Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer ($29.00 for 0.22 fl. oz.) is a medium-dark bluish-gray base with multi-colored shimmer and pearl (predominantly aqua, blue, and violet). On lips, this translates into a smoky, plummy purple tint to the lip color, plus an array of violet and blue shimmer. MAC Karin is less gray, less multi-color in shimmer. MAC Boys Go Crazy is purpler. Giorgio Armani #604 has a similar tint to lips but no shimmer. See comparison swatches.

If you tend to get intrigued by unusual colors, this is a very cool gloss. And as a result of it being semi-opaque, it can really add a versatile tool to your arsenal for layering. It will instantly add drama to any lip color, plus dazzling shimmer that looks like water when the sun hits it. The consistency is lightweight, comfortable to wear with a cushy, gel-like texture that is very lightly tacky but not full-on sticky. The shine lasts longer than the average gloss–three to four hours–and the shimmer and color linger for another hour or so. I had a total wear time of five hours with this shade, and it was lightly hydrating during that time. The biggest downside is that the sheer, darker color does settle into lip lines, though I think the amount of shimmer helped to camouflage some of it, and it was not too noticeable from afar (but you’ll definitely see it in the close-ups). I didn’t detect any scent or taste with the formula.

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer

Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer