Armani Luminous Silk Foundation $58 Review & Swatches

"As seen in the press, capture the glow of perfect skin with this award-winning foundation. Luminous Silk foundation is an oil-free fluid with exclusive Micro-fil technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage. For all skin types.

•weightless and luminous oil-free fluid
•natural finish
•all-day sheer to moderate coverage

application techniques:
Apply with the unique blender brush for a radiant, air-brushed finish." ~from the Armani Beauty website.

The sample foundation I received is shade #4.5 in Sand which is a match for MAC NC25.

Swatches

Here's some of the foundation right out of the tube.

The Verdict: A
This foundation is really light weight and goes on beautifully. You can build coverage from light to heavy and it doesn't cake either. I did not have any issues with this foundation oxidizing and I found it easy to apply by stippling or blending it in with a sponge.

It wears for a good 6 hours and although I haven't tried it out myself, I've heard it doesn't give you a "ghost-face" in photos taken with flash.

Sample Product Packaging
As alway's Armani's packaging is simple and tre chic. Even the sample has it's own outter packaging that seems to be made from heavy black construction paper.

The sample itself is a small squeezy tube. No complaints here. It's easy and tidy to dispense the foundation.

Armani Fluid Master Primer $55 Review & Swatches

I received this as a sample with a previous Armani Beauty order and I've finally gotten around to trying it out. Yea - took me forever and a day.

"An innovative primer for the face that smoothes skin's surface, refines pores and creates a flawless canvas on which to apply foundation.

•silky, gliding texture imparts a matte, yet transparent glow to skin
•smoothes away fine lines and imperfections
•perfectly even facial canvas for ideal application of foundation
•high comfort and make-up hold

application techniques:
Perform usual skin care routine to ensure a cleansed and moisturized face. Apply a small amount of product to the back of the hand. Using the fingertip, begin application to the center of the face, working outwards to cover the entire facial canvas, in upwards strokes." ~from the Armani Beauty website

Swatches

Here's a drop of the clear primer. The consistency is gel-like but it doesn't feel thick.

The Verdict: B-
I found this to be kinda meh. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it but I'm not wowed either. The primer is easy to spread over the face and is fairly lightweight. It holds foundation in place but I noticed that foundation tended to cake around dry patches. It didn't create that smooth surface I was looking for.

I have to say at least it didn't make my t-zone turn into an oil slick. My nose did start to get a bit shiny around the 2 hour mark and I had to blot with an oil-sheet.

Sample Product Packaging
As alway's Armani's packaging is simple and tre chic. The sample has it's own outter packaging. Now that's jsut too cool. The material of the box feels like heavy black construction paper.

The sample itself is a small squeezy tube. No complaints here. It's easy and tidy to dispense the primer.

MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator $19.50 Review

I totally missed out the when Volcanic Ash Exfoliator first debuted so I had to see what all the hype was about this time around. I didn't want to miss out again on this Limited Edition item.


"A highly effective, dual-purpose foaming, cleansing and exfoliating scrub blending natural Volcanic Ash with fine sugar crystals. Refines and unclogs the skin, adds instant moisture: leaves skin feeling soft and comfortably clean. Mineral-rich. May be used effectively on any part of face or body. Rinses off with warm water." ~from MAC's website.

The directions say to smooth this over the skin and then rinse off with warm water 1-3x a week. I tried it that way and I didn't like it because the second this stuff touches water, it's GONE. Instead I spread it all over my skin and then with moisten hands I "scrubbed" it around. See the next set of pictures below to see how it transforms.

Swatches

Here's some of the exfoliator right out of the tube. It's jet black with large flaky grains.


When the water is added, it gets a bit foamy and a bit thinner. See the grains? It looks a lot like kosher salt but I'm not brave enough to find out. If I were to keel over I would just hate to go like that.


Working it in a bit more... you can see it's starting to turn grey as it dissolves.


Ok at this point the "salt" grains have completely dissolved and this is when I finally rinse it all off with warm water. I use this for my face about 1-2x a week and on patchy dry areas of my body whenever.

Product Packaging

I love when MAC takes a departure from their usual black boxes. The outer packaging of the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator is a white box with a raised MAC monogram all over.

