Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A Blush Review and Swatches

July 17, 2018

Sharing a review for the highly popular newly released Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A Blush today. Just like everyone else, I fell in love with them straight away as soon as I saw the packaging – they are just too cute to be missed. The new Neo Nude collection including the liquid contour and highlighter has just been released in Australia last week (bought them here) and I picked 3 colors (shade 30, 50 and 51) immediately without even seeing them in real life. They are selling out super fast so it’s always a good idea to get them early.

I am normally not a fan of liquid formula for blush as it can look patchy and I find the application can be a little tricky. The Neo Nude Blush has the best formula I have used so far – actually it is much better than all the gel-based and liquid-based blushes I have ever used in the past. It has a lightweight gel-to-liquid formula that applies smoothly and evenly. I am really impressed that the color just blends into the skin seamlessly without looking patchy and leaves no edge. It doesn’t enhance nor settle into the pores and lines. In addition, it works well with most foundation formulas. I have used it on dewy based as well as powdery based foundations and the blush works just perfectly without looking cakey.

The color pay-off is soft and sheer so it gives a soft and pretty flush of colors on the cheeks. The application is a no-brainer for me, as I just apply a few dots on the cheekbones then blend the color with my fingers. The result is incredibly fresh and pretty and last for the whole day that I am completely in love with.

Shade 30 is an orangey coral color.

Shade 50 – My favorite color out of the three. It is a neutral milky pink that works well on fair complexion.

Shade 51 – It is quite similar to shade 50 but a tad darker pink. Works well on fair to medium complexion.

Swatches

Verdict: Must-have blushes of the year! The Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A blush is currently exclusive to Nordstrom only in the US.

{ 5 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet Liquid Lipstick Review and Swatch – 505, 506 and 507

November 17, 2016

Another exciting launch of new liquid lipsticks from Giorgio Armani – the Lip Magnet Liquid Lipstick (bought here in Australia). I always feel Giorgio Armani is the pioneer when it comes to revolutionary makeup formulas, so I was very looking forward to the new improved formula of their liquid lipsticks. I loved their Lip Maestro to bits, and this year they released the Lip Magnets in a more hydrating and opaque formula in a matte finish that promises for a more moisturizing and weightless feel. Thanks to my reader for letting me know that GA USA is currently offering 20% off on all orders with code ARMANI20 (offer ends 01/12).

The design is very cute – chubby and round. Most of the colors from the range are on the bright side, but I did manage to find some beautiful soft and easy to wear muted colors –505, 506 and 507 (hint I noticed GA always seem to have the most popular colors in these numbers!). As they claimed, the formula is very creamy and hydrating to the lips, and the texture is so weightless that the pigment is completely infused with the lips and feels like second-skin. It goes on wet and takes about 5-10 seconds to dry down to a semi creamy satin finish. Compared to the Lip Maestro, the finish of Lip Magnet is not completely matte. The color payoff is intense with a stain-like lasting power – a little product goes a long way for a full opaque finish. In my swatches below, I have applied them with the applicator straight from the tubes. However, in real life, I like to apply them with a lip brush to sheer down the intensity for a softer look.

505 Second skin – It is a MLBB shade with a pink and coral undertone.

506 Fusion – Another MLBB pink shade with rosy beige undertone. Perfection!

507 Garconne – It is a muted mauve pink color with a plummy brown undertone.

Group Swatch

The GA lip magnets are available at David Jones online in Australia, and currently, they are offering an amazing beauty bag valued at $248 filled with lots of samples for orders over $250.

{ 4 comments }

Labels: Giorgio Armani • LIPSTICK • LIQUID LIPSTICK

ZOEVA Nude Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatch and FOTD

September 19, 2016

Zoeva is one emerging brand that has got me really interested. Despite their most popular and affordable brushes, their palettes are also phenomenal. The ZOEVA Nude Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette (available here in Australia) is literally all you need for makeup, being a neutral eye shadow lover, I gasped at how beautiful and flattering these neutral and hues are, and they will get me through day and night on a daily basis. For such a big palette, I am surprised that there is not a single shade that I don’t like.

