The Year of the Monkey by Giorgio Armani Golden Monkey Illuminating Palette

Welcome to the Year of the Red Fire Monkey! In honour of this most auspicious year, Giorgio Armani ("GM") released a special edition highlighting palette, which I think was aimed at capturing the affluent Chinese market.

I was told that only 10 of such palettes (o.k. it's really not a palette but just a highlighter compact) was sent to each Giorgio Armani counter/store and not all of them received it. You could also only purchase it as part of a set with two other items. I chose two limited edition Ecstasy Lacquers (more on those in another blog).

It all came packaged in a special red Giorgio Armani box (see above). You will note from the RED packaging and the use of the "福" sign imprint (which means "prosperity"), that the designers at GM were blatantly and unapologetically targeting a very specific market. Uhmm... I think they might have missed the mark with the black satin "pillow" though. Black, though forever chic and fashionable, is not a lucky colour, especially avoided during Chinese New Year. It's quite taboo.

It's nice that the monkey was not a sprayed overlay. The imprint of the graphic design is not too shallow and not too deep. The compact is fairly light to hold. Almost flimsy.

There is that nice contrast between black and red from a design standpoint.

There is a brush included in the bottom level. The quality of the brush is so-so, fairly standard for all high-end brand included brushes. It is not dense at all. Same as Chanel and Dior and YSL. So-so. I have yet to come across a brand that includes a brush that makes me go:"wow, nice brush, what a bonus!"

The highlight is a neutral toned demi-matte shade. As you can see from the swatches above, it is a very pretty almost champagne colour (no perceptible pink-tones in it). To me it looks demi-matte, to other's it make come across matte. Definitely not a shiny highlighter.

This is how the shade is described on the Giorgio Armani website:

"Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a Highlighting Powder of light gold shimmer, bronze and champagne pearls, stamped with a graphic monkey pattern as an ode to the year of the Monkey. This pressed powder leaves a matte,natural, and transparent veil over the skin, highlighting feminine beauty.This universal shade flatters every skin tone, highlighting the skin's complexion and reflecting light with its weightless texture."

The "non-shiny" factor makes this very wearable. I can see myself reaching for it as the yellowish undertones suit my Asian skin tone very well and is quite flattering on. I suspect that I will be using a fairly narrow brush, possibly one as small as the MAC 217 to pick up the colour and brush it on my face. Why would I do such a ludicrous thing you ask? WHY to preserve the darn MONKEY print of course!

The fact that it is such a limited edition item makes me very tempted to store it away in a ziplock bag with a moisture absorbing packet and locked away in one of my air-tight containers along with my other treasures. Never to be touched again, until I decide to sell it on eBay.

Or maybe I'll just hit pan on this one, super fast.