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

I said I was going to pass on Giorgio Armani's Rose Bliss Face & Eye Palette for Spring 2013 ($88). The Hibiscus shade (orchid on the second tier, far right) was too red for my tastes. I did, however, leave a tiny bit of room for it in my heart when I said I would ask Loyd Cassler to apply it for me. If Loyd could make it look good, it would leap into my arms.

I knew that was risky. Loyd can turn random notes into a song. Last weekend, he sat me down in his Chanel chair and applied all four shades.

Let's start with tier 1, the Rose Bliss Compact face powder with illuminating Micro-Fil technology for long lasting shimmer. Soft and creamy, the weightless powder melts into the skin to create a natural, silken finish. Because my skin is very fair, Loyd used it as a blush on me, and it was soft and stunning. It's very pale, as you can see below in my swatch photos. In fact, it bears no resemblance to the shade in the photo at the top of this feature. In that photo, it appears that someone put Coral Bliss into the Rose Bliss Palette.

In the second tier with the eye shadows, you will find Iced Pearl, Flesh, and Hibiscus. Iced Pearl and Flesh are very pale, with Flesh being especially pretty. Loyd used an eye shadow brush, of course, and applied Iced Pearl all over the lid. Then he topped it with Flesh.The below the crease, he applied a very light layer of Hibiscus. The overall effect was a very flattering ice pink. No wonder Armani says the colors were designed to layer and blend.

After I decided I loved it, he went into prankster mode and said, "Let me show you how it will look if you apply the orchid shade with a heavier hand." He handed me a mirror and told me to watch. He brushed it on, and I immediately pleaded, "Get that off me!" It was hideous. He wiped most of it off with his finger and covered the remaining jolt of color with the Iced Pearl shade. Voila, I had the look I liked restored.

I took swatch photos in full sun. I used sponge tipped applicators to apply the face powder (aka blush for me) at the top of my arm and the eye shades below. Because the shades are so sheer, with the exception of Hibiscus, it was very hard to get decent swatch photos. This is the best I could do.

I wanted to show you the shade of the three eye shadows blended - and applied with a brush. The photo below shows a close-up of how the result looked on my eyelids.

Not bad, huh? The icy pink, combined with the very light, sheer rose blush gave me a pastel look that was magazine-worthy. The white shade took all redness out of my lids, the gold added back a bit of warmth, and the orchid added the icy pink cast. Normally, I cannot wear pink on my lids. It tends to make my eyes look red. This shade didn't.

So, I caved happily. I will wear the Rose Bliss Face Powder often, and I will also use the shimmering white and flesh shadows regularly. The orchid shade will be saved for special occasions when I want to recreate the look Loyd demonstrated.

The new Face & Eye Palettes are limited editions. They are in stock at Saks Chevy Chase, where I purchased mine. I do not know if Armani's spring shades have arrived at Neiman Marcus. The palettes are also available at the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site and at Nordstrom online.

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