Monday, November 28, 2011

Giorgio Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Intense - Madre Perla for Holiday 2011

Giorgio Armani Beauty's Eyes to Kill Intense ($32) is perfectly named. The three shades in the Madre Perla Collection for Holiday 2011 are not your wear-to-work eye shadows. They offer something extra for your evening events - and it's intense.

Holidays are a time to celebrate, and the three shades in Madre Perla will make your your eyes dazzle for your festive events and romantic dinners. They say there's nothing more flattering than candlelight. Apply one of these holiday shades and smile across the table with confidence that you look eyes will be magnetic - like molten metal.

During the recent Giorgio Armani Beauty Friends & Family event, I took advantage of the discount and ordered two of the three new, limited shades for holiday. You can still get a discount at the site, but these two shades are currently sold out. Just check out the codes at this link.

I ordered #18, Gold, and #19, Gold and Silver (Note: the Armani Beauty Web site calls these shades #2 and #3 - figure that out). I'm always smitten with gold eye shadows, so they were a natural for me. The third shade, #17, Silver, was nagging me, but I was able to resist. I don't go out at night enough to warrant a purchase. Plus, I already own numbers 11, 12, and 16 - all of which are silvery.

These were difficult to photograph without a shadow. I needed to turn them toward the sun, and that didn't work well on the ground in my driveway. So I propped them up in the window well of my car's back window and managed to get a wide expanse of color, with the shadows from the sides of the pots showing only on the left side of each. The blended Gold and Silver, #19, is shown at the left in the photo directly above, and Gold, #18, is on the right. Both look very light when illuminated by full sunshine.

They were even harder to swatch! The shades dazzle in sunlight. To me, they are metallic. One could definitely call them sparkling. Gold is swatched at the top of my arm, and Gold and Silver is shown below. I swatched them with a sponge-tipped applicator (fairly heavily) and took my photos in full sun. I might have been more successful in achieving an even application using a brush.

The shade called Gold is a pure gold. Gold and Silver, a blend, is an interesting shade. It looks like a subdued gold to my eye, but the camera picks up the silver in the blend. It's a great hybrid of the gold and silver. You can see both shades running through the pot.

Eyes to Kill Intense has a unique, high-tech approach to 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.

Armani says you can apply these shadows dry or wet to obtain any finish from satin to lacquer, subtle to dramatic. I'm working to achieve subtle. Offering 24-hour wear, the Eyes to Kill Intense shadows are waterproof and sweat-proof. They slide on and stay on. You can apply them with fingers or a brush, although I think a brush gives me more control. Armani's Color-Fil color matrix formula blends and layers without creasing or flaking, and these shadows are extremely long-lasting. Even their shine sticks around. With the holiday shades, the shine won't fade until you're ready to remove it.

If you want to light up your holiday look, these Eyes to Kill Intense shadows are a perfect option. Just don't buy them for everyday wear (unless you party a lot!). Plan to look like a celebrity when you wear them.

Photos at top courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

19 comments:

lovethescents said...

Okay, lemming partially killed. I read about these a week or two ago and felt like I needed the #19. I have the EB Mirage, which I adore, so I'm okay for golds. The gold and silver combo sounded perfectly different! Everything you said sounded perfect, except for the party night out part....that is so not in my cards for a VERY long time. Thanks for saving me the $$!

Clarisse said...

Hi Lovescents! I'm laughing as I read your comment...I could have written it..only you did it much better than I would:-) I love this n°19 but I'm not a night party bird and it would be wasted on me (I can't imagine looking like a tinseled Xmas tree during the day:-)))
So thank you Charlestongirl for saving me my poor euros:-)))

time4beauty said...

I love these eyeshadows. I have them in "pulp fiction". You can find a review in my Russian part of the blog or I can give you a link if you like.

Yours are like liquid sun, but I prefer silver tones :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lovethescents!

They are VERY pretty, they just aren't "office appropriate." Or hospital appropriate. Unless you want to give your patients a good laugh about "that poor girl."

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Clarisse!

I feel badly, talking you out of a fave brand, but it's better that you know you are going to get major sparkle than not. :)

I'd leave these to the younger set.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Time4Beauty!

I love that descriptor: liquid sun. They are indeed. I just can't wear them during the day. I'm too old. :)

time4beauty said...

Even if you wear just a little amount?

lovethescents said...

Oooh, give the patients something to laugh about? Might be so therapeutic after all! Don't change my mind again, Charlestongirl :-)

Clarisse, we could both buy it and you could come in to work with me; we'll glitz up the ICU!

Charlestongirl said...

Unfortunately, Time4beauty, it's too sparkly for my daytime look. Even if I apply it lightly, it's got a kapow look on my fair skin.

Charlestongirl said...

Lovethescents,

Can you see it now? Your eye shadow could awaken a whole unit of people who feel terrible.

lovethescents said...

That would be wonderful, Charlestongirl! The awakening of the sedated would NOT be so wonderful :-)

Victoria said...

I do love the Eyes to Kill Shadows and was very tempted by the gold / silver one. From your swatches, I agree that it will be too much for everyday and I just won't get much wear out of them at night. My partying days are mostly behind me, although I could imagine a great look with these for New Years.

Michelle said...

WOW these eyeshadows are really pretty! must be expensive :(

Charlestongirl said...

Michelle, they are $32. You get a lot in the pot. I'll never go through all of the generous amount of product. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Victoria,

Don't let me dissuade you. Try it in the store, though, before you buy.

lizzybee said...

Oh my goodness, Charlestongirl, they're sooooooo pretty !! These and some Tom Ford (and new lipstick)- that'll be my shopping list, as it stands tonight. I'll bet we all know how fickle such a concept is, especially at this time of year. xoxo Beth in Pgh :-)

Charlestongirl said...

No question, Beth, it's glamorous! Hope you have somewhere to go (as opposed to me).

MySkinConcierge said...

Anything sweatproof is amazing! Thanks for letting us know!

Chat soon!

Ava Roxanne

Kriselie said...

I tried to get these on Black Friday but there were sold out. I got some of the permanent collection and love them.