Hourglass Prodigy lipgloss review
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photos: we heart this
Who here remembers The Go-Go’s 1981 hit, “Our Lips Are Sealed”? Great song, right? Except it’s not so great to actually have your lips sealed with tacky, gooey lip gloss (a pet peeve of mine). I know this because I am a huge gloss fiend. It is without a doubt the product that I purchase way too frequently. I think that my obsession grew out of necessity; the necessity of finding a holy grail gloss formula. Well, I think that the quest for the grail may be coming to an end since I was lucky enough to receive Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss.
We heart this are long-time fans of the high-end, luxury line Hourglass Cosmetics. Stef first featured the Prodigy gloss a few months ago in a Packaging Porn feature. It makes total sense to celebrate the genius of this product’s innovative packaging design. Sleek and sexy, the gloss takes little space in your bag or pocket. I will sheepishly confess that I had to get used to the lid at first. It was a bit difficult to open until I realized that you need to grip the bottom of the gloss, and then pull upward on the sides of the lid. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a snap (literally)!
The gloss is enhanced with Vitamin E, while being paraben, sulfate, phthalate, and fragrance free. This is fantastic, considering the fact that experts believe we ingest an average of 4-7 pounds of lip products in a lifetime. Do we really want to expose ourselves to more toxins than we already do? It also has what is perhaps the most silky and non-sticky texture that I have ever experienced. Even my husband was impressed with the kissability of the gloss (he normally hates when I wear any lip products).
Prodigy comes in six different succulent shades, all of which the review team will be weighing in with their thoughts on. They are:
(top row)
Surreal – nude pink with shimmer.
Opium – plum brown with shimmer.
Legend – dusty rose with no shimmer.
(bottom row)
Pulse – golden coral-orange with shimmer.
Hypnotic – light berry with a slight shimmer.
Eden – nude chocolate with very little shimmer.
I myself received Hypnotic. It is a much lighter shade than I would normally wear, but I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised by its beauty. It is a very sheer, delicate berry that glistens in the light. This is a perfect spring or summer shade.
I highly recommend Prodigy. It provides the most smooth and comfortable wear of any gloss that I have ever used. While it is not the longest lasting gloss I own, I would say that it has above-average longevity. And once it does wear off, it manages to leave a nice tint. I know that many of you will quibble over the $26 price tag of this gloss. Yes, it is expensive. But I promise that you are paying for quality. Think of it this way. Why buy three or four glosses that you don’t love when you can spend the same amount on one that you adore?
Don’t forget to check the comments for the we heart this review team’s thoughts on Hourglass Prodigy.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I bought for the inspiration, but came back for the feel. I now own three of these little honeys, and every time I slide one out of my purse I feel the same glow. And that’s before I apply it. I’ve got my own Holy Trinity of glosses: Prodigy, Ellis Faas Glazed Lips and Korres Lip Butter. My lips thank me daily.
I laughed when I read that “we ingest an average of 4-7 pounds of lip products in a lifetime”– I figure I need to quadruple the average with my compulsive gloss usage! Anyway, great review of a product I’ve never used or even seen in person! The packaging looks clever and the colors are gorgeous. I don’t know how I’d chose just one…
I previously got to test this in Pulse, which I love. The color reminds me of fire; kind of red/amber/orange. It’s on the sheer side, but does deposit a fair amount of color.
This time around, Opium was my choice. Great name as it’s a dreamy, trippy kind of color. Not quite plum, not quite bronze, with a really beautiful shimmer. When I saw it I had a flashback (see? Opium is a good name!) to the 90’s and a color I wore on my lips for nearly 3 years straight: L’Oreal’s Mica lipstick (I know there’s more than a few of you who are excited right now!) That color carried me through my grunge years. Opium is the more sophisticated gloss version of that.
I don’t know what it is about this hard to describe color, but it’s perfect on my lips.
The packaging is divine, of course. And I really appreciate that these are unscented. This is a product that I could def. see collecting all 6 shades.
5 bright stars from me!
.-= Stef´s last blog ..The Magnificent 7: Lip Balms =-.
I fell hard for this gloss. First off the packaging is amazingly unique and different than any other gloss out there. You really do feel extra special pulling this out of your purse. The color I tested was Legend. This gloss is just as described…a pretty natural looking dusty rose. I agree that the staying power of these isn’t the longest, but it is super moisturizing and not the least bit sticky. I actually like reapplying this because of the cool packaging and don’t mind the staying power :) I could also see myself collecting all of these like @stef. 5 stars from me!
I was thrilled to test this in Pulse and it absolutely lived up to all my expectations! The design is just ingenious – it fits perfectly in pants pockets or thin clutch purses. It is such a pleasure to pull out and show off – always gets comments! The only thing about the design that’s uncomfortable, but I can definitely live with, is that it’s awkward for me to apply to the outer corners of my upper lip, because of the flatness of the tube. But, I’m grasping at straws for constructive criticism here, because I truly love this. It deposits a deep amount of color for a gloss. I still usually put lipstick (Lancome Sugared Maple, usually) on under it when I want it to really pop, but alone it’s just fine too. The best part about this (other than design) is the hydration – not sticky at all and feels like a lip balm, actually. 5 bright and shining stars from me – I will buy this over and over!
I can not stress enough how wonderful these glosses are. They are truly the bee’s knees! These glosses are more than just good looking. They work really, really well!! 5 big stars from me!!!!!
I got to try Eden which was a gorgeous light, almost swiss chocolate type nude. It doesn’t have a ton of color in it, but it goes great with a dramatic eye! The packaging is ingenious, and being the concert junkie I am, it’s perfect for popping into a pocket for a night out. My one and only problem with the packaging, is while I love the shape for pockets, I had a little trouble when it was buried in my purse because the cap kept falling off! This however was a minor issue because I adore Hourglass and their glosses are top notch! I’ve already purchased a 2nd Prodigy Gloss and will definitely be buying more.
After reading this review, I can’t help but think of another Go-Go’s song: “Lust to Love”. I think my immediate lust for this product would turn into love if I got my hands on one. The packaging alone…
Ha, ha @justjoan – these glosses can totally get you to buy on packaging inspiration alone.
Hourglass never ceases to thrill me with their unique (and functional) packaging.
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..The Magnificent 7: Lip Balms =-.
I got to test this in Surreal, which is a very sheer, shimmery pale nude pink. The color you see through the tube is quite a bit different than how it appears–you’d think it would be heavy on the nude, but once applied, you can definitely make out the pink. I love the moisturizing feel of this—it feels ridiculously good and the texture is refreshing for this sick-of-sticky gloss girl. While the color impact isn’t enough for my pale self, the color is easily beefed up by applying a basic lip liner (Wet n’ Wild 666 is my go-to). If you like paler glosses, this is definitely one you should try and if you have a darker skin tone, I think this would be divine against your skin. I know am dying to try Pulse…and Opium…I have a yard sale bright and early tomorrow, so hopefully I make enough to splurge at Sephora :)