face oils

Fall’s Best Foundation Is Full of Oil

Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani

I’ve always been one of those people who hates wearing foundation. Whether it was a lightweight formula, tinted moisturizer, or all-in-one BB cream,  there was no way it was going to live on my face all day long. My skin needs to breathe! At least I felt this way until I was introduced to Giorgio Armani’s latest, Maestro Fusion Makeup Revolutionary Complexion Perfector. The name is a mouthful (so let’s just call it the Maestro), partly because the Armani people are so intent on avoiding the word “foundation.”

The Maestro, which contains no water, is made up of teeny, tiny pigment particles suspended in a mixture of five different types of good-for-your-skin oils, which gradually evaporate over time. The texture is not what you might expect: It’s super fluid and thin (not at all goopy), and it leaves skin feeling, well, like your skin. Once applied, it looks smooth and seamless, but doesn’t settle in wrinkles, even those fine under-eye ones. And though the idea of using an oil-based product on your face sounds greasy and scary, it doesn’t clog pores. Armani makeup artist Tim Quinn suggests using just two drops with the bottle’s dropper applicator, so that’s what I stick to — meaning this one-ounce bottle with its $62 price tag is going to last awhile.

Fall’s Best Foundation Is Full of Oil