I've been on the hunt for the 'perfect' foundation for as long as I can remember and until not long ago, thought I had come as close as I was likely to get when I invested in beauty bloggers favorite - Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. A gorgeous satin finish as the name would suggest, oil free (a big bonus for those of us who suffer with recurring shine throughout the day) and most of all, impressively long lasting.
However, having heard a few whispers amongst some of my go to beauty aficionados where recommendations are concerned, that the Loreal True Match Foundation holds not dissimilar properties and gives it's higher end counterpart a good run for it's money (all thirty five pounds worth of it!) I decided to put it to the test...
Immediately, upon pumping the Loreal foundation out onto the back of my hand I could see that the formula itself was very similar to Luminous Silk - what I would describe as being almost quite watery, which in turn allows its application to be sheer yet buildable to a medium coverage on the skin if required.
Personally, I use (and was matched at the Giorgio Armani counter in John Lewis to) the lightest shade of Luminous Silk - 02. My complexion really is 'milk bottle' though and so even this requires a little blending in order to ensure a natural look. This was one of the points that, despite the 'True Match' claim in the name, I was expecting to be let down on with the Loreal foundation (I can never find drugstore foundations light/pale enough in shade) but was very pleasantly surprised to discover that the shade 'Rose Ivory' was as near to a perfect match as I have ever managed to achieve not only with a drugstore foundation but with any foundation I have tried! And it only got better from there on in...
The 'super blendable', matching to 'colour and texture' of skin claims were spot on in my case at least. It really was lovely to apply, didn't cling to any troublesome dry patches and left me with the sought after 'glow' that so many of us yearn for.
The best part of all this though, was that the Loreal True Match foundation did something for me that no other foundation has ever managed to do - it survived the glare of my fluorescent office lights for a full nine hours - unscathed. No wear, no tear, no cracks as the day came to an end. No, it was as perfect then as it was the minute I applied it. Amazing.
If you're looking for a true Luminous Silk dupe, then look no further. In fact, for less than a third of the price, I'd be willing to stick my neck out here and say that if you're a pale faced, oily to combination skinned gal like myself, you'd be crazy not to go with this much cheaper alternative.
