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Giorgio Armani

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Gloss d’Armani – New Pink Shades for Summer 2012

June 11, 2012

This summer Giorgio Armani has a few mini-releases in addition to their main Écailles Summer Collection. The first to be released in the US is six new shades of Gloss d’Armani ($28 each for 6.5 ml/0.22 fl oz) and six new Rouge d’Armani Sheers ($30 each). I spotted the collection this past weekend at Saks Beverly Hills and picked up one of each of the lipglosses.

The six shades are all labeled to be in the Pink family, although some of them are more beige/peach/rose. The collection includes Pink 513, 514, 515, 516, 517 and 518. I asked the artist if these were indeed new shades or if any were re-promotes. I noticed one looked like the original Lipshimmer #1 and another like the Lipshimmer #16. She pointed out that while these were new in the Gloss d’Armani range, they were indeed older Lipshimmers reformulated in the new Gloss d’Armani formula and packaging. (Much like what Armani did when they reformulated all their eyeshadows into the Maestro formula back in 2009, see those features here and here.)

At Saks, I was told that this particular collection of glosses was a less thick version of the first wave of Gloss d’Armanis (see the original review here from 2010). Those who have any of the shades released know they apply sheer and lightweight but thicken slightly after they set which makes them last slightly longer than the original Lipshimmers by Armani. Some promotional features have called this particular release the “Porcelain Doll” collection since these shades are meant to mimic a high shine of porcelain doll lips. After playing around with a few of the shades, I personally can’t see the difference. They appear to have the same feel/texture as all prior Gloss d’Armani shades: natural color, semi-sheer finish, gorgeous glowy shimmer (not frost), and high shine. The scent is slightly fragranced (very very slight) to have a clean fresh scent. I never really noticed a scent in the first wave that have been released, but upon further inspection found they have a slight chemical/plastic scent if you smell them closely. The newer ones are an improvement in my opinion.

The new shades are gorgeous, but if you have a number of glosses from Armani, you may want to check your stash first. Many of the existing Gloss d’Armani shades are similar, not quite dupes, but close. I’ll try to add a few thoughts on each of the new shades and how they compare to existing colors. I’ll also list what I believe to be the original Lipshimmer numbers.

Photographed above, L to R in consecutive order (for reference I swatched all my older lipshimmers back in 2010 here, most of these I’ve used up and no longer have so I didn’t compare them side-by-side):
  • Pink 513 is a beige shimmer. The shimmer is higher in this one with a frostier shine but not overly so. This is a lighter more champagne version of Beige 102. This replaced Lipshimmer #16.
  • Pink 514 is a soft opal pink that flashes pearly-pink. It’s a glowy soft sheer pink that’s more opal/pale than Beige 103 (which also has more peach). This replaced Lipshimmer #25.
  • Pink 515 is a pale pink that flashes blue, green and white sparkles. This replaced Midnight Lipshimmer #1.
  • Pink 516 is a soft light peach with tiny silver sparkles. This is a peachier version of Pink 501. It replaced Lipshimmer #1.
  • Pink 517 is a soft neutral-cool rose with cool shimmer. It’s a lighter version of Pink 503. It replaced Lipshimmer #9.
  • Pink 518 is a non-shimmer neutral rose brown pink. It’s warmer and slightly deeper than Pink 507. This replaced Lipshimmer #21.

Swatches, two views. I think the top shows the undertones best, while the bottom shows the hint of iridescence for each shade with the high flash.

Overall I do think the Gloss d’Armani formula is a huge improvement over the original Lipshimmer formula in terms of lasting power. The thickening factor of these glosses does help prevent them from slipping off the lips easily, but still like any typical gloss, lasting powder is limited. I usually wear Armani glosses with some kind of liner or over a lipstick since they are rather sheer. These are a nice swipe-and-go kind of gloss but I think most will prefer more color or pigment. They are great for layering.
Those who had a favorite Lipshimmer shade will be happy to learn that Armani is bringing some of them back in the new formula. I think Lipshimmer #1 and 16 were classics. I’m glad to be able to replenish those. I highly recommend checking these out at your local Armani counter. The colors are easy to wear and great for everyday or for creating a polished look.
Have you checked out the new Gloss d’Armani or Rouge d’Armani Sheer colors? Thoughts?
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Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense in 21 Obsidian Grey and 20 Obsidian Black

May 19, 2012

This summer Giorgio Armani has released four Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows in #20, 21, 22 and 23. There have been numerous amazing reviews from bloggers of all different skintones on all four shades. Some of my favorites include features from Rouge Deluxe, Temptalia, Messy Wands, Perilously Pale, Beauty Ops (just to name a few). The colors that stood out to me were 21 Obsidian Grey and 20 Obsidian Black ($32 each, limited edition).

Obsidian Grey #21 is a highly metallic medium grey in the pot. On the skin it has a silvery sheen, particularly on olive skin. As with most other Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows, the texture Obsidian Grey allows you to layer for a sheer wash or more pigmented intense application. I use a cream shadow brush or a small domed shape brush to apply and blend. Swiping on the back of my hand I expected a lot of fall out since the metallic particles seemed larger than most shimmery cream shadows. However this applied smoothly without any fallout problems for me.

Obsidian Black #20 is a blackened teal shimmer. This color was the one shade I just had to have. It’s stunning in the pot and swatched on the hand. On the eyes, at least for my olive medium skin, I found it didn’t work so well. My experience was similar to that of Temptalia. On my eyes, this lost a bit of lustre and intensity. In addition it made me look tired and a bit sallow. The teal in NARS Dogon has a very similar effect but for some reason works so much better for my olive skin.

Swatched, two views:

Comparisons to other Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows Pulp Fiction #4 and Black #13:

Overall I love Obsidian Grey #21, but personally prefer Pulp Fiction #4 more since it has a bit more taupe and less silver. Obsidian Black #20 is gorgeous as well but requires more work and layering with other shades for my skintone, I prefer #13 in Black from the initial release to Obsidian Black. The lasting power is excellent for me and last all day and well into the evening without smudging. Do note that many of the Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows are indeed intense. Some are highly metallic which might be outside of your comfort zone. (For reference I found the holiday shades way too shimmery for my taste.) I find some to be more wearable than others for everyday. If you have some of the older shades I don’t think these two are must-haves.
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Wearing Tomorrow for New Year’s Eve

December 30, 2011

Many have asked me to share what I’ll be wearing for New Year’s Eve. I’m still working on the outfit but I’ve already planned the makeup look. Here’s my first Polyvore attempt (not sure if I pulled in all the right items for the above photos, but the look is detailed below):
  • Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Creamy Foundation in Natural Beige 120 mixed with a pale highlighter
  • Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte in Rose Merveille 120 dusted all over
  • Armani Sheer Blush #10
  • Armani Jacquard Face Palette to highlight
  • Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Gold
  • Chanel Beige Lamé 417 Soft Touch Eyeshadow
  • Armani Eyes to Kill #6 Khaki Pulse
  • NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara
  • Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Caviar Ink
  • Armani Gloss d’Armani Pink 502 + 507 mixed
  • Chanel Black Pearl #513 Le Vernis
  • L’Artisan Mûre et Musc
I’ll be offline for a few days but I’ll be checking in here and there to publish comments/questions via my iPhone. I’m running out the door right now to get a Black Pearl manicure 🙂 Toes will be covered so I’m passing on the pedicure this week. I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

What will you be wearing tomorrow night?

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Armani Holiday 2011 Eyes to Kill Silk Eyeshadows 17, 18 and 19

November 27, 2011

This year, the Eyes to Kill Silk Eyeshadows from Armani for holiday are all about the sparkle. Three new shades in the small twist-off cap pots are $32 each for 4 g/0.14 oz:
  • 17 a highly metallic silver sparkle
  • 18 an intense sparkling pale gold
  • 19 hybrid silver-gold shimmer

I’ve been a huge fan of these cream-powder shadows and loved the other Eyes to Kill shades (see Holiday 2010 here and the March release here) and did not find them too intense with the sparkle factor on the eyes. The newest colors this year are much more sparkly and more appropriate for going out or holiday parties.  For the other shades I own, I use both fingers and brushes to apply. With the new holiday shades, I found that regardless of how light I tried to apply, all the shades were extremely sparkly. Blending or patting softtly still resulted in sparkle overload.

