Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Silk Eyeshadow #24

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Good morning!

I'm still experiencing difficulties with my ISP but I promise that I'm trying to blog whenever I can! You know, blogging has been a part of my life for so long (we're coming up on FIVE YEARS this fall) that it is making me pretty antsy to not post at least a few times a week.

Anyways, last month I snagged something awesome from a blogsale. I had been wanting to try out the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Silk Eyeshadow range ever since I finally got on the L'Oreal Infallible bandwagon last year. GA ETKs were supposed to be the older, more complex relations of the L'Oreal Infallible range. For months I mulled over which shade I would pick to try first... and believe it or not, my inability to decide kept me from pulling the trigger. When I saw #24 on a blogsale, it was just the impetus I needed.

I love how each glass pot of GA ETK is a marble of pigment with rich veining. #24 is a bronze color, mixed in a matte black which deepens the effect. That's the thing about GA ETKs, you see each component color quite clearly in the pot but the "mixed" outcome can look quite different.

Remember L'Oreal Gleaming Bronze? (Reviewed here) That's the closest thing I have for comparison.

Left to right, over bare skin: L'Oreal Gleaming Bronze, Giorgio Armani ETK #24 solid, #24 sheer.

#24 looks more brown actually swatched. In comparison, Gleaming Bronze has more yellow and though pictures don't seem to accurately portray it, it is more one dimensional than #24. #24 has more large sparkly particles that shine like crazy in the light. I thought that formula wise, they were very similar. A crumbly mixture that is dry yet still silky at the same time - though #24 is chunkier in texture (because of the mixture of matte pigment). They both adhered quite well to bare skin, though I do prefer wearing both over primer. #24 wore very well for me, a full day without creasing or fading, though some of the sparkles did come loose.

While #24 blends out better than other sparkly shades (that is to mean, blending the shade doesn't diminish its complexity too badly or dust away the large particles of shimmer), my preference is to wear it over a cream base to make the color pop more. Here, I applied NYX Jumbo Black Bean close to my upper and lower lash lines, then smudged it out and applied GA ETK #24 on top, pressing it on to achieve a very easy smokey eye. I used a brighter gold color (from the LORAC Multiplex Palette) on the lower lid to brighten the area.

Products used:

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Granite

Face: Dolce & Gabbana The Perfect Luminous Foundation mixed with Revlon Colorstay (to darken, I'm "tan" now), NARS Douceur, Kryolan Highlighter in Cashmere, NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder

Eyes: LORAC Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, LORAC Multiplex Palette (gold and light yellow shade), Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #24, NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean, false lashes, Lancome Definicils Mascara

Lips: Revlon Matte Balm in Complex

Overall, I really like my first GA ETK (I knew I would) and this is a slippery, slippery slope because now I want them all. While Giorgio Armani products are available at numerous department stores, Eyes to Kill Silk Eyeshadow #24 is unavailable except for directly from the Giorgio Armani website. Each ETK shadow is $34.

Do you like this line of super pigmented shadows? Which color should I pick up next? I'm thinking Lust Red (#2) but Blast of Blue (#1) looks like a beautiful pot of lapis lazuli inlaid with gold. It's tempting.

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