My Thoughts: Armani Maestro Eraser Concealer Review

 Concealer, Giorgio Armani  9 Responses »
Oct 132012
 

Together with the release of its innovative Maestro foundation (reviewed here), Giorgio Armani released Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser Concealer ($40). This is a softly tinted, lightweight concealer in a squeeze tube. The innovative part of this concealer is Armani’s promise to deliver not only temporary concealing but also long term results. That is, the product promises gradual fading of the blue tone under eyes.

For my part, I immediately noticed that the texture of this concealer imparts a very natural look. There is far less of a “concealer texture” effect. Even very finely made concealers can, if one looks closely, provide a slight creamy look under the eyes. As we know, sometimes another does get very close to your face (or at least I would hope so!).  Like the foundation, the Maestro Eraser adheres to the skin.

I also noticed the brightening effect. There is an illuminating quality. Because the texture is so fine, I can see some considering Armani’s Maestro Eraser this the next time one’s Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat runs out. I have not been using the product long enough to notice the “blue-tone erasing” effect. Also, I found the Armani Maestro Eraser too sheer to cover my undereye circles without wearing a corrector underneath. Will the Armani still work with a corrector underneath–even an Armani Master Corrector? Only time will tell.

Here are swatches of two of the shades, Number 2 and Number 4:

I purchased a full size of Number 2, and a little packet of Number 4 came as a free sample with my foundation purchase. By my estimate, the Amani has about 1/4 of the coverage power of Lancome Effacernes, Edward Bess Platinum Concealer, Cle de Peau concealer, or Burberry Concealer (all of which gives me full coverage).

Because of its light coverage, I’ve used this primarily to layer over any imperfections on my face while layering the Armani Maestro Fusion foundation over the top. Because of its texture, the Maestro Corrector also works well layered over the foundation if I find that I missed something after applying foundation. It works well for that purpose–the effect lasts all day.

Bottom line, the Armani Maestro Eraser concealer will work beautifully if you need a light-coverage concealer. The effect is very natural –remarkably so. Those who have blue tones or need significantly more coverage will require a corrector. Perhaps the fading effect will take care of this over time, as the literature suggests. According to the website, this requires roughly two months of use.

This is available online with free ship at Nordstrom.com.

Ingredient list (click to enlarge):

This post contains affiliate links (for more information, see “About Cafe Makeup”).

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation: My Thoughts/ Review

 Foundation, Giorgio Armani  24 Responses »
Oct 012012
 

Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Fusion Makeup ($62) is an exciting new step in foundation technology. This formula (the details are explained in several links at the bottom of this post), suspends color pigment in a combination of light dry oils. I literally gasped when I saw it on my forehead. It looked like…perfect skin. It adheres beautifully. Hands down, this the most long-lasting foundation I’ve ever tried. At night, it looks almost exactly as it does in the morning. It is an extraordinarily stable product on my combination skin.

The color self-adjusts to your skin tone, so combined with its sheerness there is a lot of forgiveness in the color range (swatches of all shades are here at The Makeup Blogette) (I’m using 5.0, ordered online based on those swatches).

I should emphasize that the coverage is sheer. Right now, my skin is mostly very smooth (thank you, Dr. Perricone!) I’ve been working very hard on my skin since February. There are a few small, faded discolorations that are nearly gone. Unlike Burberry’s Sheer Glow Foundation (reviewed here), I did not have much luck building up the coverage of Armani Maestro Fusion.  I found that the color built up well on my good skin areas, but even 3-4 swipes left the tiny discolorations still there.  To its credit, the foundation did not cake up, but it didn’t get rid of the imperfect color either. I found that adding a touch of concealer (such as Edward Bess Platinum or even a bit of MAC’s Perfectly Defined Sculpting Creme) to those areas gave me the perfect look. I would imagine that Laura Mercier’s Concealer would be genius for this, but mine is across the country at the moment so I went with what I had.

The foundation has an ever-so-slight glow to it all day. I’ve worn this primarily with my Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating and Mattifying Powder (I’m on my second compact of this one) as a sheer powder to mattify the look.

I’ve been wearing Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion for about 2 1/2 weeks. Once I found the concealer trick I couldn’t stop. I found my other foundations tended to look a little heavier. I’ve really loved the natural look that this provides. Plus, the stable, all-day coverage has been a blessing. I found myself reaching for it, not just out of habit but because I really preferred it. Having said that, one day I did have some peeling in one area and–oh my goodness–this foundation did emphasize that. If you have dry skin, you’ll want to sample this first before investing.

A few pointers:

  • Like many self-adjusting foundations, Armani Maestro Fusion looks terrible for the first five minutes before it sets, then the loveliness starts;
  • Only use the tiniest bit. I’d be surprised if you needed more that 3 small touches on your face. This is a thin fluid packed with pigment;
  • Try it with and without powder, to see which texture you prefer. The powder doesn’t seem to affect the longevity–the foundation lasts very well on its own;
  • The texture doesn’t change much over the day. Despite the use of oils, the soft luminosity doesn’t seem to become much oilier throughout the day;
  • Because of the differences of opinion, sample before you buy;
  • In this order:  Serum/ moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, then foundation

This foundation has SPF 15  (click to enlarge to see the ingredients):

Additional information from the box (click to enlarge):

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion is a polarizing product–reviewers seem to have a bit of a love/hate reaction, depending on their individual experiences. If I were forced to choose, I’d put myself much closer to the “love” category. Here are some other reviews that I found helpful:

Positive reviews:

  • The Best Things in Beauty’s is here (interviews, explaining the technology, “astounding”)
  • The Raeviewer’s is here (video)(covers well, looks natural)
  • Beaut.ie’s is here (explaining the technology, “after” picture)

Less than enthusiastic:

  • Fleur de Force’s is here (good on some days, doesn’t sit right on other days)
  • Drivel about Frivol’s is here (drying, emphasized imperfections, before/after pictures)
  • Sasquatchswatch’s is here (too sheer, emphasized imperfections)

The foundation is available (with free ship) at Nordstrom.com.

This review contains an affiliate link (for questions, please see “About Cafe Makeup”)

Five Things I’m Loving Right Now…

 Blush, Burberry, Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani, NARS  16 Responses »
Aug 312011
 

1.  L’Occitane Verbena Body Salt Scrub ($36) This is the best body scrub I’ve used in a while. It has a very intense, natural lemon scent. It smells soooo good—- honestly, it changes my entire day when I use this.

2.  NARS Multiple in Malibu came in this Sweet Disposition set.  This is a deep burgundy with a bronzy blue tint.  These deep tones look so good in late summer.  Because this has an overall cool tone, it looks good with soft silver and cool taupe eyeshadows.

3. I pulled this Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Palette in Steel Black (reviewed here) from my stash and found it makes a great, soft and flattering look.  Using the outside ring of soft cool taupe, and a touch of the lightest shade as a highlight, it looks like I tried much harder than I actually did.

 4.  Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (reviewed here) makes a great dry oil for fast skin and hair conditioning.  Sometimes I put it into my hair for an hour in the morning while I’m reading or doing other things.  By shower time, it rinses out very cleanly and leaves my hair very soft.

5. Burberry Nude Rose lipstick (reviewed here) is an effortless way for a smooth, polished look.

So, what are you loving right now? I’d love to learn…

Giorgio Armani La Femme Bleue Long Wear Waterproof Eye Pencil

 Eyeliner, Giorgio Armani  12 Responses »
Feb 072011
 

If you were paying very close attention to Giorgio Armani’s Spring 2011 collection, you heard a sudden warmth and enthusiasm when beauty lovers discussed La Femme Bleue Long Wear Waterproof Eye Pencil ($27).  There was slightly hushed tone and a “don’t miss this one” intensity from those in-the-know.  The only item I ordered from this collection was this black pencil for one reason–to find out if it was, truly, the miracle pencil.  I’ve concluded that it probably is.

Released in three colors (black, brown and a deep green leaf), this pencil was previously released only in black and was sold out in an instant.  Although I’m enamored with my Le Metier de Beaute’s Precision Liquid Liner, I knew if I didn’t leap now that I’d risk missing out.

I’m not usually a fan of pencils because they tend to tug and pull, and go on unevenly.  Some have trouble smudging.  There are some exceptions, in fact Armani’s black pencil in their regular line is one of the best I’ve used.  Some of the Chanel and Shu Uemura’s are stellar.  I’ve had a few MAC Pearlglides that I’ve enjoyed.  For drugstore, Prestige’s Total Intensity is nice.

The Armani Le Femme Bleue blew them all out of the water.

This pencil goes on as soft as a gel.

It can be smudged.  I used my Chanel smudge brush (but any will do) during the first minute to create  perfect smudge.

Once it’s set, it’s really set.  Yes, it will last all day.

It lasted through a massive cry without budging.

The texture is very, very soft.

And its very waterproof.

And very black (no glitter, no shimmer, no gray).

Will it last on my waterline?  Yes, but I cannot say with certainty that it will last on yours–I’m to be cautious in this review as I’ve found that quality varies from person to person.

Downsides:  Curiously for a $27 pencil, there is no sharpener included (according to Charlestongirl at The Best Things in Beauty, sharpeners are free at an Giorgio Armani counter for the asking).  Unlike Armani’s standard pencils, there is no smudger on the flat end.  Unlike pen liners, it must be sharpened frequently to get a very thin, fine line.  Limited edition.

Bottom line: Expensive but buzz-worthy.  I deeply, deeply wish these were permanent.  Karlasugar has the other colors swatched here.

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow

 Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani  10 Responses »
Dec 132010
 

When Giorgio Armani announced a new eyeshadow formulation, Eyes to Kill, I was electrified.  First, Giorgio Armani understands creams, fluids, powders, textures and–let’s face it–glamour.  My hope was that they were execute a formula as no other company has.  The current buzz is that the three introduced for Holiday 2010–#13 (black), #15 (gold) and #16 (silver)–are a first step into a more extensive line.

I ordered the gold, #15, to test the formula.  Armani’s are $32 each (20% off if you catch a Friends & Family event).  By comparison, other pot eyeshadows are somewhat less–Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams are $22 each, and Shiseido Hydro-Powder eyeshadows are $25.   However, if you have read Café Makeup before you will probably not be surprised that I am undeterred by this disparity.

#15 is a blackened gold, in a little pot topped with a little loose lid, and a screw top:

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