In terms of colors, I found that #19 was the most wearable with a slightly more subtle shimmer (but still intense). I would not feel comfortable wearing any of the holiday shades to the office.  Perhaps the Gold #18 if I muted the sparkle with a satiny shadow on top. (Note the finish isn’t creamy at all so I wouldn’t recommend using these as a base. The texture is slightly creamy but they act more like a powder.) If you’re looking for a subtle refined glow, I would recommend you opt for Laura Mercier’s Metallic Creme Shadows or Bobbi Brown’s Cream Shadows instead. Here are close ups of the shades plus swatches:

Swatches with two different views, these were all applied with a cream shadow brush (Bobbi Brown and Becca brushes were used to swatch):

Overall lovely and perfect for going out, but the shades are intensely sparkly and might be too much for some. For me, these definitely are not everyday products to wear. #8 looks chunky and loaded with sparkles in the swatches but for some reason it’s quite a bit easier for me to pull off compared to the new holiday shades. If I could only pick 1 shade it would be #19 because the mix of the silver and gold make it more wearable (less contrasted to the skin/eyes). I personally prefer the palettes that were released with the collection because they are more wearable. If you need intense sparkle that lasts, you will love these. The lasting power is very strong. If you’re not a huge fan of a super sparkly (borderline glittery) eye, then I would recommend you pass and opt for the MadrePerla palettes (reviewed here) or something like LM’s Metallic Eye Creams.
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Armani Madre Perla Palettes for Holiday 2011

November 14, 2011

Armani has released two palettes this holiday season for their Madre Perla Collection. The theme for the eyes and cheeks are shimmery golds, nudes, pearls and silvers. I found the collection has arrived in-store at Neiman Marcus. One is a Face & Eye Palette #1 (the golden one) and the other is designed as an Eye Palette #2. Both are $59 each and are limited edition. The two palettes contain three shades each, very reminiscent of Nude Contrasts from Spring 2010. I approached these with a bit of hesitation. As beautiful as the colors were from Spring, I have to admit both palettes have barely been used. All the colors (except the black) from the spring eye palettes show up similar on the skin which results in just one overly-sparkly eye when the colors are layered. Still, the palettes this season took my breath away as soon as I saw them. The palettes were a bit difficult to photograph to capture the dimensional aspect of the shimmer. I’ve tried several angles to try and help give you an idea.
Madre Perla Face and Eye Palette 1 is a trio of golds. The texture is soft, slightly powdery and fairly shimmery. Applying with an eyeshadow brush (or a denser brush) results in a very shimmery pigmented application. I wore this on the eyes last night to a play and it was beautiful but definitely on the sparkly side. The three colors you have are pale ivory, warm pale gold, neutral tan gold. I feel the colors are uniquely distinct from each other when swatched on the hand but if you want to layer three shades I think you can only create a subtle gradient. Since the payoff with a small brush was so pigmented I was worried it would be too frosty for the face, but applying with a regular brush brush (I used Bobbi Brown’s when testing this one) resulted in a sheer but visible wash of shimmer. Love!

Madre Perla Eye Palette 1 is also beautiful with a cool sharp white with gold frost, neutral tan beige shimmer and cool lavender. I’m not a fan of lavender shades but I learned from Le Metier that this color can be a great highlight to layer over beiges/tans and golds. I really love the middle shade, it’s like a soft beige with a slight hint of grey shimmer. I applied the middle shade first over most of the lid, then added the lavender to center on top and blended. I then added the ivory-gold as a very soft highlight near the top. Today I used Bobbi Brown Bronze gel liner to finish the look. Overall it’s a stunner but very pale. Next time I will need to add a darker contour like Chanel Sand.

Here’s another close up plus swatches:

Comparisons of last year’s highlighter (less yellow and lighter) to this year’s:

Palette comparisons from Spring 2010 to Holiday:

Overall all out gorgeous, not overly frosty, beautiful for holiday. I will definitely get more use out of these than the spring 2010 palettes. They are more versatile and wearable in my opinion.

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Giorgio Armani Jacquard Eye Palette #2

August 23, 2011

Giorgio Armani’s Jacquard Collection this fall is among the most beautiful and unique for the intricate embossed woven texture of the palettes. I ordered Eye Palette #2 ($59) after seeing it featured on Front Row Beauty. The palette has a unique trio of shimmery greys combined with a deep matte warm brown with a tinge of auburn. This fall the compacts are magnetized instead of having the snap-click closure. The top comes with painted with the Armani logo in a high gloss black finish.

