....
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| Hourglass Opaque Rouge: Rose |
The formula dries fairly quickly after it's been applied to a velvety matte finish, which feels really comfortable and light weight. I wouldn't say it feels like I don't have anything on my lips, as I can still feel a slight tackiness, but the texture is really comfortable. I don't find the formula at all hydrating, but at the same time, it's not drying either. After wearing Rose all day, I found my lips were in exactly the same condition after removing as they were before I applied the shade.
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| Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick: Rose |
And a close up of what Rose looks like applied. I didn't exfoliate before applying and my lips are really quite dry and dehydrated at the moment thanks to the cold weather and central heating. The matte formula does emphasize dryness and lip lines, so it's definitely worth exfoliating before applying for best results.
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| Hourglass Opaque Rouge Rose Applied |
According to Hourglass, the Opaque Rouge formula delivers 14 hours of continuous wear. While Rose didn't quite last that long on me, it did hold up well on my lips for most of the day even after numerous cups of tea and coffee. I have experienced the flaking problem that other reviewers and bloggers have mentioned, though, which seems to mainly be an issue after eating. I did find it a bit difficult to reapply evenly after, too, without removing the colour that was left behind first. I've found flaking to be less of a problem when I only apply a very thin layer of product. So, I didn't quite get the promised 14 hours of wear, but I still think lasting power is pretty impressive!
Despite Opaque Rouge lipsticks not quite lasting the promised 14 hours and having a few problems with flaking, I am still really impressed with the comfortable, non-drying formula and with the pretty, pigmented shade, too, and will definitely be adding a couple of the other colours on offer to my collection.
