What's New from Giorgio Armani Beauty?

Giorgio Armani Beauty just introduced a lot of new products! Last week, I showed you Giorgio Armani Beauty's Design for the Lips set for the holidays, three Lip Shimmers in a useful patent case. Today, I want to share the other gift sets with you - and show you the newest colors, which are available online.

All four gift sets have arrived at Saks, and they are available at the Armani Beauty Web site too. I purchased two of them - only two because I have a back stock of everything else. Actually, even though I have purchased every brush set Armani has ever introduced, I bought another one! I can be a little obsessive-compulsive about Armani's brushes. There are times when back stock is good!

The Mini Brush Set ($100) is a $200 value. It includes blush, blender, eye shader, concealer, and eye contour brushes. All of them will help you achieve makeup artist results (on the go if you travel) with brushes that dispense the perfect amount of makeup. These brushes have shorter handles than the regular brushes, but are otherwise the same. I use the set brushes all the time at home.

The Eyes to Kill Set ($49) includes a Soft Lash Base, Eyes to Kill Mascara No. 1 (black), and Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in No. 4. Use it to create a glamorous eye look with length, separation, and definition, all in three easy steps. This is a good value because the items priced individually would cost $85. I don't think I have to tell you how good Eyes to Kill Mascara is.

Interested in Crema Nera Skin Care ($250)? This year's set is more attractively priced than last year's. The first step to polished and flawless makeup is always healthy skin, and Armani's Crema Nera can help you create your perfect skin canvas. The set includes OMC³ Obsidian Mineral Restoring Cream SPF 15 1.7 fl. oz., Obsidian Mineral Reviving Eye Cream 0.5 oz., Mineral Soothing Lotion 1.69 fl. oz., and Obsidian Mineral Cleansing Balm 1.01 fl. oz. Nice set! I particularly like Armani's eye cream.

The subject of much speculation, the new Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Collection for Holiday 2010 ($32 each) gives us a taste of a much larger collection that's coming in the spring. Giorgio Armani Cosmetics is previewing its unique, high-tech approach to blended color with these new shadows. The innovative hybrid texture, which is not a powder, nor a cream, acts like a smooth, lasting color film. The formula is composed of an unprecedented association between binder elements and pearls that creates exceptional luminosity, depth, and intensity of color. A high-resistance bi-polymer enables the formula to perfectly fit the contour of the eyelid, with cushiony suppleness, for comfortable, long wear.

A harmony of blended black cut-metal shades sets a smoky eye on fire with gold, copper, or silver grey shimmer. Apply dry or wet to obtain any finish from satin to lacquer, subtle to dramatic.

Offering 24-hour wear, the new Eyes to Kill shadows are waterproof and sweat-proof. They slide on and stay on, but wipe off in an instant. Applied wet or dry with fingers or a brush, Armani's Color-Fil color matrix formula blends and layers without creasing or flaking.

There will be a lot of shades available in the spring. Now, though, you can experience the pleasures early with Black (13), Copper/Black Grey (15), and Silver/Black Grey (16). I won't know which of these two photos is correct until mine arrive early next week. The photo on the left above is on the Web site, but the photo on the right above shows the shades I was expecting after talking with Tim Quinn about them. If the Web site is incorrect, it won't be the first time.

The Gold Rush Palette and three new Rouge d'Armani shades - all vibrant - also arrived at the Web site. Follow this link to my earlier Best Things in Beauty post to see them.

The Gold Rush Palette ($55) is a soft, universal, sheer, and shimmering beige powder that will light up the face and décolleté with an irresistible gold glow. The sleek, gold and black lacquered signature compact, itself representative of Armani elegance, adds a sparkling note to the seductive collection.

The three new Rouge d'Armani shades for Holiday 2010 ($30 each) are bright: Coral Red (404), Fuschia (517), and Tibetan Orange (405), all designed to revisit the colors of the Giorgio Armani Fall/Winter fashion collection. These shades are outside my comfort zone, but if you like vivid lips, they were made for you!

More interesting to me than the new Rouge d'Armani shades are the four new Lip Inks ($27). Like a second skin color for lips, the Lip Inks offer long-lasting transparent warm shades of deep reds, pinks, and purple. They are intended to be used alone for a natural intense color effect. I ordered one to get the "feel" of Lip Ink. I expect I'll love it and want more.

There's one more set, one I hadn't anticipated earlier in the season. It's called Dress Code for Face ($115), and if you wear shade 5.5 in Luminous Silk Foundation, you should check it out.

See anything that catches your fancy? You can order these new goodies now at the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site. Some of them are available already at Saks, and they will all debut at Armani counters very soon.

Photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty