REVIEW: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

I have battled with myself for months now about whether or not I should buy the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation or not. I did try a sample of it in the past and liked it but never got around to getting the full size. Two things that turned me off buying it was firstly the price, at €43 it is definitely an investment and secondly for some reason because the name suggests a very natural luminous glow to the skin I feared that the coverage wouldn’t be enough to cover my pigmentation.

Isn’t she lovely…isn’t she wonderful??

I decided to treat myself at Dublin Airport when I went on my recent holiday taking full advantage of the Duty free prices. Before I bought though I had an in-depth discussion with the sales assistant about how much coverage I would get from this and what was the best way to apply this. I also tested it out on my skin to see if it was giving me a decent coverage and also if the shade was ok for me. It might sound a little overkill to go into so much depth when buying a foundation but I have been stung so many times in the past with really bad foundation purchases that I have now learnt my lesson and take my time choosing my purchases.

Shade 6.5…the texture is so light-weight

Anyways, I was only delighted with how it looked on my skin and so I was happy to add this to my collection. I got shade 6.5 which was perfect at the time but as I spent a week in the sun it is slightly too light for me now but we all know that holiday tan fade as quick as they come so this is matching my skin more and more each day.

So what did I think of the cult classic Luminous Silk Foundation???

Well, let me ask you a question?? Is it possible to be in love with a foundation? If the answer is yes then I am now officially besotted by this beauty and well if the answer is no I guess I will just have to say that I found this foundation to be absolutely beautiful to wear and definitely can see what the hype is all about!!

Why do I love it so much? Well let me explain:

• I love the texture it gives to the skin. As the name suggests it gives a luminous finish to the skin which for me means that it is not super shiny nor is it matte. It is somewhere in between and makes your skin look like it is radiating from within. Who doesn’t want this?!
• The coverage of this foundation is great too. The girl at the Armani counter suggested using a kabuki type brush to buff an even layer into the skin, wait a minute of two and then go back and see where you need coverage and simply dab the foundation in those areas only to build up the coverage. It works wonders and you can build it up to a very decent coverage.
• It is very long-lasting but I do find that I need to powder the skin and touch up during the day when using this. I usually set this with Mac’s Mineralized skin finish natural to keep that luminous glow to the skin.
• I love the bottle. The pump is perfect and doesn’t seem to be one of those difficult ones that clogs up when the foundation gets a little older. Also the packaging of the bottle itself is a thing of beauty so I am happy to have this on my beauty table for all to see.
• It is completely oil free so good for all skin types although I would ask for a sample of this foundation before buying just to make sure it will last all day on your skin.
• It has no SPF so perfect for wearing in photos. An ideal choice for brides if you want that glow on your big day.
• It is super lightweight so literally feels like you are wearing nothing on your skin and it blends flawlessly without leaving any streaks.
• It is also hydrating although it is oil free so gives a boost of hydration the more you wear it
• It is available in a huge range of shades

My favourite brush to use with this is the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki

So do you see why I love it so much? Sounds like the perfect foundation right? If I was to criticise this product in any way I would have to say that I feel I use a fair amount of the product to get the coverage I want and at €43 a pop that is not something that sits well with me. However, maybe I need to back off on building up the coverage so much and just let my natural skin show through because it has definitely improved compared to before. New resolution! Only wear super heavy coverage when heading out for a night out, that way my beautiful Luminous silk foundation will last me twice as long.

My skin is suffering from breakouts at the moment but this foundation covers them

If I was to say what type of skin I think this suits most it would have to be Normal to Combination. I don’t think it is super hydrating for really dry skin and similarly I think super oily would need to apply lots of powder over this for them to stay oil free for a considerable amount of time. Again, I would suggest getting a sample and see how it fares out on your skin before buying it. There is a Giorgio Armani counter in Brown Thomas if you are looking to try this out.

I hope you found this review helpful and be sure to comment below with your experience of the product.

Have a lovely day

Much Love

Anita XXX