Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil – review

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Premium Fuel for a Lip Balm Addiction

Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil 
 

I’ve seen many people outing themselves as lip balm addicts here on we heart this. There is no shame in it. Truth is, lip moisturizing is big business with Americans spending two hundred million bucks a year on balm products alone. Addicts apply and re-apply obsessively – compulsively – seeking to retain that first swipe of suppleness.

Truth is, most lip balms and moisturizers contain petroleum which actually does nothing to retain moisture or nourish lips. So, we apply the product over and over, constantly seeking the softness we always seem to lack, spending more and more money along the way. Immediate gratification, lackluster results. Well, move over petroleum, Hourglass has got your number and it’s 28 – No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil, that is.

Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil

As many already know, Hourglass is a luxury line and it’s no surprise that their No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($42) is a luxury product. This lip treatment is free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic dyes and petroleum derivatives and like all Hourglass products it’s cruelty free.

Instead of petroleum, this anti-aging lip oil contains 14 essential oils (like lemon and orange seed oil and clove and sweet almond oil to name a few) along with Saliinspirationine 8, a succulent derivative that studies have shown to increase moisture in the skin 6000 percent if used consecutively for 28 days. There are other fancy-schmancy proven wrinkle reducers and skin volumizers as well.

Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil

The performance of Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil is outstanding. The oil dispenses in a gel-like consistency and a little goes a long way. Lips look as though coated in a thick gloss but the oil is soaked up throughout the day.

A few hours after application the thick glossiness is gone but lips are left to feel soft and smooth. I did want to reapply the oil, but only because the scent is so deliciously soothing. The scent lingers only until the oil is absorbed, even if you lick your lips.

Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil

And, just so you won’t confuse the No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil with the other sticks and balms in your bag, Hourglass has devoted itself to its usual superstar packaging, a sturdy pump dispenser with a 24-carat gold antibacterial applicator that soothes lips as it looks regal. Gimmicky? Maybe, but gold really does have antibacterial qualities and that smooth, cool tip is quite soothing. This is a gimmick I can fall for.

The only con? Though this is totally worth the $42 price tag in my book, it’s still FORTY-TWO BUCKS! However, I would happily shell out for it. I loved all the natural essential oils and scientifically proven skin smoothers that look and feel great from the first application, yet continue to work to improve skin from the inside out. Also, that antibacterial gold tip is a showstopper that both germophobes and lovers of pretty, shiny things will adore.

My question for you all is, would an addict pay big bucks for a superior quality product like Hourglass? Or do you go for the cheap, quick fix? Social balmers, how ‘bout you?

Author

  • sherrishera

    Sherri is a writer, dog lover, old movie fanatic, history detective, political junkie, fashion pundit and social media consumer advocate. “A fancy dinner and expensive champagne are better than writing a rent check any day of the week.” skin tone: NC 25 skin type: oily/sensitive favorite beauty product: anti-aging anything

27 Comments

  1. Oh, I am so torn–I have lips that are always as dry as the Sahara and this looks so comforting and soothing, but 42$ is a kinda salty price. However, I feel like nothing else really works for me (not even the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment) so I am seriously tempted. Plus, the packaging is seriously bad ass.

    1. I totally understand the saltiness; I wouldn’t purchase this on a whim, but I would on the advice of a very good friend. Today, I am your very good friend! Really, though, this is not an immediate gratification balm; the oils gloss and then seemingly evaporate. You don’t get the slippery, waxy feel that we’ve all come to believe means “moisture lock.” This is awesome when it’s thick and glossy. When it evaporates, lips are softer but not “whoa!” After days of daily use your lips are softer, better, naturally. It’s hard to divorce yourself from the Suzy Chapstick idea of waxy-is-better, but you will see and feel it. The scent is pure aromatherapy while the gold tip is just grand all around. I feel like I’ve used this so much over a month that it must soon be gone, yet each pump continues to yield. I’m not sure how much is left, but I’ll use it to its very last drop!

  2. Personally, I am really striving toward only putting the best ingredients in my body and on my skin. This Lip Treatment is so tempting. I would rather buy one lux product with ingredients that work than 2-3 products that only give false promises.

  3. $42?!? DAAAAANNNNNGGGGG!!!!!
    That pains me. Like, I’m feeling physical pain. I love lip balms, but I can’t justify shelling out $42. My upper threshold is about $25 for a lip balm. Too bad, this sounds lovely :(

  4. You ARE killing me here @sherrishera! That sounds like a dream to me! Being a lip balm freakoid, I’m so going to have to try this one out.. but will wait until I have a gift card to Sephora. I have spent more than I’d like to admit on various balms and lip treatments. Recently, $35 bucks on amorepacific moisture bound lip treatment and that is in a tube of 0.35 oz. (10 grams)!
    Yes, I think Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment will be next on my wish list!

  5. I love Hourglass products, and yes, I am a balm addict. This sounds fabulous, but even so, I had to pause when I saw the price. It means a lot that you would pay the $42 for it, @sherrishera . No. 28 is now at the top of my wish list!

    1. I don’t count myself as a balm addict and I don’t live in an extreme climate so my lips don’t crack; therefore, I may not shell out for this if it hadn’t come upon me gratis via WHT. However, this is one of those things you try once and you just say to yourself, “may I please have some more?” Like Oliver, I really, really want it, kind of need it, and indeed, hunger for it.

  6. UGH. I really love lip balm and this seems so up my alley, it isn’t funny. The price tag gives me pause, though. I think if my lips were in bad shape, it would definitely be worth it. However, I’m in a pretty humid climate most of the year, so this may not be for me. DANG IT…

    My lips are actually okay, so my go to lip treatment is a liberal application of C.O. Bigelow’s Metha Lip Tint on a regular basis and LipSyl at night. Definitely not high end here! :-)

  7. ALSO? I think I’m going to need to know what nail polish is being worn in that first pic!!!

    1. I LOVE IT. I know this was an Hourglass review, but I just pinned the picture for your nail polish! :-)

  8. Oh man, this has me torn. It sounds amazing and the packaging is so interesting but the price tag is just too high to justify the purchase. Wish they had a small “tester” you could try first at a lower price.

  9. @sherrishera, thanks for exposing the “lip balm Catch-22.” Women think they are moisurizing with the wrong products, and then their own systems no longer provide the hydration they need. I would definitely spring for this–Hourglass is a sublime brand. Their eye shadows are more butter than Dior, their cheek tint more long-wearing than any I’ve ever seen. They are a high-quality firm, and so I actually would not think twice about spending the money for this.

    By the way, I had thirty-one nerve blocks in my head at Cleveland Clinic for pain today, my mortgage company took out TWO payments mistakenly and hasn’t returned the money, and I am HERE–why? Because you are the sweetest, most uplifting, supportive, addictive group of women I have ever met! I needed a friendly site, and I can always count on YOU!!!

  10. I know, $42 is a big ol’ ouch. But honestly, guys? This stuff is amazing. I got to try this first because I took the photos. And there wasn’t even a doubt that I would be keeping this. Adore Hourglass, adore lip moisturizers. But with a giant pile of stuff I needed to review, and a pending date with @sherrishera, who I knew would do a fab job – I handed it over, painfully. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since! The herbal citrus scent, the cushy feel and mostly; the moisture it left behind. This is the #1 item on my “to buy” list at the moment!

  11. The packaging is cool but so weird. Hourglass makes such fantastic products, but even if I loved it, I’m not sure I can justify shelling out that kind of money!

  12. This looks so freaking luxurious I can’t handle it! I own the Hourglass face primer and it’s really great. I think Hourglass is a wonderful brand and worth the money if you are choosing to spend that much. I would definitely try this if I didn’t have a zillion other things on my wishlist at the moment. Those all add up too :) I have super dry lips all the time so this would be an awesome addition to my lip care collection.

    @Stef – your nails are amazing!

  13. I am such a freak for lip products. I would really love to get my hands on this one. Hourglass is just so good. I know that the price is insane but their products never disappoint. Maybe when I get a job I will treat myself to this obviously must have luxury!!

  14. Would the Hourglass Lip Treatment Oil work well under some of the more drying MAC lipsticks?

    1. This isn’t so much a product to use “underneath” or as a lip primer–it’s too thick. This is more a treatment, a thick, jelly-like gloss treatment. Lipcolor wouldn’t stick to it. It’s best to use the treatment for several hours (overnight is fine), waiting for the oil to sink in and work its softening magic, all this is not to day I haven’t used this with lip color but the color sides off if you put it on top. You can apply color to lips and apply the Lip oil treatment afterwards for a tinted gloss effect.

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