This summer Giorgio Armani has released a few mini collections focusing on lips and eyes. The new Gloss d’Armani shades from the Skin Lacquers Collection was featured last month here. The latest release is their Eyes to Kill Aqua collection featuring six new Eyes to Kill Intense shades, waterproof mascara and eyeliners. I ordered all six of the Eyes to Kill Intense shades from Saks sight unseen ($32 each for 4g/0.14 oz, all listed as limited edition, made in France). The colors looked amazing online and I am happy to report these indeed are stunners. The newest shades are #24, #25, #26, #27, #28 and #29. Some sources have actual names for these. For Armani, I always reference the numbers since the names are rarely printed on the box or packaging for shadows or lipsticks or glosses. Here is the lineup from Saks online and then one of my photos below. I have to give the thumbs up to Armani and Saks for improving their online swatches for these.
I’ve reviewed the Eyes to Kill Intense formula before, but to recap for those new to these shadows, Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense are a potted hybrid cream/powder eyeshadow. The texture is spongy and almost-cream like but not quite. They are indeed intense in pigment and sparkle. Most contain a complex blend of colors almost like a kaleidoscope making them multidimensional. I like to think of them as a pumped up version of MAC’s MSFs but for the eyes and in a cream formula. Armani boasts that these are long-wearing shadows with 24 hour lasting power. I have never worn any type of makeup for 24 hours straight, but I do find the lasting power to be stronger than the typical shadow. If I don’t touch my eyes at all during the course of a regular day, I find that they last without fading.
The formulas are easy to blend and layer under and over shadows. I do find layering a powder over these will sometimes make the Armani cream shadow fade a bit. If you want to layer over these but still want to maintain the sparkle intensity, I recommend you pat. These aren’t emollient enough for me to be a base though.
Compared to Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres, Armani’s Eye to Kill Intense last longer and have a less bouncy feel in texture. Although some are more sparkly, I find Armani’s easier to wear and pull off for everyday or for evening. Now onto the colors:
#24 is a blackened gold sparkle. It’s beautiful for a smokey liner or smokey eye. What I love about these is that they the pigment is easy to control by layering.
#25 is another black-gold sparkle but with more of a lighter khaki base. On me it pulls slightly olive because of the gold tones.
#26 is a beautiful warm gold. Some of you may wonder how close this is to #5, #6 and #15. It’s close but slightly less khaki and more golden/warm. I’ll show a few comparisons below.
#27 is a complex silver-taupe-red sparkle. I expected a silvery-taupe but mixed together it pulls more purple on my skin due to the red metallic streaks.
#28 is a gorgeous gold with burgandy/purple blend. It’s what I wanted NARS Kuala Lumpur to look like on me (which was way too warm/red). This has just the right amount of copper and burgandy blend to work for me.
#29 is a pale frosted pink-white pearl. I would say if you have either #8 or #9, this might be too similar to justify owning for you. I do find it’s brighter and whiter (even with the pink veins) so it’s a bit more contrasted on my skin (especially with a tan). This one and #28 arrived a bit cracked/separated from the container. If you search other reviews you will see the packaging comes with a black insert which you can use to press down the product. I used those to try and press down the shadows and fix the cracks a bit.
Now swatching these will definitely vary depending on what kind of brush or how much pressure you use. I’ve swatched these a few different ways and under different lighting to show the complexity. Messy Wands has swatched these on her skin (which I believe is lighter than mine), definitely check out her blog to see how they look on her.
Swatch set #1 on the arm:
Swatch set #2 at an angle so you can see the sparkles shine in the sun:
Swatch set #3, bigger swatches blended:
These were all swatched without a base and with a variety of cream shadow brushes (from MAC, Bobbi Brown and Becca). Note that while these look uber-frosty and metallic, they are wearable on the eyes without being too frosty. At least on me. I only had time to swatch a few comparisons to other Armani shades, sorry my schedule can’t accommodate more comparisons right now. I do find these relatively unique compared to the existing Armani lineup. Two views below.
Overall a huge thumbs up. I do think #24 and #25 are very similar and you definitely don’t need both. I prefer #24 because it’s darker and more intense. Have you checked out the new Armani Eyes to Kill Intense shades yet? Thoughts? Did you pick anything up?
This post finalizes the Chanel Fall 2012 roundup for me. The last two items are Chanel’s newest shades in the Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss formula: Caprice #67 a delicate soft pink shimmer and Troublant #68 a gorgeous plum brown pink shimmer ($32 each). The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss formula was introduced in August of 2010. I often refer back to Cafe Makeup’s summary report and Karla Sugar’s swatch lineup for reference on colors, reviews and comparisons. (I highly recommend you read their reviews on the formula, lasting power, texture etc. they are both extremely helpful!)
The formula of the Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss was designed to be a pigmented ultra-shiny but long-lasting type of gloss. They indeed are glossy without being too sticky. The formula is thick enough and has a rich shine that lasts quite long on the lips without bleeding. It’s one of the few gloss formulas that doesn’t require a lipliner to help the color stay within the lip lines. Past releases have brought a diverse range of pinks and reds and corals. The colors released this season are on the more natural subdued side.
Caprice #67 is a soft light pink shimmer. It goes on fairly light on my lips. It’s still visible but very soft. Troublant #68 is a soft brown plum pink shimmer. The color is fairly natural on my lips but very pretty and easy to wear. If I had to pick one, it would definitely be Troublant.
More close up photos and swatches:
I found both to be good go-with-anything type of colors. They are on the more natural side for my skintone right now. I think fairer ladies will find these show up better on them. Troublant is a must-have for me. I’m not so sure about Caprice mainly because it is just so natural looking on me.
Now that I’ve had a chance to play for a few weeks, my top picks:
Frenzy Le Vernis
Vertigo Le Vernis
Troublant Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss
Complice Eye Shadow
Rose Initiale Blush and the Fall Highlighter are tied
By now I hope everyone has had a chance to go to the Chanel counter to
play with the fall colors. What did everyone come home with? Or order?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Hints of new items from Chanel surfaced late last year at the Paris-Bombay Metiers d’Art Show (see the runway look on Café Makeup). The limited-edition beauty collection Bombay Express de Chanel has finally arrived in the US on Chanel.com (and soon to select counters and boutiques). I purchased two items Diwali Le Vernis and Brume D’Or blush. Diwali Le Vernis is perfectly described on Chanel.com: “A glowing mix of pale gold and luminous silver …” It has a highly metallic glow and rich pigment (not sheer like Gold Fingers or Graphite).
Here it is swatched with two coats, there are many different shades of shimmers in the bottle making it appear silver in some photos and then more glowy gold in others.
The big question is how does this one lineup to past releases? Diwali is a special release and priced at a steep $30 per bottle. It is unique in the Chanel lineup. There are definitely similar shades that I’ll show below. Two views of the same shades. Dior Timeless Gold, Dior Golden Era, Chanel Delight, Chanel Kaleidoscope, Chanel Gold Fingers (prior reviews linked).
Two sets of swatches, note there are some repeats:
I would say that Chanel Diwali is closest to Dior Timeless Gold. Diwali has more yellow while Timeless Gold has more warmth. I personally prefer Chanel Delight from the summer collection for a metallic gold.
I can’t say I think Diwali is a must-have after comparing it to other shades (even though I had to have it). If you’re a huge Chanel fan then I would suggest buying it sooner than later (to avoid Chanel regret and astronomical eBay prices). Diwali is a pretty edgy metallic that I think can be worn year round.
Are you going to buy Chanel Diwali? If you already have what are your thoughts?
There are three new lipsticks from Chanel for the fall collection:
one Rouge Coco called Caractère #45 which is a neutral plum shimmer
two Rouge Coco Shines Chic #73, a grey-tan beige and Parfait #74 a pink gold
The palette this season is quite light/neutral. I these ordered sight unseen from Bergdorfs. I wasn’t quite wowed at first, but these apply much better on the lips.
Parfait is a pink gold that reminds me of a lipstick version of MAC Nymphette. It’s visible on the lips and like most Rouge Coco Shines applies beautifully but sheer. Chic looks like an unappealing grey-beige. It has a bit of shimmer in it. I was surprised it applied much prettier than it looked in the tube. Still, given the sheerness I can’t say it’s a must-have. Caractère is a beautiful plum shimmer. The pigment is excellent and color is naturally flattering and polished. It reminded me of Culte (also a relatively new shade, but from a different collection). Side by side, Culte is more purple. They are similar on my lips, I prefer the Caractère because it has a bit more depth.
