Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipstick from the Sepia Collection for Spring/Summer 2016

Giorgio Armani Beauty introduced three new Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipsticks ($37) with the Sepia Sepia Collection for Spring/Summer 2016. Featuring a creamy texture, feather light and translucent, and as hydrating as a lip balm, the new shades are wearable and chic. I have little time to write tonight, so I'm going to give you a quick 411 on these gorgeous lip colors.

A cutting-edge color formulation process was used to create them. The Color Shine Moisture Polymer, a revolutionary component able to retain twice its volume of water, enhances color luminosity while locking in hydration on the lips' surface - said to last for over eight hours. I can't get eight hours out of any lip color. I'm a Kleenex addict, and I drink water repeatedly during the day, leaving lipstick on my cup.

I love sheer lip colors and couldn't resist trying at least two shades of the three in the Sepia Collection. I purchased #203 and #604 - two extremes on the intensity spectrum.

It's always hard to take photographs of these lipsticks. the magnetic tubes want to lock together - and never aligned to show the logos. At least I got the colors right!

Number 203, shown on the left above, is a beige shade that perfectly matches the Sepia Highlighting Palette. Number 604 is a purple-brown "for beautifully outlined lips that won't go unnoticed."

The third shade, which I did not order, is #204, a warm brown. I had to stop somewhere! It looks lovely, and I may cave before the season ends.

The swatch photo above was taken in full, mid-day sun. I applied the shades directly from the tubes. Number 203 is shown at the top. It is a nude-pink on my skin and lips. The shade below, #604, is a gorgeous plum to my eyes.

I am extremely happy with both shades. My lips have enough pigment to give #203 a nice look. It is one of those "my lips but better" shades. There is no mistaking #604 for my own lips. It is a pigmented sheer - thankfully sheer enough that I can wear the pop of vibrant color.

I purchased both from Giorgio Armani Beauty. You can find these beautiful sheer shades at all Armani counters (I hope they have arrived). They are definitely worth a look-see.

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

Giorgio Armani Beauty Sepia Highlighting Palette for Spring/Summer 2016

Giorgio Armani Beauty recently introduced Sepia, the new Spring/Summer 2016 collection, inspired by the sepia photographs of the past. Its highlighting and contouring palette, lipstick, and nail polish shades revisit warm, earthy tones said to be suited to all skin types.

The beautiful multi-purpose palette in the collection is called Sepia Highlighting Palette ($88). The Sepia Palette, featuring a "highlighting-contouring powder," envelops the skin in a veil of subtle light and smooths out imperfections, while delivering the signature Armani glow in a texture that is silky smooth, light, and soft. The powder boosts the adherence of the pigments and brightens the complexion with a soft, sepia touch.

Being an Armani devotee, I had to have it. It arrived a few days ago, and I was able to get photographs in full sun. We are having lovely weather.

How does Armani suggest you use it? For a natural look, brush over the palette to blend both shades together. Apply over the face with downward strokes for a natural glow with an allover application. For a more sculpted look, use each shade to contour features. Use the lighter shade on upper cheekbones, brow bone, and along the nose, and the deeper shade along the nose, jawline, and under cheekbones. The latter is almost impossible to do, given the thin stripes of the darker shade. So, I'm using it as a bronzer built for blondes (or those with fair skin), and it's perfect!

I took swatch photos in full afternoon sun. I applied the powder fairly heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator, blending the two shades together. I selected two photos to show you. The first is posed in front of a Japanese maple, which is showing its lovely sepia color before it turns red.

This powder is not sparkly, despite the way the sun shines on my arm. I'd call the finish silky (maybe lustrous), with a very slight sheen. It is a great shade to wear during the day. I like to apply it with a blush or bronzer brush, using the "double-three" method, sweeping it over my temples, across the lower part of my cheekbones, down the hairline, and across the outer third of my jaw line on each side of my face. It looks so natural on me because it is light.

Here is a second photo, a close-up taken in front of a holly tree. My arm isn't as shiny because I held it at a different angle to the sun. This is probably the more true of the two photos of the same swatch.

I am not sure why Giorgio Armani Beauty chose to call this powder a highlighter and refer to it for contouring. I can use it for contouring, but I think it will disappear as a contouring shade on anyone with a medium or dark complexion. Naturally, the shade darkens if you can manage to get more of the sepia shade on your applicator, perhaps by running it down the center of the palette from top to bottom. If you do have a medium or dark complexion and try it, I'd love to know if it looks like a highlighting shade. It might.

I have to qualify my recommendation for the Sepia Palette. It's beautiful, particularly for those with fair skin. If you are darker, I suggest you try before you buy.

Top photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

The Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Collection - Swatched Plus Armani Goes Fur-Free

You may remember that I had to swatch the Giorgio Armani Beauty Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Palette in the store, and I promised to provide better swatch photos of the three eye shadows and blush.

The Spring/Summer Runway Palette ($120) is gorgeous - even prettier than it looks on the Web site. The photo directly above shows the first tier of the palette with a warm pink blush that will thrill many, and the second tier presents three beautiful eye shadows.

I was able to get a swatch photo in late-afternoon sunshine. I swatched with sponge-tipped applicators, applying the eye shadow shades fairly heavily and the blush rather lightly.

The leftmost shade is a beautiful base champagne shade, which is shown at the top of my arm, offers a beautiful gleam. I wish you could see the exact tone of the beautiful grey shade in my photo. It has a slight periwinkle tint that makes it unique. It's worth the price of admission. The light copper shade is a beautiful shade for spring and also daytime. I'm smitten with all three.

The blush is shown on my arm below the three eye shadows. I applied it moderately and blended it slightly into a circle. It's a warm pink shade that works perfectly for me.

I hope this photo will give you enough information to decide whether the palette is a must-have for you. It is for me. Right now, the Armani Beauty Web site is offering a 15% discount and free shipping for orders of $75 or more. Just use the code SPRING.

Just in case you haven't heard, The Armani Groups has announced that all of its lines will go fur-free starting this fall. WWD reported an agreement between Armani and The Humane Society of the United States and the Fur Free Alliance. The Armani Group plans to stop using animal fur in all of its products. The Fur Free Alliance is a coalition of 40 animal protection organizations in 28 countries that are trying to end the fur trade.

Giorgio Armani said in a statement released by the HSUS, “I am pleased to announce that the Armani Group has made a firm commitment to abolish the use of animal fur in its collections. Technological progress made over the years allows us to have valid alternatives at our disposition that render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals. Pursuing the positive process undertaken long ago, my company is now taking a major step ahead, reflecting our attention to the critical issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals.”

This makes me love Giorgio Armani even more. Hip hip hooray!

Photo at top courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; swatch photo by Best Things in Beauty

Guerlain Météorites Pearls Carousel for Summer 2016

For spring and summer, the iconic Guerlain Météorites Pearls have been reinvented in delicate, pastel colors. The limited-edition, skin-enhancing Guerlain Météorites Pearls in Carousel ($62) will gently give your complexion a fresh glow. Warm pink pearls revive. Soft mauve pearls catch the light. Sunny yellow pearls fight dullness. The pearlescent white pearls reflect light. Guerlain's innovative stardust technology transforms UV rays into visible, soft-focused, perfect light (using a spherical pigment contained within each pearl), while the mix of harmonious shades customizes luminosity to your skin tone by your own application - light or layered.

I was a grateful recipient of the Carousel Météorites Pearls, which Guerlain sent me. I did a happy dance the day I came home from work, found them on my doorstep, and looked up and saw just enough sunshine to get a few photos. The colors in Carousel are absolutely perfect for spring and summer, a time when you want to enliven your complexion, even if you are stuck in an office all day.

Lest you ever doubted that I take my pictures at my house when I say I do, look at that gnat who flew in and landed on my tableau! Now it's too dark outside to get additional photos, so we might as well name him the now-famous Carousel gnat.

Look at these gorgeous colors! You can see them blended on the applicator shown in the photo above. The beautiful spring pink will liven up any winter complexion.

I held the container toward the sun so that there would be little shadow from the container on the pearls. You can see the beautiful pastel shades, made more vibrant by the warm pink pearls. They contribute significantly to the overall effect when you blend all the shades and apply the Météorites to your skin.

As always, I had a crazy blogger desire to show you a swatch photo. I used the applicator that came in the Météorites to apply them heavily to my arm, and I held my arm directly at the sun. I really layered the color so that you could see how lively it is; it makes my skin glow. The result is shown below.

Fortunately, unlike some of my past photos of finishing powders, you can see the color on my arm. I think it's exquisite. It glows, but doesn't sparkle. The warm pink will flatter most of us. I applied it all over my face with a fluffy powder brush, and I was thrilled with how good Carousel made me look. I also noticed that I can wear it, applied heavily with a denser brush, as a subtle blusher because my face is so pale. Another way you can apply Carousel is in a "three" on each side of the face - over the temples, across the cheekbones, down the edge of the face, and partially across the jawline.

The Carousel pearls have the same light, distinctive Guerlain scent that all Météorites have. It dissipates quickly, and it never fights with my chosen fragrance for the day.

I've never met a Guerlain Météorites introduction I didn't love. I have many versions, and I'll never discard them. When I'm not using them, they live in my makeup museum. That's how special I think they are!

I did a quick online search and found that you can purchase the Météorites Pearls Carousel at Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom's Web site. I know they must be available from other retailers, so I'll update this feature when I can identify them. If you've seen them in stores, please let us know in the comments.

Update 3/18: Carousel is available at the counter at Neiman Marcus.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty; last photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

The Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Collection - In-Store Photos

I finally got a chance at lunchtime today to pop into Neiman Marcus and get some quick photos of the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 Beauty Runway Collection. I had to take my photos with my iPhone in the store or outside the doors, and the outdoor photo isn't wonderful. The sun was hiding behind a thick cloud cover. Sometimes, you have to make do.

The Spring/Summer Runway Palette ($120) is gorgeous - even prettier than it looks on the Web site. I took my photos of the tester. The photo directly above shows the first tier of the palette with a warm pink blush that will thrill many. The second tier, shown directly below, presents three beautiful eye shadows. It looks like someone really dug into the center shade with a knife.

The colors are better represented by Armani's photo directly below. I think it's more accurate than I was able to achieve indoors.

I took swatch photos inside and outdoors. I selected one taken outdoors for this feature. It isn't a great photo, but it was the best I could do on the run today.

I swatched all shades with a sponge-tipped applicator. The leftmost shade is a beautiful base champagne shade. It is not white as it might appear. I wish you could see the tone of the beautiful grey shade in my photo. It has a slight periwinkle tint that makes it unique and extravagant. It's worth the price of admission. The light copper shade is a beautiful shade for spring and also daytime. I'm smitten with all three.

The blush is shown on my arm below the three eye shadows. I blended it slightly into a circle. It's a warm pink shade that works perfectly for me. If you want to enlarge this photo, just click on it.

I promise to get better photos once this exquisite palette is mine. For now, I hope these photos will give you enough information to decide whether the palette is a must-have for you.

One photo courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

The Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 Runway Collection

The splashy photos sent by Armani Beauty last week caught my eye. I need to get over to a counter to see if the new spring/summer color treasures have arrived locally.

Directly inspired by the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 fashion show, the Runway Collection captures the essence of the "fil rouge" or red thread. Light and daring, this season’s exclusive collection opts for a natural complexion that highlights celestial, almost cosmic, eyes. Lids cast endless reflections of light. The lips are given a light, pearly veil of barely-there color that contrasts with the striking red polish of the nails. Each product features the star fabric of the Spring/Summer Armani Show and is enveloped in a veil of sheer tulle adorned with touches of graphic color.

As usual, the centerpiece of the collection is the Spring/Summer Runway Palette ($120). This palette looks like a must-have to me.

With a twist of graphic colors, wrapped in a luxurious veil of iridescent sheer tulle fabric straight from the runway, the palette focuses on the face and eyes. The first tier reveals a powder blush with a velvety texture that gently sculpts the cheekbones and delicately highlights facial features to create a healthy glow. The next tier contains a trio of eye shadows in iridescent shades: pearl, silvery copper, and shimmering grey - all of which look beautiful.

In addition to the palette, there is a Eye & Brow Maestro in a pot ($35), charcoal Runway Eye Tint ($42), natural pearly shimmer Runway Ecstasy Lacquer ($40), and red runway Nail Lacquer ($30).

Each piece of the collection is beautifully packaged in a veil of sheer tulle adorned with touches of graphic color. You can see the palette in the pouch above.

To see the entire collection as well as a video, pop over to the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site. I am going to try to get over to Neiman Marcus later today or tomorrow at the latest to find out which pieces I can't live without. As you as intrigued as I am?

Photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty