MAKEUP | Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

I am not wearing anything glossy as often which is a bit sad considering the number of beautifully glossy lip products I own and would love to show off. I have to wear a surgical mask at work provided by my company that touch my lips all the time and am not allowed to wear the more "beaky" fabric masks I have at home that do not touch my lips, so anything that could smear underneath is not an option. I could not resist when I saw just how slick these Mirror Lip Lacquers looked and literally started wearing them as soon as I did the unboxing on Instagram. These are described as a full coverage, high shine, liquid lip lacquers that delivers crazy colour and hydration to the lips while being incredibly comfortable using a "Light Feel System". They also leave a long-wear stain which I guess could work in our new face mask-wearing environments.

Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers
 PR gifted

I love applicators like this and most of the time, it is the higher end brands that have it, but the pointed tip and reservoir help to give the most precise application that my cupid's bow cannot get enough of! It's also slightly flexible and on a slight angle making it easy and comfortable to quickly apply your lip colour without having to have the focus of a monk especially when applying the more dramatic shades of red where precision is EVERYTHING!

Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

I hadn't read any descriptions of these lip lacquers before trying my first one and immediately, the formula screamed "water lip stain" to me. In fact, I hesitate to even call these lip lacquers at all, but lip stains instead as this formulation is fairly rampant in the Asian makeup world where lip stains are one of the main lip looks. The formulation was very fluid and had that cool, watery sensation I have come to equate with lip stains with a touch more creaminess than what you would get in a traditional Asian lip stain. The great thing about this type of formulation is that your lip colour can be as pigmented or as natural as you would like it to be. Worn the North American way with full pigment, while the finish remains shiny for quite awhile, this means that your lips will always have a slightly sticky finish and the lip colour will transfer. If you decide to wear these in the Korean makeup way with just a touch of colour dabbed with a finger, obviously you won't get the shine, but your colour does last longer.

Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

There is something I really hate about these lip lacquers and that is the scent. It is highly fragranced and smells like that classic lipstick you used to borrow from your mom or grandmother's makeup collection and it hangs around for awhile. You feel like you are tasting it which I am so not a fan of.

101 Beyond
Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

This brown-based pink and #502 are the shades I wear the most as they are the most neutral. They are flattering with any makeup look.

502 Culmination
Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

I wear #502 if I want to add a bit of "sweetness" to my makeup look.

400 Four Hundred
Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

This shade and Ecstasy are VERY similar with Ecstasy being slightly more raspberry. They look similar enough that I really had to focus while I was editing photos because they looked the same on me. #400 is a dramatic red and that feels very Fall. Reds like this make me look very pale so I tend to not wear them as often unless I am doing a dramatic eye (which is almost never).

402 Ecstasy
Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

When I initially started applying #402, it was looking more raspberry, but once it dried down, it looked an awful lot like #400 so if you are looking to add these to your collection, you only need #400 or #402.

Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers

Final verdict: These lip lacquers are quite expensive at $49 each so the odds of me buying more are slim considering what I have and my mandate to spend on beauty more wisely. I miiiiight pick up shade #100 (nude) or #503 (deep pink) as these are more neutral shades and ones I would wear more often, but not anytime soon. I feel like for the price, the formula isn't necessarily worth it, BUT if you love Giorgio Armani's luxurious packaging and a glossy pigmented lip OR a stained subtle lip then go for it. The scent is still something I can taste and it has been two hours so this is a big factor in my not wanting to repurchase. I feel like you will be able to find a similar lip product elsewhere that has neither the strong scent or high ticket price.


You can find the Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Mirror Lip Lacquers at www.sephora.com and www.armani-beauty.ca

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