I have ummm-ed and ahhh-ed over Hourglass products for a while but couldn't decide whether it was worth the investment.  I finally decided to try their Film Noir Lash Lacquer since I am a mascara fiend.  I love Bambi lashes without using false lashes, so volumising mascaras are my best friend.


The first thing that struck me about the product is the sleek packaging.  The next and probably more important thing is the applicator.  Lash Lacquer uses a brush rather than the standard mascara wand.  This is owing to the fact that Lash Lacquer acts more like a glossy top coat for your lashes rather than a mascara.


Lash Lacquer is glossy and ultra black - no ashy black-greyness here.  Designed to be used on top of your usual mascara, its aim is to add length & volume, fan out your lashes, and add a glossy wet look finish to your lashes.  I've found it wonderful for after work touch-ups - it really does transform my day look into an evening look.  This touch-up effect cannot be achieved with normal mascara because, as we all know, re-applying mascara onto your already dried mascara will turn your lashes into an awful clumpy and crunchy mess.

Hourglass recommend using Lash Lacquer together with Film Noir mascara, or at least with mascaras that are non-tubing and non-heavy/volumising.  You hold the wand horizontally as you would with normal mascara, and paint the lashes with short strokes.  You can alter the look by where you apply the product - applying to the outer corners will create a more subtle look compared to applying from root to lash all the way along your lashline.


The consistency is quite fluid but gloopy at the same time (definitely more pliable than normal mascara).  You will need to wipe any excess product from the brush back into the tube to get a good application.

I haven't found Lash Lacquer to "fan" out my lashes much as such, but it definitely makes my lashes appear glossy black and much thicker.  The end result hasn't been achievable with any other high end mascara I have tried so far (and that is a lot).

My eyelids are unfortunately quite oily but I am pleased to report I have not had any problems with smudging.  Those with stubbornly straight lashes may need to wear waterproof mascara underneath to help hold any curl.

The one bad point about this product is how much effect it takes to remove it.  I usually use Shu Uemura cleansing oil to take off my eye makeup and I've found it takes an extra pump of oil and extra lash massaging to remove all of the Lash Lacquer.  I would say Lash Lacquer is probably impossible to remove with a cotton pad + traditional bi-phase eye makeup remover.  However I love the lashes that Lash Lacquer create, so I am happy to deal with the extra cleansing required for nights out.

At £25 I would say this is not a must-have but a very-nice-to-have for an extra bit of lash drama.

p.s. After trying Lash Lacquer, I've decided to investigate Hourglass cosmetics further and bought a Aura Sheer Cheek Stain.  Review to come soon!