Browsing Tag

Giorgio Armani

Beauty Travel

Travel / Trial Sized Beauty – Skincare for Face and Body

July 1, 2014

Since my last trip in April I’ve been on the hunt for more mini-sized beauty items for travel and testing. One area I always neglect in packing is skincare for face and body. I almost never check in luggage so I’m limited to one carry-on and therefore subject to the one quart-size bag rule for liquids. Squeezing in all the items into one bag is a challenge for me but I’ve learned that skipping out on good skincare usually results in ruined skin that takes weeks to recover (at least for me). This time I took extra care to plan in advance and did quite a bit of research in the weeks leading up to the trip looking for good travel-sized minis. This is what I brought with me, all of which fit perfectly into one quart sized bag. I love minis for skincare anyways as a way to test out new items without having to splurge on the full size.

  • SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser ($70 for full size) was part of a mini gift with purchase from Saks, I frequently check the Special Offers page before stocking up on the full size, this is one of my favorite face cleansers, when I don’t have minis of my regular face cleansers, I squeeze some into a little disposable container
  • Caudalie Cleansing Water (50 ml/1.69 fl oz) the mini size is part of The Favorites Set ($32) which I’ve been a huge fan of, this is a gentle makeup remover that makes the skin feel clean and moisturized (FYI there is a Caudalie GWP online for a Deluxe Size Divine Oil with $50+ purchases using code DIVINE through July 2nd)
  • MAC Cleanse Off Oil / Tranquil ($10 for 30 ml/1.0 fl oz) is one of the mini to-go sizes for MAC skincare, I bought this to test out since I’ve been a huge fan of the regular Cleanse Off Oil, I find the Tranquil version to be more gentle with a moisturizing feel, I prefer the Regular version to remove makeup before cleansing (with long-wear makeup, I’ve found I need a few extra steps to remove every trace of primer, concealer, foundation, powder and blush)
  • Chanel Gentle Biphase Eye Makeup Remover ($34 for the full size) is a mini I stock up on with gift with purchases during Chanel events, it’s the best I’ve tried (I favor it over Lancome) that removes waterproof mascara and long-wear eyeliners without stinging the eyes
  • Giorgio Armani Regenessence 3.R Pre-Regenerative and Retexturizing Lotion ($53 for the full size) is my current toner of choice, it makes the skin feel really and soft and helps to smooth out the surface before serums or moisturizers, I got the mini size with a Neiman Marcus gift with purchase event and saved the bottle, I refill it with the full size when I go on trips or weekend getaways

  • Caudalie Divine Oil ($9 for 15 ml/.05 fl oz) is a must-have for me, I use it almost daily for the legs and arms, I love how this one smells refreshing and especially how it absorbs into the skin quickly, it’s often available in value sets like this Sephora Summer Crushes set and I’ve seen it in seasonal duos, I bought my first Divine Oil because my friend said, “at $9 you won’t be crushed if you don’t like it, but you will, you need to try it, it’s amazing” – she was right, I’m rarely without this one (it’s often in my purse)
  • Caudalie Divine Legs (25 ml/0.84 fl oz) in the mini size is usually part of yet more value deal sets, there’s one for $32 that comes with a 50 ml Divine Oil + 25 ml Divine Legs, I have super sensitive skin that often reacts to tanning and bronzing products, although this one from Caudalie doesn’t tan, it does give a nice bronzed leg effect that I found very natural, since there were mixed reviews on Sephora, I thought getting the set with the mini was good to try, I tested the Divine Legs this past weekend rubbing quickly into the legs after moisturizing with a light layer of the Divine Oil, it dried quickly but I was able to work it in quickly before it set, I wore a black dress and skirt over the past few days so I didn’t notice any transfer to clothing, I’ll have to test this one out a few more times but I liked it and didn’t experience any irritation
  • Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream (30 ml/1 fl oz) is another lovely item from The Favorites Set, I have a number of tried and true favorite hand creams, I picked this one because of the refreshing lightweight scent and compact size
  • Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter (30 ml) is a new addition to Tatcha’s Travel Sized beauty, if you’re on their mailing list you might recognize this as one of the past gift with purchases they offered (they have special promo codes), this one will this one will be available for purchase mid to late July, you can read my full review here, some might wonder if I brought a body oil with me, did I really need to bring a body lotion as well? I could have gotten away with bringing just one, but I like the Tatcha for it’s soothing qualities, sometimes my skin acts up and gets itchy from being dry, the Tatcha Indigo line works wonders for hydration and soothing

