Shape & Sculpt Lip Liner

Packaging and what the product is

The Hourglass photo shows a slim black pencil with “HOURGLASS” printed vertically in white and a sharpened, rosy-mauve tip in the shade Tease, next to three diagonal strokes of colour. The brand lists the size as 0.04 oz / 1.0 g and the price as $29; Cult Beauty lists 1.2 g.

It is a lip liner meant to define, shape and fill the lips, worn alone or under lipstick, gloss or balm. The brand calls it ultra-creamy, transfer-resistant, highly pigmented and soft-matte, with colour that does not smudge, feather or fade, and lists it as formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates and gluten.

Ingredient analysis

Isododecane comes first: a volatile hydrocarbon that keeps the pencil creamy on application and then evaporates, letting the colour set. Synthetic wax, cetearyl behenate and hydrogenated jojoba oil (despite the name, a hard, wax-like material) give the pencil its structure, while polybutene adds cushion and grip. Trimethylsiloxysilicate, a silicone resin, forms the flexible film behind the transfer-resistance claim. Isoamyl laurate is a light emollient ester, and sucrose tetrastearate triacetate helps bind and stabilise the oils.

Mica, silica and synthetic fluorphlogopite provide slip and a smooth payoff; colour comes from iron oxides and titanium dioxide in the list provided, with shade-dependent lakes (for example Red 7 Lake or Blue 1 Lake) on the brand’s full lists. Pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate is an antioxidant that protects the oils. The formula is anhydrous, so it contains no water and no classic preservatives, and there is no fragrance.

What to watch out for

The long-wear film can feel dry on very dry or chapped lips; pairing it with a balm or gloss helps. Because it is designed to resist transfer, an oil-based remover works best. Colourants vary by shade, so people who avoid particular lakes should check the shade-specific list.

Keep the pencil capped and sharpened to avoid contamination.

What users say

On hourglasscosmetics.com the liner had 4.5/5 from 149 reviews (checked 1 Nov 2026). On Cult Beauty it had 4.5/5 from 62 reviews (checked 1 Nov 2026); reviewers praise strong pigment, a smooth, creamy glide, easy blending and staying power – two said a swatch would not rub or wash off their hand – and some use it under balm or gloss.

Criticisms include the price for a pencil, one person finding it slightly drier than they would like, and one reviewer whose “warm brown” shade (Uncover 4) looked pinky-orange on their lips.

Who it may suit

People who want a long-lasting, fragrance-free lip liner for definition or all-over colour and are happy to pay a premium. Those with very dry lips may need to layer a balm, and anyone buying online should check swatches or try the shade in store first.