After not being happy with the MAC Prolongwear Foundation last month, I was on the search for a great wedding-friendly foundation that lasts long and photographs wonderfully. I've been Googling "best foundations for wedding" and the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is usually one of the top contenders. It's also a holy grail among celebrity makeup artists. So I took the plunged and ordered the travel-sized bottle from Sephora. The travel-sized bottle, at 0.6 oz., is $42 and comes in 18 shades, whereas the full-sized bottle, is $62 and 1 oz. and comes in 23 shades.
I got the shade 6.5, which is for medium–tan skin with warm undertones. I found out my shade by using Findnation and typing in what foundation brand and shades I wear, and I got matched with other brands. I typed that I wore MAC Prolongwear in NC 40 and MAC Face & Body in C4, and they were completely right because I was also matched with MUFE HD in 128 (which is the exact shade I have). So the Luminous Silk Foundation showed up in 6.5, and I tested it on my cheek in Nordstrom before buying it online, and it blended perfectly.
Notice that my shade is 6.5. The shades go by whole numbers, .25, .5, and .75. I can't necessarily say that all whole number shades (2, 3, 4, 5, etc...) are neutral or warm because Sephora describes shade 2 as fair with neutral undertone, whereas 4 would be light skin with golden undertone, and 10 as deep skin with warm undertone. So this is very confusing. The .25's (4.25, 5.25, and 6.25) are consistent with their peachy undertones. The .5's (3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, and 11.5) range from neutral to warm. the .75's (3.75, 4.75, 5.75) range from rosy to warm. What I do appreciate is the variety of shades for all skin tones AND all undertones. Not many foundations carry that many shades, especially catering to a certain skin tone that leans more cool, warm, and neutral.
Since I got the travel-sized bottle (because I didn't think I would use it enough to justify buying the full-sized), the design is much smaller and thinner than the full-sized bottle. If you're not familiar, here is what the full-sized bottle:
You can see how the full-sized bottle has a cap that completely covers the pump. That is not the case with the travel-sized cap. It does not cover the hole of the pump, thus making a complete mess every time I open it. It makes me wonder if I should've gotten the full-sized instead:
Now onto the finish. I wanted to like it at first after 1 pump but I felt like it accentuated my pores. Not as bad as the Prolongwear, but it could be that I am also breaking out a little bit. I experienced that when I first got the MUFE HD, not liking it at first before my skin started getting accustomed to it. I like adding 1.5–2 pumps for extra coverage. And yes, I have to say that it photographs beautifully, giving my skin a radiant, satin finish (neither dewy nor matte). It really does look like MSBB (my skin but better). And when I set it with Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, I look completely airbrushed and can't stop looking at myself in the mirror. It looks great even under the worst fluorescent lights.
Left: Bare-faced
Middle: After 1.5 pumps of Luminous Silk
Right: After a full made up face (I put too much powder under my eyes!)
The difference between the left and middle photos are subtle, you can see that there is more glow and warmth to my face after applying the foundation, and less redness on my cheeks. I tried applying this with a foundation brush and my Real Techniques Sponge (dry), and it looked patchy which was probably why I wasn't impressed at first. The best technique for me is by wetting the sponge, which gives me a natural finish. I get the medium–full coverage without the cakiness. Definitely worth the $42-$62. I know that the more my skin gets accustomed to it, the better it will look on me.
Do you have this foundation or any of the Armani foundations?
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