Can you improve upon perfection?
That’s the question fans of Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Foundation were asking when the company revamped its iconic 25-year-old base.
The red carpet essential – prized by makeup artists, beauty editors, brides, civilians and celebrities from Kim Kardashian and Sabrina Carpenter to Gigi Hadid – is famed for its dewy, second-skin finish. The lightweight, buildable foundation blurs imperfections but lets the complexion – and Meghan Markle’s freckles – peek through.
So why tamper with a winning formula?
For Armani Beauty, the objective was to expand the shade selection, improve color match, heighten radiance and boost skincare benefits. At the same time, in line with new EU regulations, certain cyclic silicones were removed from the product.
Today, version 2.0 is available in 44 shades (as compared to the original 40), 18 of which are brand new. Color match is enhanced with ultramarine and green pigments: the former eliminates ashiness on deeper skin tones while the latter brightens olive skin tones. The treatment ingredients, including glycerin and niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3), are said to help the skin retain moisture and improve the texture. The company’s promise: 24-hour wear and hydration.
As for the packaging, Luminous Silk is now housed in a transparent (instead of frosted) glass bottle, all the better to see the true color inside.
Fans were worried. What if the “your skin, but better” product was actually worse?
“I’m scared,” admitted makeup artist and and media personality Jeffree Star in a Tiktok product review. “This was one of my favorite foundations of all time… Am I about to be really f-cking upset or what?”
His trepidation quickly turned to relief.
“Off the bat, it’s obviously way more luminous,” he said after applying both the OG and updated versions for a side-to-side comparison. “When I look at the new formula, why does it look more hydrating and blurring? Hold the f-ck up!” he exclaimed. “It looks a lot more smooth, very filtered like my pores are more blurred. I had no idea that the new formula was going to be this good.
“I was honestly scared s–tless to try this,” he admitted. “ I hate reformulations, but Armani – I think you kinda did something here.”
Beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira was similarly stressed by the relaunch ($69 for a 1-oz. bottle and $48 for a mini .6-oz. size). “This is one of the most iconic foundations in beauty history,” she explained in a TikTok. “Do you know how pissed I’m going to be if this reformulation sucks?”
Her fears were quickly allayed.
“Seriously, this is stunning,” she raved after tapping it on with a sponge. “It feels completely weightless on the face. It’s perfect medium coverage and the match [is flawless].
“Like, oh my god, it is pretty. It made my skin look ah-ma-zing. Actually, I have to say, I’m really glad they did this. I was so nervous they were going to literally destroy their legacy, but this is an improvement,” she continued, noting that she probably wouldn’t have realized the formula had changed if she hadn’t been told.
“It is gorgeous,” she concluded. “10 out of 10.”
This writer tried it, too. I can honestly say it’s the best foundation I’ve ever used. It blends into my skin seamlessly and looks fresh and natural. It lasts all day without fading.
To answer the question: Yes, Armani improved upon perfection.
