Armani Beauty: A Facial Luxury

Makeup; what modern young professional lady doesn’t invest quite a pretty penny on this staple every year? We are on a constant search for the perfect foundation, the ideal lip shade, eye shadows that will make our eyes pop, and the list continues…

In this beauty quest we have to admit one thing works: trial and error. How many products are wasted due to disappointment and lack of delivering on promises? The answer is a lot. Thankfully, to the rescue comes Armani Beauty. A tad pricey? Definitely, but there is a reason for that…consistency and results. It is no wonder that celebrity makeup artists all over the world swear by it.

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We recently had the pleasure to join a very select group of writers and bloggers for an intimate lunch at the beautiful Sofitel Hotel to discover Giorgio Armani’s newest revolutionary products, as well as to get a sneak peek at the Spring ’13 collection with Antonio Costa, the premier Face Designer for Giorgio Armani in the U.S. Once a student of priesthood, Antonio clearly realized his eye for beauty was calling him to change career paths, and the transition proved to be beyond complimentary. Antonio joined Giorgio Armani Beauty 10 years ago and, after hearing him speak, we think this may just be a partnership for life.

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The day was meant to be an insider look into two key new Armani products: the Maestro Collection and the Christmas Collection, highlighting the key pieces in each. We started off with the king of skin foundations, The Maestro Revolutionary Complexion Perfector. Everyone sitting at the table received a sample to try on their skin and the reaction seemed unison across the room: “Wow.” The texture is very sensual, fresh and feather light, as if air just glided on your skin. The formula is so thin and the distribution of pigments so homogeneous that it is actually very easy to match any skin tone as well, a blessing for those of us that have searched for the perfect shade. This is a dream product for those that don’t like foundation but still want a great looking complexion without that makeup feel.

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Since foundation is such a trick to master, Antonio was able to provide some quick tips and tricks on how to make it work at its best:

– Always use lotion before applying any foundation – that is the key step to preparation.

– Never use a lighter shade concealer than your foundation, raccoon eyes are not sexy!

– Use your fingers to blend foundation; it creates the most natural look.

– To find your perfect shade, always try the foundation on your jawline.

– Never put foundation past your jawline, just blend it out!

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After the oooohs and ahhhhs of Maestro foundation came the Maestro Lip! Following the same concept of the weightless, feather-like feel, Maestro Lip is perfect for the YP that wants to make a statement while not feeling weighed down by her makeup. Being a busy woman these days, re-applying is annoying, but this non-greasy formula lasts for hours and comes in 12 beautiful shades. We walked away with the number 401, a stunning coral red, another staple to add in our growing Armani collection.

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To finish things off and with the holidays just around the corner, an “All-in-One White Night Palette” was the focus. The Moonlight White Palette combined this season’s most flattering, shimmering shades for eyes, face and lips. Snow face shimmer highlighting powder was paired with a gradation of grey eye shadows to create the colour wash, finishing with the red lip wax for a sophisticated winter style. All this is packed in a sleek black lacquer double-tiered case, making it a must-have accessory always at hand.

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As Antonio was lecturing us on Armani Beauty 101, he performed a holiday makeover on one of Armani’s Montreal team members, the lovely Maya Azzi. We captured her before and after, showing how a sophisticated winter style is achieved by combining all of the above products.

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After a few hours spent enjoying a splendid brunch, socializing with beauty lovers and aficionados and soaking in the wonderful world of Armani Beauty, we asked Antonio, who might we add was one of the most colourful, informative and approachable speakers we have recently encountered, what his top five general beauty tips are for the everyday YP. Here is his list:

1. Prep your skin and moisturize for an always-smooth application and effect.

2. Use the right product for the right skin; this takes time, but study it and perfect it.

3. Use less makeup.less is more, as they say.

4. Don’t be afraid to use colours, be brave and experiment.

5. Be confident in your own skin, that’s when you really shine.

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For more information on Armani Beauty visit them online.