Key Takeaways
- Hourglass just announced its 2025 holiday palette, the Unlocked Horse Palette.
- This year, the palette is available for one day only, September 5.
- You can join the waitlist now.
While Hourglass Cosmetics is called Hourglass because founder Carisa Janes wanted a moniker that sounded “feminine, strong, and timeless,” the name has grown to carry another connotation over the years. Come fall when their holiday palettes release, you better have an hourglass at the ready—every grain of sand lost means they’re closer to selling out, and you have to see how fast the time flies to believe it.
This year’s countdown officially stars September 5, when the first Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked palette of the 2025 holiday season launches. The Unlocked Horse Palette will be available to shop for one day only as a Sephora exclusive before the full collection goes live the next day on Hourglass’s website.
Ahead, discover everything there is to know about the special launch, its bespoke art, and the shades within.
Hourglass
The Palette
Besides the exclusive shades and beloved formulas, part of the charm of an Ambient Lighting Edit palette is its unique design. This year marks Hourglass’s first-ever collaboration with a tattoo professional: Sasha Unisex. Made of 100% tin, the bespoke case is as cool as you might imagine.
“With this year’s collection, we’re proud to continue our tradition of celebrating female creatives through a collaboration with Ukrainian tattoo artist Sasha Unisex,” Janes shared. “Sasha’s work is unique, imaginative and centers around the beauty of the animal world, connecting deeply with our long held commitment to support animal welfare.”
Hourglass
The Shades
When you’re done admiring your palette’s beauty, you’ll open up the tin case to find the brand’s bestselling finishing powder, blush, bronzer, and highlighter. The six Ambient Lighting and Ambient Strobe Lighting shades include Powder in Soft Light (a pale peach shade), Blush in Mood Exposure (a soft plum), Powder in Supernatural Strobe Light (a champagne), Blush in Iridescent Coral (a peony), Blush in Iridescent Rose (a warm, medium rose), and Bronzer in Glistening Bronze Light (a golden bronze).
“Utilizing our groundbreaking Photoluminescent Technology, the powders filter out harsh light and enhance skin in any type of light,” explains the brand. “The shades can be used individually or layered together for a multidimensional, soft-glow finish.”
Hourglass
How to Shop
As mentioned, the palette will be available to shop on sephora.com for one day only (!) on September 5. You can join the waitlist here.
After that 24-hour timer runs out, the full collection will go live on hourglasscosmetics.com on September 6. This year, Hourglass is once again donating 5% of net profits from the collection to the Nonhuman Rights Project. The U.S.-based organization works to secure fundamental rights for animals—a cause close to the always vegan and cruelty-free brand’s heart.
Just remember… that hourglass sand is always slipping. In 2023, the palette sold out three times. More people know about it now, so time is certainly of the essence.
