Friday, August 12, 2011

Giorgio Armani Fall: Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 Swatches, Photos, Review

It should come as no surprise that this fall's color du jour is variations of deep blue. This came as a relief to me because I'm not partial toward that tone when it comes to placing it on my eye. I thought it could be a money-saving season - to ensure enough resources for inflicting heavier damage when holiday collections hit stores. (However, I just saw Chantecaille's fall offerings. I was wrong about the whole saving thing. But did you really believe me before? Ha.) 

Blue has been so ubiquitous in my radar that I found myself already bored of fall. To make up for that, I inspected items from select brands that doled out different hues. One such example is Giorgio Armani Beauty.

Giorgio Armani Beauty's fall collection comprises of three Jacquard Woven palettes (two for eyes, one for face), two blushing fabrics, and a number of Rouge d'Armanis in beige, mauve, and red tones. The only item I picked up from the collection was the Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 ($59). 



Swatched top to bottom

Note: I feel like I should preface the review portion by letting you know that I've returned the palette. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, the colors just didn't suit my tastes. 

Jacquard Woven Eye Color #1 contains four frosty tones: silver gray, seafoam green, moss green, and dark purple. While they look intimidating on the hand swatch, the shimmer does not appear when applied to the eye area. Instead, it delivers a subtle glow. In the pictures below, I used the silver gray as the base, seafoam green on the lid, moss green on the outer corners, and dark purple as the liner. All of the colors were used dry.






I puzzled over why I disliked this palette so much I had to return it. The pictures turned out great, though I suspect a huge part of the credit should go to the lips. It's texturally sound - shadows are smooth though not as finely milled as I would like - but quite sheer in pigmentation (which, who knows, may be intentional). I guess I personally found the colors bland. I feel like all four are reiterations of such basic shades that we already have an abundance of in the market. While I can say that about a lot of palettes, those probably feature interesting color combinations or superior textures, and on all those accounts this palette is subpar. The woven feature is nice, but not worth my $59.

9 comments:

  1. Really well-done review, my dear! The photos are gorgeous (of course), and I'm just - *flails*

    You know that moment when you realize a blogger with great photos can also /write/? Not just complete sentences (which are more rare than you'd think), but full-fledged paragraphs that are compelling, comprehensive, and contain words that are more than, oh, two syllables.

    Anyhow, I've just had one of those moments :o)

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  2. @Rae AREN'T YOU A TOTAL SWEETHEART *hugs so hard it's suffocating*

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  3. Thank you so much for putting the time and energy into this fabulous review for a product you didn't end up keeping! I'm sorry it didn't end up working out for you, but I *really* appreciate the run-down of why you ended up returning it. It's just as helpful knowing what things aren't stellar (and why) as it is knowing what things do, and I so enjoyed your well-articulated (and photographed!) review. So thank you!

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  4. I appreciate that you posted about this, though you did ultimately decide to return it. Your review was well written and thoughtful, and gave me a lot to think about. This palette hasn't been doing it for me either though I feel like I *should* like it. I'm pleased to know that I'm not alone!

    By the way, you may have taken this one back, but it looks gorgeous on you nonetheless!
    ♥ Jessica

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  5. It's too bad you didn't like the palette enough to keep it. It looks amazing on you! I was not really thrilled with Armani's fall offering in general this year. Especially this eye palette. I'm glad though! That means I can spend my money on other things I probably don't need.. haha.

    Thank you for your honest review. Also, I agree with Rae's comment. It's not too often you find a blogger who takes stellar photographs AND is so well-spoken. :)

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  6. I don't get thrilled by Armani powder shadows any more, they just don't have the pigment or the zing that other brands do. With your lips though you could wear anything on your eyes and still look stunning.

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  7. @Jessica Thanks :) this palette is so perplexing. I hope you find ways to enjoy yours!

    @reene YOU'RE ALSO A SWEETHEART <3

    @MarciaF aww thanks! I think the only armani e/s worth buying is ETK

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  8. The red lips are stunning! What color is that you are wearing?

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