Giorgio Armani

Left to right: #1 Steel Black, #2 Brown Copper, #3 Gunmetal Grey

The Eyes to Kill Palettes have finally arrived at my local Saks and Neimans and have been selling fast because of Saks Double Points & Neimans’s Beauty Week. Luckily my favorite Saks associate knew I had been asking about these since June so she and the Armani reps put one of each aside for me as soon as they came in.

These should be trickling in online very soon, but so far are currently available at GiorgioArmaniBeauty.com. Here are the product & color descriptions, each palette retails for $58 (for 8 g/.28 oz):

For more pictures and scans from magazines, check out this post Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Preview. I have yet to try the Eyes to Kill Mascara, but am planning to pick one up soon so I should be able to report back within the next few weeks about it!

I came home with #1 (taupe/ivory/black), #2 (coppery brown/gold/chocolate), and #3 (dark violet/cool grey/charcoal).

Here are the pictures and swatches:

Close up of #1:

Close up of #2:

Close up of #3:

Overall thoughts: My counter didn’t have testers of these so I had to buy them without trying. Luckily thanks to some other boards, I was able to see swatches before buying. Before I write the rest of my review, I have to say that in addition to being a die-hard Chanel fan, I am also a huge fan of Armani.

I haven’t been able to try these out on the eyes yet, but so far, the pigmentation seems on par with other armani shadows and palettes. Each palette has a good range of finish in the eyeshadow ranging from a high shimmer finish to satin/finish. Those looking for a matte eyeshadow palette might not like these, but the shades aren’t too shimmery or frosty (with the exception of #1). The middle darkest shades are the least shimmery but not completely matte – these seem to be on the sheerer side.

Overall I’m really happy with the palettes. I have been into a major shimmer eyeshadow kick but these are nice because they aren’t overly shimmery or matte. Pigmentation is decent in my opinion. Even though $58 is steep, I am happy with my purchases.

With the exception of the middle shades which are basic black, chocolate and charcoals, the palettes were unique enough that I don’t think I have comparable shades in my current collection.

I highly recommend you call your local Neimans to take advantage of their gift with purchase. The qualifier isn’t too high. Check the neimanmarcus.com website for a picture of their gift which includes a full size shine lipstick, a mini eyes to kill mascara and more. Even if your local neimans doesn’t have these palettes, there are plenty of other fabulous things to try out!

P.S. I’ve also scanned the list of Neimans Beauty Gifts HERE.

I just received my September Issue of THE BOOK from Neiman Marcus. Inside their beauty spot feature this month they have revealed the names of the long-awaited upcoming Eyes To Kill Palettes: Steel Black, Gunmetal Gray, Rouge Iron, and Brown Copper. Each retail for $58.

Scan from September’s Beauty Spot:

Picture from the July 2009 Instyle:

Scan from Biteki’s Beauty Book Cover (featuring the red palette):

Scan from Biteki’s September Issue:

I’ve also seen the pictures of the red palette in last month’s Marie Claire. Based on the above scans, I’m not quite sure what to make of the purple palette. InStyle’s photo definitely makes the purple look more on the deep/plum side while Neiman’s promo photo shows a lighter more vibrant purple.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see when it comes out.

Currently, Armani has their Manta Ray Collection out for fall. For pics, check out this post Giorgio Armani Fall 2009: Manta Ray Collection. One of my favorite beauty bloggers, Karen, has also posted a review and pics of some of the items she purchased at Makeup and Beauty Blog, Armani Beauty Manta Ray Fall 2009: Like a Gray of Light.

Also new out for Armani is their Eyes to Kill Mascara, and New Maestro Single Eyeshadows have been trickling in stores, but have yet to be seen online anywhere. As far as I know, not all stores have received the new shades, and different stores have different shades in their stock. Armani is in the process of discontinuing their original formula eyeshadow and has replaced them with their Maestro Formula. For more details, check out these articles:

All About Armani: New Maestro Eye Shadows

Update on New Giorgio Armani Maestro Eye Shadows

Giorgio Armani New Maestro Eye Shadows vs. Armani’s Original Eye Shadows