Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow no. 1 & 3 (Blast of Blue & Purpura)

I'm a big fan of cream and hybrid eyeshadows so I couldn't resist trying out the Armani Eyes to Kill. The first one I chose was Blast of Blue (no. 1). Before I got it I was worried about the consistency and the tone as the tester in my local Douglas shop looked first of all crumbly-loose (and I don't like powder shadows) and mostly gold. In spite of this the swatches looked so nice that I took the risk and got it.

The shade turned out to be predominantly blue ( and I love blues) with golden sheen. Really magical, charming and unique.
The shadow needs to be applied with certain types of brushes. I tested it with a number of different brushes I own and the performance differed substantially depending on the brush. Flat synthetic brush didn't manage to pick any product at all, whereas a stiff blending brush applied the shadow in a nicely sheeer way, very buildable actually. You may create a nice smoky eye using one brush and one eye shadow. The MUA at Douglas suggested using a sponge applicator and she was right, sponge applicators are excellent if you wish to achieve the intense kind of look.

The swatches below show Blast of Blue in different lighting, at different angles.

Encouraged by my previous experience with those shadows I got myself another one in Purpura (no.3). The idea behind this shadow was quite similar, the difference being that gold was mixed with purple instead of blue, but to my surprise this time gold played the major role in colour formulation, the purple leaving a dark cast behind the gold. Although the quality of the shadow is just as marvellous, applies exactly the same way as Blast of Blue, Purpura failed to become my favourite simply because I'm not much into golden, brown, taupe, nude kind of make up  and, depending on lighting, Purpura bears resemblance to all these instead of the purple I had hoped it to be.

And again, swatches in different lighting conditions: direct sunlight and on a cloudy day

The bottom line is that Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows are an excellent product. The colour range is exrtemely varied and unique, although there are surprises hidden behind these unusual colour combinations. These eyeshadows'  quality is amazing, they last all day never crease or fade, they apply wonderfully (although I don't think they blend so well). One eyeshadow is enough to create a complete look as you may vary the intensity of application. I'll definitely keep exploring the line, there're many more shades that attract my eye.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.