Giorgio Armani’s Holiday collection has been arriving in stores in limited quantities, so if you like anything, I suggest you grab them fast! I called Saks today to find that they had sold out most of their palettes and had only one left which the SA was kind enough to hold for me.
I came home with the Crystal Palette and Silk 94 Lipstick:
Silk Lipstick #94:
The top layer of the Crystal Palette 2009 and Silk 94 (the embossed parts of the palette are overspray):
The bottom tier of the Crystal Palette:
One more view:
I wish they had released an eyeshadow the same shade as the lipgloss, it would have made a gorgeous eye color! No swatches yet since it’s too pretty to touch!
I don’t remember all the shade names/numbers but this is what I saw:
* Crystal Palette – two tiered compact with crystals that contains a highlight powder oversprayed with silver sparkle, and 4 eyeshadows in shimmery cool charcoal, shimmery multi-dimensional teal, light silvery-blue, cool taupe grey * Silk 94 Lipstick – sparkley (more shimmery than most armani lipsticks) golden-taupe * Silk ?? Lipstick – shimmery warm red * Lipshimmer 61 – matches the gold lipstick, but looks a bit more metallic/brassy * Sheer Shimmer Powder #5 – I believe Armani had shimmer powders before, I can’t remember how many there used to be, but they are the same size as the blushes/bronzers, this one is a pale iridescent light pink (similar to Chanel Rosee Poudre Douce) * Mascara Top Coat in a glittery bronze/gold
I have yet to see the holiday collection from Armani, but my local Saks and Neimans just received the new long wear lipstick, Rouge D’Armani. They retail for $30 each and come in a new sleek black packaging that has a magnetic clasp which holds the lid in place.
Nude-beige and nude-pink lip lovers, you will like the colors in the Beige Family: Beige 100 and Beige 101 are both more of the true nude-beige brown colors. Beige 102 and 103 are more peachy-pinky and nude-pink. I haven’t tried them to see if they do in fact last 8 hours. However, I couldn’t resist the friends and family discount Saks has going on right now and figured they were worth the splurge.
They had quite a few lovely rose pink shades. Those who like a neutral-cool mauve pink, check out the Pink #501. The ones I purchased were the lightest and most neutral, but most of the shades were bolder and more vibrant. Have you seen/tried these yet? What colors did you pick up? Thoughts/comments?
Here is October’s list of Ten Things I’m Loving Right now. There’s a slight twist on a few items because I simply could not pick one item in a certain category. I’d love to hear what you all are loving right now too.
1) Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #1 Steel Black Mascara $28 – I finally found a mascara that thickens and holds curl! I have the straightest lashes ever and even after curling with my favorite Trish McEvoy Eyelash Curler, nothing holds the curl as well as this one. Doesn’t clump, smudge or flake. I’ve tried other Armani mascaras in the past and did not like them at all, luckily, I got a mini-sized version of this to try out first. My other favs are DiorShow (gives thick plush lashes), Dior Iconic (gives dramatic black lashes) and Chanel Inimitable (also great) – but Armani’s Eyes to Kill has won my heart.
* A few key tips – I recommend using only one coat and make sure it dries completely before touching up your eye makeup or removing smudges from eyeshadow fall out. Also, I use this in conjunction with an eyelash curler, I can’t say whether or not it is curling, but I will say it holds the curl very well.
2) Shu Uemura Natural Pony Brush 20 $50 – Soft and plush, this is the perfect size and shape with the right density in bristles to make this my favorite blush brush. There is an angled version 20h which is just as soft.
3) Paul & Joe Refreshing Skin Toner $33 – I was lucky to try a sample before I bought this. The Paul & Joe toner makes my skin feel refreshed and it isn’t too drying or heavy. I have sensitive skin and this seems to be gentle and effective at the same time. Love the price too!
4) Bobbi Brown Nude Shimmer Brick $38 – I own almost every Shimmer Brick from Bobbi Brown and this one is the prettiest to date and works on both eyes and cheeks. It features “five pure pearl pigments—pink, gold, bronze, beige and caramel” – I believe it is limited edition, but can still be found at various counters. See comparisons to other shades HERE.
5) Chanel Quadra Eyeshadows in Mystic Eyes $56 – This is one of the prettiest unique combination of colors I have seen. I love the silvery shade because it has some golden flecks in the shimmer. I like to wear it with NARS Oasis Blush and Stolen Kisses Lipgloss over Mitzi Lipstick.
6) MAC Viva Glam V Lipglass $14 – this is my classic no-fail neutral pink lip gloss
7) Black/Gold Olivey Colors – I really like black golds for fall which can sometimes end up looking olivey with the combination. My favorites right now are:
1. MAC Seriously Hip Nail Polish 2. MAC Gilt By Association Mineralize Eye Shadow 3. Laura Mercier Black Gold Kohl Eye Pencil 4. Clinique Egyptian Eyeliner 5. Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink Gel Liner
9) Beige Shimmer Lipglosses like MAC Bare Necessity Dazzleglass $18, Chanel Freeze Aqualumiere $27, Hourglass Ignite Extreme Sheen Gloss $28, Chantecaille Crystalline Brilliant Gloss $28, Le Metier Captiva Sheer Brilliance Gloss $32 and Laura Mercier Opal Lip Glace $22 all have this lovely complex iridescence with a neutral beigey base giving a barely-there glow to the lips.
L to R: MAC Bare Necessity, Chanel Freeze, Hourglass Ignite, Chantecaille Crystalline, Le Metier Captiva, Laura Mercier Opal
10) L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream $10 – love this for the packaging and lightweight non-sticky texture. I keep one in my purse all the time. Also comes in the larger sizes and a few different scents/formulas.
I love the smokey eye looks that come out for fall but until recently, it seems like most all the lines usually release the typical variations of black and grey for their “smokey look.” I am not one who can pull of black eyeshadow or eyeliner easily because it’s often too harsh or ends up looking blueish on my skin. I have to opt for other deep colors and did a series on Smokey Eye Variations back in June and am so excited that lines are now releasing collections with a “black/smokey” theme that include colors other than just black or grey.
I just discovered 2 new deep purple shimmery eyeshadows from MAC and Dior and thought I’d pull out some of my favorite deep purples to compare.
1. Dior Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow in #186 Ultra Violet 2. MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Young Punk 3. Laura Mercier Sateen Eyeshadow in Kir Royal 4. MAC Fertile Eyeshadow 5. Giorgio Armani Maestro #18 6. Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in After Hours 7. Stila Poise
A few other pictures of smokey purples:
1. Bobbi Brown Metallic in After Hours 2. Chanel Magic Night 3. MAC Smut 4. MAC Deep Purple Pigment (Pro)
Here are the Armani Bronzing Powders that I own. I believe all have either been limited edition or discontinued except for 1, 2, and 5. Nordstrom.com & Neimanmarcus.com still have #8 (which I do not own). Often times counters will still have stock of discontinued colors.
Every summer, Armani releases a collection they call “bronze mania” many times the collection will include a two tiered palette with eyeshadows or highlighter on top and bronzer on the bottom. Here are a few previously released limited edition palettes compared to the individual shades.
* Please note that this collection is not comprehensive of all products that have been released, only the ones I own.
Some more bronzer posts and comparisons can be seen HERE.
Here is Part 2 for the Armani Powder Blushes with comparisons to similar colors for each shade. I did try to do swatches, but they didn’t come out so well. These pictures should help you gauge the color based on comparisons to other shades and brands.
Giorgio Armani #1, 11 and 12 compared to: Becca Sylph, Chanel Winter Shimmer (LE), MAC Angel (discontinued), Paul & Joe #11, MAC Blooming (LE) Giorgio Armani #2 compared to: MAC Shy Beauty (LE), Becca Malika, MAC Pinch O Peach, MAC Cheek (discontinued), Laura Mercier Nectar (old version) Giorgio Armani #3 & 4 compared to: Nars Silvana, MAC Sincere, Laura Mercier Fresh Ginger, Laura Mercier Crushed Hazelnut (discontinued) Giorgio Armani #5 compared to: Nars Madly, Laura Mercier Wild Bouquet (new version), Lancome Miel Glace, MAC Buff, Sue Devitt Koh Samui (old packaging) Giorgio Armani #6 compared to: Nars Oasis, Bobbi Brown Plum Wine Shimmer, MAC Deep Plum, Laura Mercier Plum Radiance, Nars Sin Giorgio Armani #8 compared to: MAC Sunbasque, MAC Peachtwist, Chanel In Love (US version), GA #3 Giorgio Armani #9 compared to: Chanel Rose Dust, Chanel Blush, MAC X-Rocks (LE) Giorgio Armani #10 compared to: Chanel Rose Bronze, Becca Princess Pressed Shimmer Powder, Stila Rose, MAC Trixie (discontinued)
Thanks again to those who filled out my survey, I really enjoyed reading your comments and found it very helpful! I do want you to know I have taken your input into account and will do my best to accommodate requests.
Due to requests for “more Armani” I will be doing several posts featuring my entire Armani collection including the shades that have been discontinued. First up is Giorgio Armani’s Sheer Blush which currently sell for $42 at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom locations.
Here are the shades I have numbered 1 through 12. The colors that are no longer available include 1, 8, 9 and 11.
* Formula – The blush is appropriately named as “sheer” because it is a sheer lightweight powder blush that gives a super natural glow. Doesn’t look cakey or feel heavy, but at the sametime it’s not too powder or soft.
* Pigment – Most of the colors are on the sheer side. They aren’t quite as sheer as Dior’s DiorBlush (which are practically invisible on my cheeks). I would say they are similar in pigment to Shu Uemura and definitely sheerer than Nars.
* Finish – Most of the shades have at least some slight hint of shimmer. The only three I find to be true mattes are 5 and 11. The one with the highest level of shimmer is #10 (my personal favorite for uniqueness) – but the result is not overly frosty or shimmery.
* Lasting power is on par with most other blushes. I have normal skin but am still on the search for a primer that truly makes my makeup last throughout the day without touch ups. Most blushes and lip colors fade on me within 4 hours. I usually touch up with powder once or twice per day, but rarely re-apply blush even if it is gone mid-day.
Here are a couple more close ups grouped by color family:
Check back tomorrow for more close ups and comparisons to colors in other brands!
(Note on swatches: I know many of you really like swatches. I will swatch products when I can, but blush is one product I feel doesn’t look the same in a swatch as it does on the face – that is unless you are the AMAZING Karlasugar and can swatch anything. Chances are you will probably have at least one of the comparison products and hopefully the comparisons that are coming up tomorrow will be helpful in helping you figure out what the shades really look like.)
