Giorgio Armani

Being a self proclaimed foundation addict, I am quite ashamed I have yet done any foundation reviews. So I have set myself a ‘tough’ challenge. I am going to get through the reveiws for all the foundations shown in the picture by the end of June! I am hoping I can do at least 1 foundation review a week.

These are a subset of my foundations collection, they are mainly relatively new or my recent favorites.

Becca Luminous Skin color

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua – ultra light skin perfecting makeup

Dior Extreme Fit – extreme wear flawless makeup

Cle de Peau teint naturel fluide cream foundation

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Shu Uemura UV Under base Mouse BB Cream

best-foundations-1The rest of my foundations (not in the pic) will be covered in part 2 and 3.

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I have a lot of unopened make-ups, the Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette is one of them. I bought this one from Mecca a while ago but never had the heart to spoil the embossing because it is just too beautiful to look at. It is time for me to use it as I have way too many makeups to be reviewed in the near future.

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From a makeup collector point of view, Chantecaille limited edition palettes are pieces of art. Their palettes look and feel like true luxury. Unlike other brands, Chantecaille only release a few palettes a year, the quality has always been consistently superior. What I love the most is the color coordination of their palettes. I rarely come across a face or eye shadow palette where I like every single shade. Chantecaille is an exception – it only comes with the most refined and elegant neutral shades that are designed to enhance your natural beauty.

This palette contains 3 eye shades and 1 cheek shade, all inspired by the beauty of the sea turtles and their nesting grounds.

These shadows are buttery soft and easy to blend. Pigmentation wise they are on the moderately sheer side as they are designed to leave a sheer veil of color on the skin with a subtle glowing effect.

chantecaille-sea-turtle-palette-swatchI created a smokey look using this palette – using the champagne color all over my lid, the brown shade over the crease and the dark teal color along my lash line and on the outer v.

chantecaille-sea-turtle-palette-swatch-eotdBlush swatched on my cheeks, it is a beautiful peachy pink with really fine shimmers and lasted all day on me.

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Overall look:

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Other products I used:

Primer: Nars

Foundation: Dior Natural Glowing Hydrating

Highlighter: Giorgio Armani Sheer Shimmer in no. 1

Eye Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Falsies

Brow: Shu Uemura

Lips: YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 30

Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette retails for $120 in Australia, 5% of proceeds will be donated to help WIDECAST ensure the survival of sea turtles.

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Foundation Primer Reviews

March 30, 2011

Rather than talking about new makeups all the time, I would like to show you some of my old favorites – starting from Face products. Foundation primer aka Makeup base is not considered as an essential makeup item for some girls. As for me – I can’t live without foundation primer. I have one for every skin condition I can possibly have. Using a primer together with a foundation perfects my skin for a flawless and radiant complexion.   On a good skin day, I would only use a primer and skip the foundation.

So here is a group picture of all the primers I am currently using..actually I have to admit I had no idea I own that many primers!

best-foundation-primers

I don’t regret buying them all, each of them serves a different purpose.  My foundation primers can be broken down into 4 categories:

1. Oil Controlling

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Mac Prep and Prime Skin Base Visage: amazing product, hides my pores without feeling cakey and silicony – keeps the oil at bay for 8 hours! I only use it on my t-zone.

Shiseido (bought it in japan, no English name) : No swatches because this one is only exclusive to Asia,  it used to be my HG until I found Mac Prep and Prime.

mac-pre-prime-skin-base-visage-swatch-before-and-after

2. Radiance and Natural Glow

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Chanel Base Lumiere – my absolute favorite! It contains no shimmers, but it imparts a really beautiful glow to your skin, gives a “your own radiant skin but better” effect.

Dior Radiant Base – a light pink fluid with tiny shimmers.  My second favorite as the shimmers are not noticeable once it is sheered out – gives a beautiful pinkish glow.

Lancome Fluid Illuminator (LE) – a beige fluid with fine shimmers, can be used alone or mixed in with foundation. It is too shimmery for my liking – I only apply it along my cheekbones in summer time when my face is tanned for a bronzey look.

lancome-chanel-dior-makeup-base-swatches

3. Color Correction

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Shiseido Control Base: a light green fluid designed to correct the redness in your skin. This one is amazing..I only use it when my skin looks dull. A tiny amount would turn your complexion into “you have just slept 10 hours”!

