I hope you are all having a great week. Weekend is almost there, which means I can't wait Saturday morning to take a long deep sleep! But before that, right on time for Friends & Family Sale in the States, I would like to share my thoughts about the new wonder product from Giorgio Armani, Eye & Brow Maestros.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #5 Auburn, #6 Copal and #9 Gold |
I am lucky enough to be able to skip the brow routine in the mornings since I have naturally full eye brows. As I get older though, I have recognized that they became rather sparse. The thickness is there, but with odd bold spots here and there. I find it easier to run a powder through them to get rid of these spots and until now my preferred shade was MAC Omega eye shadow. It doesn't last very long on me though, so I start the day with full brows and end up with sparsies.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #5 Auburn, #6 Copal and #9 Gold |
This is why I was very excited upon trying Armani's Eye & Brows. It has an interesting sticky formula, which applies very sheer and can be build up. The best thing about it is the longevity. It lasts and lasts. It is almost like a water proof formula, which doesn't come out with a micellar water like Bioderma's. You need a oil based remover for them.
After swatching all of them at the counter, I decided to get #5 Auburn and #6 Copal first. #6 Copal is a great ashy brown, which fits perfectly to my brow color. I have thought #5 Auburn would be a great everyday shade on the eyes for those days which one needs a swipe and go. It is a light taupe with a hint of rose shimmer. And yes, most of these shades have a little bit of shimmer which sounds like an odd thing for a brow product but once applied, they look very natural and not too flat.
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| Swatches: Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #5 Auburn, #6 Copal and #9 Gold |
I then added #9 Gold and #2 Wedge Wood to my picks. Mostly because #9 Gold has the wonderful sheen without being too metallic or frosty and I didn't have something similar in my stash. Lastly I got #2 Wedge Wood because I have seen that all the colors I have chosen were too light and it would make a good eye liner/crease shade for the eyes or to mix in the brow color.
Below you can see all the shades (but #7) swatched. There is a matching shade for everyone, be it a grey or a red. These can also be mixed to get a more natural brow since our brows are never just one shade.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestros, swatches of all shades |
Together with the collection Giorgio Armani also released a double sided brush with a brow applicator on one side and a spoolie on the other. Brow applicator is made of synthetic hair and its thickness works very well with this formula. Spoolie is to comb the eye brows so that the product blends well in the brows and they all get in shape. I find it practical to have both at the same brush so I can alternate the sides to be quick in the mornings.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro Applicator |
On my first encounter with Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro, I have applied #5 Auburn on the lid which I then intensified with #9 Gold in the middle. I have also applied #6 Copal on the brows. I wanted to then apply another "eyeliner" which I found to be very difficult. I have observed that this formula applies well and the intensity can be build up but it doesn't combine well with other products, such as another eyeliner. I then decided to get #2, a deeper cool brown to be able to get a full eye makeup using these.
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| FOTD with Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #5 Auburn, and #9 Gold |
Below you can see: these in action:
Left brow is undone vs. right brow is combed and #6 Copal is applied with Maestro Applicator. You see that on the inner side of brows I have a lot of sparse regions, which look very naturally filled in using #06 Copal. I believe it is exactly the shade which I need for my brows. It doesn't make them too dark, which is a kind of look I don't like.
Below I have also applied #2 Wedge Wood on the outer edge and crease and blended slightly with my fingers. I then padded #5 Auburn on the lid. It stayed all day without creasing or moving, it gives "my lids but better" kind of look.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #2 Wedge Wood, #5 Auburn and #6 Copal |
I have also used #6 Copal on my cheek bones and nose to contour. To do that I have used Tom Ford's Shade & Illuminate Brush. Although it worked well, I am not too much into cream contours, so I went back to Chanel Notorious and Kevyn Aucoin since I find powders easier to blend and control.
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| Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro Applicator |
Below you can see both of the brows are done with #6 Copal and eyes are done as explained above, #2 Wedge Wood at the outer corner, #5 Auburn on the lid. I am wearing MAC Sweet Sentiment on the cheeks (reviewed here) and MAC Pure Heroine on the lips. I think that although brows are full on, they don't look overloaded because of the soft and natural shade of #6 Copal. Copal is surely my pick of the collection if I were to get just one and I recommend it to the ladies who have similar complexion to mine.
As for the eyes go... The formula is sheer and buildable but I think I would rather go for Giorgio Armani's Eyes To Kill for more drama and a little bit more shimmer. I appreciate that the formula goes sheer at first for the brow application but it requires some work to build up the opacity on the lids.
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| FOTD with Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #2 Wedge Wood, #5 Auburn and #6 Copal |
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| FOTD with Armani Eye & Brow Maestro #2 Wedge Wood, #5 Auburn and #6 Copal |
Final thoughts: I really like the idea behind the product and the execution. There is a shade for everyone from fair to dark, blonde to redhead. The formula sheers out with the application which is great for using on the brows. On the eyes it can be build up and the end result is gorgeous in an understated way but it requires more work to do that. I prefer this formula for brows. If you like cream contours, you may like using it that way too. My pick for those of you close to my complexion is #6 Copal. Applicator works well with this product and it is very practical.
What is your favorite brow product at the moment? Have you checked these out?
Disclaimer: One of the Eye & Brow Maestros and Applicator were sent to me free of charge for consideration. I have purchased the others. I am not paid for this review, all opinions are honest and my own.
