The Search For My Holy Grail Foundation Pt Une: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk: Shade 2

Hello, this is my first review! I'm rather nervous, but i'm rolling with it. If only one person reads this then....i'll probably be upset actually, but i'm a valiant being, i'll cope. Anyways. On with the facts.

I own A LOT of foundations. Around the 30 plus mark, and my oily combination skin with redness and a tendency to sweat buckets when I get slightly warm means I need a foundation that is industrial in its brilliance. Well, this may be the first foundation that comes near to being perfect for me. Read on my friends!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in Shade 2

Swatch of shade 2

Shade 2 blended. Looks rather yellow but my hands are quite red in general (please note my Petit Bateau/Kitsune Maison tee in the background, I love it!)

First up. As i've mentioned before, I am pale as they come. I've had make up artists so frustrated they've ended up trying to match foundation to my freckles as the shades available were nearer in colour to them than my actual skin tone. Giorgio Armani thankfully have a huge range of shades, with Shade 2 being the palest in this formulation (Face Fabric comes in shade 1, and it deathly pale, but also a rotten formula for oily skin sadly). They have a pinkish tone and a yellow tone for pale ladies too. This is the product write up (taken from www.giorgioarmanibeauty.co.uk).

"Capture the glow of perfect skin with Luminous silk foundation, an oil-free fluid with exclusive Micro-fil™ technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage (from sheer to medium). All skin types."

Well, for once, this product pretty much does what it says on the tin. I wouldn't say it makes you glow in a 'dewy' fashion, it kills every bit of shine on your skin, without being overly drying or falling into fine lines. You can build coverage, but in all honesty, you don't need to. My skin can be raging red, but one coat of this, applied with the wonderful Giorgio Armani Beauty Blender Brush basically kills all my redness, evens my skin tone, gives my face a dimensional quality without looking like an oil slick, and lasts the distance. It does need reapplying around my nose area after a few hours, but every single foundation on earth needs that for my evil nose of oily misery. If I have a couple of blemishes, I can pop a little concealer on and I look absolutely flawless. By five am after a night of work, my foundation has worn slightly, but mostly, my face is intact, and thats something I value greatly when the lights come up!

Another huge plus, is you can add more to this foundation during the night, and it will not cake or flake. I don't get that horrid scaly muck around my nose where the foundation has collected. No, this stuff is smooth, like a criminal. I have to say though, Sheer is NOT a word I'd associate with this coverage. My skin and sheer don't get on unless i'm having a particularly good skin day. This is medium to full for certain, and almost comparable to Estee Lauder double wear in its uneven skin tone covering abilities.

The only way this foundation could be better would to have a more neutral shade available for pale ladies.

I hope you enjoyed my first review. Next up, Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Mont Blanc.