Giorgio Armani Cosmetics Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Palette in #1, Maestro

Giorgio Armani's new Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Palettes ($59) are said to offer the perfect matte with the perfect satin - the perfect match between colors and textures. I wasn't at all sure about that "perfect matte," but when I saw the palettes, I bought five - without hesitating. Today, I show you Maestro, #1.

I can't keep repeating all the superlatives that describe the new Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Palettes.  I have featured them twice, here and here. Please forgive me if I'm getting lazy. I had to get my 2011 tax information to my accountant under the threat that I might have to prepare my taxes myself. That was all it took.

Maestro (#1) is all about Armani grey. It's not just any grey, though. Check out these swatch photos, taken in full sun. Even applied heavily, as I did, with a sponge-tipped applicator, these shades are beautiful. They are sheer and buildable - a long-time characteristic of Armani's powder eye shadows.

All four shades nicely complement one another. I swatched in the same order, top to bottom, as they are presented in the palette. The silver at the top offers a beautiful shimmer, as does the Armani grey (or greige) shown below it. The deeper grey is matte, as promised in the marketing for these shadows. The charcoal liner shade is also matte.

I will get a lot of wear out of these silver and grey staples. When applied normally with a brush, they impart a glorious grey veil on my eyelids. They may not be as snazzy as the shades in Pantelleria (#3), but they will become a staple in my eye shadow wardrobe.

The collection still isn't available at Giorgio Armani Beauty's Web site, but you can buy it at Saks Fifth Avenue. I purchased mine at Chevy Chase.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty