Top 10 of 2011: Eyeshadows

And finally, to finish off eyes, my favorite eyeshadows from this year!

1. MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadows
2. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows
3. Le Metier de Beaute Chameleon Eyeshadow
4. Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Shadow
5. Hourglass Gypsy Eyeshadow Duo
6. Chanel Illusion d’Ombre
7. Urban Decay Strip Eyeshadow
8. MAC Surf Baby Eyeshadow
9. Chanel Beige Lame Ombre Essentielle
10. Sugarpill Stella Chromalust

What was your favorite eyeshadow this year?

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow ($32.00 for 0.14 oz.) is exactly as it sounds–it’s #17 and #18 mixed together. Even in the pot, you can see the pale yellowy gold with the grayish silver intertwined. Together, they create a metallic pewter that reads more silver than it does gold. When applied dry, it’s almost opaque, and when it’s applied damp, it’s more opaque with a more obvious metallic sheen. I thought it was just the tiniest bit sheer, but when I applied it to my lid (no base), it was opaque in one go. This was the best of the three new and limited edition shades released for the holidays. I couldn’t think of a dupe for it; it’s in the same color family as Urban Decay Maui Wowie and Wet ‘n’ Wild Dancing in the Clouds but is much, much lighter. MAC Dalliance is more golden.

Eyes to Kill Intense feels and looks like compacted powder (which means it can be loosened, but it’s relatively solid and becomes more solid if you press on it, whether with a brush or the included presser). Giorgio Armani describes it as a hybrid, not a powder but not a cream–it feels more like a cream but looks like a powder. It’s a long-wearing eyeshadow whether you use it with or without a base (I achieved 24 hours of wear with #14 and over 12 hours of wear with numerous other shades). I tested out this shade for 12 hours, and it held up without creasing or fading.

The Glossover

LE	#19 A
	The most unique shade out of the three, and it's the best performing one, too! If you combine #17 and #18, you do get something similar to #19, but it depends on how you layer and intensify (since these are almost blended from the get-go, as compared to layering them individually).
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
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Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #19 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow on lid with #14 to darken the crease (very faintly) — this
was taken 9 hours later (totally forgot to snap photos earlier)

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow ($32.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a pale yellowy gold with a metallic sheen. This would work well to brighten the lower lash line and on the inner tear duct to open up eyes. It is similar to Bobbi Brown Gold, which is a bit yellower; Bare Escentuals Standing O and MAC Buried Treasure are more opaque and a touch darker. theBalm Wild Child is similar in hue but has a frosted finish instead of a metallic one. MAC Nylon is lighter.

Like #17, this one isn’t as intense as other shades from the range. It can be built up, but it doesn’t have the one pass pigmentation you’d expect from the line or from a pigmented eyeshadow. It swatches about the same whether used dry or damp–it has a more metallic sheen when it is applied damp.

Eyes to Kill Intense feels and looks like compacted powder (which means it can be loosened, but it’s relatively solid and becomes more solid if you press on it, whether with a brush or the included presser). Giorgio Armani describes it as a hybrid, not a powder but not a cream–it feels more like a cream but looks like a powder. It’s a long-wearing eyeshadow whether you use it with or without a base (I achieved 24 hours of wear with #14 and over 12 hours of wear with numerous other shades).

The Glossover

LE	#18 B+
	It's surprisingly sheer, though I will say it is buildable. The texture is still smooth and finely-milled (so no fall out like #17). This is one of the more dupeable shades from the range, so you may want to splurge on other shades first!
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 7.5/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #18 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow ($32.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a silvered gray with darker gray sparkle. I was worried that it would resemble #12 too much, and while they’re similar (and unless you wear a lot of silver, you don’t need both), they’re not dupes. #12 is bluer, lighter, and much more metallic (go figure), while #17 is more neutral and gray with a subtler silver sheen and shimmer. It almost looks pink-tinted in comparison. MAC Misty was the closest shade I could think of, but it’s pinker and lighter.

The pigmentation was good but not great with this shade; when it’s applied dry, it’s semi-sheer and definitely has some silver sparkle fall out, while when it’s applied damp, it’s smoother and holds together better with more color payoff, there’s still a smidgen of fall out.  Even though it’s not a dupe for #12, I would have loved to have seen a shade they hadn’t done before instead!

