Giorgio Armani Summer 2013 Eye & Face Palette ($88.00 for 0.37 oz.) contains a bronzer on the top level, and then three eyeshadows on the lower level, which are all housed inside a black compact with a full-sized mirror underneath the lid.
Summer 2013 Bronzer a medium-tan with warm, golden orange undertones and a faint golden shimmer bronzer on the top level. It is soft, finely-milled, and incredibly blendable. It sits beautifully on the skin while adding a glowing sheen but not emphasizing pores. Much of the shimmer/metallic finish seen is an overspray, while the underlying bronzer is much subtler. It lasted for eight and a half hours on me, and after nine and half, there was very slight fading. MAC Double Definition is darker, browner, more frosted. Guerlain Terra Nerolia is slightly darker. Too Faced Bronzed & Poreless is more matte. Burberry Summer Glow is browner.
Summer 2013 Eyeshadow #1 is a warm, golden white with a frosted sheen. It had so-so color payoff but was very soft and smooth, and when I applied it to the lid, it was more buildable to opaque color (two layers). There is no shortage of similar shades, as it is a more basic color (versatile, lovely in many ways, but dupable), including: Tarte Bellini, which is slightly yellower; bareMinerals Carte Blanche, which is white; Guerlain Calligraphy #1 is more frosted; and Giorgio Armani #1 Easy Chic #2 is very comparable (from last fall).
Summer 2013 Eyeshadow #2 is a peachy orange with a pearly finish. It had rich color payoff, and the texture was incredibly soft and finely-milled (but a touch powdery). It blended out well on the lid and sat well on the skin. bareMinerals Peace is lighter, pinker. Urban Decay Moonflower is warmer, browner. bareMinerals Nirvana is lighter, more orange.
This summer’s palette delivers on texture in a supremely divine fashion–every shade is blendable, melts against skin, and works together. The downside is really that this palette is dupable, so you may have something similar. It makes for a great basic, warm, bronzy palette if you have need for one. If you’re not interested in the bronzer, but you like the warmer look of the eyeshadows, you might consider Giorgio Armani’s #10 Eyes to Kill Palette which will deliver a similar look but only contains eyeshadow (so it costs $59, rather than $88). The eyeshadows lasted for nine hours without creasing or fading, without a primer, which was a happy surprise.
If you have nothing like this and are looking for a warmer palette, it's one I'd recommend, but it is rather dupable so it may be hard to justify in that instance.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9.5/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
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When I was playing with the product, the gold shimmer seemed like an over-spray, so I dusted it away with a large, fluffy brush, and the majority of it disappeared. There were some residual shimmer particles that remained over the entire surface, but after scraping away some of the bronzer shade later on, it looked nearly matte.
I applied the center color like a blush onto the apples of cheeks, and then I applied the darker, bronzer shade as more of a contour and darkening shade. The center shade had good color payoff, but it’s the kind of color that is going to show up better on fairer complexions than mine–if you mix it as a way to lighten or soften the darker ring of color, the combination would show up on medium skin tones.
The darker color also had good pigmentation, and it can be lightened by mixing it with the center shade. The powder as a whole had a smooth, velvety feel–very finely-milled and blendable without being powdery. Terra Nerolia wore eight hours well on me, and then after nine hours, there was some light fading. This powder is heavily scented with Guerlain’s tiare flower scent (like the Terracotta line), which is a very strong floral fragrance to me. I don’t smell it as much when it is applied, but it wafts from the compact quite noticeably. This is also a huge compact filled with bronzer, so it will last you quite awhile (maybe a lifetime?).
If you prefer more natural and matte finishes to your bronzers, you'll like Terra Nerolia's finish, which is mostly matte (especially after a few swipes to remove the over-spray) but not powdery or chalky. Both shades are true-to-pan and have a lovely, silky texture that makes them easy to blend and diffuse on the skin.
Product
9.5/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9.5/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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I applied the center shade as a highlighter on the top of my cheekbone, while then applying the bronzer shade below the cheekbone and slightly below to contour. The highlighter is very similar to my skin tone, but it seemed to be true-to-pan in color though slightly translucent. The bronzing shade had good color payoff and applied smoothly on the skin. Both shades had a soft, velvety feel with a finely-milled texture that made it easy to blend the powder on the skin. I noticed a very, very slight emphasis of the skin’s natural texture with the highlighter shade. Terra Ora wore well for seven and a half hours, and after eight, there was a little fading. The powder comes in a wooden compact with a magnetic closure, and it has a powdery, floral scent that’s moderate in strength.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
NARS Taos Blush ($29.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “desert rose with shimmer.” It’s a warm-toned, burnt rose with a subtle golden shimmer/sheen. Illamasqua Allure is more muted, not quite as red. MAC Hidden Treasure is darker. Tom Ford Savage is lighter, less red/more brown. MAC Fleet Fast is lighter, less reddened.
Taos is incredibly pigmented–a little goes a long way–so a light hand and a feathery brush are must-haves if you want a subtle look. It has a soft, silky-smooth, and very finely-milled texture that sits well on the skin and blends out as desired. The delicate gold shimmer, once blended, looked like a satiny, golden sheen that didn’t emphasize pores. It lasted nine hours well, and I didn’t notice any fading until ten hours, so Taos is one of the longest-wearing blushes I’ve tried from NARS.
It's not going to be a blush that appeals to everyone, but it is a great blush if it's a color you've been searching for. It will be stunning on deeper complexions in particular!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Like Rotonde, this blush is vibrant–the pigmentation is incredibly dense and rich and true-to-pan (actually, I think it may be more vibrant on the skin than it looks in the pan). The gold pattern is an over-spray, so while the first use might have a smidgen of shimmer, it’s actually a matte powder underneath. Applied and blended out, it looks pinker than it does when applied more heavily (that’s when the red starts to dominate). The texture was soft, finely-milled, and very easy to blend, which is an absolute necessity with something as rich in color as this shade is. Boys Don’t Cry wore eight and a half hours well, and after nine hours, there was some slight fading along the edges. This blush is larger than the standard NARS’ blushes, which are 0.16 oz., and this is 0.45 oz.
Boys Don't Cry is incredibly rich in color payoff, so it's a home run for the bold blush lovers. It's very blendable, so it can be worn subtly if desired, though!
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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This is pigmented with a capital P! It’s not a shy color to begin with, and the color payoff is incredibly rich and true-to-pan. There will be no problem with this color showing up on across skin tones. Fairer complexions may want to use a light hand and feathery brush to control how much product they want on (a regular brush will be just fine if you want a bolder cheek color, but a fan or stippling brush is great for getting subtle color without having to buff it out). The gold pattern is an over-spray, and one use will remove the majority of it. Rotonde is soft, finely-milled but not powdery, and it applies beautifully and blends out with ease. It lasted just over eight hours on me before starting to show subtle signs of fading.
Rotonde has rich, vibrant color that darker complexions will have no trouble working with. The powder itself is still soft and blendable, though, so it can worn subtly or boldly.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
