Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani

Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani ($28.00 for 0.22 fl. oz.) is described as “bold amethyst.” It’s a sheer grape purple, and when applied to lips, it looks like a cool-toned plum-purple. It reminded me of Illamasqua Fierce when it swatched, but they’re nothing alike on the lips. I couldn’t think of any other potential gloss dupes.

It doesn’t look nearly as purple applied as it does swatched, because the natural pinkness of my lips (which are already rather corpse-like to begin with) peeks through and makes this shade more wearable than it appears. It looks super, super dark in the tube, but don’t let it fool you–it’s a sheer gloss. Giorgio Armani described it as “vivid yet so translucent on application that it matches any skin tone,” and it’s true; there’s definite color, plenty of pop and oomph, but there’s a translucency there that makes the gloss look a bit different from person to person, depending on their natural lip color. I’m torn; I kind of dig the way the color looks on lips from afar, but my lips almost look diseased up close, because it does not apply evenly and the color has a tendency to settle into lip lines.

Though you’ll see disappointing marks for longevity, it’s only because the brand claims eight hours of wear (without fading!), and I’ve never managed to hit that marker; I get to around six with darker shades, five or so with lighter shades. Don’t get me wrong–it’s excellent wear for lipgloss (because this is really lipgloss, it’s not a liquid lipstick), but it does fall short of their claim. The texture feels like a gel, and while it feels non-sticky initially, I find it gets tackier as you wear it.

Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani

Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani

Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani

Giorgio Armani #604 Plum Gloss d’Armani