Product Reviews

Gray eyeshadows make up the bulk of Armani Beauty’s small new Manta Ray collection. The little eight-piece release of eyeshadow duos, liners and one lonely lipstick probably could have been called Manta Gray if it hadn’t been for the purple, beige and blue included to spice things up.

Gray’s all the rage this fall (Tabs is a big fan), but these desaturated devils aren’t cheap. They range from $25-38 each.

This morning I got to know two of the eight items from the release, Manta Ray Eye Duo No. 5 and Armani Silk Lipstick in 92.

Manta Ray Eye Duo No. 5, $38

What do you think of the pattern on the pan?

Pretty, yah? It practically hypnotized me into submission.

The two colors it comes with, a matte purplish gray and a matte violet powder shadow, apply easily and blend smoothly on the skin.

Manta Ray Duo No. 5 on NC 35 skin
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Giorgio Armani wants to woo you with smooth, but forget candlelit Jodeci jams and champagne — GA’s smooooveness comes via a new mascara, Eyes to Kill ($28).

GA built Eyes to Kill for length and volume, but they also called upon rocket science-y research into fluid Microfil technology, micro-waxes and fineness agents (think 007) to make it easy to apply.

I tested glossy Steel Black, one of four shades available now.

Smooth, long and lifted

Now, I think Eyes to Kill does some things very well. For starters, it creates exceptionally smooth, long and lifted lashes.

Many of the lengthening mascaras I’ve used (particularly ones containing visible fibers) are able to exaggerate lash length but at the expense of smooth texture. The tiny fibers end up making my lashes look like jumbled logjams.

Eyes to Kill, on the other hand, manages to make my lashes look longer without leaving them looking coarse.

Two coats make my lashes reach for the sky while staying smoooove from root to tip. 🙂

My nekkid lashes

With one coat of Steel Black

Two coats of Steel Black

Feels weightless

Another thing I love about Eyes to Kill is how weightless (not heavy or crispy) it feels. I actually forgot I was wearing it at all.

Just a couple things…

Eyes to Kill would be on its way to mascara greatness if not for two things:
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I’m so jealous of all the lucky New Yorkers who get to celebrate Illamasqua’s official in-store Sephora launch at the new Times Square flagship store today.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could all go together? We could meet in front of the Blushers and lipsticks and throw elbows at anybody who got in our way, LOL!

Check out some of these other posts for more on the Illamasqua line…

• Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Frenzy: A Pink Pigmentation Bonanza!
• Easy 4-Step Eye Makeup with Illamasqua
• Illamasqua Cream Blusher Stays On Like Donkey Kong
• Illamasqua Lip Look: Thinking Outside the Box
• Illamasqua, I Think I’ve Met My Matte
• Illamasqua: Makeup for Your Alter Ego
• Arousingly Sheer Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Rouse
• Illamasqua Swatch O’ Rama
• Illamasqua Pure Pigment In Conquer Needs to Conquer a Price Reduction

It’d be a full-on Illamasqua swatch-o-rama. 🙂

But I’d probably shy away from the company’s Volume Mascara in Harness ($23) (a matte black). Truth be told, it hasn’t made me want to shoop as much as the other things I’ve tried from the line.

For now it’s the only Illamasqua mascara available on Sephora.com, and Illamasqua describes it as a smudge-free, dramatic mascara to lengthen and thicken lashes.

Thicker, longer lashes

First, what I see as the good stuff: Volume Mascara does a pretty good job of thickening and lengthening my lashes. The color is a deep, true black with a matte finish, and even a single coat creates an immediate difference that’s both noticeable and above average.

Does it inspire OMG!-filled texts to my BFF at three in the morning? Maybe not, but it’s still a pretty color and markedly above average.
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