Giorgio Armani fluid sheer no 5 – recommended by GA’s makeup artist at a makeover event. It is a peachy fluid, very pigmented so I can’t imagining applying it all over the face. I like to use it on my cheeks to create a natural flush.

Etude Pore Smoothing Peach Base (korean brand) – a purple fluid that brightens up your complexion by a few shades. I won’t recommend using it all over the face unless you want a geisha look. Again it’s a good product for a dull skin day.

These products were heavily swatched in the picture. The effect on your face would be a lot more subtle than shown in the picture. Even for my whole face I would use less than what I used for swatching.

sheseido-giorgio-armani-etude-makeup-base-swatches

4. Primers with sunscreen

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Shu Uemura UV Under Base: it’s been a cult favorite in Asia for ages – can be used as sunscreen, makeup base or tinted moisturizer. On a good skin day, I would only use this product on my face – very sheer but evens out skin tone.

Kanebo Lunasol UV Essence: A makeup base with spf of 25 , has the same texture as a serum. It absorbs into your skin like a serum, makes your skin look hydrated and glowing, leaves no white cast on your skin like other suncreens do. The best sunscreen I have ever come across!

kanebo-lunasol-shu-uemura-makeup-base-swatches

LASTLY, my Nars  is one of the best all purpose makeup bases.

nars-makeup-primerIt hydrates your skin, creates a perfect canvas for foundation and makes the foundation look better and lasts all day long.

nars-makeup-primer-swatchOMG..what a super long post!! Now I need some TV therapy..

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Giorgio Armani’s Spring 2011 Collection of Eyes to Kill Silk Eyeshadows are arriving in Australia soon. I can’t wait to get hold of them. In the meantime, I have rekindled my love for the Eyes to Kill eye shadows that I bought from Giorgio Armani’s 2010 Holiday Collection. I might as well do a quick review and swatches of them to share my appreciation of these beautiful eye shadows.

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The texture of these are beyond amazing. They glide on your skin like a soft cream shadow, and they are a dream to blend like a silky powder shadow. They are super pigmented when applied by fingers or they can be applied by  brushes to sheer them out. The color, the sheen, the sparkle last on me for the whole day without any creases.

I bought 2 Eyes to Kill silk eye shadows from the 2010 Holiday Collection.

No 15 NOIGA has an intense metallic sparkle finish.

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No 13 NOIFA has a velvety matte finish.

giorgio-armani-eyes-to-kill-silk-eyeshadow-13-noifa-1

giorgio-armani-eyes-to-kill-silk-eyeshadow-13-noifa-2Swatches on my hand. No 15 is a warm gold with a khaki undertone. No 13 appears navy from the pan, but is more of a charcoal black on the skin.

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giorgio-armani-eyes-to-kill-silk-eyeshadows-swatches-2Swatches of NO 15 on my eyes.

giorgio-armani-eyes-to-kill-silk-eyeshadow-15-noiga-swatchOverall look

Swatches of NO 13 Noifa on my eyes.

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Overall look

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Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani Uptown Mauve Collection lipsticks were recently released in Australia. It was love at first sight when I first saw these lipsticks in the promo pictures. I was prepared to buy at least four of them. Unfortunately I only came back with 1 lipstick as the rest of the shades looked very different in real life to what they are in the picture.

Giogio Armani lipsticks

The one I got is Rouge d’Armani in beige 105. The packaging of the GA lipstick is close to perfection, sleek but chic and elegant, with a magnetic closure. You hear the ‘click’ sound when you close it, quite similar to the Tom Ford’s lipsticks.

giorgio-armani-lipstick-beige-105

Beige 105 in my opinion is semi sheer, but pigmented enough to cover the natural color of your lips. It is a “your lips but better shade”, no shimmers, no glitters. It feels really soft, light and moisturizing on my lips, doesn’t settle into the lines and lasts a long time while still having some sheen to it.

swatch on my hand:

giorgio-armani-lipstick-beige-105-swatch

swatch on my lips:

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Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Beige 105_indoor lighting

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Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Beige 105_with flash

Verdict. I love it! It is a perfect day time on the go lipstick as this shade would complement any makeup look I would normally wear.

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