Giorgio Armani Beauty · Mascara Eccentrico Rouge Iron

Drawing inspiration from the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2016 runway collection, Linda Cantello, International Makeupup Artist for the brand, has created Eccentrico Mascara in Rouge Iron — a shade so revolutionary and avant-garde, it will change the way you look at lashes.

In theory, you’d figure that wearing a red mascara would be basically impossible to pull off in real life or that it’s a colour best left to supermodels in an editorial shoot, but when I wore this on my lashes just last week at a media event (paired with a flawless complexion that was only lightly shaded along the cheeks, groomed brows & a matte oxblood lip), the response was immediate and unprecedented: people were literally stopping me left & right to find out what I had on my lashes. To say that Rouge Iron is a showstopper, would not be far from the truth.

Giorgio Armani Beauty · Mascara Eccentrico Rouge Iron

Mascara Eccentrico Rouge Iron (CAN $41.00) | A deep & opaque red mascara hue made with a textured gel binding polymer formula which allows it to adhere to lashes with ease and is also flake & smudge-proof for all day wear. The rubber brush has alternating rows of bristles that perform like ‘hooks’, enabling them to grab onto lashes to deposit an even coat all along their length, providing length as well as lush volume.

My thoughts: after stepping out of my usual comfort zone of wearing black, I dove in to testing Rouge Iron full throttle. Shaking off my initial fear that wearing a red mascara would make me look like I was either crying hysterically or sporting a vicious eye infection, after application I then spent a good chunk of time admiring the effect — which was nothing short of WOW. Forget those insipid hues of the past that barely gave off any colour; this is an in-your-face shade that somehow manages to look totally wearable and not theatrical (although it definitely is far from the norm, that’s for sure) and makes eye colour really pop.

The swatches below show Rouge Iron in two versions: full out (2 coats applied on both upper & lower lashes) and as an accent touch (1 coat applied over black mascara).

Giorgio Armani Beauty · Mascara Eccentrico Rouge Iron

Giorgio Armani Beauty · Mascara Eccentrico Rouge Iron swatch

I’ll keep this short: backup-worthy. Apart from the visual impact (which is MAJOR), this formula is excellent: applies with ease, coating lashes from root to tip, provides the volume I love with the bonus feature of great length, stays put without smudging, creasing or flaking, and removes effortlessly at the end of the day. Enough said – you need Rouge Iron in your life.

Available at The Bay & online