Giorgio Armani Beauty Face & Eye Palette in Coral Bliss for Spring 2013

In January, I was able to show you a coming attraction of Giorgio Armani Beauty's Spring 2013 Pop Collection. Today, I can begin to show you the real thing. Naturally, I'm starting with the centerpiece of the collection: the limited-edition Face & Eye Palette ($88). There are two versions, Coral Bliss (#1), my favorite, shown above, and Rose Bliss, which I haven't purchased - yet.

“This Spring, I love the mix of vivid shades with nudes. Women are traditionally drawn to color, but afraid of it. This way they can play and customize to their own desires. At the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2013 show. I used the soft grey tone to create a muted graphic shape, then a thick liner was drawn with Swimming Pool Turquoise blue, and then blended with the taupe. That gave a soft pop of glamorous, sensual color. Any woman can wear it," said Linda Cantello, International Makeup Artist for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics and creator of the spring collection.

When I saw Coral Bliss at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, I flipped. It's stunning - even better than I had anticipated. I might have cried if it had sold out since I learned they had received it a week ago.

The two-level white compact sings spring. It's a departure for Armani, whose sleek, black palettes are a signature. The photo above shows the eye colors on the base level or second tier. The three luminous Color-Fil Satin eye shadows are an icy white (Open), taupe-grey (Shimmer Greige), and turquoise blue (Swimming Pool Turquoise). They were designed to blend and layer.

On the top tier, the Coral Bliss face powder (aka blush in my eyes and on my skin) is formulated with Armani's illuminating Micro-Fil technology for long-lasting wear. Soft and creamy, the weightless powder melts into skin to create a natural, silky finish.

I took swatch photos in full, morning sunshine. I applied all four shades fairly heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator. The first time I swatched/applied the powder, I almost hyperventilated over the center eye shade. It's exquisite.

The icy white is a very pretty silvery white. It applies beautifully and leaves a sheen finish. I have had no trouble achieving an even application. With other brands' shades in this color, I have often found even application difficult. The taupe-grey hybrid shade shows the complexity of magnificent color we've learned to expect from Giorgio Armani. The sheen finish is exquisite.

Then, there's the bright turquoise blue, and I know you're thinking that you couldn't possibly wear it. See below.

The Coral Bliss blush/powder is a beautiful peach. It's not coral, and it's stunning on the cheeks. The finish is satin nearing matte (but not flat matte - it's got life).

I decided to take a photo to show you how three of these shades look when applied lightly. I did use a sponge-tipped applicator, which does pick up more pigment than a brush would, but I wanted you to see how pretty the combination of the blue and taupe-grey could be. If applied lightly with a brush, you can achieve a wash of blue color that's what you might call wearable. I also wanted to show you how subtle the Coral Bliss shade can be.

I think I could wear the two eye shadow shades shown at the top of my arm during the late spring and summer. They look fabulous together. They are also flattered by the Coral Bliss powder below with its hint of peach to complement the eyes without stealing all the attention.

I think Coral Bliss is a definite buy. I was at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria this week, and the spring collection had not arrived. It is in stock at Saks Chevy Chase. I can give you Loyd's phone number if you'd like some help. While he's with Chanel now, he was the Giorgio Armani Beauty manager for a long time, and I always drag him over to play with colors at Armani. You can reach him at (240) 497-5363. The palettes are also available at the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site.

I might go back this week to pick up Rose Bliss. The lavender pink shade is definitely not me, but the rest of the shades are pretty. I will go see how that shade blends with the others.

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