Eyes to Kill Intense feels and looks like compacted powder (which means it can be loosened, but it’s relatively solid and becomes more solid if you press on it, whether with a brush or the included presser). Giorgio Armani describes it as a hybrid, not a powder but not a cream–it feels more like a cream but looks like a powder. It’s a long-wearing eyeshadow whether you use it with or without a base (I achieved 24 hours of wear with #14 and over 12 hours of wear with numerous other shades).

The Glossover

LE	#17 B
	This is one of my least favorites from the Eyes to Kill Intense range; it just doesn't have the same oomph as many other shades do. The sheerness in both the dry and damp swatches is not what you'd expect from this formula, and the fall out, though fairly minor, is a drawback, too.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #17 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

The One that Got Away: Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

With Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow (€36.50 for 0.14 oz.) in my hot hands, my collection of Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows is now complete. Major thanks to Amira for offering to ship me one from Sephora France. FRANCE. If you haven’t bought anything in Euros lately, let me say I just shelled out $64 for a product that costs $32 here in the states. Talk about you snooze, you lose! This shade came out last holiday season, which was before I discovered the awesomeness in a pot that is Eyes to Kill Intense. I took one look at photos online, and I knew I had to have it. It’s ANTIQUE GOLD. It’s so me!

It looks more like gold in the pot, sprinkled over black, but the black gives it this beautiful antique gold hue, and when it’s used dry, it almost has a slight green tint. It’s super, super sparkly. I spent all day yesterday continually admiring it over and over again, because it really dazzles. Kind of like Chanel Glossimer or MAC Dazzleglass… but on eyes. The best part about this is there’s no residual fall out during the day like more glittery products often are, because this doesn’t feel like a glitter (it’s very soft and smooth) but has that look. It’s pretty opaque when applied dry, but when it’s applied damp, it takes on a much more metallic characteristic with a deeper color.

Out of all these gold eyeshadows, the closest one is actually Giorgio Armani #6, which is darker and much warmer (they’re not dupes). Urban Decay Maui Wowie is much lighter. Bare Escentuals Spectacular is warmer, more olive green.  I think it actually would compare well with MAC Rye, which I have three or four of, because it was so my shade when it came out (it was limited edition, of course).

I’ve reviewed this formula several times (sixteen, to be exact!), and I’m continually impressed by its claims. I’ve worn it up to twenty-four hours with no fading, fall out, or creasing–and that is without a base. Yes, really, twenty-four hours. I had to do it eventually, you know, test their really ridiculous twenty-four hour claim even though I was so, so loathe to wear makeup to bed. I felt like I was going against all that was good in beauty.

What lengths (or prices) have you gone to for that one product you just had to have? Share your stories in the comments!

The Glossover

LE	#14 A+
	If you can get your hands on it, #14 was definitely worth the money, but hopefully this helps some of you who still have access to this particular shade! And if I'm really lucky, Giorgio Armani will repromote it someday. The quality of the Eyes to Kill Intense line is phenomenal, and c'mon, twenty-four hour wear? That is bananas!.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5
	Where to Buy
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Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #14 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Overall & Round-up

These are all of the shades of Giorgio Armani’s Eye to Kill Intense Eyeshadows that I have.  There is one missing (14), which came out with 13, 15, and 16 for holiday in 2010–unfortunately, it was already unavailable when I started to review these shades earlier this year.  You can view all 15 in their full glory in the Swatch Gallery.

More Unique: Blast of Blue (1), Lust Red (2), Purpura (3), Pulp Fiction (4)

Good Alone: Pulp Fiction (4), Khaki Pulse (6), Sweet Fire (7), Champagne (8), Rock Sand (9),

Less Unique:  Gold Blitz (5), Sweet Fire (7), Champagne (8), Rock Sand (9), White Punch (11)

Temptalia’s Favorites:  Blast of Blue (1), Lust Red (2)), Purpura (3), Pulp Fiction (4), Khaki Pulse (6), Black (13)

Best Quality:  Blast of Blue (1), Lust Red (2), Gold Blitz (5), Khaki Pulse (6), Black (13), Copper/Black Grey (15)

Reviews, Photos, Swatches

• Blast of Blue (1)
• Lust Red (2)
• Purpura (3)
• Pulp Fiction (4)
• Gold Blitz (5)
• Khaki Pulse (6)
• Sweet Fire (7)
• Champagne (8)
• Rock Sand (9)
• Airy Jade (10)
• White Punch (11)
• Moonlight (12)
• Black (13)
• Copper/Black Grey (15)
• Silver/Black Grey (16)