I wasn’t really happy with the way the lip swatches turned out. The lipsticks are sheer but are visible on the lips. Unfortunately I don’t think it shows up very well in these photographs. I highly recommend searching other blogs for better photos. Here they are anyways.
The fall lip picks all lined up (Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss reviews to finalize the fall roundup soon). I think the lipsticks this season are gorgeous and work extremely well for me. I can’t say they are my favorites of all time but still beautiful options for fall. Out of the entire fall collection I would say that the Caractère Rouge Coco and the Troublant Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss are my top picks for lips.
Chanel has released two new shades in their waterproof eyeliner formula this season: Silver Light #87 and Noir Intense #88 ($30 each). I ordered sight unseen and meant to only purchase the silvery shade, however both were sent (and charged). Chanel’s Stylo Yeux Eyeliners are among my favorite for lasting power and texture. They are soft enough to apply easily, yet not too soft that they smudge, fade or bleed. Added bonus: the bottom can be removed to sharpen the tip only, so there’s not too much waste when sharpening (see the diagrams at Natural N Chic Makeup and Makeup and Beauty Blog).
Silver Light #87 is an ultra-pale silvery metallic. On my olive skin it appears slightly greenish (only on the hand). I find it difficult to envision myself wearing this as an actual liner, even in the corners of my eyes or as an accent. It’s simply too contrasted for my skin – perhaps it will make a good eyeshadow if I apply and blend carefully. I find Rose Platine and Khaki Platine much more wearable for my skintone. (Comparisons to be shown below).
Noir Intense #88 is a deep dark black matte shade. When I received this I wondered if it would be the same as Ebene (see it featured on Cafe Makeup here) or if it would be darker/more intense (as the name suggests). Swatched side by side, Noir Intense is darker and deeper. I can’t say the difference is dramatic, to my eye it’s noticeable but still subtle. More close ups and swatches.
Given the fact that Khaki Platine and Rose Platine from past seasons were a huge hit, it makes sense for Chanel to release another silvery shade of eyeliner this season. I personally see it being a difficult shade to pull off myself. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Comparisons to other black eyeliners and silvery eyeliners. All Chanel except where noted. I believe the Khaki Platine and Rose Platine were limited and no longer available. The others I think are still easy to find.
I’m glad that Noir Intense was sent to me unintentionally. I think it is a good purchase for me since sometimes Ebene isn’t deep enough on my skin (many black eyeliners end up looking ashy or greyish on my skin). However, many of you may already have your staple/holy grail shade in your stash making this one an easy one to skip. Silver Light is a beautiful silver but something I’m going to have to experiment with. Any tips welcome.
In general I can’t say either of these are must-haves. $30 is steep for an eyeliner, but the packaging is well designed and these Chanel eyeliners are among the few that actually last throughout the day for me. I love eyeliners from a number of other brands for the color and pigment, but few last as long as I’d like them to.
Chanel has released a number of new single eyeshadow shades in the Ombre Essentielle formula ($28.50 for 1.6 g/ .05 oz). These contain a new formula that I feel are a hybrid of the regular powder shadows and the Ombres Perleés de Chanel from spring of 2011. They aren’t quite as creamy as the spring palette and a slightly more powdery feel, but not like a typical eyeshadow. I played with these a little and found that alone, they are a bit sheer. Add just a little bit of a moisturized base (cream shadow, eye cream or non-matte primer) and the color intensifies quite a bit. I’ll show you what I mean further down in the swatches.
I’m not entirely sure how many new shades there are available in the US. Promotion sheets showed there were 5-6 shades to be released on a variety of other blogs such as Beauty Crazed and Jayded Dreaming. Rouge Deluxe tweeted some previews of Asia-Exclusives linked here. I received four of the shades in my order from Bergdorfs in Complice #93, Éclairé #94, Furtif #95 and Infini #97. Also at this time I’ve noticed Nordstrom.com lists these same four shades online. Since I haven’t seen these at the counters in person yet, I’m not sure if the US is only getting four shades, if there was a delay in shipment, or if they will be exclusive to select locations.
