Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette

A quick note for you, dear readers. I've been doing my best to faithfully get one post up per day, but I may have to start spacing the content out a bit. Work and family life has gotten crazy- I'm planning some family-related travel at some point this month (not telling the internet when I'm coming/going though) and may not see a day off until Palm Sunday. I rely upon the weekends to shoot photos and outline posts, so I'm quickly running out of time.

But we'll see.


Today I have a very special item to talk about with you. It was actually Armani's holiday 2015 offering, but it's currently available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Armani's own website. I'll be honest, I was compelled to write this after not seeing a lot of love for this.

Enter the Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette.

This ultra-pricey ($140), double-decker eye/face palette is stunning and, appropriately, luxe.

As you can tell by my box, it's been in heavy rotation (ie the box has been taken in and out of the drawer over and over:

Let's talk about the palette. First off, it's huge. It's not the size of the traditional Armani palettes.

This is the pouch (with brushes) that it comes in:

Pretty standard.

The palette itself is a light gold, with Armani's signature on top:

Here's the bottom. You might get an idea of the scale:

Inside, it contains a lot of product for your $140. Upper level is comprised of 10 of the best neutral eyeshadows around:

Let's look at some swatches.

Here's the upper row (the rose gold is a color I use at least 2-3 days a week):

You have, L-R, a perfect nude to smooth out imperfections and act as an anchoring base, a divine rose gold, a light burnished gold/copper, and a light tan shimmer with gold leanings. Amazing.

Here's the middle two:

That's a mostly-matte charcoal that really is almost black and an icy, true silver metallic shade. Love!

Here's the bottom row:

L-R, you have a metallic white (needed as a finishing highlight), two taupey brown shimmers, and a rosy dark brown shade that you just want to cuddle.

Put together, you have an expertly curated set of 10 neutrals. You can do anything from the lightest look to a deep, sultry smoky eye with this palette. It's literally all you need if you're traveling. Even if this was all you got, these would ring in at $14 each, a bargain for Armani.

But wait... there's more.

I normally hate all-in-one palettes, but the eyeshadows swing up to reveal the second level:

OK, hear me out on this. You have a finishing powder and two creams that can be used for concealers (per the instructions). It's meant to flatter a medium skintone. You know I'm a NW15, so here we go on how to make it work. There are also 2 cute little Armani sponges.

Here's the lower level swatched (powder between creams):

Now, here's the hack on how to use this one. CONTOUR!

First of all, a very light dusting of the powder is pretty universal on most light-medium skintones. The powder is also great for absorbing powder, so that's how I've used it- with a light hand.

I've used the creams for subtle contouring and love them as such.

Bottom Line: This is an investment. It's luxurious. It's Armani. But these products perform at such a high level that the lack of love for this palette (now a staple in my stash) that I felt compelled to talk about it. Check it out if you can- it's worth it.

September 2014 Favorites

I'm running a bit late for my monthly favorites, but here goes:

Reviews are linked where appropriate; others will be coming very soon.


Eyes:
Giorgio Armani Organica Eye Palette- By far and away my favorite purchase in awhile, possibly of the year. It's perfect, and creates a foolproof look for me.
Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #3- My new brow obsession.
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Liquid Eyeliner- My new go-to eyeliner pen.


Lips:
NARS Audacious Lipsticks- My new obsession. I can't wait to share these with you. I'm putting my group through their paces.
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. in B*tch Perfect- My new favorite nude.
Lancome Lip Lover 314 Casse Noisette- I'm in love with this formula, and I've been picking up more of the neutral shades lately.


Cheeks:
Chantecaille Cheek Fabric in Bliss- My go-to and perfect cheeks in a palette.
Benefit Rockateur Blush- Perfect for fall, and I don't pull it out often

Nails:

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Black Cherry- My favorite new vampy shade.
Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Bordeaux Lust- I keep going back to this over and over again. It's perfect for my moody nails.
Sephora by OPI Go My Own Way- An old nail polish but one of my favorites. This shade just seems right with my current wardrobe during this month of transition.
Chanel Le Vernis Secret- A lovely, clean nude for fall.
Lancome French Idole Vernis in Love Amethyste Brune- A wonderfully complex, moody purple.
Fragrance:
Si by Giorgio Armani- My transition scent. If I had a better nose for scent, I'd rave about it.


What all did you love last month?

Look out for new posts starting tomorrow!

Color Obsession: Pinky Nude Lips

Although the products that I'm reviewing are all over the board, I've noticed a distinct trend in the lip colors that I'm purchasing and reaching for on a daily basis. Plums and wines may be a huge trend for Fall 2014, but since it's still warm I've been reaching for pinky nude lips.

I recently had the revelation that there are nudes that work well with my immensely pigmented lips. (True story: I had a MUA not believe me that I wasn't wearing a lip product recently before a makeover. Sadly, that's not the first time that it's happened.)

