Rouge d'Armani Lipstick (Rouge 403, Plum 601)

I remember myself shopping for lipstick 20 years ago, trying one brand after another (some things never change), textures, colors, but always having this "is this as good as it gets?" feeling. No lipstick ever looked as beautiful as in the magazine ads and they certainly didn't feel all that great on my lips. Things have certainly changed. The leading brands keep coming out with wonderful new formulas and gorgeous colors. My lips and I are happy. The wallet? Not so much.

Rouge d'Armani is the latest lip product from Giorgio Armani and is an hybrid between long lasting lipsticks and creamy, hydrating ones. It has a soft, almost gel-like texture, rich pigments and high coverage that still allows lips to look human. There's no pooling in the scar on my lower lip which gets this Armani product major points with me. The staying power is very impressive, it doesn't smudge or bleed and survives a cup of tea.

The colors I chose are my usual fare- red and purple. Rouge 403 is a deep cool red. It's all glam and quite sexy, the kind that would make you noticed. Plum 601 is among my top five colors of all time (so far). I can wear it during the day because it matches my lips so well. On a light complexion it might be a bit too much, but still worth trying for an evening look if you like plums. Neither one requires a gloss or a balm, just well groomed lips (exfoliate and moisturize).

Rouge d'Armani Lipstick ($30 each) can be found at Saks, Neiman Marcus and Barneys as well as from giorgioarmanibeauty.com. I bought one from my local Saks and the other one online.

All photos by me.