I've no issues with the packaging of the actual product. They improved it this time and put it in a plastic squeezy tube. It makes it easy and mess-free to get the product out.

The Verdict: A+
This stuff really rocks! It leaves skin so clean and soft. What really sets it apart from other exfoliators is the foaming action. Even though it only foams a little bit, I think foaming makes the exfoliating process feel bubbly. It's a really nice unique feeling. Most other exfoliators just feel like I'm sandpapering my skin.

There is a strong smoky smell to this and it seems it's either a love it or hate it type of scent. I personally do not mind the smell, but I'm really super sensitive to smoke - I blame my weak nasal passages. When I use this on my face I have to work fast or else I get a tickle in my throat and feel like coughing.

Shipping Experience - Macy's: A+
I bought just 1 bottle of Volvanic Ash at MAC's boutique because I wanted to be sure I really liked this exfoliator before stocking up. Since I ended up loving it, I turned to Macy's to stock up. They were the only store I could find that would allow me to purchase 6 items of these at once.


So here's the stash of my precious Volcanic Ash until MAC re-releases it or better yet makes it part of their permanent collection!

Shu Uemura Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation $42 Review & Swatch

"Shu Uemura's Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation refines skin texture to ultimate smoothness with a watery fresh application.

This foundation spreads with a watery sensation wearing comfortably on the skin. Imperfections such as uneven skin texture and skin tone are smoothed out with each application for a beautifully unified look. With adjustable coverage, the skin looks flowaless yet natural, resulting in a transparent complextion soft and smooth to the touch.

High concentrations of Depsea water allow for an exceptionally fluid application leaving skin with a fresh watery texture." ~from the pamphlet included with the foundation.

Swatch

The foundation appears more yellow in this pic than it does in person. I got this in shade #764 which matches MAC NC25. If you're trying to determine your shade, check out my previous post here.



Product Packaging
The product is housed in a glass container with a plastic lid and pump. I really like the heavy feel of the glass in my hand. I dunno why.


And of course I love the pump dispenser as it's both sanitary and easy to dispense just the right amount. I do not understand why this isn't an industry standard. If you don't use the pump, it's always easier to unscrew it than to find a pump that actually fits the container.

The Verdict: A-
I've put this foundation on a variety of ways and there's just NO WAY to mess it up. I've used only my fingers to dab & smooth it on when I'm in a rush, I've used a sponge applicator to smooth it on, I've stippled it on with the MAC 187, and I've even used the Shu Natural 18 Foundation brush to apply it. However you choose to apply this, it goes on beautifully. It gives medium to medium-full coverage and has a bit of a powdery finish.

What I love is that this foundation never cakes and it lasts through an 8 hour day. I don't recall ever needing to touch-up my face with this foundation. I've seem some forums where people say this foundation has oxidized on them and turned orangey. I tested it out and I didn't have a problem with oxidization but I also disagreed with the original shade the SAs picked out for me. They chose #754 for me but it was a bit off - so I self-corrected afterwards.

The only real complaint I have is I can "feel" the foundation sitting on my skin as it's drying. Even though it dries fairly quickly, every now and then during the day I get that feeling of The Foundation is ON again.

Shu Uemura UV Underbase Mousse SPF10 $32 Review

I've always been a believer in primers. They are afterall the foundation to foundations. They create a smooth base for foundation so it's applied smoothly and evenly over the skin. A primer is a must for me to counter acne scarring, enlarged pores and some dry patches. Without it, foundation lodges itself into crevices I didn't even know were on my face and it slips off areas where I expect it to stay put.


I've always wanted to try out Shu Uemura's unconventional UV Underbase Mousse SPF10. The look of the packaging is so unique that I've been drawn to this product for the longest time. Another plus is that this primer has SPF10 in it. It's not much but some SPF is better than none, right?




Here some of the mousse straight outta the can. See how billowy and foamy? Although the mousse blends sheer, it has a beige tint to it. In fact the box says it's official shade is Beige 01.

The Verdict: A
I wasn't sure what to expect this foamy primer but I was pleasantly suprised. Since this has the consistency of mousse, when it's applied it doesn't just glide over the skin. I could feel it being absorbed into my skin just a little bit which also provided some moisturization. It does takes some work to get this blended in and absorbed into the skin. It leaves skin a litte moist and takes a minute to dry completely. Once dried my skin felt soft and supple. My pores were minimized and foundation went on like a dream without budging.

