[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I’ve really been looking forward to reviewing the Hourglass Curator Palettes, available either as a one-pan, three-pan or five-pan (shown). It add up somewhat if you opt for the five pan but even a single is on the luxury side (£28 for a single) but oh my – the colours are just lovely… intense, deep and impactful with the benefit, if you opt for the three or five, of being able to make a palette exactly as you want it.
I’ve selected the shades that spoke to me but there are 40 so it wasn’t all that easy to choose. In fact, a couple of my first choices were out of stock, so I had to pick again but I’m so pleased with the result I can’t even remember what the choice was in the first place. And, making up my own palette was very enjoyable. You receive the shadows in the packaging seen above – the actual palette though is 100% aluminum and therefore recyclable. It strikes me that it’s the last thing in the world you’d end up recycling because presumably you just keep on replacing finished colours. However, aluminium is low impact in production so it’s definitely a friendly option than plastic.
I like the fact that the brand has gone back to the drawing board with design. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a palette where the colours stand up from it like this, slightly on the diagonal. The individual shades have magnets in the bottom so they slot in like a dream and stay there.
The shades I’ve picked are Ace (matte), Lux (metallic), Orb (metallic), Act (metallic) and Fix (matte). If I could choose one to have as a single it would be Lux which is a copper shade that suits every single eye colour. The pigment in these is amazing – a single sweep with a brush will give you enough for an entire lid. The shades might be tiny but they sure are mighty. My second single pick is Act which I think you could describe as a bitter mink that radiates off the lids. It’s definitely noteworthy just how gleaming the metallics are. Left to my own devices, I’d buy three metallics because you’re very likely to have the mattes I’ve chosen in other palettes anyway so a threesome of Orb, Act and Lux would be gorgeous, especially if you, like me, favour a mono lid where a single colour has to do all of the work.
In the swatch above, it’s a single swipe of Fix, Act, Orb, Lux and Ace. The only noticeable drop came from Ace which is the deepest black so more obvious. As I often say, everyone’s budget is different and these fall well into treat territory (in my book) but they absolutely are treats indeed. I’m impressed with the level of lux in both design and quality of the shadows but maybe even more that a personality emerges from this palette (well, mine I guess, since I chose the colours!) and if you want to see your beauty self represented in a palette, this is how it’s done. The palettes (as opposed to the colours) are £10 for a single (yes, I know… on top of your £28… ouch), £16 for the five pan and £12 for the trio. You can find the shade selection HERE, non-affiliate HERE. IGTV showing Lux and Act HERE.
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