Let's get my one lonely objection to this item out of the way first. I haaaaaate the broad squared-off tip shape. Hate it. | I might be the only one left in the slap-wearing world who had never worn an Hourglass product until very recently. To my mature, somewhat jaded eye, there's always been something... nonessential about the brand. It's so moyen. Mid-price, allegedly mid-performing, middling colours... I was never inspired to try it until someone dangled an Hourglass red in front of my nose for cheap. Snapped at it like a great white at whale fat. And I'm glad I did. |
You can see what I mean in the squiggle swatch below, where it appears at both smudge-strength and full opacity.
Shade-wise, it's a near dupe of Nars Heat Wave with its cheeky hit of mellony coral, though the texture is softer and looser, spreading a little more easily and furnishing impressive lip-comfort. Do you need both of them? Probably not. Raven is the one I'd recommend to the general population as it is slightly glossier, a bit more deeply red and definitely more glassily translucent, allowing you to adjust the level of colour to something you are comfortable with. This sort of red so often inspires an extreme love/hate response and I used to be on the hard-no end of that spectrum until I discovered that it's far more wearable if you avoid the thick matte versions. For this reason, Raven is infinitely more doable than MAC Lady Danger and other such one-note traffic cone business. |
Raven doesn't move around too much or even really bleed on an old trout like myself. No matter how thickly you slap it on, it never feels too greasily built and settles into a supple, lasting satin that imparts a big whack of old-skool glamour. I find little to no staining after wiping it off, and a decent application will last through dinner; there's not much of a scent and I don't find it irritant in any way.
Not for shrinking violets but Raven gets my fuck yes seal of dramatic approval.
Outdoor natural light. It's really important to turn your device screen to its optimal viewing angle to convey nuance between these sorts of hot reds because they push colour gamuts in direct light.
For effective comparison, Iberico is a pretty straight true orange.