  • Chanel Sublimage La Creme Texture Fine ($390 for the full size 1.7 oz) is one of the most amazing face moisturizers I’ve tried and also one of my biggest splurges, it hydrates the skin and keeps it looking smooth and clear, there are often minis available with gift with purchases, sometimes counters have samples to give out (they are more friendly with samples if you make a decent sized purchase) 
  • Ole Henriksen Truth Serum ($15 for 0.5 fl oz/15 ml) is one of my favorite serums, I love the small travel/trial size which is available at a good price, it’s often part of deal sets as well such as The Works, the best part is the mini packaging comes with a super convenient pump dispenser making it easy to use
  • Tatcha Camellia Beauty Oil ($33 for 10 ml) is the cutest mini-sized beauty oil, it’s the perfect size to test out in case you’re hesitant about oils in general (I am), when I travel, my skin tends to dry out a bit, I used this at night before bed to smooth the skin and give it an extra boost of hydration over night, on regular days, I use the oil for day 1-2x per week alternating with my regular serum/moisturizer routine, it gives the skin a super hydrated refreshed feel without feeling heavy (more thoughts on this one here)
  • Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream ($29 for 3 ml) came with a Barneys gift bag event offer, I love testing out mini eye creams and this one is super tiny which was good to fit into the corners of my quart sized bag, I found this one to be a bit heavy for my needs, it’s a rich creamy eye treatment I found good for overnight hydration (applied in small doses) but for everyday it will probably be too heavy for my skin type, this is the beauty of minis, you can test items to see how they work for you before committing to the full size

  • Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray ($14 for 30 ml/1.0 fl oz) has had so many raves on Sephora so I made a quick stop to one of the stores during my trip and picked one up. It’s described as a weightless spray that keeps your makeup looking fresh for up to 16 hours. I attended a wedding over the weekend in semi-humid weather and thought this would be the perfect time to test something like this. Most of the wedding was indoors and it didn’t last 16 hours so I couldn’t really test this to see if it lived up to its claims. I did like the lightweight feeling, it spritzes a super fine layer of mist over the face evenly (huge plus for me) and it kept my makeup looking fresh and melt-free for around 7 hours.
  • Clinique Color Correcting Superprimer ($27 for 1 fl oz, review here) was my primer of choice for the weekend for its smoothing properties, you can see the difference in the texture of the skin once applied, it works well under liquid foundations as well
  • Origins Clear Improvement Mask Pods ($8 for 4 one-time use pods) is another item I picked up during my trip, I loved the concept of the one-time use pods and am usually skeptical about pore-cleansing masks since most usually are either too strong and sting the skin or so gentle it feels like nothing (my favorite from MAC was discontinued). I used one pod during my trip and was really impressed with how well this cleansed and tightened the skin, after one use pores were visibly smaller, there is a slight tingly feeling but it did not irritate or sting the skin, based on the reviews I’ve read and my experience with one pod, this one shows a lot of promise
All the liquid/gel items in my zip-loc quart size bag – yes, they all fit including a mini perfume and bottle of Chanel foundation 🙂

Overall this trip I felt like I packed all the essentials (and then some) for skin care face and body. I did skip bringing shampoo, conditioner and shower gels and relied on what was at the hotel (I was really happy that they had Neutrogena). I ended up using everything I brought with me along with the two items I purchased on the trip at Sephora. I don’t travel often so it’s taken a few tries for me to get the right mix of products while I’m away from home. I think this time I’ve finally found my perfect mix of items for skincare. (If you want to know what makeup I brought with me let me know in the comments below, otherwise you can see what I carried with me on previous trips by clicking on the Travel tag.)

Do you have any favorite travel sized beauty items? What items did you end up loving from mini-testing that made you buy the full size? Any new discoveries lately? Also if you ended up hating something from testing out a mini, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Some items in this post were provided for review consideration and some minis were acquired from various gift with purchase events. Most items were purchased by me. For more information please refer to my Disclosures.

19 Comments
Uncategorized

Spring-to-Summer Bronze and Glow

June 2, 2014

I shared my favorite bronzers and illuminators with you last year in my Summer Glow post. There are a number of new bronzers and glowy products out this year that I’ve been testing lately that I wanted to share with you. Two have made the favorites list again this year. I’ve split this year’s post into two categories: glow and bronze. For me the two aren’t necessarily separate, I like to mix, blend and layer products to create a custom natural bronze or subtle glow. All of these work well with my normal combination sensitive skin (no break outs or reactions to these).

