Hello lovelies! Foundation junkie here and I have another foundation review for you! It's the cult famous Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Again I had a sample to test out and play around with and I'm ready to share my thoughts.
What Giorgio Armani say :
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Capture the glow of perfect looking skin with Luminous silk foundation, an oil-free hydrating fluid with exclusive Micro-fil technology. Its lightweight and silky texture glides on seamlessly for an all-day, buildable coverage. All skin types.
What Giorgio Armani say :
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Capture the glow of perfect looking skin with Luminous silk foundation, an oil-free hydrating fluid with exclusive Micro-fil technology. Its lightweight and silky texture glides on seamlessly for an all-day, buildable coverage. All skin types.
Shade
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| You can clearly see the olive tones of the Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.0. Nars ADLW Stromboli is pure yellow and EX1 F200 is a beige yellow olive mix. |
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| Again you can see Luminous Silk's olive tones. The bottom half of EX1 F200 has oxidised and has disappeared into my skin. |
I picked the shade 6.0 Golden Beige after watching Vilma Marie on YouTube, she's another fellow yellow complected lady who struggles with finding a good match and she bought 6.0, she mentioned it's a bit too olive for her which got me real excited and intrigued about the shade and I knew I had to try it out! I've only heard 6.5 Tawny being mentioned as a shade match for people my skin tone but I'd read that it lacked a golden undertone. I've taken pictures of swatches with different backgrounds as you can see it helps to bring out the different tones in the shades, I've noticed using a white background distorts the shade a lot and makes it look rather grey, dull and blotchy and you don't get an accurate representation of the tones.
The shade 6.0 Golden Beige is an amazing amazing match for me! I really really really like it, Vilma was right when she said it's a bit too olive, I do feel like it's a touch, literally a touch too olive for me as well but I LOVE how the undertone works so brilliantly well with and mimics my undertone PERFECTLY. I'm so surprised that a premium brand actually has such a perfect shade match for me, usually these fancy high end brands have only pink and beige undertoned shades but this one is beautifully beautifully olive! It does make me look ever so slightly tanned but in a gorgeous olive way, it only enhances the olive in my skin and really actually gives me the ideal tan shade, not bronze, not brown, not muddy but a deep golden olive. This shade is just pure wonderful!
I haven't been to a Giorgio Armani counter before but I would love to have a play around with the other shades because I know there've been some newer shade releases since the initial ones. But yes a big big thumbs up from me!
Texture
The texture of GA LSF is a semi runny liquid, i.e. it'll run down the back of your hand, it's not too runny and not too thick. It's quite a lightweight texture and blends effortlessly! I use my favourite H&M BB Cream Brush as well as the newly released Angled Buffer Brush and it works so well with it, I sort of use a pat pat swipe motion and the foundation moves and manoeuvres easily, I would say it isn't as easily blended as the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation which is even more effortless or the Urban Decay One & Done but it's still very easily blended-able and doesn't require a lot of buffing in. I haven't used a sponge but I can imagine it working well and you can expect the usual, which is a little bit of absorbency and sheered out coverage. Personally I think this texture would work for all or combination skin types, especially if the right skin prep was done accordingly.
Feel
This feels very lightweight on the skin, at first it's quite emollient but my skin drinks it up and becomes one with the foundation so it then feels a little bit tight. Though after it has rested for a bit, around 10 minutes or so it settles and feels very comfortable on and I can hardly feel any product on my face. Obviously this is dependable on the amount you use, I don't use a lot of product, probably around 6 flat pea sized dots but I still think it's a lightweight enough, comfortable feel on the skin.
Finish
This goes on looking quite glowey and skin like at first but when my skin drinks it up its like a semi matte finish with a glow. After it has settled it goes to being a satin finish with a glow. The glow and finish of this foundation is beautiful, similar to the Too Faced Foundation where it makes your skin look flawless and gorgeous but it's definitely not as glowy and it doesn't offer as much coverage as the Too Faced nor is it as smoothing. It just seems to perfect your skin like you're naturally blessed with good skin. I do like how it looks on me after a while when my natural oils come out, it loses any matte-ness and looks more glowy. This is one of those foundations where you can achieve an undetectable finish if you don't have much to cover, it just looks like skin, it mimics natural skin, not overly glowy and not overly matte, just that right balance to make it appear healthy and radiant.
I don't think this is the most forgiving with skin texture, definitely moisturise and prep well if you have drier skin as this can accentuate any skin texture or flakes you may have and can make my skin look "bumpy". It's not one of those skin smoothing pore filling formulas like the Charlotte Tilbury Magic or the One & Done by Urban Decay, those formulas film my skin with a definite layer of product which makes my skin appear smoother and a lot less bumpy. Whereas this formula and the Too Faced formula sink into the skin and mimic the skins naural texture.
Coverage
The Luminous Silk foundation offers sheer to medium / full coverage, I wouldn't say it's a proper full coverage foundation though but I think it is buildable the more you apply. Using only 6 flat pea sized dots I get a beautiful medium coverage, it evens out my skin, conceals any redness and minor blemishes and gives my skin a natural looking even complexion in a non masking way. Some have said this is a foundation for those that already have good skin and I do get what they mean. This would look lovely on someone with moderately good skin, it's quite a face perfecting formula but not ideal for trouble or very textured skin. Anyone with major blemishes to hide may have to go in with a concealer. I have to use an orange colour corrector with this under my eyes and around my mouth and I get an overall nicer look.
Build-ability
The Luminous Silk has been known for its buildable quality, for a foundation that came out over a decade ago the formula was well advanced for its time, I understand why people have raved about it for so long, but I feel foundation technology has evolved since then and we have very similar if not better foundations out there now, i.e. more coverage, lightweight and skin like finishes, though yes it is in a league of its own. This does build really nicely, it doesn't seem to cake up too much and layers nicely, especially on the "normal" parts of my face, but I do avoid using too much product on my drier textured areas as the dry down of this foundation isn't too flattering as usual in those areas at first.
Longevity
I do think this formula is great for combination / slightly oily / slightly dry skin types, which is what I fall under. I do get a sheen with this foundation after an hour but a little powder does the job. Formulas like this one work well with my skin as it doesn't dry my skin out nor does it turn me into a grease ball. I can set it with some powder and be good for the day. Obviously on hotter days (which us Britons have been having a lot in the past weeks) powder is the only thing that makes my makeup last. I do like how the Luminous Silk wears on me through the day, it's skin like and skin enhancing in a good way. Since it's a good in between foundation for my skin type, (not too drying/not too oily) this has decent longevity on me.
Oxidisation
I feel like the Luminous Silk does oxidize a little bit, not a lot though. I have oxidisation prone skin and I find this one oxidises a teeny tiny bit through the day as it settles and after my oils come out. I don't have any qualms about this though as its not a drastic enough change, its only a slightly deeper olive shade which I like. I should mention that this has no SPF, so it should photograph without any flashback, I read brides love to use this as it photographs really nicely. I don't take flash photography so I can't really comment.
Overall Thoughts
I do believe this foundation was created before its time and has rightfully earned its glorified status. It's a wonderful foundation for those that have moderately good skin and need slight enhancements as this foundation will definitely enhance the healthiness of their skin. Are there better foundations out there? Yes there are. Would I purchase the full sized bottle? Yes I would! The colour match is impeccable! Funny enough the Too Faced Born This Way is very similar to this foundation and was actually the last foundation I reviewed, though I'd say the Too Faced is better if you have problem skin and have more things to cover. The Luminous Silk is an ideal go to foundation for people with normal skin and not many issues to deal with as the finish is just wonderful and shouldn't be compromised by packing layers of this on or masking it with tons of powder. It's quality!
Quick Round Up
Pros
- Skin like
- Lightweight
- Beautiful natural finish with medium coverage
- Good for combo skin
- ADORE the olive undertone in this particular shade
Cons
- Not ideal for very textured skin
- Not ideal for problem skin
- Not ideal for oily skin
- Pricey (£37)
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