Giorgio Armani Beauty New Cheek Fabric Sheer Blush Collection

At Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, which seems to be the only source in my area right now, I found Giorgio Armani Beauty's new Cheek Fabric Sheer Blush ($46) Collection - seven new blush shades that are intended to replace the iconic Sheer Blush that drew many to Armani's color when it was new to the makeup scene. The shades offer something for everyone - or in my case, three initial must haves. I've got my eyes on a a fourth, one of the peach shades.

Cheek Fabric introduces a renovation of powder blush. Vibrant, tactile colors in the thinnest, softest textures to brighten the face and highlight cheekbones for the ultimate glow.

Going for the lighter shades, I selected #306, Attitude; #503, Daybreak, and #502, Skin. While they look similar in my photo above, taken in very bright, full sun, they do have significant differences on the skin. I hope you can see that #306 is noticeably darker than the other two. I stood at the counter trying to decide if it was too dark for my skin. As you can see, my decision was that it works.

I took swatch photos in full sun, surrounded by snow, as has been the case lately. Snow reflects light in ways that challenge makeup photographers. However, nothing could stop me from showing you my new treasures.

I applied all three with a sponge-tipped applicator at the top of my arm, starting numerically with #306 at the top, moving on to #503, and ending with #502. Then I took a kabuki brush and applied #502 very heavily in a large swatch below. I did that to show you how the blushes might look in real life instead of little stripes. If you look closely, you may see a few micro-flecks in my large swatch.

I think the three shades are very different on my skin. #306, Daybreak, is a pigmented warm pink. I suspect it will be very popular. The gorgeous #503 is surprisingly brown-mauve on my skin. I'm delighted with it. It's much like the color of Hourglass's Mood Exposure, one of my new favorites. It is also the one some are comparing to the original Sheer Blush #10. #502 is a pure pink that straddles the line between cool and warm. It's as pretty as it gets for spring.

The compacts are smaller than their predecessors, the Sheer Blushes. They weigh in a 0.14 ounces. Their predecessors were 0.21 ounces and $2 less expensive. The new compacts are shiny, black, and oval and come with the Armani logo marking the spot to open them. Naturally, they offer a mirror for on-the-go application.

The Cheek Fabrics offer the renowned ultra-fine powder formula that we have come to expect from Mr. Armani. Although I can see micro-flecks in the powders in the pan, I do not see sparkle on my cheeks. I would call the finish on my skin luminous - perhaps satin. It's not matte, and it's definitely not sparkly.

The color range is a nod to the fact that women come in all colors - from porcelain to chocolate. I'm sure when you go to the counter to check out these new blushes, at least one will catch your fancy. They offer the luxury we have come to expect from Armani Beauty, along with the Armani Glow that is the stuff of legends.

I would love to be able to tell you more about them; I don't have a press release. That means you will have to go to the counter and play, deciding if one of these new blushes must go home with you. I found them online at the Saks Web site. Please let me know what you think.

I'll show you my choice from the new bronzers in my next Armani feature - soon.

Update: In my original feature, I mixed up #502 and #503. A sharp-eyed reader, Jenny, caught it and e-mailed. I checked, and she was right. I swatch either by number or alphabetically. This time, I swatched alphabetically, but assumed I had swatched by number, and that is how they came to be mixed up in my write-up. It is #502, Skin, that is very pink. At this moment, the names are correct. Many thanks to Jenny!

Photos by Best Things in Beauty