  • RMS Living Luminizer is one of those cult classic products. I’ve long resisted because after feeling it a few times in stores thought it would be too greasy for my normal/combination skin. I finally caved after a few friends demanded I give it a try. It is one of the most dewy and glowy highlighters I own but it does miraculously give a natural healthy sheen. It has barely any color on my medium skin and isn’t too pale to give a sharp white contrast. It just gives a subtle sheen. I like this under blush or over it to add a bit of glow. I dab it on very lightly with fingers.
  • NARS Illuminator in 413 Blkr (review here) is a lovely champagne colored highlighter that isn’t too pale or too yellow, it’s gorgeous mixed in with foundation or used as a highlighter
  • Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Afterglow is one of my holy grail highlighters, it’s perfect for medium-tanned skin beauty lovers who are looking for a good neutral highlighter that isn’t pale, I use it as an eye base, on the cheeks, on the temples, I’ve hit pan on this twice, it’s a must-have with gorgeous shimmer and non-greasy finish, it’s perfection
  • NARS Illuminator in Hot Sand is new for summer, also limited-edition, I had to wait several weeks for this one, it sold out at all the counters near me so I ordered online, if you haven’t checked this one out, I recommend it, it’s a unique gorgeous peachy shimmer that dries down to a non-dewy finish (so it stays put)
  • Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust is repromoted this year, it sold out in the blink of an eye last year, if you missed out the first round, you have a chance to buy it this year (but with a white cap), I’m about half-way through mine from last year, it’s extremely pricey but worth every penny (review last year here)

  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light made the list again this year, it’s a sheer glowy powder with tiny micro sparkle particles but looks very natural on the skin, I recommend using a cream base (highlight or blush) underneath to help the color adhere better, once it does you get a lovely natural glow (also available in the palette/trio reviewed here)
  • Chanel Les Beiges Multi-Colour No. 02 (review here) if you’re looking for something new this summer, this is the bronzer to buy, it’s soft and natural and for me, it’s back-up worthy
  • Chanel Blush Creme in Cheeky is a new blush creme from the summer collection, I thought it would be too similar to Destiny but it proved to be more pink and neutral
  • Armani Liquid Summer Bronzer (review here) is a nice darker liquid bronzer, if you like a layerable fluid bronzer, I recommend this one (although if you have the classic Bronze Universel by Chanel, you don’t need this one because the color is similar)
  • MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite’s Shell and Delphic are both part of the Alluring Aquatic collection (both limited-edition). These are on the more subtle end of bronzers with a unique satiny-matte texture. They are buildable and with a slightly harder texture which makes these easy to layer on softly. They also adhere well to the skin and don’t budge once applied. I adore both shades and prefer Delphic because it’s more dramatic but they are both gorgeous. I would highly recommend acting fast with these, I’m surprised they are still available online and at counters.
More close ups in case you want to see the texture and shimmer in more detail:


There are a number of classic products such as NARS Multiples, Armani Fluid Sheers and all sorts of bronzers and highlighters that I adore. These are some that have been on my radar for a while (new ones along with tried and true).

What’s in your beauty rotation right now for bronzers or highlighters?

25 Comments
Uncategorized

Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric Blush and Sun Fabric Bronzer

April 21, 2014

Giorgio Armani re-packaged and launched new colors of their blush and bronzer with 8 shades of Cheek Fabric Blush ($46 each for 4g/0.14 oz) and 4 shades of Sun Fabric Bronzer ($54 for 10.5g/0.37 oz). Since virtually all items from the line have gone through packaging and formula changes over the past few years, I knew the blushes and bronzers would be changed eventually. The change is bitter-sweet. I had fallen in love with classic shades of their Sheer Blush #2, 5 and 10. They have been discontinued but I haven’t been able to take a close look to see if any of the new colors have replaced any of the older numbers. The good news is these new blushes have an extended color range and the bronzers come in a more silky soft texture. I picked up a few of the new colors at the counter – however one of the blushes gave me was the wrong number. The naming conventions are a bit confusing, I wish they had stuck to single digits or labeled the testers with the actual names. (If you love the older colors you may want to stock up while you can, I see them still at Saks here and here.)

