For the past few months I have been wearing Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation every single day. One of my favourite things about that foundation is that it doesn't contain SPF, meaning that your face won't suddenly become two shades lighter under flash photography. Considering I'm already as white as a ghost that wasn't something I particularly liked; it left me looking washed out and rather ill compared to all the healthy looking girls around me. Since trying Skin Base I've become increasingly interested in other foundations that don't contain SPF. As I heard it was a favourite of Kim Kardashian, the one I decided to try out next was Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation.
Armani describe this foundation as 'an oil-free hydrating fluid with exclusive Micro-fil™ technology. Its lightweight and silky texture glides on seamlessly for an all-day, buildable coverage'. At £34 this foundation certainly doesn't come cheap but in my opinion its well worth the hefty price tag. I bought this from Harvey Nicks in Leeds where I was matched to shade 2. I do struggle to find a light enough colour match with most foundations but this is good enough. I can imagine it being a great choice for Summer. The colour range is fairly extensive (I believe there are about 15 shades) but there might not be a dark enough choice for some skintones. As you can see from the swatch on my hand the formula is very sheer which is a stark contrast to the thicker, creamier formula of Skin Base. I also really like that it has a pump applicator as any other mechanism often leaves you with too much product.
I began applying it with just one pump of the foundation. While it didn't cover up my blemishes, it got rid of any redness & discolouration right away whilst still showing my skin underneath. This is a great foundation to use if you're after for a naturally flawless look. I found that I needed 3 pumps worth to get the coverage I desired. I would say that the coverage is comparable to Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua. Because the formula is so sheer & silky, it layers up like a dream with absolutely no streakiness. I am completely in love with how smooth it makes my face look! This is probably also partly due to Philosophy's The Present & my lovely new Real Techniques brushes but my face has never looked so smooth before & my pores are practically invisible. You can still clearly see my freckles on my cheeks and under my eyes because this is not a full coverage foundation but it does cover the majority of skin imperfections when layered up. It also makes my skin properly glow without looking oily which I adore!
Along with the price the only other real downside to this foundation is the staying power. I did use a primer beforehand & a powder to set it but I think thats standard practice with most foundations I've used. Its not oxidised on me at all so thats a bonus. It still looks pretty good on my normal/combination type skin after about 10 hours of wear but it is a little bit patchy around my forehead. I think on someone with oilier skin it might not last as long and could end up looking a bit too shiny but its pretty much fine on me. You would probably need to top it up if you were wearing it on a night out after a whole day of wear. However I do really like it and am very happy to have two SPF-free foundations in my collection, one thick & one thin in formula to adjust to my daily needs.
