The Hourglass Essentials We Keep Coming Back To

It’s no doubt that Hourglass is a long-standing pioneer in the beauty industry, and their products are a testament to that. If you were in the beauty space for at least the past 10 years, then you’ve probably seen at least one Hourglass product in a monthly favorites video or an online makeup tutorial. But where do you even begin to look before considering adding them to your collection? In this article, I’m rounding up the best of the best of Hourglass products that are definitely worth trying and that makeup users keep coming back to.

Quick History About Hourglass

Hourglass Cosmetics was founded in 2004 by Carisa Janes, who is a beauty-industry veteran. Hourglass launched as a cruelty-free brand and became fully vegan in 2020. The brand is hyper-focused on animal welfare and continues to make strides toward protecting animal rights by donating one percent of annual net profits to the Nonhuman Rights Project. They also have dedicated releases that highlight their cruelty-free efforts, such as the creation of their color Red 0, which is the makeup industry’s first-ever vegan replacement for carmine, a pigment created from crushed female insects. Also worth highlighting is their Unlocked collection, from which Hourglass donates five percent of the annual net profits to Nonhuman Rights Project’s efforts. 

The cosmetics brand is currently available in 32 countries and has a flagship store in Manhattan.

The Ambient Lighting Collection

The Ambient Lighting collection is a top favorite amongst Hourglass users. The collection was originally released in 2013 with the premise of diffusing harsh light and enhancing skin in any setting, using Hourglass’s innovative Photoluminescent Technology—a special formulation that uses tiny, clear particles to capture, bend, and soften surrounding light on your face. The collection includes powders, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters formulated to create a flawless, soft-focus glow by blurring imperfections and refining the skin’s appearance. 

Here are the best-sellers from the Ambient Lighting collection worth checking out if you’re trying to achieve that filtered skin look:

The Ambient Lighting Palette was initially released in 2013, and limited-edition versions of the palette are continually released every holiday season. The original release only had one volume, but two other volumes have been added since. Volume I is cool-toned and peachy, most suitable for light skin tones; Volume II is more warm-toned, most suitable for medium skin tones; and Volume III is richly warm, best for medium-deep to deep skin tones. Each palette comes with three powders that can either be applied individually or in layers.

The Ambient Lighting Finishing Powders mimic flattering light sources while concealing skin imperfections, pores, and wrinkles. The powders enhance skin in any type of lighting situation, including flash photography, using the Photoluminescent Technology I mentioned before. So, say goodbye to looking like a ghost in photos, and say hello to having a healthy glow!

The Ambient Lighting Blush was released in 2014 and is the sister of the Ambient Lighting powders. The blush is composed of a hybrid formula that mixes the lighting effects of the powders with blush hues to create soft-focus, buildable, multidimensional color with a radiant finish. There are seven shades available, ranging from soft pinks to bold reds, and they are poured, blended, and swirled by hand using Italian techniques, so no two blushes look alike! You’ll get a unique blush every single time. 

The Ambient Lighting Bronzer was released in April 2015. It originally launched in just two shades, which have since expanded to four: one for fair/light complexions, two for light/medium complexions with differing undertones, and one for medium/deep complexions. The bronzer is a hybrid formula, combining the lighting effects of the powders with bronze pigments to provide healthy, radiant color without looking flat like traditional bronzers. Similar to the blush, the bronzer is also handmade using Italian techniques, so your bronzer will be unique, too!

The Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush was released in 2022, custom-shaped for tapered buffing into the skin. The shape is unique in that it mimics the precise, delicate control of fingertips—think of the brush as one giant finger that blends product with ease. The bristles are crafted with vegan fiber technology, and you can choose between bronze or gold for the handle. The brush is designed to be used with all Hourglass products, so you can perfect your complexion effortlessly.

The Ambient Lighting Edit Brush was released in 2025. This brush is special because you get two brushes in one: The dual-ended style is designed to be used with powder or cream products. The handle is weighted to provide control for effortless blending and application, and it’s the perfect size for working with the Ambient Lighting Palettes and travel-sized compacts, so it’s great to pack for a trip. Like the foundation brush, you can choose between a gold and bronze handle here, too. 