The colors I have to show you are Cheek Fabrics in Daybreak 503 (a soft pink beige), Blush 506 (soft rose pink), Sun Fabric 400 (warm bronze) and Dolci 305 (soft peach). All the colors I picked out have a soft luminous shimmer that doesn’t really show up on the skin. These really are like second-skin and blend in very naturally with the cheeks. They have similar pigment to the original Armani Sheer Blush and Bronzers.

Swatched with a soft fluffy brush (but layered):

Close ups of the colors (click to see the sheen), the new Cheek Fabric Blushes are smaller in size compared to the older blushes and come in a single tier mirrored compact. Sun Fabric Bronzers are larger in size and come in a double-deck mirrored compact with a small brush.

Size comparison from the old to new:

Swatch comparisons in three sets, first peach comparisons, pink comparisons then bronzer comparisons. Below you can see how luminous the Cheek Fabrics are – they are sheer but buildable in color. Those who liked the older blush formula know they have a similar natural look but these have a bit more color which I really like. 
Chanel Espiegle (discontinued), Chanel Frivole, Burberry Blossom, Armani Sheer Blush #8 (discontinued), NARS Orgasm, Tom Ford Love Lust. 

I was hoping Daybreak 503 would be a dupe for the Sheer Blush #10, but it’s not. Hourglass Mood Exposure, Sheer Blush #10 (discontinued but still at Saks for now), Chanel Rose Dust (discontinued), Sheer Blush #6 (discontinued but still at Saks now), Burberry Rose, Chanel Emotion

For bronzers, the Armani #400 is most similar to Burberry Warm Glow. NARS Laguna, Edward Bess Daydream, Armani Summer 2013 Palette, Sheer Bronzer #1 (discontinued but still at Saks), Bronze Mania #5 (discontinued, but still online at Saks), Burberry Warm Glow No.1, MAC Golden and MAC Bronze

I really like the look of the new color options for blush and bronzer, but I tend to have a bit of heart break when favorites are discontinued or changed (especially when the original formula/colors are so great). Given the fast-paced nature of how beauty and fashion change, I suppose it’s expected items won’t stick around forever. There are a wide number of options to choose from, for me it would have been easier to shop online to avoid color number mix-ups, if you shop in store, I recommend you double check that they give you the right color and number before you leave.
I took a quick snapshot at the counter a few weeks ago, the numbers are nearly impossible to read but this will give you an idea of the color range.

Armani Cheek and Sun Fabrics should be available at all Armani counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus. If you’re a fan of the older colors, act fast before they are pulled or sell out. You can still find them online now at Saks here and here and also Neiman Marcus here and here.

Have you checked out the new blushes and bronzers? What did you think?

20 Comments
Uncategorized

Giorgio Armani Maestro Mediterranea | Fusion Blush 400 and Liquid Summer Bronzer

April 2, 2014

The Giorgio Armani Maestro Mediterranea Collection brings us an extension of the Maestro Fusion makeup line with three new Fusion Blushes in 300, 400 and 500 ($52 each for 15 ml/0.5 fl oz) and one new Liquid Summer Bronzer ($64 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). These come packaged similar to the Maestro Fusion Foundations with a squeeze dropper to dispense the liquid onto the back of your hand or onto a brush before blending on the face. The summer colors have intense pigment and look extremely dark if you see them directly in the bottles. Fortunately these blend extremely well with a blush or fingers and are easily layerable. The texture is very liquid with a satiny finish. The feel on the skin is almost like velvet and lasting power is very good from morning to late evening without fading.

New summer cheek and bronzer items at the counter Fusion Blushes, Liquid Summer Bronzer, Cheek Fabric Blushes and Sun Fabric Bronzers:

I picked Fusion Blush #400 (the lightest of the three) after testing the colors at the counter. This has a frosted bottle that is skinnier and smaller than the other Maestro Fusion items. #400 is a coral red pink that is easy to blend. I really like how pigmented these are. I found the Fusion Blush performed much better than the Face Fabrics – however I’ve never been a huge fan of the Face Fabric formula. They have always felt too silicone-like on my skin. The new Fusion Blushes have a slightly velvety feel but they adhere to the skin well. I give this one a huge thumbs up although I feel this one is extremely overpriced for the size.

The Maestro Liquid Summer Bronzer is a lovely neutral bronze. This one has a very subtle shimmer to the color that doesn’t show up on the face but gives the skin depth. I am surprised that this formula only comes in one shade of bronze. I do think it will suit fair to tan skins but those with darker skintones may find this one won’t show up. I really love this one for the texture and color. I do think application can get a bit messy if you’re not careful with the packaging.

