Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette (Graphite) :: Review, Swatch, FOTD

I take my word back when I said that I won't be buying anything new this month. A woman who cried wolf, tell me I'm not the only one! But see, how can you not be stunned with a palette so exquisitely crafted?

Hourglass does know when to detonate a woman's kryptonite. Innovative, mod, abstract, the Modernist Eyeshadow Palette is truly a work of art. Available in seven variants, I ordered Graphite which features an interesting mix of ivory (matte), gold (shimmer), dark brown (matte), gunmetal (shimmer), and silver (shimmer). 

Despite its uncontested beauty, this new collection immediately gained opposing views. Some said it's disappointingly powdery with major fallout party, some claimed it's manna from makeup haven. As a picky makeup enthusiast, the wow factor is not evident when you apply these eyeshadows dry. Gold has some fallouts, dark brown is dry, ivory is quite powdery. But here's the thing, matte is the hardest to formulate, I have not encountered a matte eyeshadow that is creamy to touch, let alone powder-free. Gunmetal is pigmented and my favorite from this palette. When applied wet, gold and silver look like foiled eyeshadows, that's when the not-so-wow becomes wowza! It also solved the fallout issue. Dark brown can be used to fill in eyebrows. Used wet with angled eyeshadow, it helps create flattering cat eyes.

I appreciate the art behind this beauty but if you're concerned with color dust transfers, the seamless flow can be a nuisance. 

Just so you know the difference and understand the whole point of my application preference, here are dry and wet swatches of Graphite. 

Applied over an eye primer using wet technique, these eyeshadows have commendable seven-hour staying power. It's a small palette that's quite lavish (0.035 oz, $58, Sephora) so if you're looking to splurge, I say proceed with caution. If you own any Naked palette, you will find the similarity of these shades to Foxy (Naked 2), Half-Baked (Naked 1 and 2), Verve (Naked 2), and Gunmetal (Naked 1). 

Finally, here's moi featuring some Hourglass products (reviews are linked):

Ambient Lighting Powder (Diffused Light)

Femme Rouge Velvet Cream Lipstick (Vintage)

Ambient Lighting Blush (Mood Exposure)

Film Noir Mascara (Onyx)

I used all shades from the Graphite palette: ivory on brow bone and inner corner, gold on lids, dark brown on crease, gunmetal on outer corner and lower lash line, silver on inner lower lash line.