There are three new
Lip Maestro ($32) shades that were introduced with the Eccentrico Collection for Holiday 2013.
- #302, Clash
- #303, Dazzling
- #502, Eccentrico
Even though it was apparent they were very bright, I selected two, purchasing them without trying them, because I was in a super-hurry and I was unable to swatch them because the testers had not arrived. My new Lip Maestros are shown directly above. Dazzling is on the left, and Eccenterico is on the right.
I assumed that these colors would not be as bright on my lips as they are in the tubes. That was a really bad assumption! These colors are the brightest lip colors I have ever tried - and among the ugliest.
These Lip Maestros have already gone into my all-time big mistake bin. We all make mistakes, right? These two shades are beyond atrocious on me - so bad I wouldn't even give them to my friends.
Here's the evidence. My swatch photos were taken in full sun. The shades look very bright on my arm. That's because they are. The color is extremely saturated and very flashy. Unfortunately, they make me look like a clown. I can't find the words to tell you how bad they look on me. The only way I can wear them is as stains: apply, then wipe off as much color as I can. The remaining color isn't half-bad if I apply gloss over it. That's not the way to enjoy your makeup.
I am conservative. I'll admit that. If you aren't, and you are used to wearing very bright colors on your lips, you may like these new shades. I don't. I don't plan to leave my house looking like a piñata.
I'm so surprised at my beloved Armani Beauty. In my humble opinion, these new holiday colors are a total miss. You can find them at the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site and Armani counters if you are braver woman than I am.
Now I have to go off and figure out why Blogger is putting color on my arms (dark spots) that isn't there. I am not as mottled as my photos make it appear. The originals don't look this way. A new mystery I didn't need - to go with lip colors I didn't need.
Update: Many thanks to Appu! I turned off Google+ photo "enhancement," which I never set, and my photos look right now. The photo directly above is the same as one that looks mottled above. Rather than switch them both out, I wanted to show you how different they look. This was supposed to be helpful, Google?
Photo at top courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty
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24 comments:
Yikes! They look neon. I'm with you on these - total fail.
Ooh those are some serious brights! I can't pull those off even in the summer :) The reason for those spots on photos are because they get auto-corrected by Google +. You might have to go to the settings on G+ and turn it off. Took me a while to figure that out.
OH CG, return them. They are really hideous. But just in time for Halloween in case anyone wants to dress up like a clown. They look like something MAC would put out.
Give them to a twenty something or someone with a plump face. 30 years ago I could pull off that orange.
Have noticed that after a long period of neutral lip colour, young women are enjoying dark and vibrant lips.
Wow! Those are extremely saturated!
I was intrigued by the orange shade (Clash?) thinking it might enhance an existing color...I guess that is not the case.
I am still debating if I want to give "Dazzling" a try since it is just a different color but I am definitely not a lip girl.
Thanks for the review!
Thanks, Appu. I hear tell of that. Guess I need to do it too.
Jo, you are right, they would be great for Halloween.
To bad as I agree Armani usually hits big!
I dont disagree with you, those are some seriously bright and saturated lip glosses. Thank you for the swatches.
Ack! That pink isn't too bad, but that orange I could *never* pull off.
Way too yellow for me, not a good look on old(er) teeth... lol
Christy x
I'd wear them if I wanted the first thing people think of when they see me is "lips!" I'd be the woman with the neon lips on the subway...then again it's NYC people may not notice. lol I like a good red but these, I'd just pass on.
Holy-moly! These are bright! I was hoping they'd be transparent tints in which case they would have been quite pretty. These are so opaque, though, there's just no getting around the neon effect. They look more Illamasqua than Armani. I think these would be perfect for anyone who aspires to be Effie Trinket! In truth, between the oversprayed blusher and these heavy looking neon colors, I'm beyond disappointed in this collection. Oh well, there's always the next collection :-)
Not the classy colors I'd expect from Armani.
I have been striking out with Armani limited edition for the last year. I just can't find anything to suit me, and these are no exception. Even with their new CC lipsticks I could only find a couple of colors that worked with my complexion. It's a shame because typically this is my favorite brand.
Just...wow. I knew these were going to be a pass when I saw that they were Maestro's. I keep trying to like that formula, but as you said, it's mostly a fail for me. I think the 400 would work for me, if I was going for a red lip, but I don't generally do that. It's a little loud against my fair skin/dark hair combination. Usually the more subtle brown-reds are where I'm comfortable.
Enough about reds though, I appreciate your taking the hit for the team and buying untested, but definitely return those. I don't know what they were thinking this year. The collection stands out, but for all the wrong reasons. And personally speaking, I prefer 'Classic' over conservative any day and I'm (for now) still sub-40.
You're a beautiful woman. I don't think these colors would look bad on you. I think they would look horrendous on anybody. I'm shocked that this incredible upscale company would release such colors. I think the only person who could carry these colors is BOZO the clown Personally, I would return them for a refund, something I rarely do but in this case I think is appropriate.
Dlori
I just saw a picture of Olivia Munn from the Armani gala last night and it looks like she is warring Dazzling. Even on her, it's no attractive.
Not to repeat everyone else's thoughts, but I'm wondering why you wouldn't return these? I don't return a ton of products -- only if it breaks me out or if it turns out to have peppermint/lemon oil (hidden as "fragrance" in the ingredient list) -- but considering there wasn't a tester available, and you'd been led to believe they were a sheer stain, I don't think you should feel any embarrassment about asking for a refund.
You are obviously a discerning and frequent consumer of cosmetics, I can't imagine any counter person in your part of the country would want you to keep a product you didn't like, when they'd much rather have a chance to help you find something better.
Another reason why I read your blog, CG: your honesty. These colors are right up my alley, but as you said, they make you look like pinata :-) Thank you, CG, for your coverage, good or bad!!
Anonymous, check these pictures. I think she was wearing red lipstick. http://jezebel.com/little-black-dresses-and-sharp-black-trousers-at-the-ar-1452312701
Wow, they look so bright and pigmented. I also agree that the colors aren't certainly for everybody's cup of tea. Now I'm really curious how Clash would look. Awesome swatches, thanks again :)
Funny how some people here are saying how these are 'unclassy' and similar things. Class is denoted by the colour you wear on your lips? Strange. Also I would love to direct some of you to old ads and pics from YSL, etc- extremely bright lips being a big feature.
Hi Unknown,
No one here has referred to a person as lacking in class because they might like to wear these colors, so I don't know where you got the idea that people were being judged by the color they wear on their lips. It's pretty clear that commenters are referring to the color of the product and, of course, everyone is entitled to express their opinion about that. If a person finds the colors unattractive and not particularly "classy", that's OK. No one's character is being impugned.
Wow, these are very bright, I don't think I"m bold enough to wear such colors. I totally agreed with something you said in the post though, when you were talking about using them as a stain, but that so much work it not the way to enjoy makeup. It resonated with me, because sometimes I have the same tendency, where I will try to "make" something work, even if I have other items that work better. I have to remind myself to use the "good stuff", it's usually less work and more fun. :-)
Thanks for sharing, even if they are rather bright :-)
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