Swatches, three ways to show the intensity of the color and how you can blend/build color.

Packaging comparisons for Armani liquid bottles:

Comparisons to NARS G-Spot Multiple, Armani Face Fabric #2 (discontinued), Chanel Bronze Universel de Chanel (my holy grail cream bronzer/counter product), MAC Weekend To the Beach Creme Bronzer (discontinued) and NARS Vientaine Matte Multiple (review soon).

I’m overall really pleased with the results of the Summer Maestro Liquid Blush and Bronzer. I’m not thrilled with the prices – although these are luxury items and well designed in all aspects from packaging, formula and long-wear quality I do think the prices are on the steep side. Right now they are listed as limited-edition but I’m not 100% sure if they are.

You can find the entire collection now at Nordstrom. All three shades of Blush Fusions are also available online now at Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus (I suspect they will have the bronzer online soon and the entire collection will show up at other retailers shortly). 

Did you check out the collection yet? What were your thoughts? (PS I picked up a few of the new cheek and sun fabric powders but haven’t had time to test them out yet.)

12 Comments
Uncategorized

Loving Right Now

March 3, 2014

I can’t believe it’s already March. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I wanted to share a few things I’m loving right now. As always, I’d love to hear what is on your favorites list – please share in the comments below. I often discover new favorites through my readers.

White lacquered tray is from West Elm
  1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat – this is the perfect glowy pink-poppy flush (see my swatches from yesterday here)
  2. MAC Cremesheen + Pearl Glass in Floating Lotus – these were released a while ago with the Cremesheen+Pearl collection, I’m so glad MAC made the lipsticks and glosses permanent, there are some really gorgeous classic pinks, Floating Lotus is a lovely sheer natural pink
  3. Giorgio Armani Gloss d’Armani #513 – this is one of the prettiest cool beige shimmers, it has a hint of pink and it doesn’t wash out the complexion (swatches here)
  4. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse – see my review on body oils here, I usually prefer the Caudalie, but right now I keep reaching for the Nuxe
  5. Tom Ford Foundation Sticks in Bisque 04 and Natural 05 – I started with Natural 05 but got a bit of a tan so was in need of one shade darker, it was a good thing I asked the artists at the counter for their help because the odd thing with these is Bisque 04 is actually darker than Natural 05 even though the shades are supposed to be in sequence (lighter shades are supposed to be the lower numbers) I’ll have a more detailed review soon, this is very pricey but it’s an amazing product and worth every penny
  6. L’Artisan Mûre et Musc – a discovery thanks to one of my long time friends, this is a beautiful blend of blackberry and musc, it’s not overly sweet, my review on this from a holiday the trio a few years ago here
  7. MAC Viva Glam IV – this is a classic rose frost, not too red, berry or neutral, just the right mix of pink and rose
  8. Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer – this came in last month’s Barneys Love Yourself gift bag, it’s my first time trying anything from the brand, the price seems very reasonable for a lip balm, I’m incredibly impressed, it feels amazing on the lips
  9. Tom Ford Lip Sheer In the Buff – I’ve been wearing this non-stop, some have mentioned it doesn’t show up or is too pale, but for me, it’s my perfect everyday nude (swatches here)
  10. Chanel Glossimer Sonate 179 – from the spring collection, this is a lovely coral gloss from Chanel that actually shows up on my pigmented lips (swatches here)
  11. Tom Ford Eau de Parfum Oud Wood – I don’t wear a fragrance everyday, I’m often rushed in the mornings and this is often last on my list, if I were to have an everyday fragrance this would be it, it’s neutral enough to not be overpowering at the office (review here)

