Giorgio Armani Beauty Fluid Sheer Enhancing Fluid #13 from the Spring 2014 Effetto Nudo Collection

I love Giorgio Armani's Fluid Sheers - I have from the first introductions years ago. I always have to have every single color - even the ones that don't look like naturals for me. They are magical! As you might imagine, then, the newest innovation, Fluid Sheer Enhancing Fluid (#13, $62), enticed me.

Fluid Sheer Radiant Pigment, enriched with kaleidoscopic pearls, is used to enhance the complexion on the cheekbones or to blend with foundation for a warmed and radiant complexion or as an eye shadow primer - even an eye shadow, blusher, and bronzer, depending on the shade. It's an amazing multitasker. The #13 color effect travels from pink to gold depending on the angle of the light, for a sculpting, luminous effect. The new shade is translucent and universal, bringing to the complexion a soft, delicate radiance and a healthy glow.

The first thing I noticed when it arrived from Armani Beauty (I purchased it on the Web site), was that it was a pearly white - rather than a very light golden beige, as shown in the press photo above. That didn't matter to me. As I said, I purchase every Fluid Sheer shade.

On my skin, #13 applies as an almost white shade - like milk - but when blended, it takes on the tones of my skin, which I find totally amazing. I could see a teeny tiny bit of pink-peach and a bit of gold in #13 once I blended it. Still, it retained its pearly finish, yielding a grand, radiant color on my skin.

My swatch photos were terrible. You know me: I'm always trying to capture subtleties with my camera. I took my photos in full, mid-day sunshine, and many were washed out. I applied a droplet straight from the pump dispenser at the top of my arm and another on my finger, which I then used to blend the color into my skin in a larger swatch below. I snapped one photo that I was willing to publish.

Isn't it miraculous how a white droplet can blend to a pearly gold? I think Mr. Armani is the only designer who can expertly make transparent fabrics and makeup that move and morph with the light.

I rejected the rest of my swatch photos, and I won't be able to pull of a re-do. The sky looks like snow, which is predicted for the overnight and morning hours. I have had it with clouds and snow, and it's only the first of February. Today, I had hoped to get the spring Chantecaille photos taken. It's not going to happen. At least I have swatch photos of the new Rouge d'Armani Sheers that I'll be able to show you tomorrow. I hope you won't be bored by the time I can get swatch photos of all my new treasures.

Last weekend, the collection was not available at my local Neiman Marcus. By now, I'd be surprised it you can't find it at all Armani Beauty counters. If you are hunkered down at home, you can always purchase from the collection at the Armani Beauty Web site - like I did.

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

Giorgio Armani Beauty Armani New Fluid Sheers - #6 Swatched

Last month, I was able to show you all of the new Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer ($59) shades, with one exception. Last weekend, I made good on my promise to get swatches of this gorgeous coral shade.

First, a recap. The new Fluid Sheers dress the skin in an illuminating veil of radiance. The unique, translucent formula is available in a range of versatile hues, including makeup base shades, correcting shades, and radiance-boosting shades. Blend your favorite Fluid Sheer with foundation to add radiance, polish, and sculpting definition to your complexion or use it alone as a makeup base. Fluid Sheer was named Allure's Best of Beauty Award for Best Highlighter in 2012.

These treasures can be used as eye shadow bases, blushes, highlighters, or bronzers. They are sheer and lightweight, but still offer coverage. Armani recommends that we Apply with the Blender Brush to wear alone or mixed with foundation for a boost of radiance and color. Use on top of foundation for added highlighting and contouring.I recommend that you mix the shades you own to get more than your money's worth.

The new Fluid Sheer shades follow. Many of the pre-existing shades are also available.

• #4 (yellow)
• #5 (peach)
• #6 (coral)
• #8 (light pink)
• #9 (rose pink)
• #12 (copper brown)

Somehow, when I was swatching last month, I missed #6. Perhaps it hadn't arrived. I would have seen this bottle, which appears bold and beautiful. As with the other shades, what you see from the outside isn't exactly what you get from the contents. The contents are much more exciting - not only in their sheer colors, but also in the effects on the skin.

I took swatch photos of #6 outside of Saks Fifth Avenue. It was a bright, sunny day, so the colors are true. I swatched #6 at the top of my arm, patting it on with a sponge-tipped applicator. If you swipe it on, it will start to sheer out.

Then, below that swatch, I played. I had wanted to show you a few of the colors mixed. The SA who thought she was being helpful started mixing colors on her hand - none of them had the effect I wanted. I wanted to play alone, so I will go back to a counter later. Sometimes, SAs can be so helpful they become a roadblock. She kept saying, "What effect do you want?" I tried to explain, I am not looking for an effect; I am trying to demonstrate a color Giannina created, using three shades." Bless her heart, she tried.

Full-on #6 is shown at the top of my arm. For some reason, I can't get a good angle on my arm at Saks, so I look like a phlebotomist's dream. This rich coral is stunning, and when you blend it to make it sheer, it's drool-worthy.

The three shades we mixed and blended below were #4, the yellow; #5, the peach; and a tiny bit of #9, a sunny, cool pink. we blended them on the SAs arm, and then I blended them further on my arm. The result of mixing the three is a pretty, radiant light peach.

Of course, you don't have to blend the Fluid Sheers to create your desired effect. There's something about them that brings out the artist in me. I should have swatched #6 applied sheerly - my mistake. It's so beautiful, I must give it another try.

I thought the Fluid Sheers had arrived at Giorgio Armani counters nationwide, however, last weekend, they were not on counter at my closest Neiman Marcus. That surprised me because Saks has had them for weeks. You can also find them at the Armani Beauty Web site. You owe it to yourself to check out these gorgeous, unique makeup fluids. I hope to own them all in due course.

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

Giorgio Armani Beauty New Fluid Sheers - Swatched

Finally, the new Giorgio Armani Beauty Fluid Sheers arrived at Saks Chevy Chase. Giannina Davis called me to let me know they were in the store and waiting for me. I went over today to swatch them. I swatched five of the six. Somehow I missed one.

The new Fluid Sheers ($59) left me bouncing off my boot cast - as I expected. I adore Fluid Sheers. They dress the skin in an illuminating veil of radiance. The unique, translucent formula is available in a range of versatile hues, including makeup base shades, correcting shades, and radiance boosting shades. Blend your favorite Fluid Sheer with foundation to add radiance, polish, and sculpting definition to your complexion or use it alone as a makeup base. Fluid Sheer was named Allure's Best of Beauty Award for Best Highlighter in 2012.

The new Fluid Sheer shades follow.

• #4 (yellow)
• #5 (peach)
• #6 (coral)
• #8 (light pink)
• #9 (rose pink)
• #12 (copper brown)

I wanted every one of them, but restrained myself to an initial purchase of #5 and #8. I am sure I'll go back for at least two more.

Here are my swatch photos, taken outside Saks. I found a nice patch of grass in the sun and plopped myself down to take photos. My swatches were applied with a sponge-tipped applicator. The lighter ones were patted onto my arm because they started to blend out too much when I swiped them. The darker ones were swiped and patted for even swatch color. From top to bottom on my arm, they were #4, #5, #9, #8, and #12.

I expected to find the #4 yellow too artsy, but I really want it. I was constrained only by cash. The yellow is a perfect gentle shade to take the red out of my cheeks, and it mixes beautifully with the other shades. Giannina mixed thee shades on her hand - #4, #5, and #9, I think - and the result was exquisite. It made me want to stay and finger paint.

The peach #5 is irresistible. It's light, glowing, and perfect for warming the skin with easy color. It will also be fabulous for spring and summer. The bright pink #9 is a sunny cool pink that sheers out easily when blended.

The light, silvery #8 is drop-dead gorgeous on my skin. It is a beautiful highlighting shade. At the bottom of my arm, there's a Fluid Sheer that's perfect for gals with medium to dark skin tones: #12. The coppery brown is gorgeous when blended.

Somehow, I missed the coral #6 when I was swatching. I have no idea how I did that, but I'll show it to you when I feature mixed shade swatches. They are worth a special feature! Leave it to Giorgio Armani to develop my latest crush.

The Fluid Sheers have arrived at Giorgio Armani counters nationwide. You can also find them at the Armani Beauty Web site, where you can take advantage of a 15% off offer with the code GLAM. It's valid until March 24.

If you need help, give Giannina a call at Saks at (240) 497-5206. Or call the store phone at (301) 657-9000, dial 0 for operator, and ask for Armani Cosmetics. 

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

New Fluid Sheers and Luminous Silk Foundations from Giorgio Armani Beauty

Not only has Giorgio Armani Beauty added new shades to its beloved Fluid Sheers, the company has given its iconic Luminous Silk Foundation ($60) a new look. Inspired by Rouge d'Armani, the new packaging features a sleek, black lacquered cap with a silver Giorgio Armani emblem.

The new Luminous Silk Foundation ($60) shades follow.

• 3.5
• 4.25
• 6.25
• 7.5
• 8.5
• 14

Since I'm a perfect 2 in Luminous Silk, the shade extensions won't help me find my perfect match, but I know they will be welcomed by many.

