Giorgio Armani Luce Collection for Spring 2012: Pictures & Swatches

It's on counter now: Giorgio Armani's Luce collection for Spring is a really wearable edit of old golds and pastel shades created by makeup artist Linda Cantello. In Dublin before Christmas, I got to have a chat with her about the products.  "Iridescence and hints of shine are the story for the season," she said, revealing, "it's all about textures - that's what makes colours new."

Texture comes courtesy, in this case, of real gold. Between 5% and 16% is used in the shadow shades. And speaking of those, if you've ever found the shadow pans in the brand's quads too hard and difficult to work with - I know I have and mentioned it to Linda - that's been addressed. It was a manufacturing issue apparently, with the powders being pressed too tightly. They're not so compressed now and the payoff is so much better. It's a small change but one that's made a surprisingly big difference to the use of the product.

New this season too are some lovely long-wear pencils which I am liking a LOT, and new glosses with long-wear promise. But enough waffling, as Sir Bill Cullen might say - lets take a look at the products! The collection features a (1) Sheer Blush Palette, €49.50, (3) Palette Yeux Spring 01, €58.50, four shades of Rouge D’Armani Pink lipstick in 105, 201, 405, 508, €25, Gloss D'Armani in Greige d’Armani, Caffeine, (4) Wild Rose and Blush plus WP Eye Pencil in 01, 02, 03, €20.50.

I was sent three pieces from the collection to try pre-launch - here they are. I've got the Palette Yeux Spring 02, €58.50, the old gold companion to its pastel sister in the top pic, as well as one of the WP Eye Pencils. Oddly mine is 04, so I think there may be differences in naming conventions between the US and Europe, possibly. Whatever - this is gorgeous. We've seen a slew of these settable, glide-on gel pencils from brands in the last year and at the higher end Nars made waves with their Larger Than Life offering. I really love this - the colour is gorgeous, formulation great and staying power a thing of wonder. Draw it on and watch it not budge. For hours.

Lip-wise, I've actually got one of the Rouge D'Armani Sheers in 600, and not a Rouge D’Armani Pink. This is a product that's not actually a part of Luce at all, I realised once I went back over my notes. This is going to be a June launch, from what I was told, and is a whole new lip line from the brand. Combining the comfort of a balm and the transparency of a gloss, it will come in 12 shades, deliver twice the volume of moisture of a regular lipstick and give a 'wet' feeling to lips.  It's nice - like a posh Revlon Lip Butter, I'm imagining!

So, swatches: WP Eye Pencils in 04, left, and Rouge D'Aramani Sheers in 600, right.

And swatches of the Palette Yeux Spring 02 (you can see the WP Eye Pencils in 04 swatched to the left). Payoff is significantly improved with this palette and the first two bronze colours work fantastically well as a wash on the eye, as demonstrated above on Megan Fox in the model shot for the range. I've been using them a lot for a quick work look or going out eye paired with a lick of liner and some red lipstick, and profess myself very pleased. A little of the silver in at the inner corner for a highlight lifts things further. They're very smooth, very easy to work with and last incredibly well. So they should for the price.

What to buy from the collection? While Giorgio Armani is never going to be a cheap, weekend spend by any manner of means, if you did have €20 to drop on a whim it's one of those fab eye pencils I'd be pointing you in the direction of. I'm also really liking the improved shadow formulation and the fact payoff is now so good - these shadows are almost foiled they so smooth and creamy.

A really nice spring collection, Mr Armani. Bravo.