It is non-greasy, very light weight and the best part - it mattifies. I barely broke a shine in the 6th hour. That's right shine free for 6 hours! Another thing I noticed was that this primer actually keeps foundation and blushes right where it's applied. I'm totally in love with this stuff!

Shu Uemura Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation Color Chart (kinda sorta)

I've been intrigued about Shu Uemura's Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation for a super l-o-n-g time. I've even gone to get my shade matched at the Shu counter but that's a story for another post. Lately I've been staring at the foundation shades offered online (again) but I've never been able to make any sense of it. I'm sure there are also Asia-only shades not shown online which annoys me to no end.

With all that said - Please don't be alarmed by what you are about to see next. I just had to do it to ease my troubled mind and to finally make some sense of those cryptic shade numbers! You can click on the pics to expand the diagrams and get a closer look.


Color Chart from Shu's USA website. Mine got flipped(sorry) - as the rows go from top to bottom they simultaneously progress from
dark
medium-dark
medium
light-medium
light


Color Chart modifed by yours truly. I ignored the number assigned to the shades, kept all the colors in their respective row but moved them around by the color I perceived.

Here's what I could sort out of the 3-digit numbers XYZ from the color charts:

Left digit X indicates how warm/pink or cool/yellow the shade is.
1 = warmest shade (most pink)
9 = coolest shade (most yellow)

Middle digit Y indicates how light or dark the shade is.
0 = darkest shade
8 = lightest shade

Right digit Z - I can't figure out. If you figure it out please let me know! There's only 4 or 5 and that's the extent of the range. Shade #164 and #165 are the only two shades that have the same XY digits and only the Z digit differs. They do appear to be different but I can't describe the distinction.

***** Update ***** Thanks to Anonymous for this extra confirmation! *****

"I have been to Shu counter,
It is correct that left digit X indicates how warm or cool the shade is. But the higher the number the warmer it will be. So no.9 is the warmest, most yellow of all. I have not seen no.1-3 but no. 5 is pinkish (in my opinion). No. 7 is equivalent to NC range in MAC. No. 9 is very yellow. 754 is a bit darker than NC35(I tried in the shop's light)."

***** 2nd Update *****

A fellow reader that is MAC NC20 was matched to shade #564 by an SA at the Shu Counter.

Evecare Guerlain Meteorites Miniature Sale!

Holy moly! The Guerlain Meteorites Minature Set with a Miniature Pink Brush set 50% off at Evecare.com for the price of $42.95.

If you purchase $45 or more you also get free shipping! That's only $2.05 more to make the cut. A great opportunity to try these out!

Click on the image to be taken directly to Evecare.com.

Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick $22

I picked this up during the recent Saks F&F. I've been wanting to give this a try for so long and after seeing Jen's post about it at http://www.abeautyfulsentiment.com/ I was good to go! It was also awarded as the "Best Undercover Agent" in O Magazine's Spring Makeup O-wards.


This was a weird beauty purchase experience. I walked up to the counter and the SA asked me what color of the Face Touch Up Stick I wanted. I replied "I'm not sure what color matches me" and she was mortified I didn't know. Well, excuuuse me for not signing my soul over to Bobbi Brown and using her products exclusively! So long story short - my color is the #4 Natural.

**Update** I've since switched 1/2 a shade down to #3.5 Warm Beige. #4 was just a tad too yellow on me.

The Verdict: A
I love the creamy-ness of this and I've been using it exclusively as a concealer. It glides effortlessly on top of my primer, but if I forego the primer it still glides on smoothly and covers very well. What I really love is that it applies and blends equally well on my T-zone as well as my cheeks. Even though it is creamy and gives full coverage, it's so light weight that I don't feel it sitting on top of my skin. It also is not greasy and I did not break out at all.

I tried this under my eyes (check!), acne scars (check!) and dark corners near my nose (check!) and mouth (check!). Ok, so it's not recommended for use under the eye but I had to see if it would work and it did! Since the skin around the eye does not have oil glands, it's important to use something more hydrating.

