This summer Giorgio Armani has a few mini-releases in addition to their main Écailles Summer Collection. The first to be released in the US is six new shades of Gloss d’Armani ($28 each for 6.5 ml/0.22 fl oz) and six new Rouge d’Armani Sheers ($30 each). I spotted the collection this past weekend at Saks Beverly Hills and picked up one of each of the lipglosses.
The six shades are all labeled to be in the Pink family, although some of them are more beige/peach/rose. The collection includes Pink 513, 514, 515, 516, 517 and 518. I asked the artist if these were indeed new shades or if any were re-promotes. I noticed one looked like the original Lipshimmer #1 and another like the Lipshimmer #16. She pointed out that while these were new in the Gloss d’Armani range, they were indeed older Lipshimmers reformulated in the new Gloss d’Armani formula and packaging. (Much like what Armani did when they reformulated all their eyeshadows into the Maestro formula back in 2009, see those features here and here.)
At Saks, I was told that this particular collection of glosses was a less thick version of the first wave of Gloss d’Armanis (see the original review here from 2010). Those who have any of the shades released know they apply sheer and lightweight but thicken slightly after they set which makes them last slightly longer than the original Lipshimmers by Armani. Some promotional features have called this particular release the “Porcelain Doll” collection since these shades are meant to mimic a high shine of porcelain doll lips. After playing around with a few of the shades, I personally can’t see the difference. They appear to have the same feel/texture as all prior Gloss d’Armani shades: natural color, semi-sheer finish, gorgeous glowy shimmer (not frost), and high shine. The scent is slightly fragranced (very very slight) to have a clean fresh scent. I never really noticed a scent in the first wave that have been released, but upon further inspection found they have a slight chemical/plastic scent if you smell them closely. The newer ones are an improvement in my opinion.
The new shades are gorgeous, but if you have a number of glosses from Armani, you may want to check your stash first. Many of the existing Gloss d’Armani shades are similar, not quite dupes, but close. I’ll try to add a few thoughts on each of the new shades and how they compare to existing colors. I’ll also list what I believe to be the original Lipshimmer numbers.
Photographed above, L to R in consecutive order (for reference I swatched all my older lipshimmers back in 2010 here, most of these I’ve used up and no longer have so I didn’t compare them side-by-side):
- Pink 513 is a beige shimmer. The shimmer is higher in this one with a frostier shine but not overly so. This is a lighter more champagne version of Beige 102. This replaced Lipshimmer #16.
- Pink 514 is a soft opal pink that flashes pearly-pink. It’s a glowy soft sheer pink that’s more opal/pale than Beige 103 (which also has more peach). This replaced Lipshimmer #25.
- Pink 515 is a pale pink that flashes blue, green and white sparkles. This replaced Midnight Lipshimmer #1.
- Pink 516 is a soft light peach with tiny silver sparkles. This is a peachier version of Pink 501. It replaced Lipshimmer #1.
- Pink 517 is a soft neutral-cool rose with cool shimmer. It’s a lighter version of Pink 503. It replaced Lipshimmer #9.
- Pink 518 is a non-shimmer neutral rose brown pink. It’s warmer and slightly deeper than Pink 507. This replaced Lipshimmer #21.
Swatches, two views. I think the top shows the undertones best, while the bottom shows the hint of iridescence for each shade with the high flash.
Overall I do think the Gloss d’Armani formula is a huge improvement over the original Lipshimmer formula in terms of lasting power. The thickening factor of these glosses does help prevent them from slipping off the lips easily, but still like any typical gloss, lasting powder is limited. I usually wear Armani glosses with some kind of liner or over a lipstick since they are rather sheer. These are a nice swipe-and-go kind of gloss but I think most will prefer more color or pigment. They are great for layering.
Those who had a favorite Lipshimmer shade will be happy to learn that Armani is bringing some of them back in the new formula. I think Lipshimmer #1 and 16 were classics. I’m glad to be able to replenish those. I highly recommend checking these out at your local Armani counter. The colors are easy to wear and great for everyday or for creating a polished look.
Have you checked out the new Gloss d’Armani or Rouge d’Armani Sheer colors? Thoughts?
