Any time Giorgio Armani releases new shades of their now world-famous Eyes to Kill Silk Shadows I get all giggly. They are hands down my number one favorite cream eyeshadow. They are shimmery, creamy, ultra-blendable and last all day (without primer). The colors have dimension and catch the light in such a gorgeous way that no other cream shadows can possibly measure up. Also, they do look kind-of-freaking-amazing in the pots, don’t they?
I chose three of the four shades that were released:
- Obsidian Black
- Écailles
- Madre Perla.
There is a 4th shade called Obsidian Grey which may or may not be making it’s way to me right now.
These shadows come with a substantial price tag, but to me they are 100% worth it. They retail for $32/each for 4g of product – a generous amount and still less expensive than Chanel’s Illusion d’ombre shadows ($36/each for 4g). I prefer these to the Chanel ones. If you can only afford one, pick one of the limited edition shades (Madre Perla or Obsidian Black) as they won’t be around forever. The other two have been introduced to the permanent range.
Now, on to the fun stuff!
Madre Perla
I was undecided about getting this shade until I read this in the press release for the collection:
This season’s must-have, “Madre Perla” is a blend of precious white pearls that instantly radiates ever-changing pink, purple, blue and green light for hours. It can be swept over eyes and temples, like a radiance veil as seen in the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 show “Nacré”. Neither a cream nor a powder, this incredible hybrid formula acts like a color suspension that delivers a dreamy, ethereal beauty to the eyes with a 24 hour hold.
Umm, can anyone say no to that description? I certainly couldn’t.
Madre Perla: Dry/Wet
It’s hard to capture the radiance of Madre Perla, but you can see the pink and green coming through is this photo. It changes with the light and is probably the most ethereal looking shadow/highlighter I own.
Écailles
I knew from promo pictures I wanted this shade – it seemed to lean seafoam and blue.
Écailles – Dry/Wet
It’s stunning, really. The seafoam hues are brought out in a shade-shifting way, sometimes looking grey or light blue and other times leaning more green.
Obsidian Black
This was the true stunner in the promotional images – it looked like the dark ocean – and it translates that way in real life too.
Obsidian Black – Dry/Wet
Another multi-dimensional winner. Armani just knows how to produce a stellar eyeshadow, plain and simple. The texture of Obsidian Black is slightly different than the other Eyes to Kill shades I have tried (Madre Perla too). They both feel extra silky to me, even smoother and more refined.
I can’t say enough about these shades. I own several and have never been disappointed. I haven’t tested these for wear time yet, but of all the ones I have had in the past I have never had an issue with creasing or smudging.
