Category Archives: Armani

Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara Review, Photos, Swatches

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara – GWP packaging

I recently bought a couple Armani items (Maestro foundation, Rouge d’Armani 400, and Rock Sand ETK Intense) and got a really nice GWP that included a mini-sized Eyes To Kill mascara.

The wand is bigger than I prefer, so I first I was a bit skeptical about the mascara. I find larger wands often don’t separate as well for me, and are harder to manipulate.

Armani ETK wand

However, this wand is an exception to that rule – it works really well for me. I get great separation and definition, and no clumps at all.

The formula of the mascara itself is also fantastic. I’ve worn it several times now, and it never smears, smudges, or flakes on me. It’s not waterproof (though there is a waterproof version), so it’s fairly easy to remove.

Wearing Armani ETK Mascara

Overall, I love this mascara. It performs really well. The only thing I don’t like is the price: $30. With so many great mascaras under $10, I just don’t see myself buying a full size version once my mini size runs out – but I’ll definitely enjoy using the mini until then.

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Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #9 Rock Sand Swatches & Review

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #9 – Rock Sand

I got a makeover at a Giorgio Armani counter a few weeks ago, and purchased three items; Maestro foundation (love!), Rouge d’ Armani #400 (love!), and Eyes to Kill Intense eyeshadow #9 Rock Sand (the subject of this review).

As you probably already know, these are loosely pressed powder shadows. They feel almost like a cream, and deliver very intense pigmentation. The wear is perfect on me – all the ETK Intense shadows I have tried (three thus far) last until I take them off with no fading or creasing, without a primer.

On the left, I swatched the eyeshadow with a sponge tip applicator. This gives a similar look to using a dense laydown brush. On the right, I swatched it with my finger, which intensifies the color.

Direct sunlight

Natural light

Flash

As you can see, the color and finish of #9 seems to vary with the lighting. In full sun or indirect light, it’s a peachy, shimmery neutral, while the flash makes it appear more metallic and almost golden. On my light-medium skintone, it’s a nice shade to wear as a wash to brighten up the eye area. However, it’s just a touch more metallic than I prefer for that type of shade – I like a softer, more muted shimmer.

It doesn’t seem like a unique shade, but I couldn’t find a dupe of it in my eyeshadows (though I may have one that I overlooked.

Overall, it’s a really lovely eyeshadow, but I’m not sure it’s worth the steep price tag to me. The quality is fantastic, but when I spend this much – $32 – on a single shadow, I want something more special.

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Armani Rouge d’ Armani 400 Review & Swatches

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’ Armani 400

When I bought my Armani Maestro foundation, there was a gift with purchase going on so I decided to pick up a couple other items and get the (excellent) GWP. One might think that I already have enough red lipsticks – but I always have room in my vanity for a truly fabulous red, and Rouge d’Armani 400 is just that.

The packaging is luxurious; it’s hard to tell from the photo, but the case is an interesting twisted oval shape, rather than being round or oval. It has a magnetic closure with a satisfying click. It’s a little bit heavy, but not too bad.

As you can see from the swatch – which is just one swipe – it is a very pigmented true red. Reds often pull quite pink on me (see, for example, Wet n Wild Hot Red here), and from the swatch, this also looks like it might pull pink. But, when applied, it is a very true red. It starts off with a slight glossy finish, and (like most lipsticks) eventually wears into a semi-matte finish.

Rouge d’ Armani 400

Rouge d’ Armani 400 – after four hours

The formula is excellent. It is very long lasting; after 4 hours I thought it looked freshly applied, though in comparing the swatches, it obviously isn’t. Still, I think it looks fantastic for four hours of wear! I haven’t worn it more than four, but I would not be surprised if it wore a full eight. After I removed it, it left an even stain that wore for several more hours.

I rarely find lipsticks drying – I wear a lot of mattes – and this was no exception. I found it very comfortable and moisturizing. It’s also very lightweight; I forgot that I was wearing it.

Overall? Love, love, love. The color is fantastic, the formula is perfect. The only thing I wish I could change is the price – $30. Still, that’s less than Guerlain’s Rouge Automatique’s at $35, and I might like this formula even better.

Rouge d’Armani lipsticks are available at Nordstrom.com, as well as other department stores.

