Giorgio Armani Kaleidoscope Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows ($33.00 for 0.14 oz.) include six, limited edition hues. This post features three of them, as I haven’t yet tested the other three for wear yet. The consistency of these seems like a pressed powder initially, but the powder is not fully pressed, so it loosens as you sweep your applicator across it, so it is really a tightly packed loose powder–ultimately, easier to use than a true loose powder. If you apply them with a damp brush, the intensity and color stays throughout the wear, unlike some products that initially go on intensely but fade quickly. These are rated for 24-hour wear, which is beyond my testing limits, but I did wear them for 14 hours with no fading or creasing (both without a primer and with a primer). The texture seemed more finely-milled than past iterations of the ETK Intense formula, and all three were easy to blend and smooth out on the lid. Two of the three were somewhat sheerer when I initially swatched compared to many others I’ve tried (but I had no trouble building to opaque color when I applied to the lid).  Gold Hercule performed the best out of the three.

Rose Popillia (30) is a smoky, plum and gold shimmered mauve. It looked warmer, lighter in the pot, and then swatched, a very smoky, grayish purple base comes out. Applied dry, it’s semi-sheer, and then applied damp, it’s slightly more pigmented but not fully opaque. On the lid, it can be layered and built up to opaque color. What made this shade difficult to dupe is really how multi-faceted the shimmer looks. Dior Constellation #5 is warmer, more plum. Clinique Lavish Lilac is more plum. theBalm rem is warmer, more purple. Urban Decay Rapture is more purple. MAC Tendersmoke is more plum. See comparison swatches.

June Beetle (31) is a cool-toned, green-tinged blue over a bluish-violet base. It has a frosted, slightly metallic finish. Applied dry, it was semi-sheer, and them applied damp, it was semi-opaque. Like #30, it could be built more to full opacity on the lid but required some layering. Maybelline Icy Mint is lighter, cream. Bobbi Brown Iced Blue is lighter, cream. MAC Dimensional Blue is less nuanced. L’Oreal Infinite Sky is darker, bluer. Chanel Destination is more muted, cream. See comparison swatches.

Gold Hercule (32) is a golden, medium green with strong yellow undertones and a smoky plum duochrome–you can see around the edges it takes on a plummy coloring. The other shades are certainly complex and interesting, this one felt like the truest duochrome of the three, as you could really see how it changed at an angle. Applied dry, it had semi-opaque color payoff, and then applied damp, it was fully opaque. Urban Decay Jealous #2 is greener, warmer. theBalm Runaround Rebecca is darker, cooler-toned. Urban Decay Mildew is darker. MAC Unsurpassable is slightly darker. MAC Spread the Wealth is somewhat warmer, cream. Guerlain Coup de Foudre #1 is darker. See comparison swatches.

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Rose Popillia (30) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani June Beetle (31) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Gold Hercule (32) Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

GRose Popillia (inner lid), Gold Hercule (middle of lid), June Beetle (outer lid)