| Review | Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm

The Armani Neo Nude Collection has to be one of my favorite makeup collections in existence! Armani was doing no-makeup-makeup and minimal makeup before it was trending. They are the brand that really gave me confidence when wearing such natural makeup. Less is more when it comes to the products in this range and I am so excited to see the range expand. These multi-use cream products were too fascinating not to pick up. I'm excited to share these unique colored balms with you and discuss the formula. 

The Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Melting Color Balm is $38.00 USD and is available at Giorgio Armani and other retailers. These little balms come packaged in a small nude pink compact with a logoed emblem with the color of the interior product on the front of the compact. The emblem is made of that plastic that has a sticky texture. It has a tendency to stick to other products, which can be a little annoying. It's the same packaging as the Neo Nude Powder, which I haven't had any issues to damage but the plastic emblem does get scratched up easily. 

SHADES 

These color balms currently come in five shades - three of them are varying shades of brown and two shades are blush-like shades. Choosing from the variety of brown shades will depend on your skin tone and preference. Since these are designed to be used all over, including eyes and cheeks, you may want to choose the shade that bests suits your skin tone or you can just choose a shade you like. 

21 Warm Brown - I chose the shade described as "warm brown" because I wanted a shade I could use as a bronzer and not a contour. The other shades seem very cool; however, this shade is actually fairly cool-toned but on the skin, it does look a bit warm. It is a shade that is between a bronzer and a contour that sculpts and adds a bit of warmth to the skin. 

30 Warm Coral - This shade is a burnt orange-coral. 

50 Cool Mauve - This shade is a very cool purple-toned mauve shade. 

Swatched heavily from left to right: 21 Warm Brown, 30 Warm Coral, 50 Cool Mauve

Blended Swatches from left to right: 21 Warm Brown, 30 Warm Coral, 50 Cool Mauve

FORMULA 

These multi-purpose balms have a very smooth and silicone-heavy texture. Initially, I thought this silicone texture was strange and I wasn't sure if I liked it for this kind of application. However, after I started using it, I really started to like it. This slippery silicone texture is definitely not what I expected from these balms but they really blend beautifully, they apply evenly, and they look very smooth. The silicone texture really diffuses well on the skin regardless of texture on the skin. You will notice that it looks really seamless, flawless, and it has a soft finish on the skin. These balms will perfect the texture of the skin underneath because the silicone smooths over any texture or pores like a pore-filling primer does.

This formula almost feels like a cream to powder. This formula is actually very versatile and has an adaptable finish, depending on the finish of your base. When I used these balms on a satin or more matte base, it looks soft, velvety, and has a petal-like finish to the cheeks. When I applied this over a dewy base, it looks more fresh and glowing. This adaptable finish makes this formula versatile for all skin types. 

Due to the silicone texture, these balms have a sheer to buildable pigment, it depends on the shade. I do find that some shades are much more pigmented off the bat than others. This buildable pigment makes these really easy to use and they always look really natural on the skin. Even if you apply too much product, the texture blends out very easily and you won't be left with uneven or heavy splotches. 

I will say this silicone texture is a bit strange to work with because it doesn't behave like a cream blush. You can use fingers to apply the product but I don't find that this is the best means of application. Since the formula is so slippery but dry, if you blend it with your fingers it can move your base around. I recommend using a brush for the most flawless application. In particular, I really like using a dense stippling brush because the stippling motion and fine bristles, create a really flawless look and it is easy to build color. 

These last on the skin an incredibly long time, despite wearing it through hot conditions. I was able to wear these on my cheeks for beyond eight hours. I was very pleasantly surprised and I have to think it has something to silicone-based formula. It acts as a primer and blush in one. Even as it begins to fade, it fades very evenly and looks really great on the complexion.

This balm is designed to be used on both the eyes and cheeks. I love maximizing minimal makeup. On the eyes, the product also glides on just as smoothly and evenly. The silicone formula is designed to look very seamless and it will last about eight hours on the eyes, even without a primer. I like the idea of a multi-use product like this but I just don't really like this silicone texture on my eyes. I much prefer using a powder eyeshadow to create the same soft-focused effect. 

THE LOOK 

You can see how seamless the shade Warm Coral looks on my skin. It doesn't emphasize pores or texture. It looks really fresh because it is applied over a dewy base but it will look softer and velvety on a more matte base. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

These balms have a unique formula and seems to be versatile enough to suit all skin types. I've been very impressed with the way this formula looks and wears on the skin. Particularly, on the cheeks, it blurs and perfects the texture of the skin! When used as a cheek color, these balms look really seamless and flawless. The formula is incredibly versatile and adapts to the finish of the base you have underneath. This makes it fantastic for all skin types, from really oily to really dry skin types. This formula is thin and looks very skin-like. I love that it can look fresh and dewy on a dewy base without leaving a wet or tacky texture on the skin. It has a surprisingly long wear time for a cream product and I think it has to be due to its silicone-heavy formula. This formula is very versatile and looks beautiful on the eyes and cheeks. I am tempted to pick up some more shade; however, the shades all look quite similar with only variations on their tone or intensity. This is a formula I highly recommend and I hope to see a shade expansion from the brand soon! 

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