Giorgio Armani Eccentrico Face Palette, Holiday 2013, Review and Swatches

Holiday Makeup Collections usually all tend to follow the same sort of line. They're traditional, timeless, classic, elegant, glittery, shimmery. This year though, we're seeing a break with the usual, and instead seeing bold, bright, vivid color.

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

The Giorgio Armani Makeup Holiday Eccentrico Limited Edition Collection was influenced by the exhibitions that traveled through Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Rome, and New York City in 2012 and 2013. The Eccentrico Collection enlivens the holidays with merry colors in a juxtaposition of orange, pinks and iridescent white in a illustration of a uninhibited and surrealistic imagination.

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

The Armani Eccentrico Face Palette ($88 for 0.27oz/8g) is "4-in-1 multicolor" blush palette housed in a sleek, shiny Eccentrico red, signature Armani pocketbook palette with a powder blender brush concealed beneath the blush.

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette in indoor lighting

Eccentrico is no ordinary blush. It has a decisively Art Deco feel to it, with a pattern that makes me think of lightening bolts and iceberg tips. It also is a little deceiving. It has a heavy silvery/gold overspray. With the overspray, Eccentrico looks to be very light shades of lavender, white, peach and pink--more of a highlighter than a blush. When the overspray is removed--which happens with just one use--those same shades become bolder, more vibrant. The lavender becomes a soft, cool toned bubble gum pink, the peach becomes a subdued tangerine and the pink becomes a deeper shocking hot pink. 

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette without overspray in outdoor lighting

My swatches below show all the colors swirled together, resulting in a soft, warm pink with a touch of coral and has a beautiful luminous sheen. You are able to "customize" the shade you attain somewhat--a pinker or a more coral shade--by focusing your brush on one specific area of the blush. I love the white section--for me, it acts as a built-in highlighter and gives the most wonderful finishing glow.

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette swatch in outdoor lighting

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette swatch in outdoor lighting

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette swatch in outdoor lighting

I pulled a few other similar and somewhat similar blushes to compare to Eccentrico.

Armani Eccentrico Face Palette swatch comparisons in outdoor lighting

• Tom Ford Frantic Pink is lighter and has quite a bit more peach in it.
• Edward Bess Secret Affair is a little darker, not as radiant and has a little more coral in it.
• Guerlain Blush G Serie Noire is quite close, a touch darker and redder with a golden sheen.
• Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel is the closest. It perhaps is a bit more luminous.
• Chanel Inspiration is a cream blush and is darker, has more blue in it and no shimmer. 

It's not entirely unique in my stash--as you can see in the comparison above it is quite close to Guerlain Blush G Serie Noire and Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel. So, if you missed out on either of those, this would be a good replacement. Even though I have somewhat similar shades, it might now be my favorite blush that I own.

Eccentrico is without a doubt, an expensive blush. I wanted it when I had only seen renderings of it. Now that I have it, I want a backup of it. I am that in love with it. In fact, I already asked my husband for another one for Christmas--that is, if it's still around! The texture is so finely-milled--it's incredibly soft and velvety. It's so soft, that it can be a little powdery at times. Will everyone feel like I do? Most likely not. Eccentrico is probably better suited towards light to medium complexions. On me, it wears for around seven hours before it starts to fade and it's fade was considerable after about nine hours. Do I think it's overpriced? A little, yes. I have to admit that I was hesitant before spending almost ninety dollars on a blush. But to me, Eccentrico is priceless.

For more swatches and reviews, check out Temptalia and Best Things in Beauty.

I purchased my Eccentrico Face Palette at Nordstrom. It is also available at Saks, Neiman Marcus and Armani.

What do you think about Eccentrico? What's the most you've ever spent on a single piece of makeup?