Giorgio Armani Summer 2012: Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette, Gloss d’Armani 512 Red Andradite Reviews, Photos, Swatches

May 21, 2012 | Leave a response

Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette, Gloss d’Armani in 512 Red Andradite

Nothing like hot weather to get me excited about summer makeup collections again. Giorgio Armani’s inspiration for this collection is the Mediterranean sea, mirroring its turquoise to deep blue hues in the collection’s limited edition Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Écailles ($150 / luxury edition, $70 / classic edition). The luxury edition comes with this gloooooorious mother of pearl packaging. No one does luxury packaging like Giorgio Armani in my opinion.

Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette

The palette consists of deep teal, royal blue, turquoise and white shades. The deeper shades have a satin-y finish that do not swatch very well on my arms, but translate much better when applied on my eyes. Your mileage may vary depending on whether you wear eyeshadow primer or not (I always do). They do layer well though, so keep that in mind. The pearly turquoise shade brings the best pigmentation and smoothness. The pearly white shade is just awful: chunky and chalky with all sort of fallout problems.

Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette

I really really love how the three sea shades play with each other though. They layer beautifully, creating depth and bringing out the nuances in each shade. They blend into each other seamlessly, making this palette so easy and fool-proof. If you, like me, are a fan of blues and teals, this is a quad that you shouldn’t miss!

Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette Swatches

Here we have a Gloss d’Armani in 512 Red Andradite ($38). You’ll know from this review how much I adore my Gloss d’Armanis). 512 Red Andradite is an interesting shade; light red berry isn’t a typical summer shade, more of a fall shade perhaps. To me, it is a late summer night shade. It applies semi-sheerly on the lips, darkening my natural lip colour.

Gloss d’Armani in 512 Red Andradite

Again, I can’t say enough good things about the formula: non-sticky but stays for a long time. It thickens on the lips slightly after it is applied, smoothing out lip lines and giving the illusion of plump lips. I am in love with it.

Gloss d’Armani in 512 Red Andradite Swatch

Wearing Luxury Edition Écailles Eye Palette, Gloss d’Armani in 512 Red Andradite

If pressed to choose between the two, I’d say you can’t go wrong with the Gloss d’Armani. One bad shade in a good eyeshadow quad ruins it for me, but the three remaining shades are gorgeous. What do you think? Have you picked up anything from the collection? Make sure to check out the new Eyes To Kill eyeshadows ($42 each) from this collection over at Bloomin’ Beauty. The entire collection is now available in Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.

Summer in a Compact: Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

May 5, 2012 | 29 Responses

Guerlain is world-renowned for their bronzers and face powders, so I am incredibly excited to try one of their most popular products — one of Into The Gloss’ summer essentials — the Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder. I mean, look how pretty!

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder ($56) is infused with “apricot accents to enhance the brunettes golden natural tan.” This imparts more glow than other bronzers I’ve tried in the past. It is almost like a hybrid bronzer/highlighting powder. It consists of five different shades of powders, ranging from light apricot to deep copper brown. The shimmer in this is not chunky, and the result is a very believable tan on my skin.

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light

Check out the packaging, too. The Guerlain logo glows red as the light hits it. The compact is obviously well thought out, sturdy and not bulky. The powder is lightly fragranced (floral). To me, it smells expensive and luxurious.

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light

My complexion is quite flat after my powder foundation, but after a sheer application of Terracotta Light, the results just stunning: perfectly highlighted cheeks, glowy JLo tan. I wore this in my NARS Niagara Lipstick review and I just fell in love with the effect. For those who are afraid of looking orange, Terracotta Light also comes in two shades for blondes, which have pink accents instead of apricot.

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light — Before (inset) and After

I really really love this product. I think I love it more than Dior Aurora. I just can’t get enough of that glow! There’s just something in the way the powder is milled that looks amazing when the light hits it. This one is a must-see.

Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder is available in all Guerlain Counters across Canada.

Guerlain 03 Brunettes Terracotta Light

Giorgio Armani Spring 2012: Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheer Lipstick in 600 Review, Photos, Swatches

April 18, 2012 | 23 Responses

Wearing Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheer in 600

Every year when spring comes around every magazine says we gotta go lighter with our makeup. Blah blah blah. But yanno, some days I just can’t not wear a smokey eye or a meticulously applied bold lip.

I never really jumped on the sheer lipstick train because hey, I’m a full coverage lipstick kinda gal. But I think Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheers ($38) might be luring me to step into the dark side (or
should I say, light side?).

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheer in 600

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheer in 600 – Swatch

Rouge d’Armani Sheer in 600 is more opaque than other sheer lipsticks I’ve tried. The formula is perfect: smooth and creamy — just how I like my peanut butter — semi-glossy and almost gel-like in consistency. It is not greasy nor heavy on the lips, but gives my lips the right amount of moisture that they look beautifully plump.

At $38, it is definitely a luxurious purchase, but I think the Giorgio Armani lip products (Rouge d’Armani and Gloss d’Armani are my holy grail) are the best from the high end department. They are totally worth it and I wouldn’t hesitate picking up some more.

Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Sheer in 600 – Lip Swatch

Also wearing on eyes: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe, MAC Satin Taupe; on cheeks: Chanel Rose Temptation Blush

How do you wear your lipstick? Are you all over the sheer lipstick balm trend?