Review -- Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation

Back in March, when I went to Vegas, I won a little money on the slots.

I'm not a particularly lucky person, so it felt kind of like a jackpot to me.

And of course, like any good makeup junkie, I took my little windfall and used it to treat myself to products that I wouldn't normally shell out the money for.

So that's how I found myself buying my first ever Giorgio Armani makeup items.

What better way to spend slot winnings, right?

I knew that I wanted to try a foundation because I'm always curious how the ultra high end brands are going to perform, and at the time, the Maestro Foundation had just recently come out. All the marketing materials boasted about its unique texture and how it could perfect the skin without looking or feeling like traditional foundation.

Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation

I'm a sucker so I decided to give it a try.

Now, Armani isn't lying about the foundation's unique texture -- it is extremely liquid-y (somewhat like the M.A.C. and MUFE Face & Body Foundations, if you've tried those.  Keep in mind, though, that those are water-based and the Maestro is oil-based.) and actually comes with a medicine dropper type dispenser. Because of the thin consistency, Armani actually recommends using your fingers to apply the foundation and I have found that to be the best application method myself.

Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation's medicine dropper style dispenser

Like the M.A.C. and MUFE Face and Body Foundations, the Maestro Foundation offers fairly light coverage. However, like the other foundations, its lightweight texture makes it easy to layer so you can build up the coverage to medium if necessary.

Now, when I first applied the foundation back in March, I was pretty disappointed.

While it was easy to apply, felt nice and lightweight on my skin, and evened out my skin tone pretty impressively for a light coverage foundation, it made my face look super dry and flaky.

Of course, my skin was pretty dry and flaky at the time as we were just starting to come out of winter, but I guess I assumed this foundation would be more hydrating since it was oil-based. I believe the marketing materials also mentioned that it highlighted the skin's natural luminosity, but mine just looked dull and flat (probably because, after a long, cold winter, my skin had no natural luminosity to speak of).

I kind of regretted the purchase, if I'm being honest.

But I decided not to return it and instead save it for the spring and summer when my skin wouldn't be quite as dry.

Boy, am I glad that I did because I've kind of fallen in love with this foundation now.

As I mentioned, it's super lightweight so it feels nice on the skin and looks incredibly natural -- which is part of the reason why it's such a great summer foundation for me.  It also really seems to meld with the skin, so it doesn't just sit on the surface or settle in fine lines and pores. That's probably because it has plenty of silicones in it so it smooths the skin surface really well.

It also has an SPF15, which isn't enough protection on its own but can be a little extra boost over your sunscreen or SPF moisturizer. 

Keep in mind that if you have a lot of acne, scarring or age spots to cover, the Maestro Foundation isn't going to do the job. You'll likely need to pair it with a full coverage concealer, though you'd probably be better off with a foundation that offers a little more coverage itself.

As I said, I love this foundation for the warmer weather when my skin gets a little more oily. If you have naturally oily skin, I think this would be a lovely foundation for you year-round.  Super dry-skinned folks, I'd probably suggest passing on this or at the very least, exfoliating well before using it. Try to get a sample before purchasing it, though, so you can see if it's compatible with your skin.

I purchased the foundation in shade 2, which I believe is actually the lightest shade. It may lean slightly warm, but I've found that it's actually a pretty good match for my skin.

Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation in Shade 2

The Maestro Foundation retails for $62, which certainly isn't chump change. Is this better than foundations that I've paid $40, $28, even $10 for?  I'm not really sure -- and I'm not really sure if I'll repurchase when I finish the bottle. I've seen some bloggers and YouTubers suggest the new L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder as a dupe for the Maestro and I'm thinking of picking up a bottle to test that theory out. (Note -- after writing this post, I did pick up the L'Oreal foundation so expect a review/comparison in the next few weeks.)  At my local CVS, the L'Oreal foundation is about $12 -- that certainly would be much kinder on my wallet than the Armani.

However, I'm really loving the Maestro this summer and have gotten quite a few compliments when I'm wearing it (The good kind too.  "Your skin looks so nice," not "Your makeup looks good.") so if I ever win at the slots again, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

Have you tried the Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation?  Do you think ultra high end foundation are worth the expense?