Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Silk Eye Shadow from the Aqua Collection

I'm weak. I said I wasn't going to purchase the new shades of Giorgio Armani Beauty's Eyes to Kill Silk Eye Shadow ($32). The Aqua Collection, a limited-edition collection of six new shades, beckoned, but I don't live a sparkly kind of life. Still, when I went to the counter and played with them, two jumped into my "basket." They were too pretty to leave at the store.

Just in time for summer, these waterproof, "24-hour-wear" eye shadows are available in shades #24 through #29. Eyes To Kill Intense unveils a pearl blend that radiates four spellbinding colours. Each of the Eyes to Kill Intense shades is based on a revolutionary technology that acts like a kaleidoscope, producing multidimensional colors. Neither a cream nor a powder, this incredible hybrid formula acts like a color suspension that delivers a dreamy, ethereal beauty to eyes that will last until you want to remove it.

I purchased #24 and #25. EtK #24 appears to be the darker of the two in the pots (shown at right in my photo of the pots above). Both shades will take me out at night for years.

I took my swatch photos in full sun. I applied both shades with a sponge-tipped applicator. Eyes to Kill #24 is at the top of my arm in its deep golden-taupe glory. The complex shade is "close to taupe" on my skin, but it has a significant amount of gold in it. It's a difficult color to describe. "Smoky Copper" doesn't do it for me. I applied the top two swatches heavily.

Number 25 is below #24. The bronze-grey hybrid has a hint of khaki in it, which didn't translate into my photos. It's gorgeous in person. I applied #25 with a much lighter hand at the bottom of my arm to show you that there can be some moderation with these shades. You can select the amount of pigment you apply with the right touch.

The Beauty Look Book is featuring all six shades, and her swatches are fabulous. Sabrina saw no significant difference between #24 and #25. I did - in the store and in daylight - which explains why I purchased both of them.  I will admit that in dim, evening light, they are very similar.

A couple of the shades have too much red pigment for my face, although they are lovely. Had I purchased a third, it would have been #26. Who knows? Since I'm weak, I may still do it. Tempted?

You can find these new Eyes to Kill eye shadows at Giorgio Armani Beauty's Web site, Neiman Marcus, Saks, and, I would expect, Nordstrom.

Update 8:43 pm: I have been playing with my shades this evening, and they look entirely different in the dimmer lighting at night. There's no good way to show you, so I must recommend that you just go to the counter (if you can) and play.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty