Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation Review... Sort of

Hi guys!


****image credit goes to Nordstrom****

I know you probably all went "?" when you saw the title... a "sort of" review? What does that even mean?!

Well the reason why this is a sort-of review is because this is gonna be a very crude review... more like a one-day wear impression/review. I am not able to come up with a thorough review because this foundation did break me out. I noticed my face was itchy throughout the day, and had to tissue it off as soon as I got home. Then after I removed and cleansed my face properly I still felt itchy and noticed red little bumps along my jawline and a little bit on my cheeks. I treated my face immediately with active charcoal mask and some yogurt and next day I woke up to some dry patches along my jawline instead (which is a good thing by the way). There are still some red bumps on my cheeks but they don't bother me as much because they don't itch. My only concern now is the itchy patches on my chin. So luckily I only wore this for one day so it didn't get out of control, but with that said I'm not about to try and test out this foundation further. Luckily I did have time to snap some photograph the first day I tried it so hopefully that will give you some idea about the finish and texture! :)


So the Maestro foundation is very liquidy, and as most of you probably have heard, contains A TON of silicone. It actually reminds me of the Loreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer, except the Loreal primer is in a mousse form and GA is in liquid (and is a foundation obviously).

It's very watery. The MUA gave me a ton of sample now I don't know what I'm gonna do with it =T and excuse my chipped nail polish.


If you're familiar with Giorgio Armani, you will know that his foundation generally leans more orange than neutral. My shade is in 4.5, which is slightly orange on me but nothing too bad.




Can you tell the foundation accentuates lines/dryness a bit?


This picture captures the dryness much better. This is why after I initially swatched it at store I was no longer excited/eager to try this foundation anymore-- I was immediately put off by the texture. I usually look for something creamier.


From afar it doesn't look too bad, however I don't feel like it enhances the look of my skin either

Here I have the Maestro foundation and YSL Touche Eclat for comparison. I much prefer the YSL finish because it doesn't make my skin look dry, but rather makes my skin look more radiant and hydrated.


I have to admit though, the Maestro foundation does perform a bit better after being applied to my face.

I don't have the before and after comparison because I thought I was gonna review this foundation more... so yeah.


I don't really understand why people keep saying YSL Touche Eclat is a sheer foundation and Maestro is not??? Because in my opinion Maestro doesn't have more coverage than YSL. In fact, I think YSL have more coverage than Maestro. I did use quite a bit to achieve this finish (on the website it says you're supposed to only need 1-2 drops... well I don't have the droplet dispenser but I do believe I had to use more than that to cover my redness. But this foundation is quite buildable I will give it that.

Anyway while I'm not really fond of this foundation (I feel like it makes my skin look dry especially around my nose). I want to say this foundation does minimize pores pretty well and gives that soft-focusing/blurred effect on the skin. It was hard to photograph these pictures because this foundation kept mis-focusing my camera XD





Overall effect. I look so serious LMAO. Looks pretty good in the pic but I just don't like it when I see the finish up close in person -_-"


And in terms of oil control... this foundation absolutely fails. With YSL Touche Eclat which is a dewy foundation I got 4-5 hours of wear without any noticeable shine. And I noticed oil seeping through within 30 minutes of wearing this foundation.




After about 8 hours

It held up reasonably well on my cheeks (normal skin), but you can obviously see the oil has broken through the foundation on my nose (so gross haha but just want to give you guys an idea how it holds up on combination skin). And you might notice the foundation has faded somewhat on my nose.



So I'm not fond of how this foundation wears either. When I get oily the oil doesn't meld in with the foundation, it kind of just sits there and is pretty noticeable. In conclusion, this foundation is definitely more suitable for those who have normal skin (dry skin might want to stay away as I do feel like it emphasizes dry/patchiness).



That concludes my "review" for the Maestro foundation. While this foundation is definitely a miss for me (it broke me out!!! T__T haven't had a reaction from a foundation in a while), I still encourage those who are interested to get a sample, and just try it out! I honestly think I'm the only person giving a negative review on this foundation orz... seek second opinion! Just because this foundation doesn't work for me, it doesn't mean it won't work for you!

I hope some of you found this review helpful! =) Have a great week guys!



<3 Frances

Samples & Haul-- SK-II, Lancome, MAC lipsticks, Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation... and F21!

Hi guys!



So this post is kind of all over the place XD just some of the samples I recently acquired and of course some purchases XD and some clothes I tried on while I was at F21 =D


A while ago there was this SK-II craze going on on Youtube about the Facial Treatment Essence... from what I could tell I haven't heard a single negative review on this product. So I was stoked to see the sample sizes when I was browsing Sasa.com! I'm not ready to dish out $195 for a toner after all.

I've been using it for about a week now and I noticed it actually has been evening out my skin tone... however I'm not quite sure because I'm also using Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum so I'm not sure which one is contributing to the even-ness XD I'm 90% sure it's this though because my face is usually redder after I wash my face in the morning but this makes my face back to normal after I use it... and I don't use Estee Lauder in the morning. I'll have to use it more to see =D

By the way Sasa order takes forever to arrive =_= took mine about 5 weeks to pass customs and everything. I almost thought my package was lost in transit lol!

I also picked up a sample size SK-II Skin Signature moisturizer after reading the review on Closet Voyage.

Chococcuro stated that after using this moisturizer she noticed her skin is more balanced where she is oily/dry... and you guys all know how oily my nose gets LOL. Haven't used this yet cuz I'm still trying to finish up my Clinique moisturizer.


I laughed when I saw this. It says "free gift/sample, not for sale." LOL apparently it costs about $20 for this supposed free gift.


Also picked up another moisturizer. Haven't used it either, gonna reserve this for the winter =D


A free sample I got from my Sasa purchase... Actually completely forgot about this until I started working on this post... *coughs* might just use this tonight.

Also got some samples when I went to Origins to pick up another Clear Improvement Active Charcoal mask =D

Haven't used this as well... I have so many skin care samples/products I'm trying to go through...


Firming cream is always welcome =D ohhhh double chinnnnn lol


Got these Lancome samples a while ago... they were giving out free gift sets if you purchase $35 or more... which honestly isn't that hard cuz you know... it's Lancome...

It probably will be a long time before I get to this day time moisturizer... still working on my Shiseido and Origins LOL


Really want to just open this and use it already =D but... I'm currently using Jeune d'age (which by the way my verdict is out it doesn't do anything for my eyes I feel absolutely no difference) and Origins GinZing and this sample eye cream I got from Kiehl's... so yeah... it will be a while as well T^T We'll see. I might put the Jeune d'age one on blog sale since I'm feeling nothing. The GinZing at least definitely depuffs my eyes.


A friend gave me the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum sample cuz she knew I wanted to try it =DDDDDDD so sweet of her! It's a very small bottle and I think I will be out of it soon... but honestly so far I can't feel any difference either LOL just like when I used Lancome Genifique (although while Lancome Genifique doesn't make any difference on my complexion it does help my skin heal faster).


Next an early birthday gift set =D Hahahaha it's not my birthday month yet but I was too excited to wait XD been drooling after these ever since I saw a friend hers for her bday month. Been dying to try these since I heard so many great things! But $22.50 is just too much for me to splurge on a lip balm when there are so many cheap and effective ones.



Also stopped by MAC to pick up some lipsticks...



When I first saw Rebel I thought it looks exactly the same as Media... but it actually turns out much lighter upon swatching. I also picked up Freckletone because I've been looking for a dupe for Dior's nude lipstick because I use it almost every day and love the color so much! However while Freckletone and Dior look really similar under the Nordstrom's yellow lighting... they look completely different under natural light. So I'm a bit bummed out (see this is why you never just try out a foundation inside a store cuz the lighting is so misleading!!!!!! Grrrr) but I still like the color! Compared to Dior I think it suits even better for a tanned person lol. I might go back to the store and exchange it for something closer to Dior... we'll see.



Next... my main reason why I had to go to Nordstrom =D Hellooooo Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation!!!!!! =DDDDDDD

While I'm waiting around for the promotion sale at Sephora to purchase the YSL Touche Eclat foundation .... I am finally starting to see more reviews for this foundation! (particularly I was waiting for Raeview). I was so excited when I saw such a positive review from her because I have been waiting for this foundation for so long. But anyway when I swatched it at store I kind of went from o(≧ω≦)o to  (⊙＿⊙)

It's not really what I was expecting I guess? It feels wayyy too silicone-y... it's not the smooth texture that I usually look for in liquid foundations. Furthermore upon swatching it kind of emphasizes the fine lines on the back of my hand... making my skin look dry. So we'll see. Will need to try this on my face to see if I actually like it of course. But so far not overly excited about it anymore.


Okay now onto stuff unrelated to makeup... have you guys tried the chocolate dipped macaroons at Godiva? =D

Those are my favorite treats XD they're pretty heavy though so you're warned XD I usually eat them over a few days lol. But everytime I go to the mall I have to get me some of these XD Not usually a fan of coconut but this is so good >_<

Next I went clothes shopping at Forever 21 =D I feel like F21 is the only place I shop at nowadays LOL which is a bit embarrassing because I always have at least one F21 item on me whenever I go shopping there LOL. These are not all the clothes I got... just the ones I managed to snap photos... planning on doing a F21 haul video =D



This is what I wore that day. Hahaha going for dark colors now it's fall. Was wearing a white beanie to brighten up the outfit but it was too hot to keep it on. Anyway cardigan was from Urban Outfitters that I got years ago, shorts are from Taiwan, and boots from F21 LOL.



I did end up purchasing this over-sized sweater =D it's actually from the plus size section LMAO. Got so many weird looks when I was browsing in that section lololol but I just love how comfy and big and loose it fits. Very comfy =D Will be pairing this with shorts or tights depending on the weather. And of course boots =D



Also purchased this black shirt... I like the lace collar and it has interesting shoulders that I don't normally go for... but it has that vintage feel to it =D


Kind of regretting I didn't pick this up cuz I did like this a lot but ended up getting the other white shirt... hmmmm should I go back and get it? =T can't find it on the website.


I thought this is cute but they only have large left so... it's not meant to be XD


I am digging the leather collar and cuffs I thought it has very edgy feel to it =D This is why I didn't purchase that last white shirt cuz they're both kind of similar....... yet different.... ahhh!!! lol.

Anyway, that's all I have to share today =D Hope you guys didn't mind the randomness of this post. Okay gotta get back to studying. Hope you guys have a great Sunday <3



<3 Frances

New Lover-- YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation SPF19 Review

****Update****

Now I have the foundation, thought I'd update this review with some photos :)

Color is in B40. Which looks quite dark in the bottle.



Lol kind of pointless to get a picture of the printings on the bottle since I can't even read the thing in person anyway haha.





Ingrediets:




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Hey guys!

So today I have an exciting review for you guys ^_^  By the title you guys all know it's the new YSL foundation-- Le Teint Touche Eclat!



I don't have the full size item yet so I'm putting up this pic from Sephora. But I am sure I will be purchasing this foundation ^_______^ the MUA at Sephora was very generous and gave me a huge sample, so I've been using it for everyday for the last 2 weeks. Still have a lot left =D (I only use a very small amount each time). Since this is a very expensive foundation, I'm gonna wait until there's some kind of promotion/sale at Sephora =D


Before I go into the review, I just wanted to let you guys know when I found out about the launch of the Touche Eclat foundation, I honestly didn't really care about it at all (that's why it took me weeks before I even remember to swatch it in store XD). I genuinely wasn't the slightest interested in this foundation, simply because I do not like the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch pen at all (you might notice I have that on my blog sale... yep. Did not care for it. Used it like 5 times tops).

Why didn't I care for the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch? Because it just doesn't sit well on my face. Every time I wear it I feel like it just sits on top of my face and doesn't meld into my skin. And it always settles into my expression lines. So when I heard "For the first time, the magic light of Touche Éclat is in a foundation" I was like "Meh! Whatevs" XD

So when I finally swatched it at Sephora (the only reason why I remembered to swatch it was because it was sitting right at the front of the store XD) I was very pleasantly surprised. The texture is completely different from the Radiant Touch


My color is Beige 40 (which is neutrally toned). It's a tad light for me so I'm looking to try other shades. But I might just stick with this shade-- nothing a little bit of bronzer can't fix =D

*** Dear friends, lately I've been noticing B40 actually looks a bit red on me... it's not too bad but I can see a difference between my face and neck. No idea why I didn't notice until now I'm already half way through the bottle =_= I will have to rematch myself. But for now I would suggest B30 would probably will be a better match (based on the YSL Youth Liberator shade that I matched myself more recently-- that foundation have the same shade range as Touche Eclat if I'm not mistaken). Updated 9/19/14

 







So I asked for a sample =D And man, now I'm kind of hooked to this foundation O_O Why am I so sure that I'm gonna be purchasing this foundation? Because I look forward to using it every morning =DDDDD <3 br="">
Now let's see the product in action =D

Yeah woke up one day face was so red =_=



Half side of the face applied with YSL =D

Love love love the radiance and glow it gives >_< absolutely love!!



The foundation is very thin and lightweight, but definitely has enough coverage to even out skin tone and cover blackheads.


Full face applied (used Sigma flat top synthetic kabuki brush)


Compared to the Dior Nude foundation, this one definitely feels lighter (but then again I use less YSL compared to Dior? So with that said YSL might actually have more coverage? Not sure cuz first impression was YSL has less coverage). In my opinion, this foundation is an even "nuder" foundation than Dior. Looks really really natural :)



Full face effect. Sorry about the hair in my face, didn't notice it when I took the pics... yes annoying I know lol.



Aside from the gorgeous finish it gives, what really sells me to this foundation is the wear. It wears so well on my skin, with or without powder. Amazing!


So this was applied on another day.



Freshly applied.



This was 4 hours after. You can see a bit of shine on the nose but it still looks dewy rather than oily.





And after 8 hours

Yep aside from the obvious shine on my nose where I get super oily, the foundation remained on my face without moving =D by the way I did not set the foundation with powder in these pics. I feel like this foundation melds into your skin even more when you get oily =D And please bare in mind I took this last pic directly under a light source to get a detailed photography, so it does make my face appear very shiny, in person it actually doesn't even look that shiny ^_~


So in conclusion, I'm in love with this foundation! Cannot wait for the day when I get my hands on the full size bottle. For now, this has definitely become my Holy Grail for a dewy finish foundation =D I don't have product demo videos for now but don't worry! Will definitely feature this foundation in future videos =)

By the way, just wanted to quickly throw my thoughts on the comparison between YSL Touche Eclat foundation and Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation: the initial finishes are similar-- both foundations give really nice and glowy finish. However, the YSL definitely sits better on my combination skin. I'd say if you have dry/normal skin you can probably go for Bourjois. But to me the two foundations are very different.


That's all I have! Hope you guys found this review helpful ^_^
Have a great week guys!
<3 Frances