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Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation Review & Swatches

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion foundation

Giorgio Armani recently released a new foundation – Maestro Fusion Makeup. Maestro Fusion is very different from any other foundation I have tried, from packaging to technology to performance.

First, the packaging – Maestro Fusion is a standard 1oz, packaged in a matte glass bottle. It is unusual in that instead of a pump dispenser, it has an eyedropper dispenser, as shown above. It seems fitting for a technologically advanced foundation like this one, and also works well with the thin/liquid texture of the foundation.

I’ve heard the texture of this foundation described as as similar to a dry oil. I’m not really familiar with dry oils, so I can’t comment on that, but I find the texture incredibly smooth and truly weightless. It’s comfortable and easy to apply, very thin and fluid, and I cannot feel it at all once I have applied it.

In the following swatch, you can see how liquid it is in the left unblended swatch:

Armani Maestro shade 5: unblended / slightly blended

If I blended it completely, you would not be able to see it at all. It completely disappears on the skin – the finish is very natural – but still manages to cover. It does mattify slightly. I would describe the finish as a slightly more matte version of my natural skin.

In the following photos, I have no makeup on the left. On the right, I am wearing Maestro. I have also filled in my eyebrows, put on mascara, and added just a touch of blush.

I also have a close-up of my skin with Maestro on it so you can see the finish:

Armani Maestro close-up

As you can tell, Shade 5 is a perfect match for my skin. This foundation is supposed to self-adjust to the wearer’s skintone, getting darker or lighter as needed. It’s hard for me to personally evaluate that claim, because 5 is already a very good match straight out of the bottle. However, blogger Drivel About Frivol tried out a shade that was too dark for her, and it did adjust to her skintone in about 10 minutes. It’s magic / science!

I’ve only worn this twice so far, but it seems to last very well on me; about 8-10 hours, and I haven’t been setting it with powder due to the matte finish.

Overall, I love this foundation. It’s my new foundation crush; a perfect match, and a natural finish – the two things I want most in a foundation. It is pricey; $62 – but, base products are one area where I’m willing to splurge.

I bought Maestro, an Eyes to Kill eyeshadow, and a Rouge d’Armani lipstick together, and got an Armani GWP that included the Eyes to Kill mascara (which I am loving), so there will be several Armani reviews over the next week or two – you can find all my Armani reviews here.

FOTD: Featuring Armani ETK #24

different lighting conditions – left is more accurate

I went out to dinner last nice, and decided to do a blackened gold smoky eye. I find that a gradient – darker on the lid, fading lighter as it goes up – looks better on my hooded lids that using a lighter color on the lid and darker color in the crease, so a gradient is what I did! It’s a little more dramatic than the makeup I usually wear, but I love how it turned out!

Here’s the breakdown:

Face:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation (review) – chin area only
Guerlain Meteorities Compact Powder in Teint Beige (review)
MAC Sculpting powder in Sculpt (review) – to contour
MAC Blushbaby blush (review) – my favorite neutral blush to pair with a dramatic eye!

Eyes & Brows:

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense eyeshadow in #24 Smokey Copper (review) – lid, under first 1/3 of lowever lashline
Illamasqua Neutral Palette (review) – gold shade in crease, under lower lashline
Burberry Trench (review) – to blend & on browbone
Milani Color Play eyeliner in Black Line (upper lashline)
MAC Chromagraphic pencil in NC15 / NW20 (waterline)
Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara (review)
Anastasia Brow Powder duo in Brunette (review)

Lips:

Chanel Troublant Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss (review)

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Armani ETK Intense Eyeshadow #24 Smokey Copper Review, Swatches, Photos

I recently bought my first Armani Eyes to Kill Intense eyeshadow – #25 Rusted Gold, reviewed/swatched here, and I loved it so much that I’ve already gone out and bought a second one – #24 Smokey Copper, which I love even more. The complexity and quality of this eyeshadow are just amazing.

ETK 24 – natural light

While I continue to love 25, my first one, the pigmentation and quality of 24, the second, is definitely superior; in the below swatches, you can see that 24 is more opaque than 25.

ETK 24, 25 – natural light, but a little washed out

ETK 24, 25 – flash to show sparkle

Given the price – $32 – I have no plans to pick up any more Eyes to Kill eyeshadows in the near future, but then again, I had no plans to buy a second when I bought the first! Have you tried the ETK eyeshadows, and what are your thoughts on them?

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