The palette retails for AUD$75, which is equivalent to $5 per eye shadow! The palette is housed in a slim black paper notebook-like case with a frosted feel. It is very modern and sleek, and feels very well made. There is a range of matte, satin, and intense satin (almost bordering metallic) eye shadows in the palette. All of the shades are buttery and silky smooth to apply, and they are so easy to blend (even for the matte shades) without fallout. All shades have good color payoff, with some shades having exceptional intense pigment.

The top and bottom rows each have 2 mattes and 3 shimmers, and the middle row has 1 matte, and 4 shimmers.

The top row has more earthy and subtle sandy shades in different variations.

The middle row has mainly champagne, taupe and bronze.

The bottom row has colors leaning more gold and copper.

I won’t describe each shade in words as there are too many. As usual I make sure my swatch looks like what I see in real life, so hopefully they will give you a better idea. All pictures were taken under neutral day light (not directly in the sun).

Swatch for the top row

Swatch for the second row

Swatch for the third row

Here are some FOTDs I created with this Nude Spectrum Palette. I have been gushing about how much I love brown lips, so I’d thought I’d do a proper FOTD wearing one of my favorites lately – MAC Whirl.

Eye makeup: I used the matte taupe color (3rd color in the first row) in the crease, then layered with peachy champagne color (second color in the second row), and applied the golden shimmer (second color in the third row) along the lash line. The matte ivory (1st eye shadow in the first row) was used on the brow bone.

Other products used in the FOTD

Face: Bobbi Brown Face Base / YSL Serum Foundation (reviewed) / YSL Touch Eclat Compact (reviewed)

Cheeks: Marc Jacobs Beauty Contour Powder 20 (reviewed) / Giorgio Armani Blush 306 (reviewed)

Brows: Tom Ford Brow Kit (also used for nose contouring, reviewed) / BBROWBAR Brow Pen

Lips: MAC Whirl

{ 3 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • MAC • YSL • ZOEVA

Holiday Wishlist – Beauty

November 11, 2015

I always get really excited during the months leading to the Holidays, as there are so many beautiful makeup releases and gift packs during this time of the year. I have been devouring online as well as hauling here and there at the stores over the past weeks, and here is the wishlist I came up that will put a big smile on every girl’s face!

1. Suqqu LE Christmas Kits – This holiday season Suqqu has released two limited edition kits – each kit includes an eye shadow palette, a gel eyeliner pencil and a 50ml makeup remover in a lovely tweed pouch. As usual they are selling out extremely fast, and I have purchased both sets (this and this) as I love the design this year. Along with the Christmas Kits, Suqqu also released the Murasaki Dahlia set (sold out within minutes), and a glamorous Kimono set.

2. Giorgio Armani has just released a set of new premium makeup brushes that are hand-crafted in Japan – now available in the US and UK. It is interesting to see how these brushes are made by the Japanese artisan in this video. I absolutely can’t wait to try them out once they become available in Australia! Another palette that I am highly anticipating is the Giorgio Armani Luxe is More Palette.

3. Guerlian Winter Fairy Tale Holiday 2015 Collection – needless for me to say how crazy this collection is. The must-have products are the LE Meteorites Pearls and the Rouge G Collector Lip Color which have probably been all sold out worldwide. If you are interested in Australia, the Meteorites Pearls are on back order for a limited number at the David Jones Sydney store.

4. The iconic Burberry Military Red lip color now comes in a limited edition gold packaging. Also loving the new Eye Color Cream in festive gold.

5. The highly coveted Charlotte Tilbury Life Changing Lash Curler can now be purchased individually! On Nordstrom in the US.

6. Head over heels with this new Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color range (available here in Australia) – love the colors and the highly intense and moisturizing formula of this new range

{ 2 comments }

Labels: BRUSHES • Giorgio Armani • Holiday 2015 Collection • SHOP • SUQQU

Giorgio Armani Eye Tint Review and Swatch – Flannel 08, Rose Ashes 11 and Gold Ashes 12

April 15, 2015

Both my boy and I caught the flu bug lately so the delay in posting reviews. I have finally recovered, and started playing with the Giorgio Armani Eye Tint in Flannel 8, Rose Ashes 11 and Gold Ashes 12 which I acquired months ago. They are the “new innovative eye shadows”, with an interesting twist in the texture so they add a fun element to makeup application. You probably would have seen that there are other brands starting to release similar products such as the Pop Water Full Metal Shadow from YSL.

