A Global Flagship, Gracie Abrams And More

Gracie Abrams is the new Global Brand Partner of Hourglass Cosmetics.

Ben Hassett/Hourglass

The ephemeral feel of our fast-paced and increasingly digital world, there is something comforting to be found in the endurance of the brick-and-mortar storefront. After twenty-years in business, being sold at retailers and online, Hourglass Cosmetics is opening their first-ever Global Flagship in New York City. Following their successful pop-up with Barney’s New York last year, the brand’s Founder and President, Carisa Janes, found it fitting that Hourglass embody its own dedicated space at 14 Prince Street.

“Our flagship space is more than a traditional beauty boutique—it’s a true extension of the Hourglass brand,” Janes writes in an e-mail to Forbes.com. “I wanted it to feel like an intimate environment, almost like stepping into my home, where guests can engage with the products in a meaningful way.”

The beauty industry has often seen skincare lines and their underlying skin philosophies inspire destination-specific spas across the globe. Think, for instance, of the Biologique Recherche Ambassades or the various Maisons Orveda. But seeing a luxury cosmetics retailer take this leap into creating an immersive brand experience signals a shift in the way that beauty-lovers are interfacing with cosmetics.

Hourglass opens its first-ever Global Flagship location in New York.

Hourglass Cosmetics

“The flagship will be also be a hub for connection and creativity, where we’ll host masterclasses, panel discussions and cultural programming designed to spark conversation and to encourage self-expression,” she continues.

Of course, lighting was of major importance when designing the brand’s physical manifestation—and not just because they are famous for their Ambient Lighting Collection. We have all experienced the frustrations of attempting to shade-match concealer and foundation in a department store’s poor lighting, only to step outside and realize that we had been led astray. But Janes wanted to remove this obstacle altogether by “carefully considering how the lighting interacts with the products.”

Hourglass is, after all, well-known for their beloved complexion products. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, their newest Global Brand Partner, Grammy-nominated singer Gracie Abrams, specifically named their best-selling Vanish Airbrush Concealer, $38, as the makeup product she would choose if she could only use one cosmetic for a day.

Paradoxical though it might seem, crafting natural-looking makeup is itself an art form—one that Hourglass has always sought to champion. Beyond the importance shade-matching concealer and foundation to the complexion’s undertone, there comes the importance of product texture and how to create a blended, second skin-like finish. It is certainly a part of Hourglass’ brand DNA to make a clean complexion possible using minimal product; this was part of the ethos behind their launch of the Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation, $49.

Hourglass Cosmetics

This also ties in the expertise of their inaugural Artist In Residence, celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng. Cheng, who is known for working with celebrities like Abrams, Billie Eilish, Sofia Richie Grainge, and more, will help launch their Masterclass programming in April 2025. Cheng’s makeup style is a natural fit for Hourglass’ complexion range as it often features a natural look, meticulous eyeliner and unfailingly perfect, effortless skin.

“Hourglass is a staple in my kit because the products allow me to create a flawless base every time,” Cheng writes in an e-mail to Forbes.com. She applauds the line’s consistent performance, across all skin types and tones, and says that it has been in her kit for “as long as I can remember.”

While she describes her overall aesthetic focus as “accentuating features and highlighting the client’s natural beauty,” she gets to work “sculpting and creating dimension.” She considers skincare prep so important to the integrity, wear and appearance of complexion makeup that she spends “at least a quarter of the time prepping the skin, hydrating dryness and lifting” in order to proceed using as minimal coverage as possible.

Gracie Abrams is the new Global Brand Partner for Hourglass Cosmetics.

Ben Hassett/Hourglass

Her preference for natural-looking complexion makeup is also why she loves the brand’s skin tint, a hydrating formula with a blurring, tone-evening finish that that she “can use without it looking heavy.” She then goes in and pinpoints blemishes or discoloration.

“Because it’s so pigmented, I don’t need a lot,” Cheng says of the line’s cult-favorite concealer

It seems that the entire beauty industry is after the look of a bare-faced glow, with endless new combinations of lasers and skincare actives promising to deliver just this. While some lucky individuals have been graced by the skincare gods with all-natural complexion perfection, in reality, we all have to fake it sometimes. On these occasions, there is a reason why so many experts and It-girls reach for Hourglass Cosmetics, whose innovations in complexion care make makeup minimalism possible.

At the mezzo-level, this is an interesting move being made in the luxury beauty sector. It could be a pure a genius business strategy to harness the talents of celebrity makeup artists like Cheng to create the exact type of makeup tutorials and beauty content that goes viral online. While we wait to see how others in luxury cosmetics move in response to Hourglass’ plans, we can soon bide our time with the makeup tips to come from the new Artist In Residence Series.

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