The new Fluid Sheers ($59) have me bouncing off my boot cast, wanting to get over the the Armani counter. I adore Fluid Sheers. They dress the skin in an illuminating veil of radiance. The unique, translucent formula is available in a range of versatile hues, including makeup base shades, correcting shades, and radiance boosting shades. Blend your favorite Fluid Sheer with foundation to add radiance, polish, and sculpting definition to your complexion or use it alone as a makeup base. Fluid Sheer was named Allure's Best of Beauty Award for Best Highlighter in 2012.

The new Fluid Sheer shades follow.

• 4
• 5
• 6
• 8
• 9
• 12

Wish I could tell you more about the new shades. They are shown in the backstage photo above. I know they have arrived in Boston, so maybe I'll find them at the Armani counter at Neiman Marcus when I go there tomorrow. They are officially scheduled to be at counters and Giorgio Armani Beauty's Web site in April.

Update: Alberto E Cervantes swatched these new Fluid Sheer shades. You can see his photo at https://twitter.com/GAfacedesigner/status/312285408069296130/photo/1

Photo courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty

Armani Everything - Fluid Sheers

I think the most innovative product Armani Beauty has introduced, among many superb products, has been its Fluid Sheer ($58). Although there are other liquid luminizers on the market, those that came before and those that came after Fluid Sheer, I believe that none are comparable. And I've tried a bunch. I'm not alone in my adoration of Fluid Sheer; it was named Best Highlighter/Luminizer in InStyle magazine's "Best of Beauty" April 2009 issue.

Loyd Cassler, as you may know by now if you have been reading Best Things in Beauty, is the Armani Beauty Manager and beauty artist extraordinaire at Saks in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Loyd has given me the tutorial on the many uses for Fluid Sheer. He also showed me not to "judge a bottle by its color." I can wear most of them, and they all produce a different effect on my skin. Armed with a palette of Fluid Sheers, Loyd can do anything - and even better, he can teach you some of his magic!

Designed to add radiance, they can be used alone, mixed with moisturizer, mixed with foundation, or placed under or over foundation (even used as a makeup primer to correct color or simply prepare the skin for foundation, for example, use pink to "correct" olive skin tones). How's that for versatile? They are, as the name suggests, translucent, adding a wash of subtle color when applied. They are also suitable for all skin types.

Fluid Sheer is available in 10 shades on the Armani Web site, although I hear that Porcelain, the white shade, may be on its way to the history books (so get it now if you like it - I do). The colors that intuitively "worked for me" from the get-go were #1, Golden Sand; #2, Shimmering Beige; and #7, Pale Shimmering Rose. These were, as they say, "no brainers." I have mixed them with foundation, used them as highlighters or to contour, used them as a base color - they do it all. The huge surprise for me came early after the line was introduced at Saks when Loyd suggested I try #4, Rouge. Here was this fairly dark red color, and he was suggesting I could wear it. Always trusting of Loyd, I thought, why not? Sure enough, it was the most gorgeous blusher I had worn in years. Applied with Armani's wonderful fluffy face brush, it beat out even the best cream blushers I had used (except Armani's, of course). I was smitten - and convinced that day that Loyd was a genius.

There are a couple of shades that serve well as bronzers: for me #3, Golden Bronze; #10, Golden Beige; and #11, Amber. For those with darker skin, the latter two. Depending on the shade you want, just mix a dab in with your foundation, or use Fluid Sheer more traditionally on the high spots where sun would highlight your face (if you were careless, of course, and got "real" sun exposure) or use it in areas where you would use body bronzer.

What's most amazing to me is how well Fluid Sheers mix with moisturizer to create, essentially, an illuminating or tinted moisturizer. Pretty cool that you can take two products you already own and make a third. Loyd actually demonstrated this on himself for me, and it looked great. He told me he sells these to men who want just a dab of color on their faces, but not a makeup look.

Armani Beauty took one of the Fluid Sheers, reworked it a tad, and introduced Light Master Primer ($55) in the Spring Pink Light Collection. The primer contains a micro-fil pearl that changes colors when reflecting light, highlighting cheekbones and toning down any uneven patches, while adding an undeniable radiance to the skin. Brilliant!

There are few products I recommend to everyone, regardless of skin tone, skin type, or even gender. Fluid Sheer has no peers. It's that good.

You can purchase Fluid Sheer at the Giorgio Armani Web site, Saks, and other places where Armani Beauty products are sold. One really nice benefit of ordering online from Armani is that you will be given a choice of samples, and the choices often include Fluid Sheer. If you live anywhere near DC, though, you have to go meet Loyd. Make an appointment for a consultation - you'll love him!