I am a little late to the Armani foundation party. Armani are well known for having beautiful foundations and have a range of products to suit every skin type. Armani Maestro is a recent enough addition to the Armani foundation family and claims to be ” the thinnest foundation in the world”. I have been wearing this non stop for over two weeks now, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about it.
Shade Range: Maestro comes in 12 different shades. Ranging from very pale no 2 right up to a dark 12. With the half shades being a little more on the yellow side than the full shade. I wear 6.5, which is slightly on the dark side for me, but the 6 is too pale. I just add a small bit of bronzer to my neck,as the difference in colour isn’t that much.
Packaging: The foundation comes in an opaque bottle . The bottle is sealed with a dropper top, which is used to disperse the makeup, rather than tipping the bottle, as due to the formulation of this makeup that would end in one almighty mess.
Texture: Maestro has an extremely light weight water like texture. However, it is formulated using 5 different types of oil and no water. Do not be put off by the word oil, as it doesn’t feel oily on the skin at all. These oils allow for a unique texture, while at the same time keeping the foundation in place all day. To me this foundation feels like silk going onto the skin . It blends so easy into the skin, and due to the fact that it is very runny, a little bit goes a long way.
Application: The foundation is dispersed from the bottle using a rubber dropper. Armani say to drop 3 small drops onto your hand and in rapid fluid motions, blend the foundation into your skin. I prefer to use my Sigma F80 brush to apply the foundation, but this method of application, does use up more product, and gives a bit more coverage, than if applying with your hands. I am not a fan of applying foundation with my fingers, as half of it ends up on the walls and door while I’m running late in the mornings,
Finish: For me, the finish is what makes this foundation so unique and beautiful. The finish is a satin finish, and it gives the skin a beautiful glow throughout the day, yet this is not a dewy finish foundation. I really think that once set, Maetro makes the skin look like silk. I find it takes a minute or two for the foundation to set after application, so don’t keep applying more as only a very small amount is needed. The only down side to the finish of Maestro, is that if you have any dry areas, it will cling to them like nobodies business. If you have any issues with dry or flaky skin, this is absolutely not the foundation for you.
Coverage: The coverage for Maestro is diffently a sheer to medium buildable coverage. I have been wearing it more on the medium side, by building the coverage up with my Sigma F80 brush. Maestro really is a natural foundation that doesn’t make it obvious that you are wearing a whole heap of makeup, but instead makes you look like you have beautiful looking skin. Even though I wear this more on the medium side, you can still see my freckles and some imperfections through the foundation. I like this, but a good concealer is a must with this foundation.
Skin Type: Maestro is defiantly not a foundation for anyone with dry or flaky skin. Instead this is more suited to oily, combination or normal skin. The formulation of this foundation, soaks in any excess oils and allows for it to have good stay power on oily skin. If you have any sort of leaning towards dry skin avoid this like the plague, as one or two days when my skin was a little dry, this went a slightly cakey on me.
Lasting power: Maestro stays in place all day. I apply my makeup at around 7:30 every morning and Maestro still looks perfect on my skin at 7:30 that evening. I literally don’t have to touch it all day. I don’t have to worry about it wearing in any area on the face, and once my skin isn’t any way dry, I don’t have to worry about it changing appearance.
Price: Ok so the price is a little on the scaldy side at €45. However, you seriously only use the tinniest amount to cover your entire face. Due to the fact a little goes a long way, Maestro will last for a very long time. I am also a very firm believer in you get what you pay for and at €45 you really are getting a spectacular foundation. However, here’s the thing. If you are going through The Loop at Dublin Airport, or know of someone going through The Loop, Armani is stocked there and is considerably lower in price. The Majority of Armani foundations cost just €34.40 in The Loop. You can even order online and collect it on your way out or on your way back from your trip. I have my eye on Luminous silk to try, and next time one of my family is going away on business, this will be mine, as I find it easier to hand over €34.40 than fork out €45 on a foundation.
Since I started wearing this foundation 2 weeks ago, it hasn’t left my face. When applied correctly, and when I am not having a dry skin day, Maestro looks absolutely stunning on the skin. If you have normal or oily skin, Maestro is certainly worth investigating. However, like with any foundation, do not buy a bottle until you have tried a decent size sample. The staff on the Aramni counter in Brown Thomas are extremely helpful, and they will help you pick the correct shade, and will send you off with a good size sample to try out. To save you the journey back into town if you find that you like it, you can purchase Maestro here for €45 or better still, if you know anyone travelling through the airport, get them to pick it up at the considerably lower price of €34.40