For now, here are the four shades I have:
Complice #93 is a soft iridescent peach champagne (much like a peachier version of the discontinued Chanel Island eyeshadow)
Éclairé #94 is a pale silvery gold (more yellow than Chanel Gold but also more silvery since it contains a lot of silver particles)
Furtif #95 is a steel blue grey metallic (similar to Chanel Silvery but more dove-blue and more shimmery)
Infini #97 is a platinum silver sparkle (compared to Chanel Platine, Infini isn’t quite as pale and has more silver and more sparkle)
Lasting power was about the same as the Ombrees Perles palette from spring two seasons ago: medium lasting power. The formula is quite flexible in terms of coverage. Apply with a lighter fluffier brush and you get a sheer wash of color/glimmer. Apply with a denser brush over a base and the difference is quite dramatic (in my opinion). The glimmer is truly lovely. Visible shimmer without frost. I suspect you can layer these over other shadows but I haven’t tried that yet.
Close ups:
Here you can see the difference swatched with or without a moisturized base. The color lineup reminds me of the limited-edition Tokyo Happening Collection from several years ago.
Comparisons to a few existing Chanel shades. In the past week I’ve received a number of requests for additional comparisons (via email, twitter and blog comments). I apologize but I am limited on time right now and cannot accommodate all requests. Right now I am struggling to review, photograph and compare all the items I purchased and balance my time with other obligations (trying not to sacrifice quality for quantity). I do see many of my readers who have jumped in to help answer questions when they can. Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would do without you!
For now, the few comparisons I did have time to pull, you can see that this season’s eyeshadows have a special glimmer: compared to Chanel Island, Gold, Silvery and Platine.
I am really smitten with the new formula. I think it’s quite lovely, however I find the $28.50 price tag really steep for a single shadow. I’m not sure I’m 100% in love just because of the price. I still think they are worth taking a look at and playing with. The formula is unique and the finish excellent, but as you can see from the swatches above, it’s probably really easy to duplicate a similar effect with Urban Decay shadows or quite possibly some MAC or NARS.
U.S. girls – at the counters did you see the other shades Noir or Indiscreet? To everyone, have you seen the shadows in person? Thoughts?
Chanel’s star product this season is their Illuminating Powder with Shimmer called Lumière d’Artifices Beiges (18 g/ 0.63 oz, made in Italy). It’s an exquisite face powder embossed with round circles that look like overlapped pieces of sequins. The powder itself is dusted with a silvery glitter overspray. Underneath there are stripes of soft golden beige and soft beige-rose. The powder in the compact itself looks more like a light pink/rose. On the skin this translated into a more golden-beige finish for me with only very slight undertones of pink/rose.
The sparkles were difficult to capture with the camera. At an angle the shimmer/sparkle overspray is easier to see:
Under artificial light, you can see the shimmer:
Here is the powder with the overspray removed. I’ve photographed it at an angle hoping you will be able to see the sheen of the powder. It’s really beautiful in person:
Swatched, this pulls warmer and more beige on me than what I see in the compact:
This is truly stunning on the skin. After the overspray was removed I thought it might be too boring but the color is just really lovely as a highlighter. It’s not too pale and not too dark – it’s perfect for Chanel B30 skin and I suspect it will be lovely on other skintones as well. The pigment is medium but visible and the shimmer just glows on the skin. The texture of this is velvety soft making it easy to blend and layer.
I pulled a small sample of other Chanel powders to compare. Ombres Tissées in Beiges from last August is significantly lighter and more frosty. This summer’s Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzers have a similar luminous glow, but I would say the Fall 2012 Lumière d’Artifices Beiges has more pigment and a slightly more glowy quality. You might find it too similar to Sable Beige to justify owning both.
I believe this is a limited-edition product. Unfortunately I can’t recall the price – I suspect it was in the $60ish range which I found reasonable given the fact that some other limited edition powders such as Lucky Stripes and Ombres Tissèes Beiges and Route de Indes de Chanel have been upwards of $75 to $95 each.
I personally adore this powder. I do think it’s a must-have for me, but that is simply my own opinion.
