I have a confession. Rouge d'Armani is not my favorite Giorgio Armani lipstick. I like my lip colors to be sheer and shiny, and I'm not a fanatic about how long the color lasts. While Rouge d'Armani outlasts the Sheer and Shine Lipsticks, I prefer the older formulas.Since I'm a long-time fan of Giorgio Armani Beauty's Sheer Lipsticks ($27), I was delighted when I learned that the four new lip colors introduced for summer are sheers. I had feared Armani was abandoning them. I purchased two of the four new shades: #36 and #37.
#36 is shown at the top in the photo at right, with #37 below. In the tube, #36 looks extremely coral, but it's a different shade on my lips - more of a peachy pink. The tube shade of #37 is more true to how it looks on the lips. It's a flattering nude.
I swatched the shades in morning sunlight. Hopefully, you can see how sheer they are. I applied the lip color with at least five passes to get an adequate color representation on my arm.
Armani's Sheer Lipsticks provide a luminous coat of sheer color that's "right" for summer. A combination of a hydrating base with a transparent lip color, these lightweight, soothing lipsticks leave behind a moisturizing veil of color that enhances the natural tone of the lips with a tint. They feel great on my lips - extremely moist.
Two new shades I didn't purchase are also available. One is very coral - really coral - and one is brown. I may have to check out the brown one again. As I rule, I like Armani's browns. For now, I'm delighted with the two I bought last week.
A perfect complement to the new Mediterranean Eye Palette 2011, the new Sheer Lipsticks are a breath of fresh air for summer. You can purchase these now at Neiman Marcus. I'm sure the Armani Beauty counters and Web site will have them soon.
Photos by BTiB