These are all shades that I either have purchased within the last 2 weeks or have been living in my makeup bag (Reviews linked when applicable, others coming soon):

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 54 Boy
Lipstick Queen Saint Pinky Nude
Bite Lip Gloss Honey
Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers 202 Brown
Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick Pinkberry (in GWP packaging)
Lancome Lip Lover 314 Casse Noisette
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G B*tch Perfect
NARS Lip Color Dolce Vita
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Intense Nude
Tom Ford Lip Color Indian Rose
Tom Ford Lip Color Casablanca
Tom Ford Lip Color Negligee
Butter London Lippy Tinted Balm Abbey Rose
Lancome Lip Love 322 Beige Adage
NARS Audacious Lipstick Anita
NARS Lip Gloss Dolce Vita


Ever notice you're in a bit of a beauty pattern? I hesitate to call it a rut since there are so many beautiful shades. Also, I didn't realize how few of these had actually been on the blog!

That might give you a sense of why I've been rather quiet- I've got a ton of content and am trying to find the time to swatch, edit, and draft!

Giorgio Rouge d'Armani Sheers Hydrating Lip Color 624 Dark Plum/Spinel

Today I have my final initial color selection from Giorgio Armani Beauty's Fall 2014 Fade to Grey Collection. This is my first lipstick from the line, and I'm still honestly playing with the color. Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipstick #624 is listed online as Spinel, but my box calls it Dark Plum. Again, what's the deal with multiple shade names?

Rouge d'Armani Sheer lipsticks retail for $34 and contain 3.8g/0.13oz of product.

Since this is the first Armani lipstick that I've bought, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the packaging. Armani lipstick tubes are nicely weighty. They're not a perfect tube, but the shape fits nicely in one's hand:

There are two colors of Armani lipstick tubes. Rouge d'Armani Sheers are in black casing for easy identification.

Let's talk about the formula for a moment. Rouge d'Armani Sheers are the lighter lipstick in the line. It's comparable to Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine. As such, it's both shiny and sheer. It's as shiny as the Chanel lipsticks, and they both are far more shiny than Burberry Lip Mists.

One of the reasons why I chose #624 was because I've yet to figure out how to wear a lovely purple lipstick.

I love the Armani logo stamped on the lipstick. #624 is a bit of a difficult shade to accurately capture, so I turned on the flash to try to show the iridescence.

I really enjoy this shade, but there's one big negative that I couldn't capture on any swatch: this shade shows every imperfection. Make sure that you exfoliate prior!

Swatched in direct sun, with one pass on the left and three on the right. It's gloriously shiny and amazing:

Outside, no direct sun. This is where the purple and blue tones really pop:

Inside, with flash turned on- the warm, mauve tones surface here.

I'm going to scare you and show a full swatch of this shade. Please bear with me, as this is a lovely shade. It just (in my opinion) requires a bit of tweaking to be workable in real life situations.

Outside, in direct sun:

Outside, no direct sun:

It's a lovely shade, so I wanted to make this work.  Luckily, all it took was a bit of blotting. It's like it's a totally new shade! #624 becomes a lovely mauve with purple undertones. When I tested it, it lasted about three hours- until I started eating/drinking. That's pretty standard for me.

Back in the direct sun, with the original lipstick blotted:

Outside, no direct sun:

Much better!  And work-friendly.

It's completely wearable and on-trend for fall. I'm going to keep exploring this range. I purchased my lipstick in-store at Neiman Marcus, the only local store with the Fall 2014 collection currently in-store. However, it's available at all of the usual places online.

Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro in Red/Acajou

Eyebrows have gone from being an under-appreciated, over-plucked afterthought in the beauty world to an essential part of the perfectly done face over the past decade. For me, personally, even if I leave the house with only concealer, clear lip balm, and a bit of mascara, I always take the time to make sure my brows are on point.  It's mainly because my hair color is not what I was born with, and I need to give my brows a bit of love to pull it off.

I went brighter and darker red for fall this year, so my beloved Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder in Caramel wasn't working with my new shade. It's admittedly a work in progress, and I'm currently a Redken Chromatics 5C.  Here's a shot of just how bold it is:

Anything with blonde in it clearly wouldn't work, and I needed to amp up the pure red in my brows. Enter Armani Eye & Brow Maestro.

While browsing the new releases from Armani, I noticed that a new line of brow products had just been released: Eye & Brow Maestro ($34, 5g/0.17oz, Made in France). These lovely creams are touted as brow color, eyeliner, cream eyeshadow, and root touch-ups. Naturally, I was drawn to shade #03 Acajou (Red). I'll be honest, the multiple names for every Armani shade are really throwing me off.

I was the first one to try the tester at my local counter, and both the SA and I were shocked at what a perfect match the shade was for my hair. Here's a shot of one of my brows, with the product combed through. This was taken indoors, with flash. It's pulling significantly more orange in this shot. Unfortunately, my outdoor shots didn't turn out well.

Let's take a moment to speak about this shade. There is a beautiful shimmer present in the pot that doesn't translate into the brows. I suspect that it might show up if you used this product as a eyeshadow wash.

I've been using this for about two weeks, and I'm in love. This is a waterproof (I tested this and it's true) product that is so simple to use. Just dip a spooley brush into the product (or rotate it lightly over top of the surface) and comb into your brows. This sets quickly, and doesn't require any other product to set (unlike the powder/gel combo I was used to). It also gives a wonderful, natural finish. The product sits in the eyebrow hairs, not on the skin like a liner/powder. This is the most expensive brow product I've ever tried, but it should last awhile and is worth it in my opinion. I'm actually going to pick up the new brush soon as well.

Although I'm using it as a brow product, let's look at this swatched since it could work an eye product as well.

Outside, in direct sun:

Outside, not in sun:

Outside, with flash:

Looking at it as an eyeliner, I immediately thought of Clinique Brush-on Cream Liner in Black Honey. The Clinique is darker and more of a true raspberry, but they're both reddish cream liners.

Since I rarely see a comparison of redhead-friendly brow products (and admittedly they're difficult to find), I decided to pull all of them for a comparison shot. Armani Eye & Brow Maestro is by far and away the most pigmented, as well as the reddest. I hope this is helps other redheads!

This is outside, without the aid of direct sun:

1: Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro- 03 Acajou/Red
2: Bare Minerals Brow Color- Redhead (DC)
3: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo- Caramel
4: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo- Auburn
5: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz- Caramel
6: CK One Color Brow Pencil & Gel Duo- 200 Foxy Redhead


Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro is available in 8 shades, and is currently at Armani counters.

Giorgio Armani Fade to Grey Organica Palette & Eyes to Kill Liquid Eyeliner in Mercury Nude

Today I'm happy to be sharing with you two of the standout pieces from Giorgio Armani's Fall 2014 Fade to Grey Collection: the Organica Palette and Eyes to Kill Liquid Eyeliner in Mercury Nude. They're both stunning pieces and, despite the price, worth checking out. Armani is a luxury brand, with the prices to match.

The Organica Universal Eyeshadow Palette rings in at $88 for 5g/0.177oz. It's the same size compact as the brand's eyes/blush palettes, but only features 2 shadows. Size-wise, it's larger than 4 solo shades.

There are two small foam brushes tucked into the lower level of the compact, but I haven't used them since I prefer brushes (I've actually been using the Tom Ford Eyeshadow Brush to do my looks with this palette).

Some have complained about the design on the palette, but it doesn't bother me. I'm too much in love with the shades and the performance of the shadows.

It's important to note that the stock photo (below) reads far cooler and less violet than the actual palette.

Stock photo via Nordstrom.com

There are two shades in the Organica Palette, a lovely grey with violet undertones (left) and a glorious peach devoid of pink (right).

Seriously, look at this baby shine in the sun. How can you not fall in love?

Even without direct sun, this palette appears to be lit within. It does lead to a luminous eye look, which is never an unflattering look.

Here are some lovely swatches that made me really fall in love with the palette.

Outside, in full sun it's phenomenal.

Outside, without flash:

Outside, with flash:

Inside,with flash:

These shadows are shimmery and metallic without a hint of frost. That's what makes this a stunner in my opinion. Yes, it's expensive, but worth it for a grey lover like me.

I've worn this multiple times, with the grey on the lid, the two shades mixed in the crease, and the peach shade halfway up the brow bone as the easiest pairing. I've paired it with different liners, but the one that I love most with it just happens to be the Eyes to Kill Liquid Liner in Mercury Nude (#3) from the same collection.

I purchased my palette in-store at Neiman Marcus (the only place where I've seen the collection in person), but it's available on Armani, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and Saks' websites.

Although I love the palette on its own, I truly believe that the Eyes to Kill Liquid Liner in Mercury Nude (#3) is the perfect partner. It strikes the perfect balance of being metallic yet soft and subtle enough to feel comfortable wearing this look to a fairly conservative workplace. These liners retail for $34.

Mercury Nude is a lovely purple-leaning silver that's a perfect compliment to the grey shade in the Organica Palette. The liquid eyeliner dries quickly and wears well. The brush is very thin, and even a neophyte like myself didn't have too many issues with application.

All 4 of the liquid eyeliners are metallic and compliment the rest of the collection. I selected Mercury Nude because I don't have anything like it in my stash, color-wise. It's a lovely, complex purplish-silver-taupe. I also feel like it's one of the easier shades to wear (versus a bright silver, olive-gold, or rose-gold).

This flash photo most accurately captures the purple undertones of Mercury Nude:

I'll admit that it looks a bit scary on its own. But trust me, it just works with the palette. Wear time is good- I've never tested it beyond 10 hours, but at the 10 hour mark it looked just as good as when I applied it.

In the sun:

Inside, without flash:

Inside, with flash:

Outside:

Just to demonstrate just how well Mercury Nude works with the palette, here are a couple of quick shots. They don't do it justice though- the liner just makes your eyes illuminated and finishes the look to perfection.

In the sun:

Inside, with flash:

Outside:

Like the Organica Palette, I purchased the Eyes to Kill Liquid Eyeliner in-store at Neiman Marcus, the only local store with the collection in-store at the moment. It's available online at all of the same places that I listed for the palette.