Giorgio Armani Gloss d'Armani #400, Dupe-able?

Like many of you, I too have fallen in love with the Gloss d'Armani lipglosses! They are stunning, however, the price tag is equally stunning. Like the national budget, my cosmetic budged has recently had major cuts (mostly due to expensive car repairs) :( Because I still love my make-up, I decided to pursue some budget-friendly options.

My favorite shade of Gloss d'Armani is #400, the perfect, creamy, true-red. I tried it on in the store and immediately fell in love, and thus was on a mission for a cheaper dupe. I have mentioned on many occasions a newer brand at Ulta, Essence. They have great finds, especially when it comes to glosses. Essence has a new line of gloss, called Stay With Me Long Lasting Lipgloss. Lucky for me, one of these colors is a shade of red. 07 Kiss Kiss Kiss is a beautiful, opaque, cherry red. It is a true red, not too orange, not too blue.

I swatched out both reds, and surprisingly enough, they are nearly the same shade. I still adore the Armani one, but the Essence gloss is nearly and exact match. As far as longevity, both glosses lasted the same amount of time (both are marketed as long-wearing). The texture is nearly identical, and neither one has a distinct smell. After wearing each one for a day, I was floored when I saw how similar the two products are, yet how different the price tag is. Both give you what you want, but Essence Stay With Me Gloss in Kiss Kiss Kiss won't increase your budget deficit!

Giorgio Armani Beauty to Go Set (Nordstrom Exclusive)

Its getting hot outside, summer is in full swing, and you know what that means................Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!!! One of my favorite times of year. I always love their Anniversary sale because of the exclusive beauty sets. They have so many amazing sets to choose from, its so hard to decide! But I must admit, this year there was a specific set I had my eyes on ;)

I recently discovered the Giorgio Armani Gloss d'Armani, and love them. When I saw this gift set, I knew it was perfect. The Beauty to Go set contains 3 shades of Gloss d'Armani (103, 400, 602), an Acqua Di Gioia eau de parfum rollerball, and a beautiful white patent croc-print cosmetic bag (which can double as a cute clutch). The glosses in the set are so lovely. 103 is a beautiful, light nude, 400 is the perfect true red (my favorite of the 3), and 602 is a shimmering, vampy-plum. The set retails for $65, but is worth so much more! (I was fortunate to have a $20 Nordstrom note, so the price was even better!) If you love Gloss d'Armani glosses, this is the set for you, grab one before they're gone.

**Set purchased by me.

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows Swatches and Review

I finally caved and bought a few of the new-ish Armani Eyes to Kill Intense eyeshadows. These shadows are unlike anything you've ever tried before. They are said to give 24 hour wear that is crease proof, sweat proof, waterproof, and flake proof. They come in 13 beautiful, metallic shades, but cost $32, each.

I tried 4 different shades. #8 Champagne (shimmering champagne), #9 Rock Sand (a light, bronzy nude), #6 Khaki Pulse (golden khaki), #4 Pulp Fiction (multi-dimensional gunmetal grey). The texture is neither cream nor powder, it and has a "mousse-like" feel. I really like the amazing metallic sheen they provide, its a very easy way to achieve a sexy, smoky look. They did last all day, but with some flaking of the shimmer (my daughter thought I looked "like a sparkle fairy"). Not exactly the daytime look I was going for.

The first photo below is indoor, with flash.

Outdoor, sunlight, without flash.

Overall, I loved the colors and the ease of application, and the way they emphasized my eyes, but for the price, they could be better. I ended up keeping only #8, to use as a primer under my normal eyeshadows.


These were purchased by me.

TEMPTU Airbrush Makeup & Armani Lasting Silk - Reviews and Swatches

We recently received an e-mail requesting more posts about foundation. I know Laura tried a new one this past week, without much luck, so I thought I would share my foundation Holy Grails! I want to start by explaining that I have sensitive skin, which is light to medium olive in the winter and very tan in the summer. There are 2 foundations that I wear on a regular basis, 1 that I wear in summer, and that's it! (Sadly, these are all very pricey, as "drugstore" brands don't seem to understand that some of us have yellow undertones).

My absolute HG foundation is the TEMPTU Airbrush system. It gives flawless, professional airbrushed results, but at home! The AirPod foundation goes on the skin so perfectly, its virtually undetectable. This makeup makes me look like I have great, glowing skin (instead of great foundation). It looks like me, only better! This foundation sprays on, its water-resistant, and last all day and night. They make RETOUCH products, but I haven't tried them, because I never have to touch-up (I put it on at 7:00am, work an 8 hour day, then teach an hour of high-intensity Zumba, and its still on, until I wash it off). I know some of you are thinking that it sounds too good to be true, but beauty does come at a cost. The system is $225, and 2 refill pods are $55. Each pod last me about 2-3 months (or more). I know some of you think this is CRAZY, but it is truly worth the investment!! I recommend getting a demo at your local Sephora, and then begging for this as a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Hanukkah, graduation, wedding, etc., gift. You're worth it!

