Hourglass Vol.6 Eye Palette

The new eye shadow palette from Hourglass, Vol. 6, makes a very strong statement in the field of neutral eye shadow palette. Hourglass offers a set of classic, easy to use colors in textures ranging from matte to low-shimmer, with a little twist: that's eye shadow color no. 4 (my numbering).

Here's what's in the Vol. 6 palette: 1) matte black, 2) matte navy,3) matte cocoa 4) almost matte red-based mauve, 5) shimmery pink champagne,  and 6) satin warm almost white cream. It's pretty easy to figure out how to create multiple looks with the lightest and darkest colors, but it's the reddish mauve that makes things interesting. It's not a color I can wear alone. Anything red-based near the eyes risks looking like something out of a movie set with guns and bombs. It's not a color I immediately consider to be a base/neutralizer/transition eye shadow color that helps contrasting shades blend seamlessly into each other. The lack of such color in this Hourglass palette is perhaps its one weakness. A taupe, medium gray or even a dark stone color would have made things simpler. Instead, we get this unusual color.

Enter the technique we all learned from Le Metier de Beaute's makeup artists. Couches de Couleur, layering a warm shade over and/or under a cooler one to create a prism effect with depth that never lies flat on the lid doesn't make it just look 'painted'. You can chose to start with no. 4 or to add it on top of another color and get a result that the matte or even shimmer shadows don't reveal when you look at them on their won.

All the eye shadows of Hourglass Vol.6 Eye Palette have a great grab on the skin. Using a primer makes them stay put and last until late at night. The textures are very smooth and beautiful, as we've came to expect from Hourglass. The packaging is as superb as always, including the swiveling mirror.

Bottom Line: excellent.

Hourglass Vol.6 Eye Palette ($58) is available at Barneys.