Compared to the traditional powder eye shadow, the Eye Tints are the solution for ladies on the run or anyone who is simply after a quick and easy eye makeup. It does not require a primer, nor a dozen brushes for blending. All you need is to swipe and blend with your fingers for a lovely wash of luminous colors that add dimension without looking ‘made up’. It can also be used as a base shade underneath other eye shadows for a more intense and multi-dimensional finish, and it also helps to extend the wear time. Either way I really enjoy using them as the versatility of this product is endless.

The texture is liquid to a creamy finish. It takes a few seconds to dry and the color stays put for the whole day without creasing. I prefer to use them without the primer, otherwise it can look a little heavy. As usual, I picked up three beautiful neutral shades.

Shade 12 Gold Ashes is a shimmery champagne color. When it is blended, it leans more towards ivory in a high shimmer finish (slightly sparkly) which is great for highlighting.

Shade 11 Rose Ash is a beautiful warm copper color with a hint of rosy undertone in soft shimmer. A must-have for adding a wash of color to the eye crease area.

Shade 8 Flannel is a cool taupe color with an eggplant undertone in soft shimmer finish. This is another must-have color for me from the collection as it complements my cool skin tone really well.

Group Swatches:

Unblended

Blended

Bottom Line: If you love to experiment with eye shadows in a variety of textures, this product is ideal to try. Overall the Eye Tints give a more natural finish than other eye shadow types (think about lip tint vs lipstick), and it’s more forgiving to the makeup novices. You can find these at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus in the US. I bought mine at David Jones in Australia.

{ 3 comments }

Labels: EYESHADOW • Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric Blush Review and Swatches – POP, FLESH, ATTITUDE and SKIN

August 31, 2014

Giorgio Armani has revamped their iconic Sheer Blush this year with the old range being discontinued. The new range is called Cheek Fabric Blush and I picked up the pinks 500 POP and 507 FLESH, and the peachy pinks 306 ATTITUDE and 502 SKIN. I love their Sheer Blushes for the quality, but I am also pleased to see this new range as they certainly look more appealing in the aspect of packaging as well as color choices.

The new Cheek Fabric Blush is housed in a glossy black lacquer case with an incase mirror. First impression was that it is a lot smaller than the previous version – it only has 4 grams of product whereas the Sheer Blush was 6 grams. The con is that it retails for the same price but you get much less product (as with everything else these days…), and the pro is that it is more compact and portable to carry.

It has the silkiest and smoothest texture you can ever get from a blush, and it is ultra finely milled as with all Armani makeup so it looks very light and easy to blend on the skin. In terms of finish, the Cheek Fabric applies slightly more vibrant and brighter, so if you think the old range was too sheer you will be happy with the color payoff of this one. It retains its signature seamless flush of color look with a lit-from-within soft glow, which means it wold never look patchy and heavy with a visible edge line/border.

The new colors that I picked are quite similar to the old ones (as you can see in my below swatches). Nevertheless they are really beautiful everyday colors (particuarly the pinks), and I am sure I will get frequent use out of these.

500 POP (Limited Edition) is an angelic matte milky pink with no shimmer. Compared to Sheer Blush 12 it leans more of a neutral pale pink, and can be used either as blush for fair complexion, or as an overall beauty powder that gives a sheer wash of soft pink glow to the cheeks.

507 FLESH is a bright candy pink with micro gold shimmer which doesn’t show up on the skin. This is a must-have color from this new collection for me!

306 ATTITUDE is a bright peachy pink with silver shimmer. The color is similar to Sheer Blush 10 but leans slightly more coral. This is a universally flattering color that would look lovely on anyone (think about Nars Orgasm…)

502 SKIN is a softer version of peachy pinky with micro silver shimmer. It looks very similar to Sheer Blush 02 in the pan but goes on more vibrant and has a stronger pink undertone.

This is a FOTD/Selfie wearing the Cheek Fabric 502 SKIN which was taken with my new selfie camera CASIO TR35. If you follow me on Instagram you would know I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on this camera. It wasn’t love at first sight as I had really high expectations on it but I am starting to love it more and more as I get to know how to operate this camera better. I will definitely post a proper review for the camera in the coming weeks.

