Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette Haul and Swatches: Atmosphere,Obscura, and Exposure

When I saw the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes on Net-a-porter.com, I knew I had to try them. These 5 color eyeshadow palettes look like solidified silt on a riverbed. (Or ribbons of thick fudge in multi-flavored ice-cream.)

These shadows come in a range of gorgeous neutral tones, and the formula is INCREDIBLY pigmented. Almost to the point where they are a bit tricky to use without making a mess. They don't feel like traditional pressed pigments, and they aren't baked. You barely need to touch them to get lots of pigmentation.

But the problem is also that they can go on patchy or give you tons of fall-out simply because so much of it comes up once touched. If you are using brushes to apply these, be careful to use a very light touch or you will use up the palette in no time. And these don't come cheap at USD$58 (around SGD$66) per compact.

I picked 3 of the 5 available palettes:

• Atmosphere - matte Neapolitan ice cream colors of vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, dark chocolate and one satin-textured chocolate fudge color
• Obscura - warm rich brown tones with 1 satin creme brulee shade, 2 metallic bronzes and 2 satin/matte dark cocoa shades
• Exposure - rosy-plum and wine browns in shimmer and satin textures

I've got the 3 palettes swatched for you here.

As you can see, the colors are beautiful. So are the textures. But you DO need to know how to work with them or you can make a mess. The best thing you can do is to treat these like loose pigments. The shimmery shades can be applied damp (although I suggest picking up the colors on your brush before misting the brush - not applying moisture to the palette directly), and can give you a molten look. But whether you decide to use them dry or wet, I would highly suggest putting on a primer or base first so the pigments have something to grab and cling on to. Otherwise, they can dust and blend right off your skin.

And try to pack on the colors using a firmer, flatter brush just so you don't whip up pigments all over the place. It is quite a waste when you dip a fluffy brush in and see the colors fly everywhere.

Do I recommend these?

If you're a real collector, an Hourglass fan, or you love the look of these palettes, and you don't mind the price or working with loose pigments, then go for it. 

If not, these are very expensive for what they are, and I will say the formula isn't as "sophisticated" as I expected them to be. They are pigmented if you touch them, but they are finicky and trickier to apply than other high-end shadows. Basically they aren't as easy for makeup newbies to use as - say - a Marc Jacobs, Chanel or Dior palette would be. I personally feel if you're paying so much, you should expect products to be MORE foolproof than usual.

I don't regret getting these but I won't repurchase. And if you're on a budget, I wouldn't suggest you get these, even though they're real pretty to look at in the pan. You can get far more bang for your buck with any of the Urban Decay palettes.

The Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette

Tarte's new Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette is a real beauty if you love matte neutrals. I haven't always loved their eye palettes because some previous ones had been rather chalky or unpigmented, but when I saw this on the display at Sephora, it was love at first swatch.

I'll just start out by saying that the textures in this palette are ultra smooth and silky. I swatched all of them below so I can point out the couple of shades that go on slightly patchier than the rest. There are less than I usually expect from an all-matte palette with so many deeper shades.

Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette

There are 12 x 1.5g of shadow in the palette. Which is fantastic value because that's 12 full-size MAC pans worth of shadow. And all of these are gorgeously coordinated.

Row 1 is a collection of 4 warmer neutrals. Nice chocolate browns, a latte, and a cream shade.

Row 2 is a collection of pink-hued plummy neutrals. Bombshell is probably the patchiest shade in the entire palette, but to be honest, it actually looks fine if you wear it sheer and don't try to build it up like I did.

I dunno though. What's with the slightly cheesy names that look like they belong on Mothers' Day Better Homes & Gardens wax tarts from Walmart? Those of you who are in the US and into budget home-fragrances might know what I mean.)

Seriously, "Caregiver"? "Super Mom"?

ANYWAY - I'll try to ignore that. The colors are great.

Row 3 is made up of 4 cooler-toned taupe-based neutrals. Power Player reminds me of classic MAC mattes like Omega. There are several MAC dupes right here in this palette.

I'll try to do a tutorial or two with the Tartelette soon, but I honestly think this is a great investment if you don't already own other matte neutral palettes like the Urban Decay Naked Basics. The quality of the shadows is similar, but you get a lot more for your buck. 

I actually seldom wear all-matte eye looks, so this palette is still perfect as a transition palette. No matter what I wear on the lids, I will be able to find a nice natural blending shade in the Tartelette for buffing into the socket line. It's a quick way to make any metallic or colorful shadow instantly sit better on the eyes.