Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation | Review and Swatches

New Year, new foundation! Hourglass kicked off 2019 with the launch of their much-anticipated Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation. I’ve really enjoyed using the Vanish Stick Foundation reviewed here so naturally, I couldn’t wait to try the liquid version. Plus, I’ve been in a foundation rut lately. While the La Mer Soft Fluid Foundation (see review here) is still a big winner for me, it’s always good to have options, right? But will it be the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation? Read on to find out …

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation

The Hourglass Vanish Liquid Foundation is a highly-concentrated formula that promises full coverage with no primer and minimal product. It features light-reflecting microspheres that blur and create a soft-focus finish. It’s waterproof, transfer-proof and sweat-proof. The formula is non-comedogenic, vegan, paraben-free and cruelty-free. The formula lists Dimethicone as the second ingredient on the list, so that’s something to consider as well. There are 32 shades available in the range.

Texture

This foundation has a soft creamy consistency. It glides easily onto the skin and a little goes a long way. I find the La Mer Soft Fluid Foundation and Armani Luminous Silk (reviewed here) a bit more fluid. In terms of thickness, it’s comparable to YSL All Hours detailed in a previous post here and to By Terry Terrybly Densiliss Foundation reviewed here. It’s a bit more fluid that Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua detailed here. Refer to swatches below.

Finish

The finish is a soft matte. I’m always worried with matte foundations as they can completely cover the complexion, looking more like a mask. However, the Hourglass Vanish Liquid foundation looks quite natural on the skin.

Coverage

This is definitely a full-coverage foundation. The intense concentration of pigment allows for full coverage while maintaining a weightless feel on the skin. It applies easily and blends effortlessly. That means you could sheer it out and create a medium coverage as well, if you so desire. However, it does dry pretty quickly upon contact with the skin so make sure you blend quickly!

Packaging

I’m very impressed with the Hourglass design team! The packaging is incredibly luxe. This foundation comes in a weighty glass bottle with an elegant trapeze design and an easy to use pump. The slick look of the bottle looks ultra-chic on any vanity and makes it easy to pack this foundation into any cosmetic case.

Best Way to Apply

You can use a brush, beauty blender or your fingers to apply this foundation. I find that the best way to apply this foundation is using a buffing brush or beauty blender. The brush gives more coverage so on most days, I prefer to use my beauty blender.

My Experience

I was so excited to get my paws on this foundation, that I immediately ordered it the minute it became available at Sephora. I used their online Shade Finder to determine my color. My exact shade for La Mer Soft Fluid is B23 Sand, but there wasn’t a match in the Vanish Liquid. My next best color for La Mer is B22 (swatched in a previous post here) and that equated to shade Light Beige in Vanish Liquid. I also checked to find a match for Armani Luminous Silk. It’s another Holy Grail foundation for me and I’ve always been shade 5.5, regardless of season. That search also led to a match in Light Beige Vanish Liquid. So, there I had my answer. I bought the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation in Light Beige. A quick glance at the glass packaging, reassured me that I had ordered the right shade. But when I swatched it on my arm, the color looked a bit too warm and peachy for my skin tone. However, I’m very glad I still decided to apply it on the skin. The color blended effortlessly and was a good match for my skin tone without looking like I’m wearing foundation. As the formula is highly-concentrated, I typically use half a pump for my entire face and blending down onto my neck.

Final Thoughts

I know full coverage matte foundations don’t seem to work for everybody, but the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation does not behave like most foundations in its category! The finish and ease of application are the features that stood out the most to me. This foundation glides effortlessly and blends seamlessly to conceal my trouble areas (enlarged pores, hyper-pigmentation, acne scars and dark circles) in a very natural-looking way. My skin has been a lot drier now in the colder months and this foundation seems quite gentle. It doesn’t accentuate dry patches nor does it further dehydrate my skin. It wears well throughout the day without oxidizing, but it does separate around my T-zone after about 5 hours. The wear is better when using a primer such as the Tatcha Silk Canvas. In terms of finish and wear, for me, this foundation is very similar to the Vanish Stick version. However, I do prefer to work with liquid formulas over creams as I find they blend a lot easier. But the stick is perfect to carry in your purse for touchups and this is a foundation that I do have to touch up midday.

Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments below.

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