Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge d'Armani

At long last, after months of anticipation, Rouge d'Armani ($30) has hit the stores! It's everything I expected and more - another great Armani Beauty lipstick.

Rouge d'Armani is available in 18 shades grouped in four color families: Beige, Brown, Red, and Pink/Plum. The Beige shades have mother of pearl instead of white pigments, giving them greater transparency. The warm Brown shades promise a vibrant, bronze glow. The Reds, without mother of pearl, are intense and pigment-rich. The Pink/Plum shades provide a wide spectrum of pinks, from delicate lilac to intense fuchsia. The new lipsticks add long-lasting color with moisture, a rare feat for a long-wear lipstick.

There is a lot of pigment in these semi-matte lipsticks - remember that when you select a shade. At first glance, some (not all) of the shades appear lighter than they really are on the lips. I was surprised, given the shade shown on the bottom of each case, that I choose some of the lightest ones - I need a little color. All of the six I purchased were in the light to middle tones: three pinks, one brown, and two beige shades for me. I'm not a red lipstick gal, but the reds will be very pretty - on someone else.

I love these new lipsticks! From the classy case, with its magnetic snap, to the gorgeous colors, these are the first long-lasting lipsticks I have ever liked. As I write, I am wearing #500, one of the pinks. It has been on me for hours, survived a long drink of water, and is still vivid. I should have predicted this because the colors didn't wipe off my wrist easily with a tissue when I was testing them at Saks in Chevy Chase. Loyd Cassler at Saks noticed the same thing. It takes a serious makeup remover to get them off, and that's a good thing. Armani promises eight hours of wear. I haven't owned these for eight hours yet, but I can report on wear time later. It's a tall order for a lipstick to survive my napkin obsession at mealtime.

The Rouge d'Armani lipsticks have a very soft and creamy texture. Historically, dry textures have kept me from embracing long-wear lipsticks. Most feel like chalk on my balm-addicted lips. These feel great, even without Armani's fabulous Lip Shimmers. I did add a Lip Shimmer over #500 in its second hour, not because I had to for comfort, but simply because I love a blast of shine. Shine does make your lips appear a bit larger. I was also playing with color. I wanted to see how Lip Shimmer #21 would transform the color of #500. There will be an endless array of combinations to try. I'll be having fun for the next few weeks!

You can purchase Rouge d'Armani at Saks Fifth Avenue, on the Armani Web site, or at your favorite source for Armani Beauty products. If you are in the market for long-lasting lip color that feels good, or simply want a new color for the season, these new Armani lipsticks will fit the bill.

P.S. The gorgeous Armani Holiday 2009 collection has also arrived at Saks in Chevy Chase. I'll tell you about it soon.

Photo courtesy of Armani Beauty