Review: Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

I have been hearing so much about Hourglass cosmetics lately - from their primer to their Ambient Lighting Powder (the palette sold out within hours of the first day of Sephora's Giftobia event).  These two products have been exploding in popularity due to how effective the primer is and how gorgeous and ethereal the Ambient Lighting Powder is on the skin.  Their Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation launched Spring of 2012 and has been on the receiving end of hundreds of glowing testimonials from consumers who rave how wonderful this foundation is for their oily, acne prone, and sensitive skin.

A quick look at their ingredients list and I was sold on trying.  It doesn't contain any of the harmful ingredients I normally watch out for (read about that HERE).

Application
This foundation dries very quickly so I suggest you immediately buff it in the second you apply it to your face.  I do not suggest dotting your face with it and THEN buffing it out.  I dipped my Real Techniques Buffing Brush into a small amount and went to work buffing the product into my skin.  It blends very easily and glides over the skin.

The Finish + Longevity
True to its word, this foundation dried to a matte powder finish.  Impressive.  I didn't need to reach for my setting powder.  Formulated with cashmere kaolinite clay that functions as a super oil-absorber, this foundation sufficiently kept my oily t-zone area beautifully matte for a good 8 hours.


Coverage
This is a medium coverage foundation.  I tried to apply another coat of the foundation to see if it would build but it doesn't seem like it can be buildable to full coverage.  It still evened out my skin tone so it is a good medium coverage foundation.  Because it dries to a powder finish, concealer needs to be applied over blemishes BEFORE use of this foundation.  (Remember, once you apply powder to your face, you cannot go in with a cream product over the powder).

Packaging
Gorgeous packaging.  The foundation is in a sleek glass pump bottle and really does scream "high end".

Price
OUCH!  At $55 for 1 oz of product, this is definitely not a cheap purchase.  I'd suggest getting a sample of this first to use for a while.  If you can't live without it, go ahead and buy it.  There definitely are cheaper alternatives out there (MUFE Matte Velvet Plus anyone?)