I did not photo swatches of this, because you literally can't even see the foundation once sprayed on. It really does "disappear" into the skin. Below L to R: new AIR pod bronzer (amazing, warm tan--so lovely), blush #402 Soft Peach, AIR pod foundation in #6 in warm beige. Bronzer $35 and blush $30 . The bronzer is a must have!!

My second HG is Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20. This was my all time fave, until the TEMPTU. Lasting Silk gives a lovely, natural-matte finish, light to medium coverage, and is very long lasting. It will hold up on a hot, humid day (wore it all day at Disney World in 90 degree weather, and didn't look like a hot mess in the photos!). I wear a mixture of#5.5 and #6.5 in the winter, but go as dark as #8 in the summer. Laura also wears this foundation, and is a #4. My mom and sister are both fair, with blond hair and blue eyes, and they wear #5. I have pretty much gotten everyone I know addicted to this stuff! It is so beautiful on, you'll wonder what you ever did without it!!! I still wear mine on the days I don't feel like airbrushing :) $59

Swatched L to R: #8, #7, #6.5, #5.5 - 


The last foundation I have to give a quick mention to is, Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. It has sheer, oil-controlling coverage, and last 16 hours. I don't want to give away too much, it will be featured in my Waterproof Wonders, still to come....






These items were all purchased by me.

Nude Lips

My obsession for mascaras is rivaled only by my love for nude lip color. It can be hard to find the right shade for a sexy nude pout. I love a nude lip, and I am always looking for a new nude lipstick or gloss. I have compiled a list of my favorite nudes, for every budget and skin tone:

Some of my favorite lip colors are:

• NYC Long-Wearing Lip Color #480--long wear, brown-nude. Good for med to dark skin. $5
• MAC Faerie Glen--neutral nude with a natural finish. Great for fair to med skin. One of my favorite nude lipsticks, ever! A nude lip HG for me. $15
• NARS Cruising--sheer light nude pink. Beautiful on fair skin. $24
• Essence Lipstick--creamy, pale mauve-pink. Good for light skin tones. $2.50
• L'oreal Endless Lipcolour in In The Buff--matte finish, neutral nude. Fair skin tones. $8
• Armani Shine Lipstick #50---sheer, high shine light pink. Good for most skin tones. $27
• L'oreal Infallible in Linda's Beige--LOVE this long wear beige-pink lip color. It goes on very sheer, gives my "no color" lips the perfect amount of color. So pretty for med skin. $11
• Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Tiger Lilly--super sheer and shiny peachy-nude. Very moisturizing, great for all skin. Perfect if you love a natural look. $5
• NARS Velvet Lip Pencil in Hopi--high shine, glossy sheer peach. Good on all skin tones. $24
• MAC Viva Glam V (not pictured, I lost my tube)--gorgeous neutral pink on every single skin tone. This color looks fabulous on everyone! $14.50

Lipstick swatches L to R: NYC #480, MAC Faerie Glen, NARS Cruising, Essence Creamy Nude, L'oreal In The Buff, Armani #50, L'oreal Linda's Beige, Burt's Bees Tiger Lily, NARS Hopi.

Below are some of my favorite nude lip glosses:

• LipFusion Gloss in Clear--lightens any color it is layered over. Great if you have lips that are pretty pigmented. $38
• Essence XXXL Nudes Gloss in Pure Beauty--smells like buttercream, light cream color. Also very good for very pigmented lips, or to lighten any color its layered over. $2
• Essence XXXL Nudes Gloss in Toffee Forever--This is my new HG of nude glosses!!! Who knew $2 could be so fantastic! This lipcolor is similar to the new MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2, except it looks soooo much better. Its way more wearable, 1/7th of the cost, and smells like hot cocoa! It looks brown in the photo, but its actually light sandy nude. I can't rave enough about it. Run, don't walk to your nearest Ulta, and pick up a tube (or 10). Its only $2, but worth much more! (BTW-if you get allure magazine, they have a $3.50 off $10 purchase ULTA coupon)
• LipFusion Gloss in Bare--nice peachy-pink with delicate shimmer. Good for med-dark skin. $38
• Essence XXXL Nudes Gloss in Nude Kiss--light natural pink, light buttercream scent. Beautiful gloss, very similar in color and finish to MAC Viva Glam V Gloss, but less sticky. I am so impressed with the Essence glosses, such great quality, but so affordable :)
• YSL Gloss Volupte #5--sheer, shiny nude gloss in a beautiful gold lipstick applicator. Smells like mango, great for a "no make-up" look. I keep one in my gym bag. $30

Gloss swatches L to R: LipFusion Clear, Essence Pure Beauty, Essence Toffee Forever, LipFusion Bare, Essence Nude Kiss, YSL #5.


I also want to mention that the best nude lip liner that I have ever found is MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture, it goes well with all of the above lipsticks and glosses. It is my HG. ($13) For a close second, I recommend Sephora Nano Lip Liner in 02 Cute Caramel, a bit more brown based, but also good. ($5)


All of the above products were purchased by me.