Review: Armani Maestro Foundation

I'm so sorry for the lack of love on my blog this week guys! I'm not sure how, but the week seems to have shot past at the speed of light, but today I'm back with a review that I have been trying to write for the past month or so.

It's about a product that many of you will have seen or heard whisperings about recently: Giorgio Armani's new Maestro Foundation. It's hot stuff in the blogging world right now, and I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of it over a month ago.

The reason why it's taken me so long to review this product, is because I simply can't make my mind up about it. It's rather an oddity if I'm honest. Here's a bit of background info on it, and how it's meant to work if you haven't read any reviews already:

Hailed as a "revolutionary complexion perfecter" by Armani's makeup artist Linda Cantello, Maestro has been eight years in the making. According to Cantello this is "not a foundation", it's a "whole new generation of makeup that feels incredible, looks invisible and makes the skin appear luminous every time. Everyone can wear it".

The product is formulated using 5 different types of oil, but no water. Using what are known as volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile oils not only gives the foundation an incredibly unique texture, but it also helps it to stay in place all day. The different oils evaporate from the skin gradually throughout application, leaving a fine film of pigment on the skin. The foundation is also formulated using a lower percentage of pigment compared to most foundations, so the effect is more subtle and natural.

It comes in 12 different shades (as shown above) The shade I have is 5.5 and it's a great match for my skin tone.

It sounds interesting, right?

But how does it actually perform? As promised, the texture of this foundation is something else. It's so thin and silky, it's almost like blending water in to the skin. It's surprisingly non-greasy and super fast to apply. It feels practically undetectable on the skin, and gives a light, natural coverage.

The problem with this foundation is that one day I'll use it, and love it, and on other days, it just doesn't seem to sit right on my skin. It tends to cling to any dry patches, so if you have dry skin I think this is a total no-no. On 'good days', when combined with a good concealer for any problem areas, the effect of this product is really beautiful. Quite flawless, yet still natural, and as the blurb above says... luminous.

No Makeup

With Armani Maestro alone:

Finished Makeup:

I think it really depends on the condition of your skin. If you like natural coverage and have normal-oily skin, I think this foundation would be a great one to consider. The texture alone makes it something that every beauty aficionado simply must see in person. It's a totally new, innovative product, which is quite rare these days, and I love it for that.

Otherwise... I'm on the fence.

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've tried this foundation, as I feel like it may be one of those love-hate products... Have any of you tried it? What do you think?

You can pick this up in Selfridges now for £36, and nationwide at GA counters from Monday.