Overall the new range has better color pay off and feel silkier than the Sheer Blushes. The quality difference is not that significant compared to the Sheer Blush as they were already superior to begin with, however they are worthy to collect as the new generation blush from Giorgio Armani. The Cheek Fabric is available at Nordstrom, and you can still get hold of the Sheer Blushes on Neiman Marcus online in the US.

{ 12 comments }

Labels: BLUSH • FOTD • Giorgio Armani • SELFIE

Coming Soon!

January 17, 2014

1. Nars Final Cut Blush New Attitude – My heart skipped a few beats when I saw the preview of Nars Final Cut Collection – it’s all about Pink! After playing with the testers for some time, I ended up with these two items. Check out the swatches of the entire Final Cut collection on The Make-Up Blogette. Nordstrom has a tutorial video on this collection.

2. Nars Final Cut Skin Illuminator Adelaide

3. Suqqu Concealer 01 – I heard so many good things about the white concealer as a highlighter!

4. Suratt Automatique Lip Crayon POC – A new makeup brand only available at Barneys. This is my first product from this line as I always have faith in the quality of the beauty products from Barneys. Check out reviews and swatches on Wondegondigo. Have you tried anything from Suratt? I would love to hear your thoughts 🙂

5. Giorgio Armani Flash Lacquer 520 – I rushed to the store and got these beautiful glosses after I read the review on The Beauty Look Book!

6. Giorgio Armani Flash Lacquer 522

7. Tom Ford Lip Color Indian Rose – I bought thes lipstick with the gloss because the combo looked so beautiful on the gorgeous Tom Ford SA.

8. Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss Sahara Pink

Deal Alert! Neiman Marcus is currently offering $50 off any $200 purchase with promo code JAN50 and free shipping to Australia which I think is pretty fantastic (offer ends this Friday)! So I got myself this one…Yay!

{ 9 comments }

Labels: Giorgio Armani • NARS • SHOP • SUQQU • SURATT • Tom Ford

Peachy FOTD with Chanel Pearl River Eye Shadow Palette

March 12, 2013

This is the look I have been wearing for the past week. It is refreshing to switch from my usual preferred color palette of pink and cool neutrals to a warmer look, and what could be a better palette to use than my new Chanel Pearl River Eye Shadow Palette from the Hong Kong Collection (reviewed here). The overall look is peach for a natural day look, which is inspired by some of the makeup looks I have seen in Korean beauty magazines lately. I always find that a natural looking makeup requires more skill and effort to master. But once you get it right it just looks so beautiful and fresh on any woman, and best of all it helps to take away a few years of age!

In this FOTD, I have spent a lot of time and products creating the base – I wanted to achieve a fresh, dewy and almost barely-there base so that my own skin texture shows through. On the other hand subtle contouring was applied to mimic the natural shadow so my face won’t look too flat. Once this was achieved, everything else was straight forward – just applied light layers of colors to enhance the features.

Face Products Used:

Brush 1: Giorgio Armani blender brush

Brush 2: Becca concealer brush

Brush 3: Suqqu face brush

Step 1: By Terry Teint De Rose as Primer, then MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation (reviewed here) applied with brush 1

Step 2: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage followed by YSL Touche Eclat #1 applied with brush 2 for under-eyes concealing.

Step 3: Becca Finishing Powder applied with brush 3 over the t-zone.

Eye Products:

Brush 1: MAC 227

Brush 2: Stila Precision Brush

Brush 3: CHIKUHODO Z-10 (reviewed here)

Brush 4: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F

Brush 5: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush L (reviewed here)

Brush 6: Nars #12

Step 1: With the Chanel Pearl River Palette, applied the gold shade with brush 5, then added the peach color along upper lash line with brush 4. Use brush 6 to apply the chocolate brown on the outer v. The champagne color is applied under the brow bone with brush 1.

Step 2: Applied the peach shade along the lower lash using brush 3, then added the brown to the outer corner. Brush 2 is used to add the pearly white color on the inner corner.

Step 3: Applied Majolica Automatic Eyeliner, and finished with Cover Girl Clump Free Mascara.

Step 4: Filled the brows using Shu Uemura Hard Formula H9.