I've been playing with the new My Armani To Go Cushion Foundation for a few months. Now that it's warmer out (it was above ninety degrees today already) it's time to pull out the light foundations again. I put this away for a while to play with heavier foundations but now it's back out for the rest of the summer. I pretty much lived in my Chanel cushion foundation last summer and I love Armani foundations so it was meant to be. Details per Armani:
The Armani secret to stay perfect on the go. More than a Cushion, an it accessory for face to be beautifully perfect anytime and anywhere.
A next generation makeup essential that brings together a truly advanced formulation, a sleek, travel-friendly foundation with a professional applicator.
Skin is instantly transformed with one simple gesture. A high-tech essence-in-foundation formulation - the essential accessory is complete. Supreme coverage, comfort & silk glow: with the precision of a couturier, formulators of MY ARMANI TO GO strike the perfect balance between tailor-made, buildable coverage and a light, “no make-up” sensation.
Giorgio Armani Essence-In-Foundation Cushion comes in 6 shades from yellow beige to pink beige and sandy tones, matching very light to medium complexions.
Benefits
The 1st Cushion with the best of coverage, comfort and silk glow. All the benefits of your liquid foundation on the go. The 1st Armani Cushion that takes care of your skin and that improves your skin texture day after day.
How to Apply
Gently soak the middle part of the applicator to pick up foundation. Then, swipe the face perfectionist applicator across the skin to spread the product and dab the face to blend. Repeat application, based on your coverage need. To finish, gently dab foundation under the eyes & around the nose and lips using the sharp shape of the applicator.
Backstage tip:
Before applying MY ARMANI TO GO, apply Glow-on Moisturizing Balm to prepare and hydrate the skin. You can apply it alone over your skincare routine, layer it over any Armani foundation, or use it to touch up your make up during the day. Do not use any other brushes to apply the product: the formula was especially developed to fit perfectly to the face perfectionist applicator.
This cushion comes packaged in Armani style-A sleek red case with the black Armani logo. These types of cushion foundations have a flip top lid on the inside that snaps and keeps the foundation from drying out and spilling everywhere during travel. This comes with one pad to apply the product and the compact is actually refillable. I love that about it. It's such a waste to throw the container out every time. Armani also sells replacement applicator sponges. The biggest drag for you US folks is that this still hasn't made it to the states yet. I got mine on Selfridges. It was supposed to come out around April I thought but it must have been pushed back.
I grabbed shade 4.5 which is an OK match for my NC25-27 light medium skin tone. 4.5 seems a touch light for me so I think I will go for shade 5.5 when I refill it. Shade 5 seemed lighter than the 4.5 which sometimes happens in Armani foundations. 4.5 looks like more of an NC25 in general and 5.5 more NC27-30. Since I'll be using this in the summer more I should probably go darker. These types of foundations do tend to dry or set darker than when swatched wet. They're also such sheer coverage you really can do a shade up or down as it doesn't have to be as precise.
The scent is very minimal, almost non-existent. The texture is super thin and the coverage is light. It's buildable coverage to a degree but you can only get so high with it. I love that this sets down to a satin finish. It's not dewy which makes it perfect for summer. I've always hated cushion foundations in the past as they tend to be more oily and always felt greasy. I haven't been a fan of Asian cushion foundations to date for that reason. Chanel changed my mind on cushion foundations last year and Armani continues to make me want to try all the new ones coming out by Western or European brands. Both Chanel and Armani are light, not greasy and set down to a more satin style finish. Chanel is a tad more dewy. Armani seems to set a touch drier.
The wear is great for this type of foundation. I can wear it all day at work and have no issues with it fading badly. It's going to fade faster if you're doing an outside day and sweating. The white pad for dispensing this product is firm and more dense than the Chanel. Chanel's is a mesh that was very cushy and elastic. The applicator pad to the Armani cushion has a pointed end, honestly I never used the pointed end as I didn't need to. So it seems precise if you like that. It's a bit firmer as well than the Chanel applicator pad. I really like the foundation texture of both the Armani and Chanel cushions. Armani is a tad more pigmented and more satin. They're a bit different, Chanel is more gel like and a tad dewier. I like the mesh dispenser and the applicator pad of the Chanel cushion more than the Armani. I love that Armani made theirs refillable. Though Chanel has now made theirs refillable too. It wasn't when I bought mine last year.
My Armani To Go Cushion Foundation is a great super lightweight foundation that will give you light coverage with a satin finish. It's perfect for summer or hot and humid climates as your foundation never feels heavy when you're wearing this foundation. What I love about this one is the coverage level is actually decent for such a lightweight product. I will be living in it for the next four months.
Top to Bottom-Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch 30 (too light I needed 40), Armani Cushion 4.5, Armani Luminous Silk 5.5:
