Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush No. 6 Light Rose

The only problem with Giorgio Armani blushes is the limited range of colors. Right now there are six available shades and that's more or less how Armani Beauty keeps it (several others were discontinued in the past or were only released as a limited edition). The general werability of the existing colors sort of makes up for it, but not completely, especially if you tend to be particular when choosing a blush. I always play at the counter but usually leave empty handed, until one day a couple of months ago when I decided that No. 6 actually works well for me.

Armani Sheer Blush No. 6 is called Light Rose, but I wouldn't say the name is accurate (and neither is the swatch on the Giorgio Armani website, for that matter). It's not very light and the complex color isn't exactly rosy- it's warmer than what I think about as a rose and has an almost brick undertone. In any case, don't let it scare you, as we're talking about a very finely milled and delicate formula that can be applied very sheer and blended to perfection.

I use a Yachiyo brush (no need to dilute the pigment with a duo fiber, at least for my skin tone) and it produces the right amount of healthy neutral color. I tend to under-do my blush application, but I find that No. 6 is a perfect shade for times I actually want a little more color (I've been playing with very nude and delicate eye looks lately). There are no visible shimmer particles, just an overall luminosity which I think you can see in the swatch. I really dislike swatching blushes because they look like I have a skin condition, but in this case you can see how well the No. 6 shade works with my skin tone- it still looks like I have wrist issues, but it's a natural skin condition.

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush ($43) can be found at Barneys, Saks, Nordstrom and giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.

All photos are mine.