Here’s a look at three colours from the new Giorgio Armani Beauty Flash Lacquer range which offers a bolder colour spectrum than the brand’s previous natural-neutral gloss selection.
The ‘elastic shine’ formula of this new lip lacquer promises to fill in lip lines and create a smooth lip surface, thanks to shape memory polymers and moisturising oils. I don’t think the formula is as silky-glidy as the Guerlain Maxi Shine but these highly-pigmented glosses last longer and have a stickiness that enhances their staying power.
Pink is a soft, smokey mauve that’s more interesting than its plain name suggests but not so purply-grey that it can’t function for everyday wear – that unusual grey undertone, while more obvious in the tube, is pretty subtle on the lips. It offers a kiss of colour that actually works well with simple looks. When layered, that smokiness does intensify a little and I like to pair it with sultry eye looks. A lustrous crème, it hugs the lips perfectly. I particularly love how its gorgeous shine nicely offsets matte looks.
Given its striking hue, it’s hard not to be drawn to Rouge. A crimson with a cherry tone, this lovely red is flattering on cool complexions. Unfortunately, this one does bleed a little (more than the other two colours featured here), so it’s best to use it with a lip pencil or lipstick. It has an almost-laminated finish and its shine will elevate the product(s) it is layered over with, offering a 3-dimensional effect.
The previous two are safe colours but the one that really excites me is Black Pearl, a shimmery grey lip transformer. A steely, almost-metallic blue-grey with multi-coloured microshimmer (blue sparkles being dominant), this shade sang to me when I first saw it – it’s simply perfect in its unique colour realm! You could wear it on its own but though there’s a lavender slant, the grey does show through…unless you have very salmon-toned lips; in which case, you’ll end up with neutral-coloured lips because blue/grey is cancelled out by orange/salmon tones. What it’s excellent for is cooling and smoking up other shades. I love it. ♥
In Singapore, they are available at the Giorgio Armani counter at DFS Galleria and retail at S$43.
