When Armani released this new foundation recently, I knew I had to test it out. Let me just admit ahead of time that I'm a bit of a foundation whore. Even if I have a few that I really love, I'm always on the hunt for the next best thing. Something a bit more matte. Another a bit more natural. A bit more dewy. You can never have enough foundations! This foundation is sold at most of the major department stores as well as Sephora, which is where I purchased it for a whopping $64!
Ingredients (not listed online): cyclohexasiloxane, water, dimethicone, vinyl dimethicone/methicone silsesquinoxane crosspolymer, propanediol, alcohol denat., butylene glycol, phenyl trimethicone, acetyl PEG/PPG-10/1dimethicone, synthetic fluorphlogopite, tocopherol, phenoxyethanol, magnesium sulfate, PEG/PPG-18/18dimethicone, polyglycerol-4 isostearate, diethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, limonene, benzyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, linalool, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, isobutane, acrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate/vinylidene chloride copolymer, disodium stearoyl glutamate, BHT, butylphenyl methylpropional, aluminum hydroxide, hexyl cinnamal, fragrance
The foundation claims to be full coverage with a velvet-matte finish. Long-wearing but with a light skin-like finish. I do agree with the claims. It went on very smooth and while not quite super-matte, it was just enough for it to be long-wearing. I picked up the shade 4.5, which is light with golden undertones according to Sephora. It looked very natural on my skin. I had to use about 2-3 pumps to cover my whole face using a Beauty Blender. I'm not sure if this was due to the sponge soaking up the thin product or that it seemed one pump only released a tiny amount. Neither bothers me at all though. The foundation blended out nicely, unlike some heavier full coverage foundations. After wearing a few days, I can say that I can get a good 10-12 hours of wear before it starts to break down on my nose and chin.
Swatches compared to other foundations (L-R): Armani (4.5), Estee Lauder Double Wear (1W1 Bone), Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (6 Medium), Guerlain Lingerie De Peau (02W), Chanel Perfection Lumiere (20 Beige)
Verdict: While providing a nice finish and amazing coverage, this foundation will be going back. After wearing for a few days, my skin started to break out badly all over my cheeks and forehead. I'm just now started to recover from it after giving my skin a break. I knew that Luminous Silk was a no-go for my sensitive skin, but I still wanted to give this a chance since it is a different formula. I will just have to accept that the full foundation lines of MAC, Bobbi Brown and Giorgio Armani do not agree with my skin. I am a bit sad because I really did like the product, definitely try it if your skin isn't as sensitive as mine.