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Giorgio Armani: Eye Shadow Quads

November 12, 2009

Back in September, I was planning to do a full series on Giorgio Armani, but have been slacking. I will feature Armani more frequently since I know a lot of you are interested in the line, although I can’t promise to get fully back on track since there are so many other brands that I want to write about.

Giorgio Armani released 4 eyeshadow quads (Numbers 01, 02, 03, 04) in 2005 back when Armani hard to find since it was only available at a few Saks locations and various Giorgio Armani Boutiques. They have since reformulated the quads in their Maestro Eye Shadow Formula and the pigment is much better.

In addition to the original 4, they have released a number of limited edition eyeshadow palettes with various seasonal collection. The two newer colors 05 Desert and 06 Mineral were released as part of the regular line.

The quads I still have with swatches:

Top: 02 Floral (original formula) , 03 Earth (original formula)
Bottom: 04 Stone (original formula), 05 Desert (new formula)


#02 Original Formula:


#03 Original Formula:


#04 Original Formula:


#05 New Maestro Formula:


Limited Edition Quads, L to R: Midnight Eye Mania, #10 Leather, Pink Light


Midnight Eye Mania:


#10 Leather Collection:


Pink Light:


All of mine were purchased at Saks over the years. Today, they retail for $58 US each which I feel is fairly steep. I tend to wait for Saks events when they have GWPs or Triple Points. I believe Armani recently did a 20% discount online, perhaps they will do another promotion soon.

I have not repurchased the shades I already own in the new formula because I am happy with the consistency, although I have tried the newer formula instore and can confirm it is much better than the original.

The newest eyeshadow palettes they released were the Eyes to Kill & the holiday double-tiered palette. Check out Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Palettes 1, 2 & 3 and also Giorgio Armani Holiday 2009 for more pictures.


For more Armani photos and swatches, click on this Giorgio Armani label. I’ve done a full feature on the New Maestro Eyeshadows and Blushes and Bronzers. There are bits and pieces of other items scattered among other articles.

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Giorgio Armani Fall 2009: Manta Ray Collection

July 2, 2009

Last week I received a preview e-mail from Giorgio Armani about their new Manta Ray Collection featuring 5 eyeshadow duos, 2 silk lipsticks, 1 blush, and 1 lip shimmer.

Their star product of the season features their new eyeshadow duos with a snake-like embossed surface described as follows:

“Inspired by the precious and luxurious materials used in Giorgio Armani fashion accessories, the palettes offer a beautiful selection of color harmonies inspired by nature. The collection features subtle hues that offer a new take on the timeless color “Greige,” create by Giorgio Armani. The rich filtered eye tones, presented in a matte Greige compact, give depth and mystery to the eyes with subtle contours and highlights.”

I stopped by Saks and was surprised to see these in store already. The counter did not have testers, nor did they receive everything in the collection yet, but did have all the shadow duos, Blush #12 (pale whitish pink shimmer) and Silk Lipstick #93 (plum-brown cream).

I ended up purchasing the following two items:

* Manta Ray Eyeshadow #1: Described as “charcoal and greige,” this duo seems more like an intense satin black and soft grey/brown/beige with plum undertones. At first glance it looks like a plain brown, but I compared it next to a few other shades and it seems to have slight pink/plum undertones.

* Sheer Blush #12: I am a huge fan of Armani blushes and was really excited about the new #12. It’s described as a “pale raspberry” but this is quite misleading since it’s actually a super pale cool-pink shimmer with lavender undertones. Luckily the counter did have a tester of this item. The makeup artist assured me it went on differently than it appeared in the pot. She dusted a bit on and sure enough, it went on a pretty glowy light pink. Your mileage may vary on this one, so definitely try it out before purchasing.

Close up (clickable so you can see the slight shimmer):

Comparisons, left to right: GA #1, GA #12, GA #11

Comparisons, left to right: MAC Sheertone Shimmer in Shimmersweet, GA #12, Chanel Silk Dream

Above are some comparison pictures to help give a better idea of what the new blush looks like. Overall thoughts are undecided. I usually love Armani, but the look created in this collection isn’t the most flattering. The concept of the eyeshadows are unique but $32 for an eyeshadow and $42 for a blush is pretty steep – I feel like I should have gotten more for my $$$.

For other Giorgio Armani Features, click HERE to see the new Maestro Eye Shadow extensions, Summer 2009, and some Bronzer comparisons.

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