31 Comments
Uncategorized

On My Radar / New in Beauty

February 22, 2014

On my radar for what’s new in beauty. I splurged on almost all the Hourglass blushes and have been testing this week (they are now on Sephora.com). They are all amazing. In my mind the best blushes released this year.
Armani has two new products that appear to be exclusive to Saks right now. There are four new shades of a Sun Fabric compact ($54 each) along with seven new shades of Cheek Fabric ($46 each). Have you seen these yet? I haven’t seen them anywhere in stores yet. If you have please share in the comments. I’m dying to hear your thoughts.
My heart skipped a beat with the Chanel Jardin de Camélias collection (Chanel.com limited-edition exclusive). My order arrived last night so I will be busy photographing and swatching this weekend. For curious minds, I ordered the blush, highlighter and all the lip products. (Temptalia has been uploading reviews and swatches of the collection on her blog.)
Le Métier de Beauté finally released the three new Kaleidoscope Kits in Total Face Look, Cheeky Chic and Strada ($95 each) online at Bloomingdales (review on Total Face soon).
I’m dying over all the new NARS Matte Multiples and don’t know whether to order now or wait to test in person (now at Narscosmetics.com and Sephora). I know I need the two pink ones.
Finally, Bobbi Brown has a fresh peach collection Nectar and Nude. I haven’t bought a Pot Rouge since she repackaged them into compacts but the new Hibiscus Pot Rouge might be worth checking out.
What’s on your beauty radar right now?
12 Comments
Uncategorized

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #13 and Belladonna Highlighter (Limited Edition) | Effetto Nudo Spring 2014

February 18, 2014

Armani’s spring collection this year is called Effetto Nudo. I saw the items a couple weeks ago at my local Armani counter. My favorite Armani artists called me and kindly set aside some items for me which turned out to be a good thing since items were literally flying off the shelves as soon as they arrived in store. I picked up the new Fluid Sheer #13 ($62 for 30 ml/1 fl oz) and Belladonna Highlighter ($88 for 5g/0.1777 oz).

Fluid Sheer #13 is a pale opalescent cream shimmer. Belladonna is a cream-colored champagne shimmery highlighter in a mirrored compact. Both are very light in color but not overly pale on the skin. They have a transparent luminosity that gives a nude glow effect without washing out the skin.

The Fluid Sheer #13 (limited-edition) is new for spring. True to classic Armani form, this is a beautiful sheer liquid highlighter that you can use mixed in with foundation or on top of the cheekbones for a luminous glow. #13 is a very pale cream with an oyster-shell-like opalescent sheen. It flashes a bit of pink which I think is unique compared to others in the market. Compared to other Fluid Sheers, #13 is significantly sheerer with a softer shimmer. On my skin the color almost disappears when applied over foundation/cheekbones. The shimmer adds a luminous transparent glow to the skin. Although this is sheerish – the pink shimmers show up in a way that makes your face glow. The effect is very subtle with this highlighter but still visible. If you need more color or shimmer, I’d recommend you opt for #2 or #10. If you are one who can never find a suitable highlighter because you find most too shimmery, #13 is the right pick for you.

The fluid sheers come with a sleek black pump:

Comparisons below to Fluid Sheer #2 and #10:

Swatched along with NARS Copacabana Illuminator swatched below, note these are blended and sheered out. These were hard to photograph blended, the effect is better seen in person. I recommend you google for other swatch examples to get a better idea of what these look like:

The Belladonna Highlighter (limited-edition) is a solid cream that comes in a mirrored compact with a brush. It has a beautiful embossed floral design on the compact. It’s described as having a texture that is both dense yet incredibly light. I did not intend on purchasing this when I saw press releases. The $88 price tag had me saying no, but I caved on purchasing this due to the stunning embossed floral design combined with the limited-edition factor. On the skin it gives the perfect halo effect. The brush that comes with the compact is the perfect shape and density for this cream.

The Belladonna highlighter comes with a brush stored in the bottom of the compact:

Comparisons to other previously released limited-edition highlighters: MAC Superb (discontinued, but has made a few comebacks), MAC Whisper of Gilt, Chanel Poudre Signee de Chanel, Chanel Mouche de Beaute:

Swatched below, also with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light swatched beside:

One last photo/swatch set:

Both items are limited-edition for spring. They are on the pricey side – if you already have a lot of highlighters that you love, I’d say you can safely skip these. I do really love the Belladonna Highlighting palette – it gives a soft halo effect to the skin, I’m just not in love with the $88 price tag.

The #13 Fluid Sheer is a gorgeous sheer highlighter – one that is different from anything I’ve seen before – it makes the skin glow in a way that makes you look like you glow from within. If you are always finding most highlighters end up looking too frosty, Fluid Sheer #13 is the best shimmery glowy highlighter I’ve tried that is also the most natural and luminous.

You should be able to find these at your Armani counter now, although note they are limited-edition items. My counter sold out of the Belladonna highlighter the first day they arrived instore, but your counters should be able to locate one and have it shipped. The spring collection items are also online at Giorgio Armani Beauty, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Selfridges.

15 Comments