The Vanish Collection’s first product hit the shelves back in 2016, which was the peak year for makeup in terms of the social media world. 2016 was the year of flawless, full-coverage makeup, which is what this collection delivered. The purpose of the Vanish Collection was to be able to achieve virtually perfect skin with concentrated, weightless formulas. 

If you want everything, including your darkest secrets, covered up, these are the products for you:

The Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick was released in 2016 and is available in 32 inclusive shades. This foundation stick provides the coverage of a concealer, the fluidity of a liquid, and the weightlessness of a powder through its creamy formula that adjusts to your body’s temperature. It blends into the skin effortlessly! Plus, its long-wearing and waterproof formula offers undetectable full coverage with minimum product (no need to cake on layers). This foundation contains double the amount of pigment than traditional foundations, which explains the 12 hours of seriously full coverage that it offers.

The Vanish Airbrush Concealer was released in 2020 and is also available in 32 long-wearing shades, like the foundation. It’s a weightless liquid concealer that delivers full, skin-like coverage for up to 16 hours while remaining crease-resistant and waterproof. It conceals redness, blemishes, and dark circles and diffuses the look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles while still looking like skin. The formula feels hydrating without being drying or cakey and sets to a natural, airbrushed finish, and the flocked applicator prevents tugging on delicate skin, which is especially important around the eyes. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic!

The Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder was released in 2024 and is available in five shades. The formula is non-comedogenic and talc free, so you don’t have to worry about inhaling any harmful ingredients or looking like a ghost in flash photography. The powder is weightless and offers shine control, which is perfect for those with combo to oily skin, but the formula is also non-drying, so those on the drier side might also be able to use it. It diffuses the appearance of pores and imperfections without settling into fine lines, but it does provide sheer coverage, so it should not be expected to perform like a powder foundation. 

The Vanish Seamless Finish Concealer Brush was released in 2020, and just like the Ambient Lighting brushes, the handle is available in gold and bronze. That handle is also weighted to provide control for effortless blending and application, and the brush can be used to apply liquid, cream, or powder products, which shows its versatility. The brush head is composed of Taklon bristles, which are more hygienic than animal hair and are friendly to those with allergies. 

Honorable Mentions

Now that I’ve gone over the super-essentials worth checking out, there are two honorable mentions I have to include:

The Unlocked Satin Crème Lipstick in Red 0 was officially released in 2023. As I mentioned earlier, Red 0 is Hourglass’s exclusive vegan replacement for carmine. The formula is infused with mango seed butter, avocado oil, and argan oil, so it’s super hydrating, and the finish of the formula is a satin crème, which sits between a gloss and a true matte. The coverage is buildable and full, so you can apply one swipe for a light stain or more swipes for a deep lip and still experience a comfortable wear. Plus, the lipstick comes in a sleek gold magnetic case, so the top won’t fly off in your bag! 

The Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara was released in 2020 and is available in shades Ultra Black and Espresso. It’s a tubing mascara that wraps and stretches each lash to provide dramatic length, lift, and definition, giving the look of lash extensions without the hassle and cost of actually getting them done. The tubing formula wraps each individual lash in water-resistant tubes, rather than coating them with waxes and oils like traditional formulas, so it’s much more easily (and less messily) removed at the end of its 16-hour wear time. 

Where to Buy

Now that I’ve gone through all of the Hourglass essentials, let me discuss where to actually purchase them. Sure, you can visit your local Sephora or Ulta or order from their website, but let me tell you about another website you probably haven’t heard about: Thirteen Lune.

Thirteen Lune is your destination for the discovery of global beauty brands. It was launched in 2020 with the premise that the best beauty in the world doesn’t have one single origin. It’s a global discovery platform featuring high-performance products from all over the world while also highlighting the brands’ stories. Thirteen Lune also focuses on being inclusive in the beauty space and features products that cater to a range of skin tones, hair textures, and more. Their message is that beauty should be explored, not just consumed, and that there is beauty in inclusion.

Thirteen Lune is home to many of these Hourglass essentials that are worth adding to your existing collection, whether you’re looking to achieve a healthy, blurred glow, a full-coverage base, or just a new favorite brand. You will not only be adding some luxurious items to your collection, but you’ll also feel peace of mind that you will be supporting a good cause with each purchase—through both the product itself and the store it came from.