Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro N° 2 Wenge Wood

Giorgio Armani Beauty recently introduced their first ever eyeshadow cream product, Eye & Brow Maestro (CAN $39.00), available in 9 shades. With subtle hints of iridescence in all but one (N° 9 Gold, a light and slightly transparent golden hue), these are truly a multi-purpose product and can be worn on the eyes as either shadow or liner, used to fill in & colour the brows, and depending on the shade, the Eye & Brow Maestro can even be used as a sculpting product for the face. In a pinch, they can even be used along the hairline for those between-colouring occasions.

Inspired by backstage makeup and developed using ground-breaking as well as cutting-edge technology, here’s what Linda Cantello (International Make-Up Artist Giorgio Armani Beauty) has to say about the Eye & Brow Maestro:

“I wanted to offer women an innovative product inspired by my needs backstage at Giorgio Armani fashion shows, a product that does it all, that would be fast and faultless when applied, long lasting, and fault proof”

I was sent N° 2 Wenge Wood to try out (I did not receive the accompanying brush), a rather deep mousy brown hue, that surprisingly turned out to be a very good match for my brows (even though my hair colour is a pale icy blonde, I prefer to keep a deeper tone on my brows – this way, my face doesn’t appear washed out).

~~French actress Marion Cotillard, spokesperson for~~ Giorgio Armani Beauty with a look created using Eye & Brow Maestro

CORRECTION: The above model (who happens to look eerily like Marion Cotillard) is in fact Diane Moldivan, as pointed out to me by a couple of my keen-eyed readers!

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro

Working closely with experts from hair care laboratories, the Eye & Brow Maestro was created to look more like natural hair (the reason behind the subtle iridescence in the formula), as opposed to other brow products – whether pencil or creams – that look matte and therefore flat when applied.

A waterless and clay-based cream, the Eye & Brow Maestro contains waxes selected for their ‘different melting points, creating a texture similar to a mousse’, a silky resin with a patented new generation ‘elastic flex polymer’ that boasts a 20-hour hold claim (not sure if I’ll ever want to wear makeup THAT long to test that particular claim out), a blend of three volatile oils selected for their varying drying times and levels of pigment, as well as ‘glass and mica pearls’ which reproduce and mimic the natural shine of hair, as well as synthetic mica that are colourless, translucent pearlisers meant to boost the shine of the 9 shades.

Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye & Brow Maestro makeup brush

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro: one product, 2 distinct looks

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro shade selection

N° 2 Wenge Wood (CAN $36.00) | A rich grey brown hue with mauve undertones in the base. The texture is dense but super creamy and the level of pigmentation is definitely high – a little goes a very long way, especially if using this shade along the brows. I can’t detect any discernible scent, which is a plus, especially for anyone with sensitivities (unfortunately, I’m unable to show ingredients, as my press sample came without packaging). This waterproof product bears a ‘dual-transformation’ texture: solid to liquid to solid; the solid cream apparently becomes liquid on application, then sets to a solid finish once the oils have evaporated. The cream part I can definitely attest to, although I can’t say I picked up on any liquid tendencies (perhaps the brand’s definition varies from mine), and with regards to it setting, you have a few minutes of play before it does dry down. I am able to blend it out easily before it does set without the need for excessive tugging or pulling along the skin, and this formula is also buildable, giving you layering options. Once dry, it literally stays put until removed (I prefer a dual-phase makeup remover such as the one by Neutrogena, to do the job).

As eyeshadow: for a more intense tone, I prefer using a flat synthetic haired brush for application, as the product stays at the surface level of the brush; there is a tendency for cream shadows to clump up when applied with natural haired brushes. For a smokey look, I follow up with a natural bristled blending brush to smooth out any harsh edges. Alternately, using your finger to dab and spread along the lids, yields a lighter wash of colour.

As liner: can be used in the same manner as any other cream or gel liner

As a brow shade: I prefer to use a stiff angled brow brush to lightly fill in any sparser areas, as well as provide shape and definition to my overall brow shape, then follow up with a spoolie brush to blend everything in and give a more natural-looking shape to my brows.

Face sculpting/contouring: I haven’t tried using the Eye & Brow Maestro in this capacity yet, so I can’t really comment, although my experience with this brand makes me feel confident that it should work amazing this way as well.

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro N° 2 Wenge Wood

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro N° 2 Wenge Wood swatches

backstage application of the Eye & Brow Maestro

Giorgio Armani Beauty | Eye & Brow Maestro

When I was younger, I had had lush, fuller brows that bordered on unibrow status. Then the 80’s and their pencil thin eyebrow shape hit – a trend that I embraced and now have come to deeply regret (RIP, full brows). Since your brows act as the ‘frame’ for the rest of your face, the sparse skinny brow look may work for an editorial shoot, but not in real life. To that end, I combat the issue with a variety of products – from pencils, eyeshadow, and even those specialized brow-mascaras, as rarely does one method give me that fully defined yet still natural look I aim for. The Brow & Eye Maestro is truly genius and one I’ve been turning to over and over again to shape and enhance my brows, with a minimum investment in time and labour. As a shadow, N° 2 Wenge Wood is superb and definitely a must for beauty lovers (yet another use: as a layering base for eyeshadow). As a brow shade, I suggest looking over the selection in person and the general rule of thumb is to go with a colour that’s a couple of degrees deeper than your hair tone.

Available now through Holt Renfrew and select The Bay stores (Canada). For more information, visit the website.