There are few beauty products that I’d say can really be called ‘iconic’, but Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation is surely one of them. Regularly topped the ‘best foundation’ lists, it’s the face base of choice for many a bride on their wedding day – when you want your skin to look its absolute best – as well as celebrities such as Meghan Markle, Claudia Winkleman and Sydney Sweeney.
If it’s so good, why has it just been reformulated then, you may wonder? Well Armani thinks that there’s always room to improve on perfection and so, 25 years after it first launched, has relaunched it with a new skincare-enriched formula, enhanced radiance and better colour-matching pigments along with 18 new shades, bringing the number up to 44.
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Despite wearing foundation pretty much every day and always loving testing out new ones, I admit that – whisper it – Luminous Silk has never been one I would reach for first; I like something super dewy and fresh-feeling, and I always felt that Armani’s was a little bit too much like ‘proper make-up’ for me. I was, therefore, keen to see how this new formula performed. Spoiler alert: it has totally converted me…
New Armani Luminous Silk review
I think its new bottle hints as its biggest change; it’s glossy rather than frosted, and called ‘Perfect Natural Glow Foundation’ instead of ‘Perfect Glow Flawless Foundation’ – and it does deliver a slightly more radiant finish. It’s still very much a ‘skin-like’ foundation – so not too glowy, not too matte, somewhere right in the middle – but it feels like the additional skincare ingredients give it a fresher look on the skin.
I used to find that the old formula turned a little patchy on me as the day wore on, but I haven’t noticed that happening with this new one, especially when I prep my skin well beforehand with a nourishing moisturiser or SPF and a little illuminating primer (I like Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter or e.l.f. Halo Glow) – this is a tip I’d definitely recommend if you too like a hydrated finish.
I normally opt for a skin tint or tinted moisturiser, but I found myself loving the polished look that this Armani foundation gave – my skin tone was much more balanced, and I caught myself in the mirror a few times and was impressed with how my complexion looked. This also lasted all day – not something I usually find with lighter formulas. It also felt completely weightless on the skin – neither tacky nor dry.
I think I can see a different in the pigment, too. I have shade 4.5 in both old and new bottles, and I always felt that it was a fraction too warm for me, but with the new one, it seems to match my skin much better.
In summary, it turns out that perfection can be improved on; the best just got even better. If you’re looking for the perfect evening, event or ‘proper make-up’ foundation that makes skin looks amazing (but totally natural) and lasts all day, you’ll love this new Armani Luminous Silk.