It lasts for hours and does not melt off. I did not have to reapply at all during a 9 hour day but if I had to, this is extremely portable as it's no bigger than a tube of lipgloss. I still adore my Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer but its so pricey and this is great alternative!

SK-II Air Touch Foundation $165

Tada! I finally got it! After all the months of wondering it will work, second guessing the product and just plain not knowing if it would be for me - I took the plunge and it was well worth it! I don't know why I didn't just go to the SK-II counter and have the SA apply it on me. As soon as the SA sprayed this on me and I saw myself in the mirror, I needn't need any more convincing cause I was already handing over the cash. Thankgoodness for the Saks F&F or else I'd be nursing my wallet wounds. O also you can now buy SK-II products online through their website!

The SK-II Airtouch Foundation is basically a portable airbrush foundation compact. As with all SK-II products, this foundation contains Pitera (I think it's exclusively patented by SK-II) which hydrates the skin and leaves it smooth and radiant. It was discovered when a scientist noticed the hands of sake brewers were unusually soft and smooth compared to the skin of their face. So after much research and hundreds of experiments with fermented yeast, scientists were able to extract Pitera!!


What's in the Package?

I know the Airtouch used to come with an instructional CD and when I opened the outter red box there was a gap that looked suspiciously CD-shaped. Unfortunately nomore CD anymore. The Airtouch comes with it's own user's manual (very informational and lots of pictures!), a Panasonic CR2 3V Lithuim battery, a refill packet and the Airtouch compact itself.


Shot of where the Lithium battery goes. The SA said the battery should last 1.5 - 2 years with daily use and that the battery can be bought at any electronic store. I've not seen or looked for this type of battery before so I don't know if it's easily found or what the price would be. Online I found it for around $3-5 depending on what site you get it from.


Close-up of the compact's button and the 3 different settings:
On - Used to apply the foundation.
Off - Turns off the appliance (I thought this was weird but then again - it is electronically powered)
Droplet - Used to "decompress" the foundation packet (gets rid of the air in the packet). The instruction manual suggests using this everytime before applying the foundation so that you get an even application, but the SA said to just use this about once a week. You hold the unit with the nozzle pointing down and hold down the silver button until a small droplet of the foundation appears. Once you see the droplet, release the button, wipe the foundation off the nozzle and turn to the "On" setting for application.

Product Assembly


This is the back of the unit where the foundation refill packet slides in. Below are some pics of how all the parts of the compact unit are assembled together.


All taken apart. From top to bottom: The Compact Cover, the Refill Cover, the Refill Packet and the Compact itself.


The Refill Packet inserted into the Compact.


The Refill Cover placed on the Compact. This is how the compact will normally look.


And the Compact Cover to complete the Unit!

The Verdict: A+
I LOVE this foundation!! I was matched with the BP-4 color for Rosy Toned Medium skin. It's totally my HG (and I hate using that reference). The foundation goes on super even and natural. It does not look like I'm wearing any makeup - just makes me look better. My pores are minimized and my skin looks evened out. It's not strong enough to cover acne scars, so I've got to use a concealer underneath. It lasts all day and does not melt off. Even my boyfriend thought I had no makeup on and he commented that my skin looked dewy but not greasy. It's easily layered and you can have anywhere from sheer to medium-full coverage.

Another cool factor about this foundation is that it is only attracted to moisture. It has something to do with positive and negative ions mumbo-jumbo. So basically, it will only adhere to your skin and not your hair or clothing. The SA placed a tissue over her hand, spread out her fingers and sprayed the foundation across her hand. When she lifted the tissue, the foundation was on the tissue in the shape of her hand (remember making turkeys with your hand in kindergarten?).

On the first day I used this, my face got itchy after about an hour after application. It wasn't overbearingly itchy but I was concerned for about 5 min while it lasted. I did not remove the foundation and the itchy feeling went away. The 2nd day I used this, I never felt any itchy-ness so maybe it was a combination of other things causing it.

Also I thought I would find it to be much bulkier, but it's really not that huge. I wouldn't want to have to carry it around with me, but if I had to it's not gona weigh me down. Since it lasts all day, there really isn't a need to take it along.