When I first heard about Giorgio Armani’s upcoming ‘Maestro Fusion Makeup’, I wasn’t sure if it was to be a foundation, a corrector-type product (as in BB cream), or a tinted moisturizer. Turns out that it’s actually something completely new, innovative, unprecedented, and totally cutting edge. Infused with “Maestro fil™” which takes Armani’s original breakthrough concept of Micro-fil™ (inspired by his most advanced fabric technology) a few steps further, this product is a new way of:
“blending and layering pigments to create a thin high-pigmented clear texture with a velvet sensorial. The new no-makeup feel that perfects, evens and makes skin glow”
Basically what that means, is that your skin looks amazing, fresh, natural, and best of all … real.
Several weeks ago, I had been given a sample to try and while I loved the feel and look it supplied, the sample itself was ridiculously tiny, as well as in a shade not exactly suited to my skintone; I therefore went back to the Armani counter on October 9th when the range finally launched here in Canada – fully intending to simply see if I could find a shade better suited to me, and walked away with a bottle after just a quick test. Completely, and 100% convinced.
As I’m not a chemist or scientifically-inclined, I direct you to this excellent post by Charlestongirl over at Best Things In Beauty for a breakdown of how Maestro Fusion Makeup actually works.
Linda Cantello, International Makeup Artist for Giorgio Armani Beauty on the creation of Maestro Fusion Makeup – click to enlarge (source)
Maestro Fusion Makeup even made it to the top of Allure magazine’s breakthrough “Product of the Year” list – click to enlarge & read the article (source)
Maestro Fusion Makeup – sleek minimalist packaging, Armani style
Maestro Fusion Makeup
Maestro Fusion Makeup – elegant elliptically shaped glass bottle
Maestro Fusion Makeup – back label detail
information on box
full ingredients listed on box label
Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup in shade 6.5 – The best way to choose your foundation shade, is to begin by knowing exactly what colour range your skin falls under, then by identifying your skin’s needs. In my case and as I have some sallow undertones in my skin, I need something more golden/yellow tinted, and I prefer a light to medium coverage. ‘Maestro Fusion Makeup’ comes in an elliptically shaped glass bottle that fits comfortably in the hand, along with a dropper for dispensing the product. There is no discernible scent, and the feel is at once thin/watery & oily, but only until it is applied to the skin – at which point, that initial oily feel disappears completely. As this has a colour-adaptive quality to its pigmentation, you need to wait about 10 minutes to see its development and how it seems to “fuse” and become one with your skin tone.
My findings & results:
I began with 3 drops in the palm of my hand, and while I initially doubted that that would be enough to cover my entire face, I was stunned to see that it actually did just that. Still, the coverage at that point felt too sheer for what I was aiming for, and so I added a scant 2 more drops to my hand – which was enough to touch up any areas that needed extra coverage as well as some for my neck. I love how using a dropper to dispense the product gives such control of the amount used with almost nothing going to waste, and using your fingers for application means you don’t need to invest in a specialized brush either. That being said, I also experimented by using a buffing brush to see how it affected the finish, and found it to be rather unnecessary actually.
NOTE: the one dry spot I had by the side of my nose, seemed to not mesh as well with this foundation and definitely stood out; once I moisturized that area and then reapplied the foundation there, the issue was resolved. All of which leads me to think that those with dryer skin types need to test this out thoroughly before investing in it.
Wanting to see if this product was buildable, I waited approximately 3 minutes, then went back over the same areas with 2 more drops. The result was a smooth & flawless finish, but still quite realistic-looking and while some of my darker spots were not erased, they were sufficiently diffused to not stand out at all. The eggshell-velvet finish seemed to stay semi-matte like that for at least 5 hours before I started seeing any significant shine along my T-zone area. The lasting power of this foundation is a paradox; because of its almost invisible texture, I believed that it had faded away by the 7 hour mark, but when I went to remove my makeup that evening, I was literally shocked to see the product traces on my cotton pads – and this was 12 HOURS LATER!
For coverage of some darker spots on my skin and to help with lightening the area under my eyes, I turned to my new “holy grail” product, Giorgio Armani’s new ‘Maestro Eraser Dark Circle Concealer’ … but that’s for another upcoming post!
product sample
product sample blended in – almost invisible!
Before: The skin issues I need to address include: slight uneven texture, skin dullness, minor hyperpigmentation, occasional redness, some fine lines and my usual oiliness in the T-zone area.
After: The differences are actually quite subtle, but pack a serious punch, as you can see from this completely un-retouched photo. All the skin issues I listed above have been addressed.
Final thoughts: As the photos above depict, you can see that while I don’t have an “air-brushed” finish to my skin, there is a definite improvement to my overall appearance, with many imperfections finely blurred (looks even better in person – believe me). I love how weightless this product feels on – never mask-like or chalky; once the volatile oils this product is comprised of evaporate, you are left with a beautiful skin canvas. Other perks to this foundation, is the inclusion of sunscreen – which does not add a heavy or greasy feel to the finish at all, along with free-radical fighting ingredients for extra skin benefits. Overall, I am not only completely impressed with Armani’s Maestro Fusion Makeup, I am close to not wanting to use anything else. EVER. Prior to trying this out, many online reviews I read were torn between 2 camps – those who loved it, and those who didn’t. Consider me part of Team Love.
I picked up my bottle of Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup at Holt Renfrew (Canada) where it retails for CAD $68.00 (and worth every penny!)
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