At first glance when I received this, I was a bit concerned the frost might look too washed out on my skin. The silvery greys are indeed frosty. At the top you have a frosty pale grey-white, in the middle you have two variations of silver: one is more of a pale grey shimmer, the other is a pale mauve grey shimmer. The colors do have a contrast with my medium-tan skintone, but there is a lovely shimmer quality that gives the colors depth even though they are fairly pale.

In direct sunlight you can see the sparkle:
Swatches in different lighting:
Comparisons to a few other shades:

This morning I applied this quad over MAC Groundwork Paint Pot. I’ll report later on the lasting power. I find this palette a bit hard to wear. 3 of the 4 shades are so similar they all end up looking the same on the eye. It took quite a bit of blending and I had to mix the dark auburn shade with a matte black (both applied damp) to get a non-reddish smokey line. After blending and layering though I’ve achieved a subtle smokey eye and I love it. I’ll have to experiment more with this palette for application ideas.
In addition to #2, there is a green palette Eye Palette #1 (greens) and a Face Palette (pinks, beiges and dark pink). The items are all beautiful but Eye Palette #2 was the only one that intrigued me. I don’t typically wear greens on larger portions of the eyes and I found the face palette too frosty. For the lips, cheeks and new mascara, I haven’t caved on anything yet. There are some lovely lipsticks but I’ve overindulged on Chanel and Guerlain lately. Front Row Beauty reviewed all three palettes. Best Things in Beauty also has all three palettes reviewed plus some other items as well.
Have you seen the Armani Jacquard collection yet? Thoughts? Any loves?
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Gloss d’Armani Lip Gloss

June 3, 2011

Giorgio Armani has released a new lipgloss formula called Gloss d’Armani Lip Gloss ($28) designed to mimic the color range and packaging of their Rouge d’Armani Lipsticks. These come with a flexible sponge-tipped applicator and shades have been released in color ranges of Beige, Pink, Red and Plum. I was personally drawn to the Beiges and Pinks.

The new Gloss d’Armani is described as “More than a mere gloss… Concentrated high-definition color, fusing shine, comfort and lasting hold. Giorgio Armani’s color expertise takes a three-dimensional form.” These are indeed multi-dimentional in the beautiful shimmer. Some of these are like the typical Lip Shimmers while others are a bit more sparkly like the Midnight Lip Shimmers. Concentration of color is more apparent with the darker and brighter shades. The paler neutrals I was drawn to are very sheer and more typical of the original Lip Shimmer formula. If you loved the original lip gloss formula you will like these. Otherwise you may be wanting for more pigment.

  • Pink 501 and 502 are very similar. Virtually identical baby pink shimmers. The difference is in the shimmer which you can see if you scroll down below to the swatches section. 501 is prettier in my opinion.
  • Pink 503 is a beautiful soft shimmery rose.
  • Beige 102 is an iridescent beige frost.
  • Beige 102 is an iridescent soft light peach.

The packaging is beautiful with an oval tip and base:

You can see the design is similar to the Rouge d’Armani, here it is also compared to the original lipshimmer:

New sponge tip applicator versus the original brush tip:

This is Pink 501 on me – as you can see it’s very sheer, you can barely tell there is any color on my lips:

Swatched heavily on the arm to show the color. On the lips the color is sheered out quite a bit so it only gives a hint of color. My artist said these are meant to be layered over the Armani lipsticks to enhance color and add depth. I find them to be very sheer.

Here you can see the shimmers better:


Overall – these are beautiful glosses that will suit the natural-makeup lover. Again, if you liked the original lip shimmers you will most likely find a color in the new formula that will suit your taste. These are very sheer. The texture is smooth and glossy (non-sticky) with no noticeable scent. Those who prefer high-impact rich color will be disappointed unless you venture into looking at the darker/deeper shades which are still sheer but give more color than the lighter shades. I personally like these but probably did not need to purchase both light pinks as they are virtually identical.

Giorgio Armani’s Gloss d’Armani is trickling in stores now. I found mine at Neimans. They have an event starting this weekend for Camp Gorgeous so you might want to check your stores to see what promotions they have going on. I decided to forgo the GWP for instant gratification.

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