Product Review: Hourglass No. 28 Primer and Serum

A few months ago, I was in Sephora looking for a new primer. While there, I met one of their traveling makeup artists who just happened to be an Hourglass expert. He asked me what I was looking for, what my skin was like, etc. Because I answered that my skin was dry usually but now even more dry due to the winter weather, he suggested I try Hourglass Cosmetics' No. 28 Primer Serum. That day, I went home with a very generous sample.

Hourglass describes its No. 28 Primer Serum as "an ultra hydrating, nutrient rich primer and serum infused with 28 beneficial ingredients to nurture your skin as it prepares it for flawless makeup. This silky, lightweight oil blend glides on and is quickly absorbed to hydrate the skin and refine the appearance of visible pores. Skin is instantly transformed, appears younger and more luminous."

Since I regularly use a primer under my foundation or tinted moisturizer, I jumped at the chance to try this. Like the Hourglass copy promises, this silky moisturizer definitely does glide onto the skin. It has a slightly floral/earthy scent that I love but for those of you who like your facial products to be unscented, the scent does not linger on me. The main purpose of a primer is to make your foundation last longer and to smooth over flaws in the skin (like small lines, large pores, etc) and No. 28 does both. I tested with several oil-based foundations (use oil based primers with oil based foundation and water based primers with water based foundation), comparing the lasting power of the finish with and without primer. When compared to the foundation without primer, Hourglass definitely helped my base makeup stay in place all day. 

A little bit of No. 28 goes a long way, which is good because this stuff costs a whopping $65 for a 1 ounce bottle (there is a .33 ounce bottle available for 22)! The picture above shows 1 full pump, which is more than you actually need to cover your face. Once applied, the serum/primer goes on like silk and after a few minutes is completely absorbed into the skin. Remember---this one is for DRY skin--if you have oily skin try Hourglass's regular primer---it's great too! :)

As for the ingredients (see below)-- four of the first five ingredients are types of silicone (used to fill wrinkles, improve texture and provide "slip") with a significant number of the next ingredients being emollients used in anti aging cosmetics. If you are sensitive to silicone, this is probably not the serum/primer for you but I had no problems at all with these ingredients.

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Dimethiconol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ceramide 3, Sphingolipids, Jojoba
(Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil, Rose Hips Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Sweet Almond (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) Oil, Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Oil, Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil, Hazelnut (Corylus Americana) Oil, Borage (Borago Officinalis) Seed Oil, Kukui (Aleurites Moluccana) Nut Oil, Cherry (Prunus Avium) Pit Oil, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Panthenyl Triacetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Dioctyl Succinate, Peg-8, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol, Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Lithospermum Officinale, Root Extract, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Citric Acid, Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Oil, Geranium (Geranium Maculatum) Oil, Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Roseum) Oil, Vanilla (Vanilla Planifolia) Oil, Clove (Eugenia Caryophyllus) Oil, Orange (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis) Peel Oil, Petitgrain (Citrus Reticulata) Oil, Amyris (Amyris Balsamifera) Oil, Benzoin Siam Absolute, Lemon (Citrus Medica Limonum) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Leaf Oil, Bois De Rose (Aniba Rosaeodora) Oil, Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) Leaf Oil, Ylang Ylang (Cananga Odorata) Oil.

After it was all said and done, I loved this primer/serum and ended up purchasing a full sized bottle. I definitely recommend this product for ladies with dry skin.

Ages of Beauty Rating: *****