The
Giorgio Armani Fall 2013 Kaleidoscope Collection is available now at all department store counters! There are two Face & Eye palettes with pink-toned blushes and cool-toned eyeshadows as well as five new Eyes to Kill Intense Silk eyeshadows. To complete the bright eye line-up, Armani brought in six power reds and plums (half are limited edition). View all swatches below!
The
Face and Eye Palettes for Fall 2013 ($88 USD each) are colorful double-tiered compacts. Blush is on the top level with a trio of eyeshadows housed below. I was wavering at first since I am partial to green eyeshadows, but Palette 1 has slightly better quality. The blush is more pigmented and the eyeshadows have a creamier texture with barely any fall out.
Palette No. 1 consists of a warm peach blush with a hint of pink and the eyeshadows are a dark navy blue with purple shimmer, a shimmering deep sky blue, and a cornflower with silver shimmer. My favorite of the three is the cornflower, which is highly pigmented and applied the most evenly.
Palette No. 2 consists of a pale pink blush with a deep olive brown with lots of golden shimmer, a cool forest green, and soft icy blue. The textures are not quite as smooth as Palette No. 1's, but the pigmentation is still top-notch (especially the icy blue, which I expected to be sheer).
The
Kaleidoscope Eyes to Kill Intense Silk Eyeshadows ($33 USD each) tend to be sheerer than the permanent variety that I love so much. They are an entirely different feel due to the high frost finishes and smoky bases, however, so the sheerness suits the style of colors featured.
- Rose Popilla: This is much smokier than I expected and is by far the most unique of the colors I swatched. The base is a charcoal-mauve with a slew of multi-faceted shimmer that reflects mostly rose. This one can be layered or used wet to achieve full coverage. Pair with a smooth black eyeshadow for a sultry smoky eye.
- Gold Hercule: I love this golden lime green, which looks loveliest on tan and dark skin tones. There is a hint of smokiness in the base as well, which keeps it from looking too juvenile. This is lovely and wearable when paired with a brown eyeshadow like Burberry's Dark Sable.
- Scarab Violetta: I was a little disappointed by this one, since I had expected to fall in love with it. It has to be layered more than any of the other shades to achieve an more vibrant and opaque base, but the lavender with silver shimmer is undeniably pretty.
- Blue Beetle: This is the most noticeably duochrome of the five below on me. The medium-dark blue base is highlighted by a smoky purple base that leans slightly fuchsia at the edges. When layered, it does read more aqua (brighter).
- Silver Chaffer: This light grey silver is the sheerest of the bunch. I personally think it is too grey to wear as a highlighter, but it would make a great smoky eye lid color since it is not as bright as a true silver.
The
Kaleidoscope Rouge d'Armani Lipsticks ($32 USD each) have an exceptional, long-wearing formula that does not feather. I love how pigmented yet creamy they are.
- #300 and #409 swatch more similarly on my arm than they appear on the lips, but #300 leans more orange while #409 leans more red. #410 is an incredible true red that will flatter any skin color, but it is permanent.
- The three plum shades are limited editions. #610 suits tan and dark skin tones so well because it has a brightening effect, almost a touch of raspberry. #611 is a red-based brown plum that is highly pigmented. #612 is a sheerer brick.
Call my sister Patricia, the Giorgio Armani Counter Manager at Los Cerritos Nordstrom, at (562) 924-0940 if you would like to order any of these over the phone. She can ship to you for free and provide you with samples for you to try. Tell her I sent you!
Final Thoughts: The collection may feel more Summer than Fall, but the lipsticks balance out the shimmery pastels and make this one of the most colorful and fun releases from Armani in ages.
